|
As a long-time sex-haver and birth-control-user, I just wanted to share my experiences with anyone considering any of the methods I have tried. Preface this with the fact that I am a) and b)  . My periods were as regular as clockwork before I started loving around with my hormones.The Pill I got my period at 12 (and 4 months), and went on the pill at 15. I started on Brevinor, which is the generic, basic pill that most docs prescribe for new Pill users. It was marvellous, I used it to skip many periods (with my doc's blessing) but ended up having to get a stronger one, Microgynon ED50. That was because my body weight was too high and I began suffering breakthrough bleeding - I am suspicious that it was not unrelated to my skipping periods, but my doctor disagreed, and hey, that's why I paid him, I guess. Microgynon was good. I did not experience any mood swings or weight gain on the OCPs. It cost me about $5 per month through Family Planning, and I could get up to a years' worth at a time. Depo Provera I went on the Depo shot because I began nursing, and the shift work was wreaking havoc with my memory/ability to take the pill properly. Just before I started Depo, I was incredibly "ready" to have kids (at 17  ) so I decided to defeat my bizarre biological urges by making sure I had something I couldn't really forget. Since I had just started nursing, I was in my doc's office a lot getting various required vaccinations, so it was easy to make sure I got the shot every three months. I was on Depo for three years, and ended up giving myself the injections after getting a script from the doctor - so hardcore! With Depo, I had hardly any breakthrough bleeding until it was almost time for my next shot. I loved that. I didn't have any trouble with my moods while actually getting the shot, but as I was coming off it for the last time - well, good thing I was single by then. It took 18 months after I finished having Depo to actually get a period at all, and another few months before they became regular again. I think Depo cost about $17 every three months. It certainly wasn't much, and once I learnt to give myself the injections (do not do this), I only had to pay $5 per script for my doctor to write it out. I felt that I gained a lot of weight with Depo, although I am the first to defend hormonal birth control by saying it's an increase in appetite/consumption that causes weight gain, not the medication itself. Condoms OK for me, not so great for the guy I happened to be with at the time. I was lucky in that I never had any breakages or scares otherwise that were solely related to condoms, but... (cost is whatever they were at the supermarket, no weight gain or mood swings). Morning After Pill The condom-hating guy really hated condoms, and we had both been tested and were clean (safety first. Abortion exists, regardless of your beliefs; anti-herpes does not. Well, not as a curative measure). There were one or two times when we were not as careful as we could be, so I took the morning after pill. It was after the legislation in Australia changed to make it so that you could get the MAP from a pharmacist, instead of a doctor, so that was awesome. I had to answer a couple of questions in the pharmacy about my regular medications and what I was doing for birth control apart from MAP, and the pharmacist gave me a heads up about the potential side effects (nausea, vomiting, messed-up period). I was very lucky in that I only had a slightly messed-up period. This cost $27 per 2-tablet dose (12 hours apart) in 2009. I was off hormonal birth control for about a year, and found that I lost weight a LOT easier off it, but didn't like the uncertainty or putting the control in someone else's hands (or in a piece of rubber. I like things I can do myself, so I went back on the pill for a while). Implanon I have a love-hate relationship with Implanon. In between the MAP fiasco and Implanon, I found I had the same problems with rotating shifts messing up my ability to take the Pill regularly. I had the Implanon inserted in Sep 2009, after reading this thread, among my other research. I was inspired by the experiences of some of the ladies here, especially Anne Whatley. The insertion was no drama, slightly sore but no worse than a piercing or even a filling really. It was $30 for the actual implant and Family Planning charged me $40 to insert it. They did tell me how much it would cost to take out, but I forget how much they said. It was under $100 though. Anyway, since I got it in, I have had unpredictable bleeding, HUGE mood swings (more to the depressed/cries at everything side than bitchy) and not so much weight gain, but difficulty losing weight. I lost 45kg 2 years before Implanon, maintained for a year, and then found it was very difficult to lose any more, even though I was still significantly overweight and doing exactly what I had done before. Honestly, I was a nightmare to begin with - I cried at happy things, sad things, imagined slights,any ads that had animals in them, anything you could think of. I also bled. A lot. I was not one of the lucky ones. I was OK for the first couple of months, but over Dec 09/Jan 10 I bled for 34 days straight. I kept just hoping it would go away  which it eventually sort of did. For the next 9 months I had 2 periods a month - one when my normal period would be due, and one two weeks later. Thanks god my BF is a patient man who was willing to, uh, explore alternatives.It's now 16 months since I've had the Implanon inserted, and I think it's FINALLY starting to settle down. I still get the occasional cramp when I would normally be due, but have stopped bleeding so often. I'm also far less of a moody cow (well, I can at least recognise when I am being irrational now!). I plan to keep it in until it's ready to be changed (2012); if I am not in a position to have kids by then, I'll get it replaced, and if I am, well, great. I do plan to look into the Mirena once I have had kids - I'd get it before then, but I will definitely be having kids within the next 3-5 years so it seems like a waste to get it inserted before then. Sorry about the wall of text, but I hope sharing my experiences helps someone. I read a lot of VERY POSITIVE or VERY NEGATIVE experiences with Implanon before I got it, and I wanted to show you guys that there are some people who are kinda ambivalent about it.
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2011 22:39
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 5, 2024 08:05 |
|