So- get this..........
 

I just got back on birth control over a month ago- yes, it's been a while.......I hate pills, shots, etc. and don't care to trust the patch....

I WAS gonna go through my new dr., a naturopath, but I first had to do a physical and it was hard for me to take time off work to do it. So I just went to Planned Parenthood because it was quick.
I started with Ortho TriCyclen- got through almost the whole first month, no prob- but then I started to itch all of the time- to the point of insanity....and I know it was the pills because I hadn't changed anything I used topical or in my diet.
I called PP to try and get the prescription changed before I started the new cycle but they were 2 days late at getting back to me. I didn't want to STOP taking it just in case..when the Dr. called back she said she had never heard of such a thing in her 6 yrs. experience, but I did read the possible side effects and that was one of them. Well, she switched me to Apri which I had never heard of but thought I'd give it a shot. Well- not only did the itching NOT subside, but I got very nausiated for a whole evening a couple days after starting it. I did end up throwing up too. I can't handle that. I understand that is a typical side effect, but I cannot stand that feeling- especially if it lingers for so long. Also it's not good for me since I am already low-weight and low-grade anemic.

So I did finally stop taking the pills for good then of course having to deal with the insane hormonal changes and I got so stressed and I would cry for no reason, restless sleep, etc. I had to wait until yesterday to call my natropath- I now have an appt. to see her tomorrow morning to get my blood drawn and talk to her about my options.

Bizarre huh?
The only other thing I'm allergic to is Arythromiacin (like Amoxacillin) which gives me bad stomach cramps.

So I've been reading up on all different types of pills, which I'm leaning toward Yaz. I've also considered the depo shot for reasons such as little to no period, not taking pills....

I'm just so paranoid now that no matter what I try something's bound to happen and I don't want to go through $ and trial & error.

But like they say, every woman's body is different. I hope my natropath will be able to help me find the best for me.

P.S. All I want is to be protected, acne-free (which I am already prone to), and bigger boobs....with no side effects. Is that too much to ask? :p

You get two of the three in your list free .. but it's the 3rd that always costs ya :p


Every medication will affect each person differently, it may take up to six months for your body to settle into and accept the medications you are trying.

I wouldn't do Depo if I were you - if you have a bad reaction, too bad, it's there for the next 3 months. At least with pills, you can stop taking them.

Hmm... have you checked out the IUD - What do you know? thread? Lots of good info, and maybe that's an option for you.

You didn't really specify where the itching was, but I will assume it is "down there." It could be that you have a yeast infection because the women on the pill are more likely to get them.

Don't do the Depo shot! Like JustJess said, if you have a bad reaction, you're stuck with it for three months. The first time I tried it, I had my period for three months straight. Every day, bleeding. So I stopped it for about a year, tried again, and was on it for awhile. 30 pounds later, I got off it. Yeah, your boobs get bigger, but it does nothing for acne, and your whole body will get bigger. =P I've been on Yasmin for about 5 years, and have had no problems with it, except I may have developed more facial hair because of it, and it does help with acne. =)

I've heard lots of people say great things about Yasmin. Of course, since I started the "IUD-What do you know?" thread I'm biased against hormonal birth control in general.

You're definitely NOT alone in the itching. In fact, the itching was one of the reasons I got an IUD- I had to go through three different types of pills when I was on hormones before I found one that worked. I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and the Nuva Ring when I was on hormones. It does happen, but it's rare.

The itching was on my skin- it would jump from place to place- legs, arms, chest, stomach, back.....NEVER 'down there'......

Come to find out- anything that passes through your body orally must go through the liver, so if the liver is getting overworked, it can secrease something to make you itch.

HUH! Learn something new every day......actually, I think I recall hearing that before, a looooong time ago. Just never donned on me....

So- she recommended either the ring or IUD....since I need BC, I opted for the ring for now. I change it once a month and I can avoid having my period.

A lot of people say that there has been bad experiences with the IUD but they have improved it so it's supposedly not as apt to cause pain or cramps at all......

She shunned the Depo just because of the fact that if there are bad side effects, there is nothing you can do about it.

I love naturopaths......Wish I would have just gone to her in the first place.

When the IUD first came out, there were more problems with it because it was a new method of birth control. However, it's been around... what, thirty or fourty years, and in that time they've perfected both the IUD itself and the methods of insertion and removal.

http://www.iud.com/

Do check out the "IUD-What do you Know" thread, as it's got a good chronicle of my expierence with getting an IUD, and other's exierences as well. IUD's are the preferred method of BC in many other contries around the world, just not in the US for some reason.

I also had my blood drawn that day. My dr said that I have abnormally low cholesterol. I looked up some info online and found out that it is probably related to everything else that's going on- it's called Cholestasis- it is blockage in the liver which causes bile to build up. There are different types of this, but Drug-Induced Cholestasis can be caused by oral contraceptives and the most common sympton is itching! Crazy......

I had no idea BC could cause itching... perhaps that is why my excema seems to have gotten so much worse over the last three years.

I actually had a similar situation when I switched from Ortho-tricyclin to Yasmin. The doctor totally blew me off when I called to ask about the itching all over my torso -- it was so bad that I ended up taking Benedryl for it.

The itching lasted about a week, but the Yasmin totally killed my sex drive. So, I switched to OvCon 35 and haven't had any problems since.

Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!