Any help would be great...
 

Hi I have seen lots of questions about birth control so I'm sorry to add another, but I am a starting to get a bit desperate and need some opinions. I started taking the pill about 5 years ago, starting with a low hormone dose pill, then moving to a medium dose pill because I would start bleeding a week before my period was supposed to begin and bleed for 2 weeks straight. I moved to the patch after about 1.5 years on the pill and that worked great, but with all the health concerns (high risk of blood clots and heart attack) I switched back to the pill about 4 months ago and the bleeding has begun again I am thinking of going to the depo shot but am afraid to b/c I have heard lots of things about complications trying to get pregnant later and gaining tons of weight. I know this is selfish, but it is summer I have been working hard at the gym to lose weight! Has anyone tried the shot and have any good or bad things to say about it, or have you had a similar problem and found something to help? I appreciate any advice you guys can offer. Thanks!

Welcome to the Ladies Lounge, and TFP in general! :D

I haven't used the shot myself, but have you tried the NuvaRing yet? There are quite a few threads around here about that, if you'd like more information. I've been using it for a couple of years and like it MUCH better than the Patch.

I'm on the patch now, as you did when I found out about the warnings I got off of it for a while but I watched the FDA reports and when they reevaluated it they judged it to be okay. It seems that the risk for blood clots is not specific to the patch but rather with any birth control with a little higher hormones. I was also told by my doctor that some people react to the way it works better than others and the people whom it doesn't work as well for are really the ones who are at the most risk.

Long story short, I got back on the patch because I decided the risk wasn't all that great. I've heard good and bad things about the shot but mostly bad, my sister has cervical cysts which she blames on Depo but I doubt that is really the cause. I've also heard good and bad things about the ring. It seems like it takes a while for your body to get used to it.

I would suggest talking to your doctor and doing some research about the patch because you may find that the risk isn't as high as you think. This is what I found.

I wouldn't do the depo again if you paid me. I ended up bleeding all. the. time. (Funny... just like now... but I digress.) The ring might be a viable option - other than my own difficulties with migraines due to hormones, the ring was easy as pie. But yeah, talk to the doc about the blood clot scares, etc. If you have a family hx of such things, be more paranoid, but other than that, go with professional advice on this one. Get a gyno you can talk to, too. :)

I think that's an individual thing though, just as with any birth control.

For me, I think my body never got used to the Patch in the first place, because I had pretty extreme nausea on a regular basis (to the point of throwing up, several times). My boobs also expanded for the first 3 months on the Patch, which was pretty painful

Switching to the Ring after a year of the Patch was a relief... my bouts of nausea decreased significantly, and otherwise, there are no other side effects for me. I think my body is a bit happier with me if I stay on a 4-week schedule (removing it after 3 weeks, bleeding for 1 week) rather than my current 5-week schedule (4:1), but that would be the case for any BC, I think. More of a financial thing than anything else, right now.

So yeah, every woman's body is different...

Oh yes, all birth controls effect different women in different ways.

if you check the number for the patch, they are still TINY. and a lot of the number point to issues if you are a smoker. Do your homework, its unlikely to be a problem if you want to go back to it.


With depo- remember, its three months no matter what. adverse reactions? weight gain? well you cant just quit like you can with the pill. its in you for three months, no returns.

The patch is supposed to be a high dose, so consider finding another high dose pill perhaps?

I was on the shot for about 8 years, not quite sure of the exact number of years though, but it was a long time. I loved it. But as everyone has mentioned, it's a very individual thing and everyone will have different results. I have heard a few people, like justjess, say it's horrible and hated it. Personally for myself it was a godsend and I didn't have any weight gain and loved not having a period. That being said, after being on it for such a long time I decided to have a break (there have been reports that it can possibly cause some boneloss). My doctor and I are discussing having me take a bone density scan to ensure everything is okay and then I think I will put myself back on it. I'm on the pill right now (I just switched from Alesse to Yasmin). I hated Alesse (nothing too horrible, just wasn't fond of it) and am only on my first month of Yasmin, so I don't have much of an opinion on it yet. It's really trial and error to find something that works best for you. I'm going to give the Yasmin a couple months and then do the bone scan and hopefully get myself back on Depo. Good luck and let us know how things are going for you!!

I gained 30lbs when I went on Depo, and I bled for almost a year straight. I also became depressed and lethargic. NOT GOOD. Most women I know that have tried Depo absolutely HATED it. The only upside to the damn thing was that you only had to remember to get the shot four times a year. The Patch works best for me as it is easy to remember and has few side effects, but I have also heard good things about NuvaRing.

I'd definitely make an apt. and ask your for his/her opinion.

Another option, if you don't mind taking the pill, is Seasonale. You get to go 3 months without a period ( or PMS!). It is monophasic, which is wonderful. The hormone changes in the triphasic pills gave me awful headaches and I had to eat every two hours because I got nauseous on an empty stomach. Having to shop around for a new method sucks, but it is definitely worth it when you find one that works.

Just an update, I'm definitely at this point preferring the Yasmin to the Alesse birthcontrol pill. Still considering going back on Depo as that was my ultimate personal preference. Have you found something that works for you yet?

This may be considered a thread jack, but why is a vasectomy for him never an option?

A vasectomy is only an option if they don't want to have children. In the OP, she stated she was afraid of going on the Depo shot because of the difficulty in getting pregnant at a later date. So it seems like she wants to have children, eventually. A vasectomy may be reversable, but they say you should only get one if you know you don't want children.

I've never heard anything good about Depo from any of my friends who have been on it. Weight gain, irregular bleeding, other hormonal issues.

Unfortunately, birth control side effects are almost impossible to predict on an individual level. Two women on the same pill may have almost entirely opposite reactions.

I understand your frustration - I've packed on 10-15 lbs in a year since getting the IUD, but in my mind it's better than permanently gaining the permanently added weight of a child at this point. You may just have to try some different formulations of pills for a while to see what works best for you. Have you been on triphasic or monophasic pills? (Are they the same dosage throughout the cycle, or does the dosage and hormone composition change every week? In other words, are the pills all the same color or different colors every week?) Have you tried taking the continuous dose ones that let you skip your period altogether?

Hi all - new here!

I would like to throw my 2 cents in... I've *never* had a good experience with the pill. I have tried nearly every brand/formulation under the sun, and every time, I stop taking it within 3 months due to ridiculous side effects. My side effects have included: horrible acne (I'm usually very clear-skinned), severe weight loss/appetite reduction, really bad mood swings, migraines, and in one case (Neco was the brand, I believe), I bled for a month straight.

Neco was supposed to be for women who don't do well on other brands of the pill. :shakehead:

As a result, my husband and I rely on condoms for birth control purposes, which is less than optimal, of course. I've been hormone-control free since 2004 or so. At my last annual I asked my doctor if there have been any new advances in the pill, and she gave me a prescription for Yasmin, but only for 3 months, and then she wants to see me again.

I have to wait for my next period to start taking it, of course, but please, wish me luck! I need it!!!

they're reversable as far as I know and probably the best form of birth control out there. I'm just tired of seeing all these threads with women suffering horribly from hormone treatments.

I agree with you Hagatha, it is tough to see women suffering on B/C

However, a vasectomy is actually not easily reversible, the success rate is fairly low.

Anyone considering it, Please think long and hard before you have your partner get one.

I have done my research on them because my husband had a vasectomy many years ago due to a genetic disorder he would pass onto our children. We don't know if we would like kids of not, but if we decide to become parents, we'll adopt.

Thanks,

sweetpea