abaya

Hi ladies,

In an attempt to figure out what's been wrong with me in the last 6-9 months (mood swings, general malaise and lack of motivation), my bf and I are considering having me go off birth control for a month or two to see what happens. Has anyone done this before, and if so, what happens to the body when you do this? Is it even advisable to go off for a short time and then go back to it? Any experience/advice is welcome.

And what did you do to make SURE you wouldn't get pregnant? Obviously we'll continue using condoms or will even abstain during possible ovulation times... but I've never tried using other barrier methods, so will take suggestions if you have 'em.

As I've said before, I had mood swings and depression when I wasn't on BC, so it may be unrelated to the meds. But my mild depression has seemed more pronounced since I started the meds last May and I want to do all that I can to stop it.

Thanks.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

la petite moi

Wow, you seem a lot like me when it comes to the depression stuff. I would go off birth control, but I have to take a primary and secondary form in order to take Accutane.

Anyway, I wish you the best. As I'm sure you know, there is no real way to ensure that you won't get pregnant. Use condoms, like you said, and maybe spermicide to go along with. The best thing I've heard to do is try low-dose hormone birth control (Nuvaring) if you need the protection. Unfortunately, even if you know you don't want children, most doctors will not allow tubal ligations or complete sterilisation unless you're over a certain age (I've heard 30+ years old) or if you have at least one child.

Tell us all if getting off birth control works!

PS: What are you taking for birth control?

PPS: Maybe also try talking to a psychologist or doctor during your birth control hiatus. This same advice was recommended to me in my latest thread in Tilted Sexuality.

Sage

I went off of the Nuvra-Ring in December- it was the BEST decision I have ever made! (besides the one to kiss Martel, but that's another story)

I would recommend to any woman who feels irritability, mood swings, slight depression, and a constant feeling of "what's wrong with me??" to stop taking her BC for AT LEAST two months. I noticed a difference within two weeks of being off of Nuvra-ring. I felt better, about everything, could think clearer, and wasn't as irritable. At the two month mark, I really and truly felt like MYSELF for the first time in a year, and now at four months I'm better than ever. I still has some slight hormonal "hang-over" into the third cycle after being off the Nuvra-Ring, but I was so clear-headed I could recognize it as such.

Talk to your OBGYN and see what she recommends for the best legnth of time to be off of BC so your hormones can regulate. It's not going to happen in a month, that's for sure. It takes a while for your body to really purge itself of all the crazy hormones that have been coursing through!

Some options, as to not becoming pregnant: Condoms are always good, Martel and I really liked Kimono Micro-Thin. Another really fun thing to do is get a sample pack of condoms from www.codoms.com and go through them, finding out which ones you and your BF like. It makes the having to use codoms more fun. Also, with condoms often comes the need for lube- my fave is O'MY! - it's all natural, and feels a lot like your natural moisture. I have a sensitivity to some lubes, and I have found that it never causes me to feel stinging or burning as with some other lubes. I would recommend AGAINST spermicide, as it has been found in recent years to not protect as well as previously thought, and also to irritate a woman's vagana. Do some googling on Nonoxynol-9 and it's adverse side-effects.

If you'd like a backup with your condoms, perhaps consider getting a fertility planner kit, only using it to NOT get preggers. It might require you to take the internal temp of your vagina every morning, so if you're not into that, perhaps it's not the best. BUT, it WILL tell you when you're ovulating. Sperm can live for up to three days inside of you and there's only about four days in your cycle when you can really get pregnant. (verified to me by numerous doctors and OBGYN's if you're wondering of my info sources). So, perhaps you can use condoms and keep an eye on your fertility cycle if you wanna be paranoid. Also, make sure you re-educate yourself about the EXACT way to put a condom on and take it off!!! You don't wanna be in that 3% failure rate because of ignorance!

Good luck, CONGRADUATIONS on deciding to get off of birth control!!!! It'll be the best thing that's happened in a long time, not only for your mental health, but for your sex life as well!!

__________________

la petite moi

Sage, what about us women who CAN'T get off birth control?

Squishor

I went off birth control and I got pregnant right away. Don't let this happen to you!

abaya

Okay, just reading the few replies to this thread has sent me on a roller-coaster!! Not really. But I'm wondering, Sage, if you tried any other forms of BC before giving it all up?

And Squishor, looking back, do you know why you got pregnant? (Were you using condoms/diaphragms etc. and not having sex on your ovulating days, or just going all-out no BC?)

LPM: I currently use the patch (Ortho-Evra), which has been okay for me but I wonder if it's causing the mood swings. Then again, I'm generally a pretty up-and-down person anyway, so it may not be related at all... we'll see!

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Squishor

I believe we were using condoms and one broke, although I could be wrong. It's hard to remember exactly since it's been a long sex life. But I do remember that I had an abortion, which eventually ended up factoring into my decision to get a tubal ligation - a decision I should have made years ago and one I'd recommend considering. Nothing beats worry-free sex!

Bunnybear

I have some questions about that.
Can I get one at 20? I really cannot have normal children, I don't want to risk our lives by having a baby that we can't take care of. Most of my eggs are no good, but because there is always that chance for a normal baby, my doctor left it.
Also, does it hurt? Is it 100%- no baby?
I'm thinking about having my uterus removed or partially removed to get rid of this pain, I know I will have to stay on BC for hormones for the rest of my life after, but I won't be in pain.

Sorry about going off topic there, abaya. I don't have much advice to give as I'm very inexperienced, but I would keep to the 'double-protection' method. There are loads of birth control out there that don't require a doctor to have.

Squishor

I don't know if you can get one at 20. I tried when I was 18 and I couldn't find a doctor who would do it then, since I was so young. But if you have a medical condition, it might be different for you. Sorry to hear of your situation - I'm not sure what it is but it sounds unfortunate. Having the surgery does hurt, as any surgery does, but they have developed such sophisticated techniques these days it's really minimal. I don't even have a scar. If you're going through so much pain you're considering having your uterus removed, I'm sure this would hurt less. I developed a lot of pain afterwards because I had some internal bleeding, but there's no reason to think that would happen to you. But I'm not sure it would solve your problem, since everything is still in there, I still ovulate and have periods, etc. As for effectiveness, yes it's as close to 100% as you can get and still have your organs in there. I suppose there's always that freak chance that something would go wrong, but it's very unlikely.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

la petite moi

For tubal ligation, the chance that you will get pregnant (according to statistics) is 5/1000. Squishor, at what age did you get your lubal ligation?

And I still want to know: For those girls who can't get off birth control or are too young to get tubal ligation- what is recommended?!

maleficent

That is a conversation you really need to be having with a medical professional. When you go see your doctor, make that one of the things you wish to discuss.

__________________

Squishor

I had mine at age 39 - about 20 years too late, for me anyway.

abaya

Well, I'm 25 and not interested in a tubal ligation just yet. I don't want children right now, but I may want to be a mom someday... though I can't see that happening in the next 5-6 years. I do want to keep that option open, though, until I am ABsolutely sure that I don't want (or can't have) my own genetic kids, ever.

In any case, let's talk more about short-term birth control!! There are so many variables that could go into my mood problems, including even the weather and my current quarter-life crisis (see my thread in Living). As I said, I've often felt this way even before I started BC, so would it help to stop it? I'm still wary of opening the door to an unexpected pregnancy even if the BC is connected to my mental health. And I'm pretty sure that if I did get pregnant, I wouldn't be able to deal with having an abortion (though note: I am pro-choice)... so for me it's almost worth it to just stick with the hormones and deal with the ups and downs until I'm married and better able to handle the possibility of pregnancy.

So, what actually HAPPENS to your body when you stop BC? Do you bleed on time, do you get withdrawal of any kind, nausea, etc? Anything physiological? Also, has anyone stopped BC and had their mental health DEcrease? I'm interested in all sides here... thanks.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Sugar&Spice

I took a break from my BC for 3 months one year and I didn't get my period for 2 months. I never had my period on time so I'm not sure what really happens there. When I stopped taking it I didn't feel as emotional as I did while on it. However, taking the pill has never actually changed my emotional state of mind. I may have teared up a little easier, but thats all. There was no withdrawl symptoms or nausea...I think I may have felt less fatigued. But that is a plus.

I had to continue on with the pills after 3 months because my period I finally got was too painful without it. I wish I didn't have to be on it, but it hurts so bad when I'm not. As of now I have been on the pill for almost four years and I haven't had any major problems.

__________________
-Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

abaya

Sugar&Spice, interesting... thanks for the different point of view. See, I think this is what might happen to me too, since my state of mind is generally quite emotional with or without BC. I'm willing to try it if I hear more success stories, but if other women have had so-so experiences going off it, speak up!

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

*Nikki*

I don's see why anyone would want to go off birth control when there are tons of other kinds on the market.

Why not just keep trying them until you find the right one for you??

I have absolutely so side effects with mine. That is how it should be. Keep looking!!

Sage

I had tried ortho tri cyclen, and two other kinds of BC as well as the Nuvra Ring before going off of BC completely. Part of my issue with BC was that I am allergic to some kinds of synthetic progesterone, and the first two kinds of pills I was on gave me a rash! Ortho Tri Cyclen didn't, but it still produced mood swings, and the Nuvra ring gave me some emotional issues that were affecting my marriage. Martel and I don't want to have kids for at least ten years, if ever, so the option to get an IUD was proposed by my OBGYN- and I got one. I agree with everyone here tho- based on you saying you're an emotional person anyway, why don't you go off BC for a while to see if that's it, then start shopping around to find a kind you really like!

LPM- it's your decision to be on your acne medication, you could stop taking it any time and try other methods of acne treatment, therefore there's no reason you can't go off of BC either. {/thread hack}

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la petite moi

I have tried SEVERAL different medications and treatements for my acne since I was 13- all the neutrogena products and oxy prodcuts, then amoxycillion and tetracyclin, then adoxa with all kinds of different lotions and creams to apply, other kinds of Rx face washes, and then FINALLY my dermatologist decided that it was time to bring in the big boys because nothing else was working. With Accutane (the strongest form of acne medication there is, as I know of), you must take two forms of birth control. I do not want to give up clearing up my acne, because it has already scarred my face enough.

My question was to people that might know of a birth control that has a lower dose of hormones. (/second thread jack)

jRuntlets

I hate to stand out in the crowd but you mentioned that you had slight signs of depression prior to starting your Birth Control (so that says it may not be the birth control causing it).... have you visited a psychologist about it? It may not be your Birth Control at all. I know you're proabily saying "But I don't have anything to be depressed about," depression isn't like that if you have a chemical imbalance in your brain... Like I do.

I started on an anti-depressant when I was 14 (I'm 19 now) and it's the best thing that I've ever done for myself. Prior to treatment I could only cat nap due to my anxiety, which meant I was getting 3 hours of sleep a night. As well as not getting a truly restful sleep when I did sleep. You may not even realize you have sleep issues, as well as many other behaviorial issues.

Personally, I'd advise you to see a psychologist prior to going off your BC, if there were symptoms of depression before you started on BC. If you're concerned enough to use BC to not get pregnant (because you must have decided to go on BC instead of using condoms, I assume), but not concerned enough about your depression to see a psychologist to see if you actually have depression... would you rather be depressed and have the chance of having children?

Just a note because I've seen lots of threads where people rag on others about their meds:
Some people have no choice but to take medications, I know some of you out there are living without doing so... but I need (Yes need - otherwise I can't sleep and there's no help for it, as well as having dhibilitating anxiety attacks) to take my medication for depression, and others need to take medication for other conditions

__________________
Horses come and go, but some leave permanent hoof prints on your life.

abaya

Runtlets, have you seen my other thread in the Living forum? I basically explain how depressed I am and how many other things figure into that. So I realize it might not be the bc. I do sleep very well, the only problem is my schedule (I'm in grad school), which prevents me from getting a full 8 hours every night. More like 6, if I'm lucky.

Also, I went on bc as an added precaution, not to get rid of condoms. We still use condoms every time, just to be sure. And as my other thread states, I've been in counseling for a year but not to the point of taking anti-depression meds yet. I don't have anxiety attacks or sleep issues... I just feel more down and emotional than usual, and also, when I put the patch back on each month, the next day I've been experiencing strong nausea.

Actually that day was today, and I can't believe how sick I felt. I ended up throwing up a few minutes ago (sorry, but true), something I haven't done since I first started bc. It really bothers me that even after one year of being on this stuff, I still have these relapses to nausea on the 1st-patch-Mondays (there was a long period where I didn't experience this, in the middle months). It's another reason why I want to get off it or at least try something else.

Can anyone recommend a different form that might not induce such nausea/depression? I didn't think the patch was strong, but I guess it is... is the Ring weaker?

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

jRuntlets

I've heard Yasmin and Allyess (SP?) are lower dose meds. It took me 3 years and about 10 meds to find that the patch worked the best. What my doctor would give me as "low dose" would sometimes make me more sick than the "high dose" hormone pills. It could be that you are sensative to one of the hormones in the medication, so you may try the other kinds of hormone birth controls.

Meds are a lovely thing, they say they can fix you and it takes forever to find the one that does!

__________________
Horses come and go, but some leave permanent hoof prints on your life.

Manuel Hong

Almost 20 years ago, my low-dose BC pill ended up causing crazy emotional fluctuations and ovarian cysts. I was hospitalized five days for the excruciating pain and never went back to BC pills. I've done well with condoms avioding sex during ovulation and have never been pregnant.
On a professional note, no two people are exactly alike, so symptoms vary on or off BC. Generally speaking, it takes three months for your normal rhythm to reestablish itself.
It wouldn't be a health related thread if I failed to mention that there are more ways than one to skin a cat. There are many well respected and educated practitioners of alternative medicine. I practice Chinese herbal medicine and chose that field because after research I found it to be the most effective, has the longest history, is tailored to the individual, has wide ranging applications and is without side effects. Make sure you get someone with years of training and clinical experience.

__________________
Believe nothing, even if I tell it to you, unless it meets with your own good common sense and experience. - Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)

la petite moi

Also, it must be mentioned that that was a BC pill from 20 years ago.

Manuel Hong

Very true, which is why I mentioned the time frame. Personally I don't want to risk going through that again.
(Anyway, at 36, if I get preg, I'll have the kid. The ideal situation may never come and I'm sure I could handle it.)

__________________
Believe nothing, even if I tell it to you, unless it meets with your own good common sense and experience. - Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)

raeanna74

I'm totally sold on Seasonale. Hubby will tell you that some other BC's caused me trouble with more emotional ups and downs as well as many migranes. Seasonale is a low estrogen dose pill. At one point I took POP's for my BC and it affected my moods the least I think. It didn't prevent my migranes - thus the switch.

Discuss this with your health professional. You can try something with a low dose of estrogen or higher dose of estrogen and see how it does. It will take a couple months for your body to adjust to the hormone levels so don't expect an improvement overnight. From what I understand - going off the pill - depending on how long you've been on it and what type it can take up to 6 mo to be able to get pregnant if you are trying. That suggests that the other effects of the pill could last that long as well.

Whatever you do you should speak to your Dr and discuss your options before changing or switching things.

Hubby and I used condoms or spermacides (found that those were sometimes quite physically irritating to both of us), and rhythm when we first started having sex. We actually went for about a year and a half before I got pregnant. That only happened because we weren't being seriously careful about it. It wasn't a bad time for us to have a kid at that point so preventing one wasn't that important to us.

__________________
"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

KinkyKiwi

LPM i read in your other posts that you stopped using condoms but like dont you have to be using 2 forms of BC to be on accutane? i was wondering what your second was because even tho i'm not on meds i wanted to use 2 kinds ..besides condoms.

and i'm switching to the nuva ring and i've been off the pill for a few months..cramping..horrible cramping...i'll be so happy when i'm back on hormonal birth control!

__________________
Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Play with each other. Play with yourselves. Just don't play with the squirrels, they bite.

la petite moi

Well, I'm a bad girl- We don't use condoms, but he has been pulling out everytime when he comes. According to my Accutane packet, you can use cervical caps, diaphragms, and spermicide as alternate secondary contraceptives.

abaya

Thanks everyone for the informative posts... here's more questions:

I've never heard of Yasmin and Allyess?... can anyone tell me more?

Also, Raeanna, what are POPs? And what are the side effects with Seasonale? How expensive is it? I only get a few options through my university health center (covered by graduate insurance), so I'd have to pay for it myself if it was something they didn't have. When you said you weren't trying very hard to prevent kids when you first got married, does that mean you didn't use condoms every time? Tell me more about this, as my bf and I are thinking of going to condoms only & abstinence during ovulation (like Manuel has done).

Looks like the "recovery" from bc will take 2-6 months, from what y'all say. Hmm. Sometimes I wonder if it would be worth it, as I REALLY really don't want to get pregnant, and while I'm often feeling down, I don't know if it's stuff I can't fix with self-help/counseling.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Manuel Hong

Regardless of how you judge yourself for HOW you feel, you still have feelings that need to be dealt with at every stage of your life. I feel counseling is a good option for me, some people also journal, go to hypnotherapy...there's many avenues toward inner wellness. I don't feel that drug therapy is an option in most cases of emotional issues, as these issues will need attention at some point and drugs don't solve problems so much as they postpone or suppress them.
I can't give you any info regarding the BC though, the other ladies here seem to know more than I do on that front. Best of luck, Abaya. Be sweet to yourself like you would to a good friend or your own daughter. We can be so unforgiving of ourselves, can't we?

__________________
Believe nothing, even if I tell it to you, unless it meets with your own good common sense and experience. - Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)

raeanna74

POP's are Progesterone Only Pills. You take them continuously and you're body will regulate your period. The hormone prevents ovulation and also causes the mucus of the cervix to thicken, making it more difficult for sperm to reach the egg. In addition, the lining of the uterus becomes thinner, making it less receptive to an egg's implanting in it.

They were quite cheap when I was on them. I think about $20/mo. It's fewer hormones in your body. Most regular pills are a combination of progesterone and estrogen. The POPs work just fine. I was on them for about 1 1/2 years and hubby and I had frequent sex. No real pregnancy scares at all while on them and no trouble switching to another type. These are actually a pretty good choice if you don't need the pills to regulate your period.

Seasonale is a little more expensive around $120-130 each time. But one pack of pills lasts 3 times what one monthly pack last so it evens out to about $40-45/mo. You could call around to some pharmacies to see what they charge because some charge different prices.

Just checked one place - Walgreens has Seasonale for $124. The POP's depending on the brand and dosage can from from $13/mo to $30/mo. Talk with your Dr and call your pharmacist. If your Dr does give you a prescription ask her to select a drug that is also on the less expensive side of things. Then when you go to the pharmacist get the generic brand (Seasonale doesn't have a generic yet but most kinds do.) and that should be significantly cheaper for you.

__________________
"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

abaya

Manuel, thanks for your words... I do go to counseling, and I've journaled a lot in the past. Maybe I should get back into journaling. Also, I'm trying more than usual to be good to myself... I bought a whole roast chicken tonight so I wouldn't have to cook, and some yummy strawberries and other good food. For me, I don't take very good care of my diet (eating lots of easy-to-prepare foods), so I'm working on that stuff. And I keep seeing these tulips everywhere for Easter and holding back on buying them, but I think I'm gonna spring for them next time, just as a treat.

Raeanna, thanks for your advice, esp. on the POP's. My period was pretty normal before bc's, still is, so I don't really need the dual-hormone approach I guess. I will look into the POP option asap! I wonder why more people don't look into that option? Oh, and what happens to your period if you're taking pills continuously?

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Bunnybear

I'm using Cyclessa which is also low-dose... and is said to be the most natural as it has little to no side effects. My periods are never heavy either.. just extremely painful, but that's another medical reason.

raeanna74

ON Seasonale I take the pill for 91 days and then skip the placebos for a week of allowing my body a period. With POPs your body goes on it's on natural schedule. I did find that my periods seems slightly lighter and I didn't have as much cramping but I was on the POPs after giving birth so there were a number of factors that could have affected things. The thing I loved about the POPs is that they didn't change anything about my usual schedule of periods, they didn't change my mood and things, and they still gave me the security of having BC.

I think most women go with the combination bc pills because of the control over their period and because they estrogen can help some women with so many other health irritations - acne, migranes, cramping... If I didn't have any other reasons but pregnancy prevention then I'd go back to the POPs.

__________________
"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

JustJess

I'm using the Nuva Ring - so far, only one week. The reason I chose this one was because I have a lot of hormone-based migraines, and I hate condoms... and this is supposed to be about the most level amount of hormones given out of all of the choices. I haven't noticed its presence, and that's the way I like it. I wish I could just hit the "off button" until I make a kids-decision... but ah,well.

__________________
My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'.

snowy

Another Nuva Ring convert! *Nikki* will be so pleased!

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

abaya

I'm curious, how did you find this out (about the ring), JustJess? Also, please let us know how it goes when you put in a new ring (after taking it out for that week), as it seems for me that's when I get very nauseous and moody.

With POPs, isn't there a greater chance of getting pregnant? I've heard that with low-dosage hormones there's a higher chance of eggs being released... is this a myth?

As an update from the OP: my mood has improved a lot lately due to working on things in counseling and trying to think more positively. Also, it's freaking amazing how much different a little sunshine will make... it's been above 50 degs. for the first time all winter here, and the sunlight has made a big difference for me. I'm going to stick with BC (patch) a little while longer, as I will be traveling all summer and need consistency, instead of adjusting to no BC or a different kind. Maybe in the fall I will try a different method...

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

snowy

abaya, I just went on the ring as well, and I have a very sensitive system as far as estrogen is concerned--when I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen I always took my pill at night because it made me nauseous to do otherwise. I've had no nausea with the ring at all. My breasts have been a little more tender than normal but I was off of hormonal birth control for over two years and the same thing happened when I first went on BC (it went away after the first month, and I've already noticed a decrease in the sensitivity issue since it first started with the ring).

When I went on it the Pharm.D intern at my student health pharmacy and I had a lovely chat. She told me she'd been on the ring for some time and liked it because it was the lowest level of hormone, easy to take care of, and worry-free. After having it in for nearly three weeks I'm inclined to agree.

How did I hear about it? My nurse practitioner. It's fully covered under the Family Planning Project at our student health center/county health department.

I urge you to go to your doctor/RNP and have a SERIOUS discussion about your birth control issues and concerns. Most doctors/RNPs just assume their patients want the pill and they write a prescription for whatever pill is popular at that moment. TALK to your doctor/RNP--and if you CAN'T talk to your doctor--find a new one.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

JustJess

Abaya - after talking to my GYN dr. in depth for some time, and having voiced concerns about depending on diaphragms or stuff like that, she thought the NuvaRing would be the best option for the very steady level of hormones - like I said, hormone level shifts are what cause the majority of my migraines. Today is the end of my first week on it - and the last 2-3 days, I have had a bit of nausea, but no other major side effects.
I read the pharmaceutical information on the NuvaRing, and there is a spike in levels in the first day or two when you start a new ring, but after that, the levels are all within a small margin of variance.
If you don't like your doctor, find one you do - OSO is right, you need to make them aware of all your concerns, and not just about moods, about side effects, convenience, form, everything. there are too many options out there to try and just fudge it.
Also, if you're finding yourself affected THAT much by the weather shift... have you considered SAD as well? (seasonal affective disorder). Clearly, you need to get a doctor you can trust and talk all this out with them. If you happen to be in the NYC area, I can recommend some great ones.

PS - I'm NOT going off for the one week - because of my particular needs, I'll be on the Ring 24/7/365 unless I have a little bleed-through, which my GYN says just means I have to go off for a week and "reset my system". She says I'll get the headache then, but it's better than every month. But most people don't have those needs - I'm sure onesnowyowl can tell you more about that part.

__________________
My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'.

abaya

Owl and Jess, thanks as always. Jess you mentioned that you would be on the ring non-stop... I'm curious about this because I'll be traveling to Africa this summer for 6 weeks and would like to skip my period if at all possible (since I'll be 6 hours' drive from anything modern, including running water/electricity/medical facilities). I'll talk to my doctor about this (campus health care, like Owl), but do you know if I can just "skip" my period for that one month? I'd also like to avoid the nausea I get when going back on the patch after the week off, so this would be ideal for me.

I'd like to compare the actual dosage levels of the ring and the patch, since these seem to be my most viable options right now.

As for SAD... yeah, I've considered it, but I also grew up in Seattle and wasn't really that depressed there! So I think that it has less to do with the weather and more with just my patterns of thinking (postive vs. negative). Working on it in counseling and on my own...

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

snowy

Abaya, given what I know about birth control and the way hormonal birth control functions with our system, I can say that you should be able to use the Nuva Ring to skip 1 period. You could probably use it to skip more, given that it is a steady dose of hormone (unlike, say, tri-cyclic pills). The comparison can be made to Seasonale, which is glorified steady Ortho-Cyclen (mono-cyclic pills).

The only problem I can see with attempting to do this is the possibility of breakthrough bleeding, which wouldn't happen until a couple of months down the road.

Hope that helps (I should note I'm not a doctor, just obsessed with health and sex education).

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau