question for the ladies

[Kiwi]

Im on the pill and I love it.

Ive been very lucky, I have always had very light periods but before I went on the pill they were erratic. Sometimes id go 10 weeks and then 2 weeks so I never knew when it was coming.

My periods have almost ceased to exsist now im on the pill, they are 1-2 days long and very light. I also have way less bloating and cramps (although my cramps are when I ovulate not when im about to bleed) and my pms went from a week to a day or so.

Good luck, you have to to insist on changing pills if they dont work and please make sure you have regular paps.

[sarasquirrel]

I'm also on the pill!

I gained about 15 lbs, but all of it was in "good" places ifyaknowwhatImean. Seriously, I went up an entire cup size and went up a pant size. I haven't had any problems whatsoever; I've been on desogen (a variety of brands and generics) for nearly 10 years. Like others have said, just pay attention to your body. You may also want to ask your doctor about prescription-strength naproxen - basically high-dosage Aleve. Not a narcotic, I can't imagine why you couldn't get a prescription for it if you needed it.

im sure many people would be happy for me to gain weight, it wold probably help me...especially there

[JambaBamba]

I went on the pill 2 years ago and I really wish I had done it sooner. My doctor put me on Aviane and it is so awesome! I was having periods twice a month, horrible cramping. I was lucky that I got all the good side affects (skin cleared up a lot and I lost weight) and now my periods are non existent and I only had cramps once (and I think it was a reaction to bad food, not my period). My sister didn't have a good reaction to the pill she was on, but she also smoked.

I'd just suggest that you try to be conscious of how your body is feeling. If anything starts to feel "off" go talk to your doctor.

[MaggieTheCat]

it just seems like every site i go to, people are basing it

I've been on Yaz for about a year and a half now, and I read a LOT of accounts of women experiencing horrible, horrible side effects from it, such as crazy mood swings, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. I never had any of the bad side effects, just the good ones (lighter periods, less cramping.) My periods, too, were way out of whack, for about 10 years before I finally got on the pill, and it's the best thing I've ever done. I did spot bleed a little bit the first month I was on the pill (that's another common side effect) but otherwise I didn't have any problems adjusting to it. Also, my sister in law is on Yaz and she also does well with it.

One thing my dr. talked to me about is going on Seasonale, another pill in which you would only get 4 periods a year. I've read some good things about it, it's supposedly fairly healthy for the human female body to have fewer periods, and it's especially good for women who get migraines around the time of their periods (since they get fewer periods, theoretically they should get fewer migraines.) I never tried it 'cuz by the time we talked about it, I was already on Yaz and I didn't wanna switch, but you might want to talk with your dr. about it after you try the samples she gave you, especially if you're still getting the really bad cramping.

[artifical sweetner]

< ortho tricyclen lo for 3-4 years

i was on generic for a while (prob a year or so in between) and it made me break out with severe acne.

i went back to name brand and am back to clear skin, i didnt gain weight (i eat healthy/exercise daily though), and it made my periods regular AND shorter.

you have to try out certain kinds/brands as you never know how youll react to certain kinds. if you can save money with generic its awesome but for me its worth the extra cash for the name brand.

[AccountingDrone]

I believe that most of the scarier side effects (blood clots and such) are more common in older women; you're young so unless you have other medical issues or smoke, that shouldn't be a problem. The most likely side effects may be annoying but are probably not dangerous. If you take it for a couple months and find that you have side effects that are more than you want to deal with, talk to your doctor and see if you can try a different formula. It's a pain, but sometimes trial and error is the only way to find what really works.

No, since menarch at 12 and a few monthsI have had irregular periods, major cramps and very profuse shedding of endometrial lining [you are NOT 'bleeding' you are shedding a lining that was deposited after your last period. There is a big difference. If you start dropping clots that are ping pong ball sized and shedding lining for greater than 8 days, you need to get onto some form of hormonal control.] I when not medicated can fill a super plus tampon and an overnight pad in 2 hours. I regularly would shed clots the size of lemons. There is a reason I had been on total supression for most of the past decade and am being scheduled for a hysterectomy....

However, if you are still cramping, feel free to ask your gyn about norethindrone. I bleed 1 week per year, just before going in for my annual exam. There is absolutely no reason you need to bleed monthly - in fact if there was no birth control whatsoever you would fall back into the old habit of being pregnant and nursing with no period for about 2 years, and diminished periods from light nursing for about another year. There is a reason many kids ran about 3-4 years apart. The female body is really no meant to bleed monthly for decades, we were designed to be pregnant periodically for about 30 years.

[goldaries13]

I was on the depo shot. I went off it three months ago, because at the time the husband and I were talking kids. Now that that's on the back burner, I'm going on the pill again(so that way, if we discuss kids again, it'll be easier to stop if we decide to try) as soon as the red death shows itself. Probably seasonique, as that was a godsend before I started depo.

With birth control in general, I find I have no side effects, but YMMV. I did gain a bit of weight on the depo, after my body resituated itself, it went down.

[NorthernZel]

When I was a teenager and had severe cramps my doc did suggest birth control but I shrugged it off since I wasn't sexually active. I got a prescription for arthiritis pills though, and they did the work.

Dunno if it's normal in the states, but here in Denmark it is possible to get a special IUD that administers oestrogen hormones the same way a depo shot does. I have thought of applying for one but for now I'm ok with a "normal" IUD and I handle the cramps with ordinary paracetamol (Panadol).

[monolayth]

FYI

I was on ortho trycyclen right up to the day the dr told me I was 8 weeks pregnant.

Took every day at the same time, (set a alarm on my phone) and was not on antibiotics.

[artifical sweetner]

FYI

I was on ortho trycyclen right up to the day the dr told me I was 8 weeks pregnant.

Took every day at the same time, (set a alarm on my phone) and was not on antibiotics.

wow. that is nuts.

[jedimaster91]

I take Loestrin 24Fe and I love it. My cycles were completely random when I was a teenager (although, part of that probably had to do with my dancing) and I got horrible cramps a couple days before hand. On my pills, no cramps. Although, do please learn from my (stupid) mistake and take the pills after you've eaten something. I spent the first month and a half vomiting profusely until I switched to taking the pill after dinner.

[blas]

I'm not surprised women are still getting pregnant on the Pill despite religious taking of it at the same time every day.

The same thing happened to my mother 23 years ago....took her pill every single day at the same time, and guess who came along...

Just more proof it didn't work back then and it still doesn't work that well now. I would never use the Pill for pregnancy prevention, but for clearing up acne and regulating periods and PMS, it seems to work well for most women.

[sarasquirrel]

my mom told me that when she was younger and on the pill, she learned to eat when she took hers too lol. i plan on taking it with dinner

[sarasquirrel]

what i think im going to do (to give myself more time to think) is this

possibly start the pill after my next cycle.

i got my period yesterday and as soon as i woke up i had massive cramps. but this time i took 1 aleve(well the generic)...and even though it took about 2 hrs to start working, that ONE pill worked all day

never has that happened in like the past 3 years.

with tylenol i was taking like 6 a day.

so with this next cycle i will try the aleve (naproxen sodium) and see how that works...if it does, i may reconsider the pill, and not take it. after reading so many possible side effects, and the only real reason for me to even take it is cramps, idk if its worth it right now

[AccountingDrone]

wow. that is nuts.

there is an urban legend about how american indians gavenames to their children ... involving typically the first thing the father sees after delivery, or some other nonsense.

If my 3 kids had been born they would have been named:
orthonovum dont work
orthonovum dont work, rubber broke
I had a tubal ligation 12 years ago, are you out of your fucking mind, i cant be pregnant....