Birth control & your libido (sex drive)... FYI

[Lauren8211]

Date: 12/9/2008 7:58:04 PM
Author: Miscka
well ladies, I had my Mirena placed today. Ouch!!! It basically felt at the time like your worst period cramp ever (and I have had some killers) mulitplied by 5. Now, a few hours later, it feels like multiplied by 2.

Anyway, I am still very hopeful about this method, after reading some more ''balanced'' experiences.

Ohhh, hope you''re feeling a bit better today, Miscka!

Keep us posted on your progress. There''s been a lot of talk about IUDs around here, and I''d love to hear everyones experiences. Maybe that should warrant a new thread? Dunno.

I''m considering Paragard (want the hormones OUT!) in the next month or so. Kinda nervous...

 

[Miscka]

Today is MUCH MUCH better. Just mild period-like cramps so far. But last night was rough! I still think it was worth it if it helps. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask!

My MD wont do paraguard for women who havent had kids, as it is supposedly tougher on them. Also she says it causes heavy heavy bleeding, etc which is why Mirena added the hormones. I was bummed bc I dont want hormones either, but she explained that Mirena is waaaay less than BC and not the same kinds either, so hopefully I will not react the same way. If I do I can always have it taken out.

I did read something cool in the literature she gave me. Mirena efficacy is right up there with both male and female sterilization! Crazy.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 12/10/2008 12:00:14 PM
Author: Miscka
Today is MUCH MUCH better. Just mild period-like cramps so far. But last night was rough! I still think it was worth it if it helps. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask!

My MD wont do paraguard for women who havent had kids, as it is supposedly tougher on them. Also she says it causes heavy heavy bleeding, etc which is why Mirena added the hormones. I was bummed bc I dont want hormones either, but she explained that Mirena is waaaay less than BC and not the same kinds either, so hopefully I will not react the same way. If I do I can always have it taken out.

I did read something cool in the literature she gave me. Mirena efficacy is right up there with both male and female sterilization! Crazy.

Glad it''s getting better, Miscka!

Yeah, I know Mirena would be easier on periods at least, but I am scared about it sapping my libido. Thats my biggest concern, and I''ve heard so many people say Mirena sapped their libido just like BC.

I am truly torn between the two. I''ve gone back and forth on it a million times. It sucks. Wish there was a clear cut answer.

 

[luvmyhalo]

I''m strongly considering paraguard too! I''m not due for my next gyno appt until March but I might go earlier. I''m trying to find a forum or something online where women have had it and can share their experience. Has anyone found anything online??? All I know is that I want OFF hormones!!!

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 12/10/2008 12:43:49 PM
Author: luvmyhalo
I''m strongly considering paraguard too! I''m not due for my next gyno appt until March but I might go earlier. I''m trying to find a forum or something online where women have had it and can share their experience. Has anyone found anything online??? All I know is that I want OFF hormones!!!

Hate to say it Luv, but I find online reviews are very.. ehh.. jaded. lol. If I based my opinions off of them, I''d be too scared to ever go near BC again!

Thats why I was trying to ask people on here what their experiences were with IUDs, because they''re not here only to complain about their IUDs. I find the reviews much more balanced that way. If you Google "IUD reviews" you''ll find pages of people who hate them, and all of their horror stories. Judging by most people on PS, it seems a lot of had pretty good experiences, although there are a couple of not-so-good ones.

But, if you''re interested, you can of course Google it. I''ve found a lot of forums dedicated to IUD reviews.

Good Luck!!

 

[Miscka]

Date: 12/10/2008 12:25:20 PM
Author: elledizzy5


It sucks. Wish there was a clear cut answer.

I so hear you there. I have been so frustrated. You may want to read this article about the same things AmandaRx was posting about. This MD seems to think Mirena is a good option for those with libido/pill issues. I sure hope she is right!!!! Also she brings up interesting points about why some women who get IUDs may have that side effect for other reasons.


I stopped doing google searches on it, because it is really biased, IMO. These are women who are all different and no one knows why they are having those adverse reactions. It is so hard to get a clear picture from those sites. Like I said, this is totally different than the pill and so I will just have to wait and see what happens and hope for the best!

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 12/10/2008 2:16:44 PM
Author: Miscka


I so hear you there. I have been so frustrated. You may want to read this article about the same things AmandaRx was posting about. This MD seems to think Mirena is a good option for those with libido/pill issues. I sure hope she is right!!!! Also she brings up interesting points about why some women who get IUDs may have that side effect for other reasons.


I stopped doing google searches on it, because it is really biased, IMO. These are women who are all different and no one knows why they are having those adverse reactions. It is so hard to get a clear picture from those sites. Like I said, this is totally different than the pill and so I will just have to wait and see what happens and hope for the best!

LOL, I was Googling today and found that exact article! I wish more people took birth control issues more seriously. They really need to do more studies on the side effects.

I had decided on Mirena, then it was Paragard. Now I''m thinking Mirena. FF is going to think I''m nuts.

 

[Blenheim]

I feel like there''s been an IUD thread in the past, but I might be mistaken. I had a Mirena IUD for several months and it killed my sex drive (plus sex was painful with it in, which was a further mood killer). It also caused a lot of cramping, so severe that I ended up in the ER once or twice. I feel like I had a list of things I hated about it, but now (over a year after removal) those are the ones that really stand out. Everything was fine by a few days after removal. At the same time, I know women who love theirs. It really just depends.

Hormonal BC does a number on my body, and I''m so much happier with FAM and condoms. (Or pregnancy for the time being, which we were trying for.)

 

[Circe]

Ugh, ugh, ugh - going off the pill is turning out well in some regards, and not so well in others. On the plus side, my skin is slowly but surely clearing up, as when I switched to the Alesse, my moods are relatively stable, and my libido is a-rising. On the minus side, I''ve gained MORE weight - and I haven''t changed my eating habits at all. If anything, I''ve been more careful about what I''m eating! Just me? Or is this a common yo-yo effect?

As a side note, I think this is why I stayed on the pill I was on for so many years: having found some sort of an equilibrium, I was leery of rocking the boat. I mean, sure, there was a week a month when I cried hysterically on a regular basis, but at least I wasn''t experiencing any visible side effects! I may just be exceptionally shallow, but I think it''s a not uncommon valuation. Either we don''t trust our perceptions of the "intangible" qualities, or we privilege the ones that affect others more than they affect us. Bah!

 

[GoingCrazy29]

I met with my Dr. today to discuss this issue with her(I booked an appt. after this thread was posted). I basically told her that I just don''t feel like myself anymore and wanted to know if it might be somewhat caused by my Ortho pill. She said it quite possibly was (gave the same explanation as AmandaRX did). She suggested either a low dose progesterone pill, NuvaRing, or Mirena.

She gave me 2 sample NuvaRings and also wrote me a prescription for Cyclessa. For some reason I am just not amped about trying an IUD.

I think I''ll start out trying the Cyclessa pill and if it doesn''t help, then try NuvaRing. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? Thanks so much!

 

[Miscka]

Date: 12/11/2008 1:04:59 PM
Author: GoingCrazy29
NuvaRing. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? Thanks so much!

I did the NuvaRing thing and did not notice a libido improvement. However, I went straight from BCPs to it, and was only on it maybe 2 or 3 months. I would consider it again after being off hormones if I had to I think.

Day 3 of IUD, and some cramping. Not too bad, and still some spotting but I am still within normal period timeframe.

So far no change in sex drive

though I know its way too early. At this point I could handle a teeny tiny decrease, may be convenient, lol. And I am in too much pain! My friend knows a girl that got pg right after she got hers because she didnt know that it takes a week to start working. I figured that no one told her because they figured she wouldnt WANT to have sex for a week! LOL!

 

[Lauren8211]

UPDATE: About 3 weeks off the pill, and I''m already noticing a jump in libido. I''ve gone from thinking "Ew, sex!" to "Hmm, that sounds pretty alright, maybe I''ll have me some of that!" Definitely not a crazy animal yet, but it''s a start!

Headaches are still prevalent, but dizziness has subsided. Skin is same, maybe a tad worse, but I''ve also been kind of lazy about my skin care lately, so that could be part of it.

How are all the other BCP stoppers doing?

Glad things aren''t so bad with the Mirena, Miscka!

 

[mia1181]

elledizzy- I am going off BC too! Well I am giving it a try to see. So I was on nuvaring and I took it out Sunday. This is my period week so I guess techinically my body thinks it''s still on BC so I probably won''t notice any changes until after Sunday. I am off for a few reasons, one is defintely the lack of sex drive, but I was also passing large pieces of tissue in my period and I am hoping being off BC might help that. So we''ll see how it goes. I''m glad to see that it seems your libido is coming back! I''m sure I''ll have a few things to report in the acne department because I have had some acne in the past and I think my BC may have been helping that. We''ll see if it comes back!

 

[ShelleBelle]

Allllright! SO it''s been two weeks. My skin is breaking out, but that could be from the weather. we''ve been super busy, super stressed and super tired, but we''ve still managed to have more fun in the last 2 weeks than we''ve had in a long time. i''ve lost a pound or two and do not have a dryness problem anymore. I cannot believe that birthcontrol had the potential to ruin my otherwise very happy marriage. after 5 years of no sex drive it was starting to seriously cause some issues. GOODBYE BIRTHCONTROL!!!!!!! now i''m just hoping that my period in two weeks won''t be as agonizingly awful as it used to be..... =/

 

[dancingqueen]

Hi ladies,

Just wanted to chime in and post my experience with the Paragard IUD. It will be three years in March that I have had mine and I love it. I have never had children and I definitely wanted NO hormones so this was the only choice for me. My dr. measured my uterus (via ultrasound) and felt that my body could handle an IUD. My periods have gotten heavier (but I was pretty light to begin with). I have also experienced a little more cramping, but nothing I can''t deal with. I wish I would have done this years ago and not went through 2+ years of trying various pills and nuvaring and being miserable on all of it!

Hope this helps... I thought someone was looking for some positive opinions on Paragard...

 

[luvmyhalo]

Dancingqueen! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on Paraguard. I''ve done some searching online and that seems to be what most people think about it. The only thing I''m worried about is the insertion. Did you experience excruciating cramping, nausea, bleeding, etc...?

I reeeeally hope this will work for me! I''m getting so excited at the thought of throwing out my Pills!

 

[musey]

Ok, I figured I should update: took my last pill 3 weeks ago. I''ve had more trouble than usual with hunger. I indulged for Thanksgiving weekend and had a LOT more trouble than usual switching back to normal.

My skin hasn''t changed. I think my balance has been under great control with the oil cleansing method (which I''ve been doing since July). I might have gotten a little drier, but that also may be because of the climate change.

Let''s see, what else... drive? I think it''s too soon to tell. It''s been up, but I''d bet that that''s at least partially psychological. I think after 2 or 3 months it''ll be a better test.

It''s weird to see my body getting back to ''normal.'' Stuff will freak me out and then I''ll say "Oh yeah, I used to do that before the pill."

 

[Elmorton]

Hi all, I'm late to the game...but I just wanted to say WHOA - what a crazy thread. I can't believe how many people have said everything that I've been thinking...

My TMI story: I've been on BC since I was 16 due to heavy periods. I started out with ortho-tricyclen. By my freshman year in college, I was so busy that I forgot to take pills regularly and I'd started smoking, so my dr suggested the depo shot. I was on that for four years and yes, I gained weight like crazy. Around the time I hit 21, my libido started decreasing. I also have a history of depression though, so I've always attributed my lack of libido to depression or depression medications. After reading everything in this thread, I'm really starting to question my assumption. At 22, I went on medication for depression again and at the same time also switched BC (I'd gained a ton of weight on depo and quit smoking, plus there were all sorts of new non-pill options now) - first tried ortho evra patch, but found out that I'm allergic to the adhesive and would have a huge welt on my back where the sticker was. Also, the darned sticker wouldn't stick and would get all kinds of gross fuzz from my clothing on it. I hated the thing. After about 2 months, I switched to the nuva ring. I've been on that for almost 3 years now, but right in the last few months, I've been lousy about following when to take it out/put it in - I'm busy and forget or in a rush, etc. At this point, my libido is completely still non-existent, and anti-depressants have been out of the picture for more than a year.

So...it's been about a week since I went Nuva-free. It's probably the placebo effect, but I am feeling different. DH and I have been talking about the idea of an IUD, but I'm pretty terrified, especially since I've had heavy periods before and no children. At the same time, we really, really, really do not want an accidental pregnancy, and after reading everything here...I'm pretty freaked out. I'm pretty sure that I want to be hormone-free, but I'm not sure that I'm a good candidate for an IUD, I don't want to rely on condoms (DH and I stopped using them pretty early in our relationship, so going back doesn't seem likely - not thrilled about their effectiveness rate), I'm also very freaked out by FAM stuff...if I can't be bothered to mess with my BC once every 3 weeks, I can pretty much guarantee that I'm not going to follow anything else closely, either - and the success rates don't really seem stellar. It's sad...there are so many more options than there were 100 years ago, but I still feel stuck.

 

[Lauren8211]

Mia - Good luck with dropping the hormones. Me and FF have BOTH noticed a significant difference in my mood. For years I''d tell FF "I just don''t feel like myself anymore" I thought I was depressed. I''m already feeling so much better since going off the pill. Check in and keep us updated on your progress. I''ve noticed my skin being a *bit* worse, but again, I''m not always vigilant about my skin care.

ShelleBelle: It really pisses me off that my BC had such a negative effect on my relationship. If we weren''t as strong as we are, it could''ve broken us up. I''m so mad about it. I just want my libido and mood stability back!

DancingQueen - I was on the fence about Paragard or Mirena. It''s nice to hear someone who had a good experience with Paragard, since I''d prefer to go hormone free.

Musey: I''m with you about the psychological aspect of it. I swear the day I went off I felt better. LOL. Placebo effect, yes, but after nearly 3 weeks, I''m genuinely starting to feel better.

Elmorton: I hear you! I thought I was depressed for years. Turns out 3 weeks off the pill made a huge difference. FF and I are talking IUD also, but I''m still not sure. However, if it''s not an IUD, I honestly can''t think of what else to do besides condoms, which I''m not the hugest fan of. I don''t know what to do. It''s a bummer. I''m just taking my time on this IUD decision for now. Why can''t doctors get on this?!

 

[DMBsGirl]

super late on this thread as well, but completely relate 100% to what everyone else was experiencing with BCP''s. It really makes me angry that this information is out there but many of us know nothing about it! No wonder the pill''s effectiveness is so high, most women aren''t even having sex on it!

I had decided to get off of BCP''a several months ago but was super frightened of getting pregnant before the wedding. I stopped taking them early this month and noticed a change in libido but now it seems to be back down again. I am so frightened that this could be permanent.

 

[MoonWater]

This can be the reason why women have been both gaining weight and feeling a decreased libido! I''ve never even heard of this side effect: How''s your sense of smell?

 

[Haven]

Just one more reason why I don''t take medication of any kind.
A decreased libido is side-effect enough to send me RUNNING!!!!

This is really interesting info, all. I will pass it on to my little sisters, who are all BC users.

 

[dancingqueen]

luvmyhalo -- the insertion was pretty easy. My doctor is the best. He used some type of "numbing" injection first. I felt fine afterwards. I remember my appointment was on a Friday around noon and my husband and I went out to meet friends for drinks at 5:00 that day. I had a small amount of bleeding for about a day and I had some cramping later that evening, but a few advil took care of it.

I''ve been totally pleased with my decision. I definitely wanted NO hormones and I have no regrets going with the Paragard.

 

[ams0124]

BCP FREE UPDATE:

It has been about 4 weeks since I went off the pill...Life is great!

My skin is still clear, my mood still good, I haven''t gotten any headaches (which were constant on the pill)

HERE''S MY TMI: I''m supposed to start my period next week (just in time for Christmas mind you

)...and to be honest I''m a little nervous. I originally went on the pill for cramps...which were HORRIBLE! I would miss school one day a month cause they would be sooo bad...the only thing that helped was muscle relaxer that knocked me out...This will be my first cycle NOT on the pill....I''m arming myself with perscription strength motrin and Vitamin C (which I was told lessens bleeding). My Dr. said to start taking the motrin a day or two before my cycle...I''m really hoping this works!

Wish me luck...but if worse comes to worse...I would much rather feel like crap once a month then ALL month...

 

[mia1181]

Good luck AMS! I too am so worried about what my periods will be like w/o BC. I had very easy periods pre-BC, no cramps that I can remember or any PMS symptoms. But, that was a looooong time ago so I have no idea what to expect.

I am considering myself less than a week off of BC because even though I took out my Nuvaring for last time Sunday the 7th, I am counting the "period" I got last week since BC technically caused it. So I started charting my fertility signs and temperatures Saturday and I can''t wait to see what my cycles look like. I hope they are somewhat predictable, but we''ll see.

From what I have read, it''s pretty normal to have extra long cycles or even anovulatory ones for a while after going off BC, but I am still hoping I am one of the lucky ones who goes back to normal quickly!

 

[CollegeForever]

Hi all,

I was actually doing a google search about birth control and libido and came across this forum. I registered just so I could post here and hopefully get some more information.

I'm 26 and have only been on birth control pills for 2 months. I've already noticed a decrease in my sex drive.

I naturally have a very high sex drive and this is really bothering and depressing me.

Additionally, I've had heavy break-through bleeding for 8 days now and it's driving me insane.

My boyfriend and I use condoms all the time and they don't bother either one of us. I'm now thinking that I should switch to a condom/spermicide combination. And also NFP because off the pills my periods, cervical mucus, etc. is like clockwork. I'll also add that I do not want any children at any time during my life.

I'm going to speak to my HCP about all of this but also wanted other opinions. I also have very low income and no health insurance so some of the other options aren't viable.

Thanks for any help.

-Jackie

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 12/17/2008 1:27:00 PM
Author: CollegeForever
Hi all,

I was actually doing a google search about birth control and libido and came across this forum. I registered just so I could post here and hopefully get some more information.

I''m 26 and have only been on birth control pills for 2 months. I''ve already noticed a decrease in my sex drive.

I naturally have a very high sex drive and this is really bothering and depressing me.

Additionally, I''ve had heavy break-through bleeding for 8 days now and it''s driving me insane.

My boyfriend and I use condoms all the time and they don''t bother either one of us. I''m now thinking that I should switch to a condom/spermicide combination. And also NFP because off the pills my periods, cervical mucus, etc. is like clockwork. I''ll also add that I do not want any children at any time during my life.

I''m going to speak to my HCP about all of this but also wanted other opinions. I also have very low income and no health insurance so some of the other options aren''t viable.

Thanks for any help.

-Jackie

Which pill are you on? My obgyn put me on Ortho Tricyclen Lo, and I had nonstop breakthrough bleeding. I switched to a higher hormone pill (Regular OTC), and that solved the problem.

However, that was nearly 5 years ago, and now I''m going off again because of the libido issue.

I don''t know where you live, but some states will pay for birth control for women 19-44 - I know for certain that Michigan will. So that would cover pills, depo, implants, IUDs, and everything like that.

Personally, the switch to condoms has been so awesome for us, that we may just keep the other methods away for a while. I am still considering an IUD, however.

Good Luck!

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 12/16/2008 3:32:55 PM
Author: ams0124

BCP FREE UPDATE:

It has been about 4 weeks since I went off the pill...Life is great!

My skin is still clear, my mood still good, I haven''t gotten any headaches (which were constant on the pill)

HERE''S MY TMI: I''m supposed to start my period next week (just in time for Christmas mind you

)...and to be honest I''m a little nervous. I originally went on the pill for cramps...which were HORRIBLE! I would miss school one day a month cause they would be sooo bad...the only thing that helped was muscle relaxer that knocked me out...This will be my first cycle NOT on the pill....I''m arming myself with perscription strength motrin and Vitamin C (which I was told lessens bleeding). My Dr. said to start taking the motrin a day or two before my cycle...I''m really hoping this works!

Wish me luck...but if worse comes to worse...I would much rather feel like crap once a month then ALL month...

Sounds good, ams!!

I''m almost 4 weeks off, also. Unfortunately, my skin is getting worse. I made an appointment for the derm. My acne is mild, always has been, but it''s enough to really bum me out. I figure some antibiotics and some topicals should do the trick.

My mood overall is SO SO SO SO SO much better. I can''t say enough about the difference. No spontaneous crying or mood swings! It''s like I''m a new person! My libido is even coming back, slowly but surely!!

Im a bit worried about the first period also... I don''t remember how they used to be. I''m with you though, I''d rather have a bad period for a week than be miserable ALL month. I hope yours goes ok and isn''t too painful. Keep us updated on your progress sans pill!

 

[Circe]

Have any of you tried the Lea''s Shield as an alternative? I''m finding that I agree with many of you ladies re: the condoms (a couple of years away from them appears to have reduced my tolerance for them - you were right!), and I''m leery of the various hormonal alternatives until my system stabilizes. The Lea''s Shield *looks* better to me than the diaphragm, cervical cap, etc., but I''d love to hear about first-hand experience if anybody here has tried it!

 

[musey]

Got some weird symptoms going on. Totally insane. My bust measurement has increased (not decreased, like I was expecting) by more than 1/2 inch, and the sides of ''em are tender. All other measurements have either decreased or remained the same.

All the women in my dad''s family had a ''growth spurt''

around ages 20-23, two of them went from a B to D/DD and one went from a B to a C. I was on BCPs during that entire stretch of time, is there such a thing as BCPs stunting breast growth?? And now they''re trying to catch up?! I sincerely doubt this is what''s going on, I''m just hypothesizing.

Before you ask, I''m not preggo.