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nytemist

nytemist

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
962
I need some advice. I have never been on the pill before. I want to start at least a couple of months before my fiance and I get married in October. I''ll be 35 in October, have no health concerns at all and I don''t smoke.

I know different hormone dosages react differently, depending on the person, but what are you ladies using and how does it affect you? I want to have some direction before going to the doctor so I don''t end up in an extended trial and error phase.
 
I use alese, have been on it for 2 years.
love it.

i''ve NEVER came close to being pregnant, and it has TOTALLY regulated my periods.
on top of that, they are very very light now

they used to be heavy and lasted at least the one week.
now they go from wed till saturday. I love it.

I don''t mean to give anyone gross images... but those are my plus''

I started with the alese 28 (where u have 21 real pills then 7 sugar pills for when u are on ur periods) i was on it for about a year and a half, but never took the sugar pills after a while. Then the pharm ran out of those and gave me the alese 21 (which is just the pills, no sugar pills)

the 28 is good to start off to remember to take ur pill every day at the same time even when on ur periods, but eventually u get your own feel for it!


Good luck!
 
I use Ortho Novum 7/7/7. It simulates a real cycle. Each week is a different amount of hormone until the last week when you take the sugar pill (or nothing) and then you get your period. I''ve been on them for 14 years. I''ve never had one side effect from them.

Make sure you do the Sunday start... you''re almost guaranteed to never have your period on the weekends.
 
I take nordette/levlen/levora/portia (all the same thing, i take whats cheapest or what my insurance will cover), which is also the same hormone as seasonale (the 4 periods a year one).

I typically take 2 pill packs before having a period (so 6 weeks on pill, 1 week off), but I occasionally adjust that to my own convenience, so I never have my period on vacation. The doctor told me that was fine, since my pill has been approved for longer use, in the form of seasonale.

I used to be a sunday starter, but I realized if I start on saturday, My period goes from mon-thurs, so no weekends. I''ve also found that I now get cramps the first day, which I never used to do, but advil takes care of it. I could try switching pills, but I''ve been on this one for 8 years and its working for me, so I don''t want to mess with it.

One thing to watch out for is antibiotics reduce the effectiveness of the pill, so you need to use a back up method, something doctors sometimes forget to tell you.
 
I''m on the NuvaRing (little rubber ring you insert you-know-where for 3 weeks, then leave out for one) and it has been SOOO great for me. I used to get THE WORST cramps ever and have long heavy periods, and now I don''t get any cramps and my periods last ~2.5 days and are very light. Inserting and taking it out is sort of nasty, but just takes one second and then you don''t have to think about it again for a long time! I just put little marks in my calendar so every Saturday I check to see if I need to do anything but basically I don''t have to even be aware of it 99% of the time, and I love not having to worry about taking a pill every single day. My doctor told me the hormone levels are actually lower in the NuvaRing too because it constantly emits a very very small amount into your bloodstream, as opposed to the pill which is like a little burst every day, plus there''s a higher chance of forgetting to take the pill on a given day, so each pill has a teeny bit more than you really need as kind of a safeguard? (Something along those lines, this was like 6 months ago and I just got the basic gist of it.) The side effects are basically the same as the pill because it''s the same hormones, but usually a little less because it''s a lower dosage. I had a very very small amount of break-through-bleeding for like 2 days on my 2nd month on it, but other than that absolutely no side effects. Sorry if this is too much detail!
20.gif
But basically, I highly recommend it! And when it''s in you don''t feel it AT ALL if it''s in right! And no pregnancy scares at all! Okay that''s enough from me.
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Method 1: The Patch, Ortho-Evra - Loved it, convenient, it stayed put, regulated my period and weight (lost about 5 lbs). Disadvantages - it actually gave me cramps (I don''t normally get them), left a slightly dark itchy "rash" where the patch had been, 3 in 10,000 women (versus 1 in 10,000 for the pill) have incidence of blood clots due to patch use. I had to switch off of it because I had a headache that lasted for 3 days and my gyno didn''t want to risk it (blood clots).

Method 2: Desogen pills - Lighter period than on the patch, but I think that''s because it made me spot for the last 3 active pills and I only had my period for the first 2 or 3 sugar pills, this one gave me cravings and I gained weight. No cramps, no breast pain, but I didn''t like the weight gain so my gyno had me switch pills to try a different estrogen precursor.

Method 3: Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo - Current method, 4 months running. No more cravings so I''m losing a little weight, much lighter period, no cramps. This one really made my breasts hurt the first month and the spotting has decreased (last month my period actually started on the first day of sugar pills, not earlier!). The only possible drawback to this pill is that you can''t skip the sugar pills and just start your next pack early to skip your period because the amount of hormones you''re taking changes every week. Pills should decrease your flow though, so this isn''t much of a drawback, IMO.

HTH!!
 
I guess I''m kind of concerned about some of the side effects: the weight gain since I''m already size 12, cramping since I never get them and the breast soreness since I''m really big. The upside would be my cycles being regular again. I was like clockwork from when I started until about 6 years ago. That year I got a period in January and didn''t have another until June. Then skipped until August, then October then December. I panicked back then but there was nothing wrong with me. I now have to just be prepared since I never know when it''s going to show up. Right now it''s 6 weeks late, which is the norm for me, though it freaks out my fiance!

I would like the ability to skip sugar pills in the event of vacations and things like that, but not suffer a lot during adjustment. Sparkly_stars, I''ve never even heard of alese, but it sounds perfect.
 
Date: 6/20/2006 11:06:00 AM
Author: JCJD
Method 1: The Patch, Ortho-Evra - Loved it, convenient, it stayed put, regulated my period and weight (lost about 5 lbs). Disadvantages - it actually gave me cramps (I don''t normally get them), left a slightly dark itchy ''rash'' where the patch had been, 3 in 10,000 women (versus 1 in 10,000 for the pill) have incidence of blood clots due to patch use. I had to switch off of it because I had a headache that lasted for 3 days and my gyno didn''t want to risk it (blood clots).

Method 2: Desogen pills - Lighter period than on the patch, but I think that''s because it made me spot for the last 3 active pills and I only had my period for the first 2 or 3 sugar pills, this one gave me cravings and I gained weight. No cramps, no breast pain, but I didn''t like the weight gain so my gyno had me switch pills to try a different estrogen precursor.

Method 3: Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo - Current method, 4 months running. No more cravings so I''m losing a little weight, much lighter period, no cramps. This one really made my breasts hurt the first month and the spotting has decreased (last month my period actually started on the first day of sugar pills, not earlier!). The only possible drawback to this pill is that you can''t skip the sugar pills and just start your next pack early to skip your period because the amount of hormones you''re taking changes every week. Pills should decrease your flow though, so this isn''t much of a drawback, IMO.

HTH!!
Click to expand...
My pill is similar to this one, but I''ve skipped the sugar pills before. I had no problems with it. My doctor told me it was fine to do...
 
I use alese as well. I''ve been on it for just over a year and it''s worked great. I don''t have nearly as much pain as I used to and there wasn''t any weight gain associated with this pill, as there sometimes is. It''s alese 28, not 21, by the way. My doctor prescribed this one because it had a lower dosage of hormones, which I prefer.
 
Another vote for Alesse here, the generic works great too. I was on it for 4 years. I had very little side effects, maybe just a little wieght gain, but only a couple pounds, nothing major (SIL gained 20, but she was on something else). Periods were VERY regualted and short, no cramps.

Last fall I switched to NuvaRing because I was sick of taking a pill every day. So far, so good although I think I may have gained a few more pounds from it than the pill. Albicocca gave a very accurate description... I can never feel it and my one concern was (TMI WARNING) my DH may be able to, but he really cant either and/or it doesnt bother him. My GYN recommended putting mine in on the 1st of the month and take it out on the 25th... very easy to remember and I dont have to worry that I packed my pills everytime we leave town!

The Patch (OrthoEvra) wouldnt stay on my body and I got the rash JCJD described above. The shot (DepraVera) gave me a period that last 6 months pratically non stop.
 
Date: 6/20/2006 12:05:19 PM
Author: njc
I can never feel it and my one concern was (TMI WARNING) my DH may be able to, but he really cant either and/or it doesnt bother him.
Click to expand...

Haha, I was trying to decide if I should include this in or not...but I second your (& your DH''s) opinion there!
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poptart, there is in fact alese 21 as well.
I was on both.
The difference between both is that alese 28 comes with 7 sugar pills whereas alese 21 is the just the 21 pills.
(I said this in the earlier post though)

Nytemis, it works great. I haven''t ever experienced cramping.. my only "side" affect is back soreness (I feel like it has to be "cracked" but I think thats because I''m heavy chested..)
I really recomend it
I know people that have switched back and forth. I have a friend who is on the patch, and I''ve noticed the weight gain...and one that had the injection and she complains about the weight gain.
I''ve just decided to take the pill, and this one has been perfect for me! :)
 
Date: 6/20/2006 12:14:08 PM
Author: albicocca

Date: 6/20/2006 12:05:19 PM
Author: njc
I can never feel it and my one concern was (TMI WARNING) my DH may be able to, but he really cant either and/or it doesnt bother him.
Click to expand...

Haha, I was trying to decide if I should include this in or not...but I second your (& your DH''s) opinion there!
3.gif
Click to expand...
Hee hee, yeah, I wrote it in and took it out a couple times, but decided it was very useful info since if DH wasnt happy it was the deal breaker for me and added the TMI warning!
 
Thank you everyone for the information! Probably after vacation in July I will talk to her about alese and nuvaring. Hope I don''t have the soreness, I don''t need this giant chest to bug any more than it does now. I''m a 36 H/I.

I also have to ask if they react badly to lorazepam. That''s what I take when I have to fly (I have horrible flying anxiety) We''re supposed to go to London for the honeymoon.
 
I''ve been on Min-Ovral, Alesse, and now Yasmin. I''ve been off-and-on BCs for three years or so now. It really depends on how you react to the pills, and that will be by trial and error.

Min-Ovral seemed to stablize my weight, come to think of it, which was nice... and it gave me the mood swings of the proverbial pregnant woman. Tiny problems were huge disasters, I''d break down and cry for no reason in class, and the emotional rollercoaster was scary, and usually ''down'' rather than ''up''.

So I switched to Alesse. It made me gain weight like I was a prize heifer. About 30 pounds in 3-4 months. Unbelievable. Not only that, my sex drive dropped from ''high'' to ''low'' to ''negative integers''. Actual repulsion from human contact of any kind.

I''m now on Yasmin. I had breast tenderness for the first three months and it aggravated my Edema, but now that I''ve been on it for a while, it''s pretty stable and good. Sex drive is still lower than what it would be if I wasn''t on the BC or was on Min-Ovral, but not the scary scariness that was Alesse.

Hope that helps!

P.S. I think it really comes down to trial and error. Sadly, those trials take at least 3 months at a time.
 
I am taking Yasmin and I love it! I have several friends that take this as well and everyone seems to like it as much as me. I lost my appetite at first, but I wasn''t nauseated or anything...

The thing I like about Yasmin is it is a constant dosage of hormone so you aren''t riding the emotional hormonal demon rollercoaster all month. It also has a diuretic in it, so you don''t have the bloating, crampy tenderness issues. My skin also looks great!

I have been on it for 3 years and I really like it.

Good luck with your choice. If you decide to go on the patch, be advised...I have several friends who tried the patch and are now parents. :)
 
I've been on L'Ovral most of my adult life. It's a constant hormone pill. It regulates everything and can be used back to back so I can move my period as needed. I tried the Ortho TriCylen once and it made my psycho...seriously I was feeling almost suicidal from it. I went back to Lovral and was fine. So, if you start to feel emotionally unstable switch pills.

I had no weight gain and it didn't make my already big bra size any bigger (thank goodness!)
 
Date: 6/20/2006 1:02:20 PM
Author: jorman
Good luck with your choice. If you decide to go on the patch, be advised...I have several friends who tried the patch and are now parents. :)
Click to expand...

How interesting! I was on the patch for 6 months, 3 months while actually married. I have had 2 friends that have used the patch as well and neither of them had a "surprise" while on it. I think this just goes to show hormonal bc works very differently in different people!
 
Date: 6/20/2006 11:22:14 AM
Author: AmandaPanda
Date: 6/20/2006 11:06:00 AM

Author: JCJD

Method 1: The Patch, Ortho-Evra - Loved it, convenient, it stayed put, regulated my period and weight (lost about 5 lbs). Disadvantages - it actually gave me cramps (I don''t normally get them), left a slightly dark itchy ''rash'' where the patch had been, 3 in 10,000 women (versus 1 in 10,000 for the pill) have incidence of blood clots due to patch use. I had to switch off of it because I had a headache that lasted for 3 days and my gyno didn''t want to risk it (blood clots).


Method 2: Desogen pills - Lighter period than on the patch, but I think that''s because it made me spot for the last 3 active pills and I only had my period for the first 2 or 3 sugar pills, this one gave me cravings and I gained weight. No cramps, no breast pain, but I didn''t like the weight gain so my gyno had me switch pills to try a different estrogen precursor.


Method 3: Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo - Current method, 4 months running. No more cravings so I''m losing a little weight, much lighter period, no cramps. This one really made my breasts hurt the first month and the spotting has decreased (last month my period actually started on the first day of sugar pills, not earlier!). The only possible drawback to this pill is that you can''t skip the sugar pills and just start your next pack early to skip your period because the amount of hormones you''re taking changes every week. Pills should decrease your flow though, so this isn''t much of a drawback, IMO.


HTH!!
Click to expand...

My pill is similar to this one, but I''ve skipped the sugar pills before. I had no problems with it. My doctor told me it was fine to do...
Click to expand...

In the other pill thread someone mentioned they tried this with a cyclic pill and had their period for a month instead, which is why I thought you couldn''t do this. I haven''t talked with my gyno about it since periods don''t bother me much.
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wow. great thread. great info. i am looking to get on BC for the first time, too, in a the next month or so. my FSIL had a talk about the differnt ones. they both tried the nuva ring and one had to switch because of sorta what njc mentioned. she switced to yasmin. they are both loving what they are taking.

i have horrible cramping the first day of my period. the doctor said i could either do BC or take ponstel. i wasn''t ready for BC so i opted for ponstel.

other than that i am concerned about weight gain and hair loss. a friend of mine had to change her BC several times due to severe hair loss. she''s 24.

i was going to ask the doc. about the ring and yasmin. i will now ask about Alesse. sounds promising.
 
Another vote for the Nuvaring here! I was on Ortho Tri-cyclen for years (started in college to control cramps/cycles more than anything else), and didn't notice many side effects other than lessened cramps. But I hated when I'd forget to take it one day, then remember midway through class, or else not until the next day... then worry the rest of the month. I switched to the Nuvaring when it first came out, and it has been perfect for me... very reassuring to only think about it once a month, and know I'm getting that steady stream of hormones rather than a "burst" each day, as Albi described. And again, no side effects to speak of.

Nytemist, when you mentioned weight gain as a concern, it also reminded me of another thing people may want to consider... the effectiveness of the pill can be reduced in clinically-overweight women. From a recent study found here:

"Holt and colleagues found the association between extra pounds and pill failure first surfaced among overweight women whose body-mass index was 27.3 or higher, which is equivalent to a 5-foot, 4-inch woman who weighs 160 pounds or more. These women faced a 60 percent greater risk of getting pregnant while on the pill. Those considered obese, with a BMI of 32.2 or greater, faced a 70 percent greater risk."

Scary stuff... if anyone is in that category, it may be worth checking with your doctor to make sure your birth control is doing its job!!
 
Oh, and as for controlling periods for vacations, most doctors will tell you that it is safe to skip the 4th week of pills with any given form of BC, and instead just start up a new pack. There is some research that actually suggests it can be healthier for a woman''s body to do so... though I don''t know the validity/reliability of those studies. Skipping periods can cause varying amounts of "breakthrough bleeding", however... depending on both your body chemistry and the formulation of BC you''re on. For what it''s worth, I''ve done it with the Nuvaring without much of a problem!
 
SEASONALE!!!!! I LOVE IT! I honestly think it is the best thing ever invented. I only get my period 4 times a year and it is SO light and only lasts a few days. I have been on the pill for 12 years and this is my 4th kind (and my favorite). All the pills are the same strength so you can skip or rearrange your period (which, shame, I have done). It is more expensive but that is only because you buy three months at a time. I did not gain weight or have any problems with it. Good luck with your search.
 
nytemist-

Unfortunately, you will have to have some kind of trial period with whatever form of bc you use. Reccommendations by others re: what works for them is great, but when it comes to you and your own body you'll just have to see what works, and sometimes, what doesnt. There are so many options now, it can get confusing. The bc pills now are so low dose that a very common complaint is breakthrough bleeding- just goes with the territory. Alesse is a very low dose pill, so it is likely that you may have bleeding in between periods that will resolve by about 3 months after initiating the pill. I also hear great feedback from patients about the Nuvaring...go with what you feel comfortable with, and hopefully the side effects will be minimal... if not, there are SO MANY pills/other forms of bc out there! good luck!
 
Yipes- thanks ephemery. i never read anything about that. Although I''m a 12, I''m not ffat and unhealthy, as most height/weight charts would make me. Like even my doctor has said my body fat percentage is good since I''m in the gym 4-5 days a week doing weights and cardio. This makes my paranoia jump up. Fiance and I really, really, do not want children.

This is as much for me, regulating cycles, as it is for him a bit. In our 5 1/2 years, he''s been very good and understanding, but in the past couple of years has mentioned he''s a bit tired of condoms. I''m afraid of being in that small percentage that ends up getting pregnant.

It seems most here lean towards yasmin, alese anf nuvaring. I think those are the ones I will talk to my doctor about.
 
Date: 6/21/2006 10:01:49 AM
Author: nytemist
Yipes- thanks ephemery. i never read anything about that. Although I''m a 12, I''m not ffat and unhealthy, as most height/weight charts would make me. Like even my doctor has said my body fat percentage is good since I''m in the gym 4-5 days a week doing weights and cardio. This makes my paranoia jump up. Fiance and I really, really, do not want children.

This is as much for me, regulating cycles, as it is for him a bit. In our 5 1/2 years, he''s been very good and understanding, but in the past couple of years has mentioned he''s a bit tired of condoms. I''m afraid of being in that small percentage that ends up getting pregnant.

It seems most here lean towards yasmin, alese anf nuvaring. I think those are the ones I will talk to my doctor about.
Click to expand...
Yeah, BMI charts have definitely proven to be flawed... especially when labeling people overweight who are actually just strong and muscular. But the article does mention that the decreased BC effectiveness could be due to an increased metabolic rate in people with higher BMIs (regardless of whether they''re higher because of muscle or because of fat)... and people who exercise have an increased metabolism too... so still a little alarming. Especially since I don''t know of many doctors mentioning this to patients!

If you are set on not having children for a while (or ever), have you considered an IUD? There are newer ones that are apparently incredibly effective and really don''t require any maintenance or cause significant side-effects... I don''t know of anyone who has one, but I''ve always thought it sounded like an interesting possibility for long-term BC...
 
Date: 6/21/2006 11:49:29 AM
Author: ephemery1

If you are set on not having children for a while (or ever), have you considered an IUD? There are newer ones that are apparently incredibly effective and really don''t require any maintenance or cause significant side-effects... I don''t know of anyone who has one, but I''ve always thought it sounded like an interesting possibility for long-term BC...
Click to expand...
Good idea ephemery!

I have no personal experience with an IUD, but SIL had one (the one I mentioned in my first post gaining so much weight from pills). I know they last for something like 3 years and she was pleased with her first one. Her second one caused some kind of problem... she could feel it or caused her to have breakthrough bleeding, I honestly cant remember, but thats when she went on the Pill. If you are looking for a more long-term method of birth control, an IUD may be good. Be sure to bring up with your GYN that you dont want to have children, that may effect her recommendations.
 
A friend of my mother's had to have an emergency hysterectomy two years ago (aka with one of the 'newfangled improved' IUDs) because it was lodged in her uterine lining and... I'll spare you the details. Gory to say the least.

I know that the new IUDs are much, much safer than the old ones, but it's still not a risk I personally am willing to take.

I think this thread is fantastic because it is bringing up all sorts of issues that one should ask one's doctor about-- for example, I had no idea that my BMI might endanger the effectiveness of the Pill. I'm assuming that my doctor is factoring in my weight (she's pretty thorough) but I will be sure to ask her about that on my upcoming physical Monday. I hate those paps!
32.gif


I'm glad someone brought up the conflict between antibiotics and the pill, because there are a few others that will affect it too, like certain painkillers (I've been advised to stick to Ibuprofen) and the herbal mood-booster St. John's Wort.

There may be others... most doctors I've seen ask what herbals/vitamins/supplements I'm taking, but not all.

It never hurts to be well-informed and proactive!
 
Date: 6/21/2006 2:22:12 PM
Author: Galateia

I''m glad someone brought up the conflict between antibiotics and the pill, because there are a few others that will affect it too, like certain painkillers (I''ve been advised to stick to Ibuprofen) and the herbal mood-booster St. John''s Wort.

There may be others... most doctors I''ve seen ask what herbals/vitamins/supplements I''m taking, but not all.

It never hurts to be well-informed and proactive!
Click to expand...
True... I personally know of an antibiotic-induced set of twins... definitely a bit of a surprise for the parents!

As for painkillers, I am on a prescription medication for headaches, which combines a barbituate, acetiminophen, and caffeine... I''d been taking it for years before I read (on my own, my doctor never mentioned it) that it has been known to interact with the pill. EEK!
 
Date: 6/21/2006 3:18:57 PM
Author: ephemery1

As for painkillers, I am on a prescription medication for headaches, which combines a barbituate, acetiminophen, and caffeine... I''d been taking it for years before I read (on my own, my doctor never mentioned it) that it has been known to interact with the pill. EEK!
Click to expand...
I used to take that too - it was called Esgic Plus. I never got pregnant while taking it, but it always made me spot.
 
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