Birth control symptoms and conditions

I'm 19 years old and I developed a DVT in my left leg, a blood clot. After some tests, I found out I had a genetic disorder, Factor Five (which is completely undetectable, unless tested). Loestrin increases your chances alone, it multiplies however your risk if you have this disorder known in Caucasions. If your family (even extended) has had a stroke, heart attack, blood clot, of if you want to be extra careful, please get tested befor taking this pill. It is the estrogen in birth control pills that increases your risk.

I am in awe reading all of these comments and to the point of tears due to my new found emotional self. I just made an appointment today with my doctor because this past month has been awful with the amount of side effects I have been coming across. After the appointment, for some strange reason, I decided to look up what the side effects of Femcon were from other people's point of view. Now, I have been on this birth control for quite a while, and in the beginning I had a lot of break through bleeding, but the doctor said it was normal. And I thought that my restless sleeping was because of my stressful life and the amount of activities I was doing in a daily schedule. However, over the past couple months my attitude and mood swings have been out of control. Unfortunately my boy friend of four years has witnessed a side of me that not even I've seen. I have break through bleeding constantly, I'm extremely emotional, sometimes depressed, and I feel nausea after EVERY time I take that pill. If I miss the pill and take it a few hours later or the next morning, I can predict that I will have an emotional outbreak, feel nausea, and have cold sweats. I originally went on this pill to help with the pain of cysts in my ovaries, but this isn't even worth it anymore. I can't wait to tell my doctor to get me off of this stuff as soon as possible.

Thanks everyone for sharing. This has helped clarify my gut instincts.

Yasmin has caused me to have very itchy skin! ive been taking it 6mths now and after 4mths the side effects have kicked in.
Apart from the insane random annoying itching i keep getting severe abdominal cramps when i eat, ive been breathless on occasions and my hair is lkg limp and dull.

I have had to Mirena IUD since January 2008. I decided to get it because most other forms of birth control have some terrible side effects on my body, and I have one daughter and I want something hassle and side effect free! I first only experienced HORRIBLE cramping and unpredictable spotting. I now have migraines, nausea, bloating, and the complete inability to lose weight!!! Worst mistake I've ever made...I wonder though what else I can find that will be effective?!

I using Mirena as a method of birth control...until I realized it was inhibiting my weight loss goals.
I had Mirena inserted Jan. of 2008. I was trying to rid the last 20lbs from my pregnancy. Nothing I would do seemed to budge the scale. It was very odd because I've always been small and never had weight management problems. I even started working with a personal trainer 3 times a week. I managed to stump 2 different trainers when my weight would not budge. They would see me at the gym constantly, I wrote down everything I ate.
Finally enough was enough. I had Mirena removed last month. Within days I dropped 5lbs. effortlessly. I don't expect the rest of the weight to melt off like the initial 5lbs but now I know it was in fact Mirena.
I also experienced acne(I'm 28, never had acne before). Fortunately that is starting to clear up as well.
It's a shame because Mirena was a great method of BC but the side effects just aren't worth it, at least for me.

LOL - I just started taking this med and was starting to think I'm pregnant (which would NOT be good!). Nausea, slight burning in abdominal area (like implantation) and headache, heartburn. I have to say I'm kinda relieved it's just this medication!!! Was prescribed for UTI and didn't want an antibiotic that would compromise my birth control so was put on this.

So I have only been on the NuvaRing for about 3 weeks and just took it out. I feel SO down but I didn't feel down till about a week ago. Would the depression hit that fast? I keep getting in fights with my boyfriend and I'm feeling like we aren't going to last even though before this we've never had any real issues and I was positive he was the one I would marry. Now I feel like I'm doubting us but I have no reason at all to doubt us, nothing has happened except I started using the NR. I keep denying that it's the ring but the more I look back on it I feel like it could be since only a few days after I started using it I felt very irritable. I guess it's time to switch again? I don't like feeling like this and I don't want birth control of all things to be the reason our relationship fails. I feel so down and depressed but it isn't constantly, it just comes on randomly and stays till I go to sleep pretty much. Has this happened to anyone? Do you think that the effects would happen that soon after starting the NR? Any help would be great! Thanks!

I cannot describe how happy I am to have found this webpage. I have been on NR for almost 6 months and have begun to think i am going crazy. I have always been an upbeat person with a lot of energy and a pretty great sex drive. For the past 2 months I have been experiencing severe anxiety to the point where I wake up nervous and have difficulty falling asleep at night. I have chest pain, headaches, loss of appetite, acne (which i thought birth control was supposed to make better), pain in my legs, frequent crying episodes for no reason and absolutely no desire to have sex. I was starting to think I was going a little insane and was wondering what could make me have such anxiety and other symptoms. After reading all of your posts, i realize that it is most likely my NR since I have never had issues like this in the past. I am going to take it out in a few days and see how it goes. Hopefully it is just the drugs and not me going completely insane! I'll let you know how it goes and if anyone else has had these symptoms which have been relieved by taking the NR out, i would love to hear from you!

I started taking Yasmin about 5 years ago. At first, I experienced a little nausea as my body got used to the drug, but after the first few months I was fine. Fine until about a year and a half ago. In the past year and a half, I've had absolutely NO sex drive, and terrible PMS. I swear I have PMS symptoms 3 weeks out of the month. It's miserable. I'm always moody and get aggravated at the smallest things. VERY unlike me. I also feel bloated a lot of the time. I work out regularly and eat healthy, so I know the bloating is not caused by eating badly. My doctor assures me my problems are with my birth control. I started a new birth control yesterday, so I hope it works! The main thing to remember is that different birth controls work differently for different people, and your body also changes through the years. What worked for you at one time, may not work for you 5 years later. This is why it's very important to communicate your problems to your doctor so he/she knows exactly what you're experiencing and can help you. While diagnosing yourself online can be helpful, it's not as good as expressing your concerns to your doctor.

Hi. I had the Mirena inserted Sept. 8, 08, just 6 weeks after giving birth to my daughter. So for about 4 months now. The last couple of months in a row, I thought I was pregnant. I have had every symptom I normally have when I get pregnant. Took the tests and of course they came back negative. I have 2 kiddos. I used the Depo shot for b/c until now because the hormones in the Depo kept causing my body to feel pregnant. Thus changing my birth control method. Which is what I told my Dr. They seemed to have left out that the hormones in the Mirena are the same as the Depo! Thanks a lot. Also, I have started gaining some weight. Which I have never done before. I look like I'm 4 months pregnant since I've been on this b/c. I have No sex drive what so ever! Also uncommon. My husband can definitely feel the strings during sex, which is painful for him. I've been getting really bad dizzy spells, like fall over from fainting dizzy spells! I most recently have been getting these horrible pressure headaches. I've never had a migraine, not sure if that's what it is. Not to mention running to the bathroom constantly. I'm peeing like a pregnant woman! I've been way more irritable since. I freak out for no reason. I will cry for no reason, and so on. So I decided to do some research and found out apparently I'm not the only one with these side affects. Thank god. I scheduled an appointment to have mine removed on Jan, 22. I can't wait until then. Thank you everyone who has posted on here. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

honestly, i cannot believe my doctor even put recommended having the Mirena put in me! I put it in because it was my last option of not getting preggo. im 23 and have four kids. each of which was conceived on a different form of birth control. i got the mirena put in on nov 27th 2008 and i naturally started to bleed on nov 23rd. and ever since the 23rd i haven't stopped bleeding! the blood gets darker as if it will go away but then it gets red again and keeps going! and its not just blood its with lot of clots too! i've gained weight (which my doc said none of her patients on mirena have gained any and suggested i start to look at my diet and exercise more often). i was loosing weight just fine before i had the mirena put in! in three weeks i gained 10 lbs! i have massive migraines that wont go away, my sex drive has completely vanished, by back is always killing me and im very very moody with everyone. my husband just hates it and wants it removed already!

Hi Everyone, I am so happy i found this site. I feel just a little better that maybe this Femcon Fe is prob working the right way. Doctor had told me I has polycystic cysts on my left and right ovary so he put me on Femcon Fe. I am 30 years old and I was never on any type of birth control pill in my life (this would be the first time). I have been on this pill for almost a month now. A month ago when i went tomy GYN he had said that the pill would help stop the bleeding (prior to this I had been bleeding for maybe a month). A few days later I did stop bleeding but a few days before dec 26 I had been spotting (on and off). On Dec 27th I started bleeding (my period i guess), its Jan 5th now and I am still bleeding...and cramping (been cramping everyday). I feel as if I am bleeding a lot, been changing my pad a lot. I don't know if this is because I just started this pill and it may change later or what? I panic so much about things like this...is anyone having these same effects or had?

I have been taking Tri-Sprintec for 3 months. I switched because my insurance does not cover birth control and I was paying $50 a month compared to $9. But it is not worth saving the money. Since taking Tri-Spritec I have had a 7 pound weight gain, I have terrible mood swings and have feelings of depression. There are days when I can't even stand myself. I get angry at everything and everyone. I also have no sex drive and have days where I just want to be alone. I am going to stop taking these pills they are not worth it.
K. T.

I'm 18 years old. I am only sexually active with one boy whom I have been with for 3 years. I had some spotting before my my brown pills, but I never started my period. I am now on another pack and still haven't started. I am usually late. Does anyone else have this problem?

I believe nuvaring caused me to have a severe affect on my endometriosis.
I experienced a terrible bruising in the bottom of my stomach (where the endometriosis is). I could barely walk for a few days. I my doctor prescribed nuvaring because I was experiencing heavy bleeding from fibroids. After few months of being on birth control, I found myself having surgery with my uterus being doubled in size by the fibroids. I believe instead of shrinking my fibroids, birth control increased the fibroids in size. Lastly, I suffered from high blood pressure. At times my head felt like it was going to explode.

I have been on Yaz for almost two years. The first year was convinced it was a miracle pill because all my PMDD symptoms disappeared. Since April of this year I have been walking up around 5 am and throwing up. I am on day six of my January pack and have had diarrhea or vomited in the morning. I know 100% I am not pregnant because I use the Yaz as directed and condoms. However I since bc convinces your body your pregnant I think I am experiencing morning sickness. I have talked to several doctors, a nurse, and a pharmacist about this issue and they all think it is highly unlikely I could be experiencing a side affect after having none for so long but I think they are wrong. I have a big training event a t work coming up in February and don't want to go off bc or start another because I'm scared of the PMDD getting bad. HELP!

I started taking Femcon fe in late December of 08. It's been about a year since I've taken any birth control so I was having problems remembering to take them. I did what the pills instructed when you forget and I took 2 pills on the same day. I forgot again to take them and repeated the same thing for 7 days only. I just decided to stop taking them and start fresh when I get my next period. Little did I know I was going to have a blood flow. I thought I was getting my period, but it wasn't red it was a burgundy color. I've been bleeding for 3 days know and it's getting heavier. Another side effect is lack of sleep. I haven't been able to sleep at night. It's been 2 nights and I can't sleep. Also, I have been urinating much more than usual and having bowel movements much more than usual. Anyone experiencing the same things? Cramps, bad headaches and mood swings. After 7 days all this!!! I will not take these pills anymore!

I am very happy that I found this forum because the extreme indigestion, cravings, and bloated feeling that I have experienced from Yas has been crazy. I have only been on this birth control pill for 1 week, but I have already begun to experience the side affects. I was on Ortho - Tri for 10 years but decided to switch when I developed fibroids. My doctor felt that it may help them remain stable. I am not sure that it is worth it. I am not taking any additional pills and will be calling my doctor first thing Monday morning.

Thanks to all for posting your stories.

so far, ive been on Yasmin for almost 3 wks. the first week i had no side effects but as time progressed i started getting abdominal craps with a watery vaginal discharge; it sorta feels like i'm having my period except ther's no blood. i'm constantly nauseous and i have no appetite. my legs can feel numb at times and i get these really sharp pains in my chest. my body practically feels tender all over. i'm really depressed lately and my moods change drastically. Is this normal?

I was on the pill for about 4 years, but I got really tired of taking it every day. I got kind of lax with it so I decided it was a good idea to change. I considered depo, but I know it causes weight gain and takes a really time to get out of your system. My doctor said nuvaring was her favorite form of birth control for college students, so I tried it.I didn't understand my side effects at first either, the first two months seemed okay. Then:
-A month of bleeding.
-Monthly yeast infections (never a problem before.)
-Complete inability to orgasm (never a problem before.)

I am clinically depressed (on medication for 5 years) and nuvaring didn't seem to affect that.

I'm getting off this evil, evil thing next week and hopefully will get my orgasms back. Anyone know anything about implanon?

I've been on Yasmin for about 2 1/2 months now, For the first couple of weeks, I had bad cramps that weren't from my period. It was like sharp pains in my lower stomach. It went away after a while, but I'm still having constant head aches. I always got headaches here and there before the Yasmin. But they're more often now, At first I thought it they were work-related. But I even get them when I'm not at work. Every once in a while I get a sharp pain in my chest, but that's every once in a while. I haven't really had any numbness of the limbs, nausea, or mood swings. But these headaches are noticeable, Has anyone else had these?

Reading this has made me feel so much better. I have been off and on birth control since the age of 17- Loestrin, Alesse, Ortho Tri, Ortho Evra. With almost all of those, my body acclimated and I would start spotting. If I missed a pill by like an hour, I would spot. It was incredibly annoying. I wanted to try the NuvaRing because it sounded so convenient.

I have also experienced the increased anxiety, mood-swings, and the yeast infection feeling. I have had increased itching in that area, so bad that I have scratched myself. In order to keep my cycle normal, I'm keeping it in for a few more days, but I'm not going to use it again.

hi all. I have never taken these kinds of boards to heart before, but this time I am convinced. I had my mirena inserted 11 days ago and I am all ready to have it removed. It hurt when it was inserted, but I've had 4 natural deliveries, so I can tolerate a lot of pain. I was fine right after as far as cramping goes, but since having it inserted, I've constantly felt pregnant. Lower back aches, heavy bloated feeling, and the constant feeling of having a uti. That is the worst. I constantly feel like I have to pee and nothing comes out. But I go to the doctor and there is no bacteria in my urine. And now my hair is falling out. My gyn really pushed me towards this instead of having my tubes tied, that this worked better, but if I wanted to feel pregnant, I would just have another baby. I have an appt on Monday for him to check it. I may just have it removed and find another dr who will tie my tubes.

I have PCOS, and was experiencing dysplasia of the endometrium. After some search, a doctor recommended the Mirena. This was November of 2008. The installation should have been a clue of things to come. I have never had children, and had a tipped uterus, and as a result they had to use the clamps that look like needle nose pliers to grab my cervix, and after 45 minutes of stuffing, got it in. It was excruciating. I was working out 6 days a week, 2 1/2 hours a day, and eating South Beach Phase 2- and had lost 80 lbs and had maintained for 1 year. I asked if it would in any way cause weight gain, and was told it would not. Within the first month my diet/exercise regimen failed, and despite working out 7 days a week and resuming Phase 1, I was gaining 10 lbs a month- which my Doctor would not discuss with me except to dismiss it. To make a long story short, after life threatening edema and bleeding 22 or 23 days straight and with my now discovered sensitivity to progesterone, I required a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove an enlarged, boggy, and fibroid riddled uterus. I am doing 200% better now, and I am sure there are some women the Mirena works well for, but I was not one of them, and I feel the Mirena actually endangered my life (that and the arrogant doctor who inserted it and told me to be patient. I had it in from 11/2005 to 7/2007- is that time enough?) Please, please,please. If something does not feel right, do not NO for an answer. I did not want children so I was okay with losing the ability to bear children, but having a TAH at 38 is a life change that most younger women would not want. Would I have had to have it anyway? Perhaps. But I could have been in a position to be navigator in my care rather than reactive as I was forced to be.

So heres the deal ladies.... No matter what, ALL BIRTH CONTROL SUCKS........... But we're ALL in the same boat. They ALL have side effects, different to each person. My Nuvaring story goes like this... I have tried EVERY birth control only to have HORRIBLE MIGRAINES. So, after years in my 20's of constantly thinking I was pregnant, freaking out all the time which is what I think has psychologically screwed me up the most, I tried Nuvaring. I was 27 years old, 5'5, banging body w/ NO fat in the mid-section. I'm not even kidding that w/in 3 days I gains 10lbs. of fat(love handles) in the mid section. I work out 3-4x per week and have ALWAYS been a fitness fanatic. I have never been able to get this stomach fat off since. But here's the deal......... I could go on forever about how BC sucks as I had MANy other side effects, nausea being number one. But we don't have a God damn choice. I am now 31 years old and thats just the way it is. You know, heres even the more real deal. When I was in college I gave a speech on MALE contraception. Hello, it's out there. But they don't market it because it will be a waste of money because men are stupid and won't take it. Men assume that all women when we have sex are on BC and they could give a shit if we aren't. We need to stand up as women and make THEM take all precautions. For the most part, I wouldn't change being a woman for anything. I love it! But when it comes to birth control and constantly having to worry about pregnancy, it sucks................................ But we dont have an option, seriously!!!!!!! What's worse??????????? Losing your mind because of side effects or losing your mind constantly thinking your pregnant??????????????????????????????? After 31 years of age, I know it's just a no win situation........... J., Chicago......