Type of birth control symptoms and conditions

I've been on NuvaRing for 3-4 months now. Before using the ring I'd tried the pill, which made me horribly sick, and the patch, which gave me rashes and clots. My doctor recommended the ring and raved about it (as they all do) so I figured I'd give it a shot. The first month was fine. But since the second month I've experienced the following: dizziness, nausea, migraines, increased discharge (so much so I have to wear pantiliners EVERY day) swelling in my ankles, weight gain, and decreased sex drive...wait, let me correct that-no sex drive.
Im so jumpy and irritable my boyfriend is scared to try to touch me or say the wrong thing. I'm not sure what to do. I need to use some type of birth control and I don't trust just condoms alone but I'm scared this damn thing is going to kill me.

I just want to thank everyone for their experiences with Mirena. I went to the GYN on Tuesday for my annual exam and inquired about birth control since I am now in a relationship. I am 42, no children. She recommended Mirena and gave me a booklet on it. I have been researching it.

I am now deciding AGAINST this. I will stick with condoms for now and start researching another type of birth control. I don't want weight gain (I am already overweight but have lost over a lot of weight thanks to Weight Watchers). I don't want acne or bleeding everyday.

It helps so much hearing everyone's experience with this. The brochure doesn't list all these side effects. The doctor was pretty honest with me but thinks I would be a good candidate but I think I really need to rethink this.

Has anyone had any good experiences with other types of birth control?

Thanks!

I just posted a side effect on the Yaz page. I know all birth control pills are different for everyone but for the most part I had a lot of success on Yasmin. I was on Ortho Tricyclin for about 2 years in my early 20's and started having severe abdominal pain and severe bloating (all over my body). After several tests (blood work, CT scan, ultrasound, etc.) came back normal, I asked my ob/gyn to switch me to another type of birth control b/c I really didn't feel like myself and when your Mom says "You look like a zombie" then you know something is wrong. He gave me a prescription for Yasmin and I had immediate abdominal/bloating relief and felt normal again. I took Yasmin for 6 years and my only complaint is that I got PMDD the last 6 months I took it. I wasn't sure if it had something to do w/ turning 30 or just being on Yasmin for that long or a combination. I saw a commercial for Yaz and asked my ob/gyn if I could try it. The PMDD went away after the second month on Yaz but next week I'm going to try Yasmin again due to side effects I developed on Yaz (no energy, tired all the time, not feeling alert, feeling depressed). I'm crossing my fingers that Yasmin help me feel normal again and not bring back the PMDD.

Ok, I had my mirena inserted 7/17/08, mind you I haven't had any kids yet. From that day forward it has been hell. I called my doctors office because the pain was so bad that I couldn't even stand up straight. They told me that this was normal and it will get better. After two weeks of calling I finally called with an attitude and told them, something is WRONG. I went in and seen a doctor, my doctor wasn't in that day. As this doctor went to do the exam he said I don't see the string. I freaked out, they sent me for ultrasounds, still couldn't find it. Long story short, they tried to tell my it expelled my body, well after they did more xrays they found it in my abdomen. Since I have had it surgically removed, I have been in pain, it was done on the 2nd of August 2008. I am still bleeding, not like a period but enough for annoyment. I also, haven't been able to have sex because of all the pain I have been in. I am now seeing another doctor because I basically had to tell my last doctor what to do, I felt I should see another doctor. He is waiting to see if my bleeding will stop on its own in the next few weeks, if not then we are going to do another laproscopy to see what the problem might be. I am on birth control, have been since a week after the removal of the mirena.
Is there anyone else out there that might be going through the same thing as I am? This is really disturbing, I thought I was getting better for a few days then, again I start bleeding. The pains are sometimes unbearable, but they are not cramps, they are shooting pains. I am sick of taking pain meds. If there is someone else out there that can relate please respond.
Thank you

I've been on Femcon for 5 months now and the only side effect I have is oversensitivity. I cry at the drop of a dime and it seems as if EVERYTHING hurts my dam feelings, lol. I have actually lost 10lbs (over a five month period) since taking this pill. I too like many other new users have never taken any type of birth control and I'm 31 years old. I guess it just depends on the individual. I HIGHLY recommend this pill...definitely for first time users. I love it!

(EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS) I started taking YAZ two and half months ago and everything started out O.K. Then after missing one pill, I started having the worst cramps I've ever had in my entire life. I kept taking my pills on time in hopes of stopping the period and cramps but instead while I was bathing a Huge Fleshy Mass came out of me followed by several blood clots. My husband immediately put the mass in a sealed bag and put it in the refrigerator. I took it it in to see a specialist which claimed it probably was some weird side effect to YAZ causing my Uterine Wall to shed. He also admitted the pill hasn't been out long enough to study all the potential side effects. He suggested I finish out my supply and switch to another type of birth control pill. Yesterday I just started my period again, prematurely, and my cramps are again unbearable...I'm dead tired and moody and hope I'm not passing another mass...and I've made it up in my mind to throw away this year supply of YAZ and suggest anyone taking it with harsh side effects to do the same. REMEMBER LADIES THE RECALL ON THE PATCH THAT MADE SO MANY WOMEN VERY SICK??? DON'T BE A GUINEA PIG AND END UP NOT BEING ABLE TO GET PREGNANT. I wish you all the best in finding the right form of birth control...Take Care!!!

I recently began taking Loestrin 24 Fe because I actually stopped having my period. I have lost 80 pounds over the last 2 1/2 years. The Doctor explained that the weight loss had affected my hormone levels and advised me to take this pill. However, she also assured me that I would not gain weight. I have been taking the pill for two weeks, and I have already gained 4 pounds. I am a faithful Weight Watcher member and looking back over what I ate the past 14 days and how much I worked out - the weight gain does not seem possible.

Doing some independent research, this pill has the lowest levels of estrogen, supposedly meaning that it shouldn't cause weight gain like other oral contraceptives with higher estrogen levels. However, the scale shows different results and I also feel like I am retaining water. I don't want to appear "vain," but I have worked very hard for a very long time to lose 80 pounds. I do not want to see it creep back on because of medication, especially when I am only using it for regulation, not pregnancy prevention.

From reading earlier postings, I know some other people have had similar experiences. Did your Doctor change the type of birth control? Did you simply stop taking the pill and lose the weight? Does anyone have any advice? I really appreciate the help!

I started taking Trivora in June, 2008. I had to stop taking it after 2-1/2 weeks because I was extremely hungry, tired and was had gained 5 to 7lbs during the 2.5 weeks (same systems as if you were really pregnant). The only very nice thing about Trivora was that my boobs looked great!!! I am a b-cup and it went up to a full "C". Of'course that was probably due to the weight/water gain. I didn't feel good at all. I have never taken this type of birth control pill. I took it because it was an alternative to the name brand birth control pills that I normally take. I made a bad decision in getting these pill because I was saving money. I am not sexually active but, I wanted my periods to be regulated. Boy... I should have never made the decision to switch my name brand. On another positive note... my period for the month of June was very light, painless and short. However... my period for the month of July... still has not arrived. It feels like I am going to start but, I never do. Keep in mind... I am not sexually active... and I have never, ever missed a period aside from my two children that are 17 and 12 years old. I know that the Trivora pill has caused a side effect that I was not expecting. Since taking the pill I have gained approx. 10lbs in one month. Feeling bloated all the time because my period still has not started is something that no one wants. Yes... I feel depressed, stomach pains, nausea and I have frequents headaches. I would not recommend this pill to anyone. Hopefully my period will start so I can feel normal and not retaining water and have a constant bloating feeling.

I’ve had two goes at taking Yasmin first time at 23, I had all of the above symptoms a breakdown and big anxiety attack which has never happen to me before so that came out of the blue, I was suspicious about the pill so I stopped taking it after that.

But silly me about at now 25 years old second time around I thought maybe it was me and not the pill but the second time has really confirmed it for me. I’ve suffered worse depressed suicidal thoughts sadness and not to mention no interest in sex all… these things have really affected my relationship with my partner and friends.

I am angry with myself for trying it again worst mistake… but now I guess its confirmed for me ill never be putting any type of birth control pill in my body again its not natural and not good for you.

And I will also mention I was on a totally different pill during high school because I had very bad period pain and my doctor recommended it and looking back now, I was at that time a very hostile and depressed girl everyone thought I was going through teenage adolescence and worried about me… but I now believe it was the pill because I never understood why I hated the world so much at school. Now I know that I will never put my children on these types of contraceptives and I hope other mothers think twice.

I have been on Femcon Fe for only 2 1/2 weeks. When I started the third week which is a week before the brown pills I got my period. I understand that I need to give the BC time but the way this pill is headed I don't like. Its my first type of birth control and I am upset my GYN put me on it. I hear such wonderful things about Orthro-Tri Cyclen. After reading all of the responses from different women I am nervous things will not get better. Aside from getting my period early which I understand is normal at first because my body is adjusting I also feel very fatigued and mentally slow. My breast are certainly tender as well and I also feel lightheaded. Ladies I am getting off the pill and getting on Ortho. I should have in the first place but the doc really pushed FEMCON-FE. I am beginning to feel that there is some hidden agenda. Maybe they get extra money in promoting one vs the other.

I have been taking Loestrin 24 Fe since January 2008 and I just don't know what's going on!!! I started the pills immediately after my cycle went off and came right back on 2 days later!! I had another cycle for 2 weeks! I went to my OBGYN and he said that my body was "adjusting" so don't worry. So in February nothing happened, no cycle, no spotting nothing!!!! I went to my OBGYN again and he said once again my body was "adjusting". In March I spotted a couple days, during the white pills, and had heavy bleeding for one day. I have had sleepless nights, night sweats, mood swings, I haven't gained weight but my stomach is sooooo bloated. I have also had the problem of random spotting during white pills. After reading some of the other post I believe I'm going to back away from them and take the cramps like a woman!

I was prescribed Yasmin for PCOS in 2002. I took it and never had any problems and it made the PCOS easier to live with. This was until 2005. I started having real bad pain in my left side, so I went to the emergency room. They did x-rays and blood work on me. They admitted me to the hospital. They told me I had an infarct spleen. I was in there for almost a full week. My medical doctor told me he thought it was caused from my birth control (I did not take any other meds) and he took me off of it. Well I was having a lot of trouble with my PCOS so I went back to my gyno and told them about being in the hospital and what my medical doctor said. My gyno said they never heard of such a thing and put me back on Yasmin. They said I needed to be on it because it had an ingredient I needed to help me deal with the PCOS. So I went back on it after being off of it for 3 months. Well in May of 2007 I ended up in the ER once again. This time I was having severe headaches. I had never had headaches in my entire life until now. They ordered an MRI and gave me miagrane medication. I had the MRI done and they admitted me to the hospital once again. I saw at least 5 different doctors while I was in there. The MRI showed I had suffered 3 mild strokes (the cause of headache) and the only conclusion they could come to was the birth control again. I have never smoked in my entire life but yet I still suffered from strokes. I now have to take medication for my blood pressure, aspirin for blood clots, and migrane meds daily because of Yasmin. Yasmin is a very dangerous birth control. I also had to have an endometrial abaltion since I can't take any type of birth control. I am only 29 years old and can no longer have children because of this drug. It is very dangerous, I hope if I do nothing else someone will read this and stop taking Yasmin before it is to late for them also!!!

I am 24 years old and I just starting taking Loestin 24 three weeks ago today. I have PCOD (polycytis ovary disease) which stops me from having my period for months at a time, December was the last time I had my period. I have never taken any type of birth control pill until now. The doctor put me on provera pills to get steady progestrone in my body, I couldnt take it. I had severe headaches, to the point that I thought my head weighed 1000 pounds. She took me off that and put me on Loestrin 24. I was fine the first two weeks,a slight migraine but no other sides effects. On Wednesday morning I starting spotting, but by the afternoon it was a full flow, with severe cramps. It is now Sunday and I am still bleeding and still cramping very bad. She told me that it will take 3 months for the side effects to go away, but I dont know what I should do? Should I stick it out the 3 months being that it has been so long since I had my period? Should I call the doctor and see if I should stop taking the pills and go on something else? I appreciate the advice.

My turn...Ive been taking this pill for one week (first time ever taking any type of birth control pill). Ive never agreed with the whole concept ( I once had a heart defect; my mother had breast cancer; I have a history of depression ), and Ive been aware of the hormonal changes and side effects, but after 2 babies, both unplanned =o), and with a spouse who's 'sick' of the condoms, I decided to give the pill. So far I hate it. After just one day of taking the pill I became moody, depressed, crying for anything, and so irritable, even with my children. A week later I'm spotting (big time, not bloody, just brown); I'm cramping; nauseous; and Ive had a headache for 2 days now. I'm ready to quit this. I feel like I'm in my 1st trimester meshed with living through postpartum baby blues. Its horrible. Itd probably be tolerable if I were single, but I have to care for 2 kids under the age of 3, and I just don't have the energy to deal with this. Also, I just imagine the long term effects. These hormones causing all these crazy changes cant be healthy at all.

I started the NuvaRing in July and really liked the convenience of only inserting it in once a month. I would sometimes forget to take my pills and this was a good way of not worrying about forgetting my pills. Everything was fine at first,however, there were a few times where my periods were very irregular. One time I started my period 2 weeks early and it lasted 2 weeks long. My sex drive also decreased to the point where I just wasn't even thinking about sex. I thought the lack of sex drive was due to stress of planning a wedding, work, etc but I realized something was very wrong. I am only 30 years and yet I had no interest in sex. It wasn't my husband, I was just not wanting sex period. Then in Feb, I gained about 10lbs and now I can't get it off. I work out everyday religiously and eat really well and I cheat once a week and even then I watch what i eat. It's been a month and nothing gives. I did take the ring out 2 weeks ago and I don't plan on going back on it or any type of birth control. I am going to stick to the condom. This is the heaviest that I have weighed in the last 3-4 years, and the ironic thing is that I eat a lot better now than I did 3-4 years ago. Now my clothes don't fit and I feel like a cow. I also was experiencing hair loss I know losing 100 strands a day was normal but what I was losing wasn't normal. I also was getting really tired. Despite how tired I was, I still wake up at 4am mon-fri to work out. I am so frustrated, I can't wait till these hormones are out of my body completely. the last time I had this issue (not being able to get the weight off) was with Yasmin, luckily I wasn't on it for too long before I realized that brand wasn't working for me. Please let me know how long it has taken to get NuvaRing out of your system. I have been ring free for about 2 weeks and have yet to start my period, I think my body is screwed up..

I have been on the ring on and off for about 4 years. I am 33 years old and I never had a problem using the ring, I love it!! I wouldn't use any other type of birth control. I've read many of the comments here and to me it's not the ring it's just the way your body reacts to it just like any type of medication. Just because someone may be allergic to a medication does not mean that it does not work. The side effects are listed so if you get them then the ring is not for you. It also warns you that if you should not smoke while on the ring!! If some of the women here smoke while on the ring then that might be another problem. If you are thinking about using the ring don't get discouraged by what other women are saying. Remember, our bodies are all different and the symptoms or side effects will vary.

I posted a question to anyone who used Tri-Sprintec before, but now it's been several months & I'd like to let everyone else know how it's worked for me! Tri-Sprintec has been the best birth control I've ever taken. I have been on other birth controls over the years, and up to this point Yasmin was good but I still had some side effects. I've just started my fourth month on Tri-Sprintec, and I feel more like myself again. I don't have any crazy mood swings, my skin has cleared up, my periods are regular again & my appetite has gone back to normal. I recommend Tri-Sprintec to anyone who is looking for an affordable & reliable birth control (it's offered at the Wal-Mart pharmacy for $9 a month if you don't have insurance.)

I really thought I was going to like this form of birth control until I actually used it. I have tried it for about 9 months now and every month have had so much trouble keeping it in. It is so embarrassing when you are just walking in a parking lot and feel something drop out of the leg of you jeans and see your birth control laying on the ground. It was also very uncomfortable because I felt it every second that it was in. I do not recommend this type of birth control unless you intend on shoving it back up into your body every 5 minutes.

I used Yasmin for almost 3 years between 2004 - 2007. I loved it....my periods were regular, I had little acne, and I hardly had any PMS. Then I got pregnant (after stopping the Yasmin!) with twins and delivered them in late November 2007. I was so happy to know that I just knew which type of birth control I wanted to use, I had a great experience while on Yasmin so of course I would go back to it!

BAD IDEA! 4 weeks after the babies were born I started the pills. Mind you, I had a great pregnancy and lots of help at home...no post-partum or baby blues here. I started the pills on 12/23/07 and by 12/25/07 (Christmas Day) I was feeling majorally depressed, having emotional outbursts, having irrational thoughts....I felt alone and as if no one cared about me. I secluded myself and had suicidal thoughts. I thought about leaving my family and living in a hotel. I would get so mad at the littlest things....I almost threw a chair at my husband and tried to punch a hole in the wall. I cussed family members out. I was so irrational. I felt like a crazy, psychotic woman and all in less than a week. This was NOT me.

I quit the pill after the first week, realizing that this pill was causing all these side-effects. I called my OB and spoke with the nurse who told me what I was experiencing couldn't be from the Yasmin - those weren't common side-effects. I told her that I was 1 day Yasmin free and felt like a completely different person...I was myself again. She tried to tell me that maybe I was experiencing post-partum depression and I decided then to just make an appointment to talk to my OB (about Yasmin & his nurse!).

I have an appointment next week and am curious as to what he will say. I know it was the Yasmin and I am glad that I found this website & that I am not alone!

I have experienced a few days of nausea, however since this particular type of birth control has fewer severe side effects because of its low dose of estrogen I am confident that overall it is the best choice. I have also been battling a little bit of minor depression, have had mild breast tenderness, and a few more minor headaches than usual. I would also say that I have had a decreased appetite and have lost a moderate amount of weight.

Wow. After reading all of these comments I'm shocked. I have been taking Loestrin 24 Fe for 5 months now and I love it. The only symptoms I get is period cramps about a week before I'm due for my period. I have also gained about 5lbs, but for me thats great. Im 21 and this is the 2 type of birth control I am on. I tried the Seasonique.. HORRIBLE... I got the worst eye problems ever! My eyes were constantly red and a week after I quit it I was back to normal. The extra iron pills for Loestrin are great! Good luck ladies!!!

Well my doctor gave me sample and prescription for the Loestrin because I'm currently on the NuvaRing and three of my friends became pregnant on the Ring. I don’t want that since my son is only 1.So I decided to try this but won’t start until next month. I emailed this site to my husband and he told me if I take the pill that he is moving out. I have enough mood swings already..LOL...So there fore I'm back to the drawing board on to fine a type of birth control that wont give me MORE mood swings,wont give me acne,wont make me gain weight and want make me feel sick. Can anyone give me any suggest of birth control that will just prevent me from getting pregnant and help clear my skin.

Took Reclipsen for the first time last night and developed a pounding migraine with nausea today. Is this a common side effect? Or is it coincidental? If this is a daily side effect, I don't think I'll stick with it.