Desogen and ortho tri cyclen

I have tried five different birth control pills including Desogen, Ortho tri-cyclen, Mircette, Alesse, and Yasmin. Desogen was by far the absolute scariest. After being on Desogen for just a week I found myself severly depressed and even contemplated suicide, which I had NEVER in my entire life even though about. I had horrible mood swings and a feeling of impending doom for no reason at all. As for the other pills, Ortho tri-cyclen and Yasmin has similar side effects like moodiness, weight-gain, breast tenderness, breakthrough bleeding, and fatigue. Alesse and Mircette had less of the mood side effects for me but they did both cause breakthrough bleeding and vaginal dryness. I had breakthrough bleeding on Alesse for the entire year and a half I was taking it. That will make you not want to have sex.

I've never been on desogen but I was on several other birth control pills, Yasmin, Ortho Tri Cyclen, depo-provera and ortho Evra. All four created serious emotional and health problems ranging from pimples to severe nausea, to muscle aches and pain to EXTREME mood swings especially crying, anger and feelings of "neediness". Worst of all was the 20 lb weight gain and constant food cravings. In 1998 I got 2 shots of Depo Provera and immediately gained nearly 10 lbs per shot regardless of the fact that I was very active travelling all over at the time. After the second shot wore off and my body's metabolism returned to normal, the weight melted off just fine. I began taking ortho evra in 2001 because I established a monogamous relationship with a boyfriend. The effects were horrible, I began having terrible tantrums for no reason with him and that is NOT my style. I couldn't concentrate on anything without feeling emotional and irrational. Also within the next 3 months I gained 15 lbs and another 5 over the next month, and it would NOT come off no matter what kind of dieting or exercise I did. A year later, I quit the pill and suddenly my diet began to "work" and I lost 15 lbs immediately. I met my current boyfriend a few months later and decided that pregnancy was just not an option and tried ortho tri cyclen. Same results, horrible mood swings and creeping weight gain that happened WAY too quickly for the way I eat which is very sensible and low-calorie. I switched to Yasmin and immediately my sex drive was GONE. My boyfriend couldnt get ANYTHING to work down there, if you get my drift. In 2003, I finally made the decision to just give up on birth control and try pull-out, condoms, and ovulation monitoring methods. I lost 20 lbs within the first 4 months and another 5 later on and my emotions returned to normal.

I am just writing this to let you gals know that theres other methods besides stuffing synthetic hormones into our bodies that create BIG problems for our mental and physical health. Educate yourselves on other methods of birth control. Birth control pills aren't supposed to prevent pregnancy by making you a sexless, fat, emotionally labile and crazy woman that no man wants to have sex with much less spend time with. Hah.

I stopped taking Desogen two months ago after being on it for about 3 years (just wanted to take a break from pills). When I first started taking it, my skin stopped breaking out (face and body acne), which was nice, but my lips were dry and irritated for the first few months. My breasts increased in size slightly---they seemed to be more full (they returned to normal size one month after I stopped taking it). I gained about 10-15 pounds in the first few months, which made me feel bulky everywhere (even arms). This weight did not come off when I stopped taking it, but it seems that the weight has shifted to my mid section. Not pleasant. I was extremely irritable while taking this pill, and found it hard to contain anger once I started feeling upset (very short temper). I wasn't so much depressed, it was more that I didn't enjoy things as much as I used to. I also started getting horrible HORRIBLE premenstral abdominal pain/cramping over the last year while taking the Desogen. My sex drive decreased greatly during the first 3-4 months while taking it, but it did return (never as strong as before though). Other observations that I've made since being OFF this pill: change in overall body odor (body odor was almost non-existant while on the pill), vaginal dryness immediately after periods, skin started breaking out everywhere about 1.5 months after stopping, irregular periods (start time and length), I feel much more happy/relaxed, incredibly severe yeast infection 2 months after stopped (none during 3 years taking it), pregnancy-like symptoms during pre-menstral time (first two periods after stopped taking). I guess I am shocked at how much pills can affect the body. I am afraid to start taking it again --even if my skin was beautiful. My doctor gave me a perscription for a lower estrogen pill, but I haven't started it yet--- I just feel so unsure about this whole birth control method now. I hope this helps someone make a decision if nothing else!