I’ve been on the pill for about ten years now, and am thinking about trying another method of birth control. I’ve been feeling lately that the hormones are altering my moods from time to time, and I have gained 10 pounds since I recently switched brands. Instead of just switching back to my old pill brand I want to look into other methods. What experiences do you women have out there with the other types of birth control? The ring, Depo, the patch, etc.? What side effects did/do you experience? How long have you been using it? Above all, what would you recommend?
I know everyone had different reactions to different birth control methods, I just want to get idea of what the consensus is.
I was on the pill for about six years. No problems.
I went on Norplant and it turned me into a wack-job. My boyfriend took the day off from work to drive me to the doctor to have it removed. He said he didn’t know who I was anymore. It didn’t help that it gave me my period for 29 days in a row. I’m surprised I didn’t bleed to death.
Then I switched to a cervical cap and condoms. That has worked marvelously for me.
I loved- LOVED my cervical cap. Until I developed a terrible latex allergy that landed me in the hospital. You don’t even want to know where the hives were. :eek: But it was absolutely fabulous and I heartily recommend it.
Evra (the patch) was very convenient, though if I had it on my hips/ass it would get rubbed off by my jeans. I kept it on my upper arm/back and it was good. I have a lot of trouble with BC pills and such*, so eventually it too failed me, but I am an ovulating freak.
Condoms suck. Suck big. I vote against.
NFP, natural family planning, also worked very well for me. But I was very very in tune with my body, kept accurate charts, and had no problem playing with my fluids to see if they were the dangerous egg-whites of baby-making. This actually was my second favorite behind the cervical cap. NFP is NOT the rythym (I can never spell that word) method. It is the tracking of ferility using cervical mucous and other biological signs and avoiding Mr. Spermy on unsafe days.
I have never tried any spermicides because I’m also allergic to those. Well, nonoxynol-9, anyway. There was another one on the market that I wasn’t allergic to, but now, of course, it’s gone. Bastards.
Yes, you are reading it right- I am allergic to latex (possibly fatally, when pregnant I once went into anaphylaxis), nonoxynol-9, and after 7 flavors of BC pills, we have decided I can’t take those either. Makes not getting knocked up a wee bit challenging, and I’m impressed it’s only been once. BC pills make me waaay too hormonal and crazy. And worse, eventually I ovulate anyway.* At one point the doc said I should take 2 pills/day, at which point I said, “fuck that!” and found a new doc.
**verified through ovulation tests. The doctor didn’t believe me either. But I know what egg-whites mean, oh yes. Now there is believing of the inkleberry. And now there is crappy grammar as well, because I am a sleepy monkey.
Thanks to an informative GQ thread my gf is on implanon, which she and I love. Not only do we not need to worry about BC for another 2 1/2 years but she’s stopped menstruating!
The only downside to implanon is that roughly 1/10 women get side effects bad enough that it’s not worth it.
Basically all hormonal birth control has similar side effects, and so you need to weigh up carefully what you’re looking for. Weight gain and mood changes are typically associated with progesterones, so it’s unlikely that progesterone only or low dose pills, Norplant, Depo etc would suit you. If you want a hormonal method then switching back to a pill that worked, or trying a new one might be best.
Having said that, if you’ve been pregnant (but it’s possible to use it if you haven’t…discuss with a doc) the Mirena IUD might suit. It’s very effective (over 99%) and lasts 5 years. It works like a normal IUD, with the addition of progesterone, which is released locally into the uterine lining. It has similar side effects to Norplant or Depo-Provera, but as the porgesterone is lower dose and locally active, it’s much less likely that side effects will be an issue. It also makes periods very light, and some users, non-existent.
Other than that, you’re left with old fashioned non hormonal IUDs, barrier methods and NFP, or a combination of the above.
I have issues with condoms that I’m not going to go into, but for me they’re not an appropriate method of contraception, and I’ve only tried BCPs.
I used to take Ortho Tri-Cyclen and I had the mood problems, too. I did Depo for one three month round and didn’t care for it for the same reason, plus I didn’t like not having my period for three months (some women may think this odd but I like the reassurance of my cycle). Now I am on Alesse and I’m in love with that Pill (it is an estrogen-based Pill).
I joked with my ex that the Ortho worked in several ways: first, the way it was intended (whatever it does for ovulation or whatever, I never paid much attention to the underlying mechanics), that it decreased my libido, so I didn’t want sex anyways, made me fat and bitchy, so he didn’t want to do me anyways, and made me depressed to boot. Other women do well on Progesterone-based Pills I’m sure, but I’m not a big fan.
The only contraceptive method I have any experience with besides condoms is BCP. I took Ortho Tri-Cyclen for a little more than a year. I had nothing but good results from it. Clearer skin, lost weight, smoothed out my moods, much lighter periods, and oddly enough, higher sex drive (don’t ask me why). But then again, I’m very weird.
Well, I’m a guy, so I’m not here to chime in on my favorite pill, but I was just curious as to why inkleberry and irishgirl seem so anti-condom. I know irishgirl said she didn’t want yo get into it, but would you mind humoring me? Do you just not trust a guy to use one/not keep it on/not tell you if it breaks? have you have expereicnes with them beaking or otherwise not worknig right in the past? If I’m getting too personal, by no means do you have to answer, I really am just wondering if there are women out there who are anti-condom, and if so, why.
I suspect inkleberry’s feelings might be based on her latex allergies, since the majority of condoms are latex (there are polyurethane ones, though, but I think they are slightly less effective.) But is there a specific reason you don’t like them irishgirl or just a general feeling that since it’s your body that is on the line, you’d rather be 100% sure that BC is being used, and the best way for that is to use it yourself?
I came across a device once that learnt to predict exactly when you’re ovulating, just by measuring your temperature regularly. Unlike some devices, this device was also specifically intended for birth control however, telling you exactly from and to which date/time it would be risky to have sex (about 5-6 days). It claimed a successful prevention rate similar to that of the best pills, at about 99.6%. I haven’t heard from them lately though.
bouv, some women have subclinical allergies which can make condoms ahem irritating. Plus they’re often awkward and inconvenient, and compared to other methods out there, they’re not really all that effective. Of course, IIRC, the cervical cap ain’t anything to brag about re: effectiveness, either.
Personally, I’ve got a Mirena, and I fully intend to keep one until I can find a doctor willing to yank all this useless crap out of here. I’m one of the fortunate women whose body loves loves LOVES progesterone. I used to have really heavy, crampy periods accompanied by horrible, horrible mood swings. I still get a bit touchier than usual from time to time, and once in a great while I’ll spot enough to need a pantiliner, but I haven’t had an actual period or a proper bout of PMS since the month after I had my Mirena put in. I have to say, though, the insertion was pretty crappy and the first day or two was no treat, plus I had spotting nearly continuously the first month.
I’m married. Condoms feel awful, frankly. And they are not the most reliable BC for your dollar. They should be used if you are in new relationships or in the dating scene, obviously, but otherwise, they truly blow. Since I’m not at risk for STDs, I’d rather not ever have to see the annoying buggers again.
Mirena user here, too. Don’t let the “for moms” part of their website stop or fool you, either - my doc was perfectly happy to put one in me, a childless 28-year-old. Apparently insertion is easier if you’ve had kids, but us non-kid people can get them too.
Love it. Love it, love it, love it. No more worries about missing a pill or forgetting to take one. I was pretty religious about it, but we all screw up sometime. Now I never have to think about birth control. Ever. Didn’t have much spotting at all, haven’t really had a period yet either - I guess you could count my one dayer about a month after insertion, if you wanted. I don’t know if it’s helped/hurt my libido - I was on the pill for about 10 years before I switched (two kinds - Ortho and Alesse. The Alesse was supposed to help the libido, but I can’t say I really noticed a difference). You could say it’s helped in that I never have to think about birth control, so it’s go go go; but I haven’t really noticed any hormonal differences. But I don’t know that I’m that in tune with those types of things anyway (don’t really get PMS, periods were always pretty light and irregular, little cramping), so I might not notice.
It’s only been a coupla/three months, but I’m totally sold. Insertion was a bitch, however - easily the most pain I’ve ever been in (says the lady who’s never broken anything, never had any emergencies, never had any kids, never been in hospital, so keep that in mind). But I was right as rain the day after. Big fan.
Ortho Tri-Cyclen made me miserable. I was constantly nauseous, cranky, weepy and just all around icky-feeling. I hated it.
I’ve been on Depo-Prevera for almost six years now. I love it. I had no side effects from it except for a slight initial weight gain which went away on its own without any efforts on my part. Noi real mood shifts, unless you cound that I sometimes start feeling a little icky around the time my shot is due, but then I feel great after I get it.
No periods-- could anything be better. Yes, **The Sausage Creature, ** you are odd! It’s heaven not to have to worry about menstruating.
I don’t need reassured by my cycle-- after taking Depo for so long, it could take up to two years for my fertility to return if I stopped taking it. That makes me feel pretty confident in its effecacy.
Another Depo lover chiming in, I adore it. Absolutely zero mood swings since my hormones aren’t whacking up and down all the time, no period, why it’s all the fun of being a guy without having to adjust all the time!
However, weight gain is a very common side effect with all the progesterone-based BC, so you’ve got to take that into consideration. Hell, weight gain is a common side effect of aging too, but I plan to continue doing so.
i am not allowed to take estrogen-based birth control, so my options were condoms, IUD, diaphragm, and depo.
i chose depo, as the diaphragm scares me, frankly, and the lower effectiveness isn’t helping the cause. i’m not eligible for IUD as i’ve never been pregnant, and i’m taking BC to get rid of the condoms.
depo. made me. crazy. NUTS! some friends warned me and i thought, yeah right, we’ll see what happens. i’m much more even tempered and way less emotional than my girlfriends, so i figured i was safe. that was not the case, my friends. i have decided to take the 2nd shot to see if the effects dwindle with time, but i am not to pleased at the moment.
Oh, but you are eligible for the IUD. Really. Talk to your doctor. If your doctor won’t help you, find another. There’s really no reason a childless lady can’t use an IUD. I’ve got one, and I have exactly no kids. I think CrazyCatLady is another one of use no-kid-IUD-users. Talk to your doc - maybe you can give it a shot (hee! A pun!) after the Depo’s over.
I’m on my second shot, and if anything it’s worse. I will NOT be continuing with this. The only reason I did it was b/c I hate taking the pill every day, and the patch didn’t appeal to me. I’m moody and bitchy, which isn’t making me much fun to be around. Also, though I’ve been trying my damndest to lose weight, it’s not working very well, though it was before I started the shot. I never had the weight problem on the pill. The only GOOD thing about depo for me is that my sex drive is much better than on the pill. (I was on Orth-Tri Cyclen Lo before, I may try something different next time).
I’m due for my next shot in May, but will not be getting it. I’m going to go off of any kind of BC until August (fiance lives in St. Loius, and I’ll only be seeing him once before then, so it’s not an issue). I’m moving there in mid-august, so I’ll start the pills before then.
I didn’t mean I’ve never used condoms BTW, I just mean that now I’m in a stable relationship and all tested and checked out, they are no longer part of my life.
bouv- Sometimes condoms are used to prevent evidence being left. In my mind, THAT is what condoms remind me of, and why I particularly dislike them.
