Okay, I started on Ortho-Cyclen three months ago. I have been on it before, but it’s been about a year since I quit and so I can’t remember if I had this before. For some reason, about 2-3 days before I start my period, I get tired. I’m talking bone-dead tired. Like lie-in-bed-as-soon-as-I-get-home-from-work, don’t-feel-like-talking-to-anyone tired. I know that I’ve been tired before, but usually that didn’t happen until my first day - and it only lasted a day or two. Now, it’s like 5 days of being tired as hell. And I’m also hungry - since I’m doing WW, that’s not a good thing. I feel like I could eat myself out of house and home - I’ve been good at quelling the hunger with veggies and low-point stuff (a cup of bullion seems to work, too), but I just feel like I want to eat everything I brought to work now.
Are birth-control pills supposed to do this?
I hate being a girl sometimes. I wish we could just turn the girly stuff off until we’re ready to have children. Or, should one never have children, just not have to deal with it ever (both are a possibility).
Hey, I get the ravenous hunger at that time, too! I feel like I could eat everything and anything all day and night for about four days before my period, and then the day my cycle starts I lose all interest in food. But I’m not on birth control, so I’m afraid I can’t address your question.
FWIW, I used to be on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen, and I don’t remember having hunger issues (though I did have serious mood problems because of the hormones)…I started having the bottomless stomach feelings after I got off b.c.
Aww, lovely. Crap, crap, crap. I swear to God, I’m going on Depo. I do NOT want to have a period anymore.
gallows fodder, I’m with ya. I swear, Krispy Kremes are NOT safe in my house…and damn my father for buying the raspberry-filled ones, too! However, I MUST fight this 'cause the dress for my brother’s wedding is a wee bit tight at the moment - I need 5 lbs to go away before my next fitting or I can plan on not breathing for the ceremony. And since I’m singing, breathing is an integral part of the plan.
Sorry. Apparantly Depo is brilliant - one of my friends is on it, and she swears its fantastic. I’m on cerazette and I get awful salt and carbohydrate cravings.
There are tons of different birth control pill formulations - you should try talking to your physician about either changing the prescription to one without that side effect, or ask if you can go on one that doesn’t change the hormone levels over the course of the month and then just skip the placebos - basically eliminating your period.
Ortho Tri-Cyclen works fairly well for me. I do get mood swings, chocolate cravings, and seizure breakthrough (that’s probably not something your average gal needs to worry about, but is an issue for me!) a few days before and the first couple days of the period. The chocolate craving is prolly as much psychological as physical, but it sure is real!
