Birth Control Pill

I used to take the birth control patch and had no issues with it. I had virtually no cramps, no weight gain and pms pretty much vanished. I dont know if you know this though, that any kind of birth control does NOT keep you from getting pregnant. You can get pregnant every month, the birth control just keeps the fertilized egg from attaching. Once I found this out, I decided I would never take birth control again.

I was on Ortho Tri-cyclen for about 10 years, then they developed a generic kind... Didn't like it! I had breakthrough bleeding w/ the generic.

I went back on the name brand and loved it.

Good luck,
J.

Hi Molly. I'll second the vote for the Mirena IUD. I was on the pill (Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Ortho Novum) for 10+ years before my first baby and always had terrible PMS and other symptoms. I love the IUD and have no periods now, only mild cramps, and I have lost all my baby weight in 6 months.

I stated loestrin 24 3 months ago and hate it. I have never been on the ill as my husband was fixed after the 4th kid, rather took it to reduce pms symptoms and extremely heavy periods. I went from horrible periods every 29 days that lasted 7 oo 8 days with excessive bleeding, fatigue and cramps, to periods every 2 weeks. I have actually stopped taking the pill today and hope to become regular again. I would rather one week of torture once a month to a 4 day period every other week. good luck in your search

Personally, I found it caused me to gain weight and be very moody.

I would ask for a lose hormone pill. (sorry it's been awhile, not sure what's out there) But keep in mind you may have to try a few different kinds before you find one that works.
My OB/GYN is a man too, if you are comfortable with him, ask him anything, he should be honest. If you're not, you may need to find a new one, maybe a woman. Good luck.

molly,
oh honey, let me tell you! i am also pms queen, and have HUUUGELY heavy flows - i was spotting for 5-7 days and THEN having a horrible period for 4 or 5 more days - super tampon AND a pad- type horrible. (and having to change the tampon every hour or two - sorry so graphic, but i'm serious when i say HEAVY). i am on the 2nd to the last pill of my first month so i'm still waiting on things to even out again, but before i had my son i was on just the generic daily pill, and it was HEAVEN. i could actually wear JUST a tampon and i was fine. the money i saved on feminine items alone was worth it. but in general, i am on a more even keel with the pill, and it is SO wonderful knowing EXACTLY when and how long my period will be. i can't praise it enough. i haven't had any weight gain (i think that today's pills don't do that). good luck! i hope you are as happy with yours as i am with mine.

Hi Molly,

The best pill I've been on is the Aleese. It has less than 1% estrogen in it and. ....it's very very easy on your body and I haven't had any side effects from them and it's easy for you to lose weight with them. Good Luck!

I started taking Lybrel - NO MORE PERIODS! My doctor explained everything and I went to their website too. I have not gained weight and don't get mood swings anymore. I would recommend it to anyone.

Hi Molly,
The best pill i've been on is Loestrin FE. It helped tremendously with moodiness and I actually lost weight on it. (the pill before that was much too high of a dosage of estrogen for me which made me gain a lot of weight) Do your research and still talk with your doctor even though he is a man. Good luck with your search and just remember if after 6 months you hate it you can try something else. Just be very careful in your transition times :)

Hi Molly,
When getting on the pill, just get a month of two of pills to see how you react. I started on ortho tricyclen and my mood swings were awful...I moved to orthocept and things were much better....I had no weight gain with either. My room mate at the time had also started on ortho tricyclen and had the same issue....so before you stock up, see how you react with the pill. :)
Good luck!

I haven't read the other responses, but I just went off the pill after 5 years in May. I tried several different pills, actually, and never found one that I liked. They all made me very bitchy and I had absolutely no sex drive. The difference now that I've been off them awhile is amazing. And yes, I did gain weight when I went on the pill. Busted my butt to lose it, and then gained it back when I went off the pill. Coincedence? Maybe. But I honestly believe that the pill messed with my weight too.

The pill was my choice of birth control and I had two babies as a result of taking them!!! However, when the doctor put me on Ortho Novum 777 it was a milder pill as far as side affects and it stopped the pregnancies!

I just went through a pill thing. I was on Estrostep and loved it. I started it right before I got married 6 years ago. I never gained any weight. I stopped PMSing (which was great b/c I am a BEAR!). Then, we had my daughter and back on Estrostep. I had my son and then back to my pill. I then had my perscription refilled and went to pick it up and it was not Estrostep. I figured it was an insurance thing (switched to my husbands when I started staying home with my babies). This new pill put some pounds on me, made me crabby and brought back all the cravings that I used to get. I was also exhausted when PMSing. All the things that I hated before the pill but to a lesser degree. So, when I went to see my doc just last week I went in to complain about this new pill. Seems as though the pharmacy was slipping me a generic. "Not all hormones are created equal" she said to me. So, my generic (at a happy $10/month) was not what I wanted. I am now back on my Estrostep (at a sad $30/month). I think it is making me nauseated - at least I hope it is the pill, baby number 3 is not in the plans at this point. So, I guess I will see what happens in 3 weeks. I love the pill b/c I know on exactly which day and at what time my period will start. Then, after a few months of the pill, the period is only like 2 or 3 days long and it is SUPER light. With that generic - not so much. So, I guess my advice is if you try the pill and you don't like it, try a different one b/c apparently "Not all hormones are created equally". Just remember to take it everyday at the same time - I am not so good at that part these days (hence the reason I hope it is the pill causing the nausea). Oh, and I am also considering an IUD, though my doc said that it leaves you to your own hormones and I was scared of what that might do to my marriage (again, I am a bear).

I started the nuvaring 2 years ago, and I love it. None of the various pills I have tried worked very well for me. They made me nauseous and irritable and bloated. The very first time I put the nuvaring in, I felt strange for about a week (moody and queasy off and on), but since then I have had no problems at all. If you don't know about the nuvaring, it is inserted vaginally once a month. You leave it in for 3 weeks, then take it out for a week. When I told my doctor I was interested in it, I received a free sample and a cute little hourglass timer. I don't even have to think about when to put it in or take it out. I leave the timer in my medicine cabinet and it tells me when to do everything. If you decide to try it, be sure to give it at least 2 months before you decide against it. Also, ask about the timer if you aren't given one. I love not needing to look at a calendar or mark anything down.

If anything, the pill should HELP your PMS, not make it worse.

If you have a family history of heart disease or stroke, be sure you ask your doctor about taking a baby aspirin a day to help prevent blood clots.
Also, remember that antibiotics negate the pill, so you will want to use another form of birth control right along with the pill whenever you are taking antibiotics.

Other than that, you may find that you love it.
You will find your periods are very predictable, as well as lighter, and the freedom you feel is wonderful.

If you find that you DON'T like it, you can always stop it and consider another form of birth control.

P.S.
Susan T. is correct about how the pill works. It does not prevent the egg from being fertilized, it simply does not allow it to attach, causing spontaneous miscarriage (abortion) of the fertilized egg.

I think the pill or any birth control is different for every woman. It's not really something you can recommend. You really need to try them and see what works for you. It can take up to 6 months for your body to regulate after you start hormones, so give yourself time after you start. I will say though, don't do the DEPO shot unless you think you're done having kids. It can really mess up your cycle... I have known several women who had fertility issues after having the shot.

I started BC when I was 17 to regulate my PMS, which was horrible. Since then I tried 5 different brands. I didn't like any of them.. however, they did take the edge off of my PMS. I had various symptoms, the biggest was horrible headaches with every single form of BC I tried. I've decided to go without and use natural family planning as an alternative.

Let your doctor recommend what he thinks is right for you... after all, he knows your body better than any of us do, and you can talk about the perks and side effects of each form of birth control with your doc.

Hi Molly!
I agree with the info you've gotten so far...the best pill for you may not be what's been best for someone else. But, it does sometimes help to know what generally causes bad side effects or works well for others. I have been on the pill for the last 14 years except for the times I was trying to conceive. I heard horor stories about weight gain and have never myself experienced that side effect. The very first pill I took caused extreme mood swings but that was so long ago, I have no idea what it was! I took it for one month and then switched to one that worked well for several years. The reason I even responded to this request was bacause you said you are a PMS queen. LOL Also you mentioned in your "about me" that you have a new baby. After my daughter(3yo) was born I had many emotional and hormonal issues. When she was about 9 months old, I called my doctor and told them that I needed some blood tests or pills or something b/c I was going crazy! I had about 1 good week a month where I was civil to be around. I was so bad that I didn't like being around myself! LOL That's pretty bad. Well, they said "Let's try a different pill first." They put me on YAZ, and let me tell you, within a month I was a new person. I have been on it ever since. A few months later when I went in for my yearly appt., the nurse practitioner told me that the reason it probably worked was b/c it had been approved to treat PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder)and although I had not been officially diagnosed with PMDD, it sure did wonders for me. I had never even heard of PMDD. I just thought I was still having hormonal issues after my DD's birth. So I don't know if your PMS is as bad as mine was, but I thought I'd share my info just in case. I have over the years also enjoyed knowing when my period would start and most of the time have had very light periods. Although that can fluctuate over time. When I did stop the pill to conceive it took about 6 months each time. I know that is also a big variation depending on each individual person.
Hope it works out well for you!
God Bless, S.

I've had good luck with Yasmin, and my dr prescribes me 15 packs, to take three packs back-to-back, sort of like the Seasonale. She didn't want to switch me when that came out, since the Yasmin was working so nicely. I've almost always taken packs back-to-back, ever since I started taking them waaaay back when, heh. So, I take pills for 9 weeks at a time, have about five periods a year, and it's just great! :P I'll have about one day of muscle aches, and about three days of medium/heavy bleeding, but that's about it.
Good luck, and I hope you find what works for you.

Except for the times I decided to have my kids (I have three) I have been on the pill for about 20 years. NO PROBLEMS. It didn't make me gain weight, and it actually helps with hormones, pms, etc., at least for me. Plus, it made my cycle regular, which it never is when I'm not on the pill. Good luck.

I have been on and off of the shot, liked it because my periods disappeared but didn't like the other affects. I wasn't sure about doing the pill but my dr. put me on Lutera and I have liked it. It took a few months to get adjusted but my periods are only 4 days and very light. It seems to work well with my body. I think with the variety of pills out there it is just a matter of finding one that works well with your body, but you have to give it more then a month to try it.

I would recommend the Mirena IUD. I just got mine a few weeks ago. It is good for 5 years and will eventually stop your periods. No pill every day and just a low dose of hormones.

I have tried alot of different types of pills and the one I am on now is the best I have used in the 15 years I have been on birth control. It is Yaz. My period is only 2 days long and light flowing. Cramps, headaches, bloating, all of the pms symptoms are far less than with anything else. It also helps with any hormonal swings in mood during the month. I wont go back to anything else.

My doctor started me on the pill when I was 16 for PMS reasons. I had really heavy periods, unpredictable periods and serious cramping. Once I got on the pill that all changed. The only time I was off the pill was when we wanted to get pregnant, then went back on and have been on since. My periods are lighter and I have almost no cramping or any other PMS symptoms. You mentioned weight gain...some women gain weight when they first get on the pill, just a few pounds, until their bodies adjust. My doctor switched me to a different pill and I gaied a few pounds but have taken it off and then some. The weight gain is only temporary. I personally like knowing when I will have my period. When I'm off the pill my cycle was so irregular that I didn't have one some months and two others. So I love knowing when I'll need tampons in my purse. And the added bonus of not having to worry as much about getting pregnant. Good luck and God Bless.

Have you thought about an IUD? It's good for 5 years and there's nothing to do. They insert it and then let it be. I stopped having periods and no more PMS! If you want to get preganant again you go back in to have it removed.

My doctor is going to put me on Lybrel starting next month. Currently I am on the Depo shot and wouldnt recommend that esp if you dont want to gain anymore weight. Anyway my doctor told me that Librel wont make you gain weight and the plus side is you are not suppose to have periods :) I to am BAD with PMS, and thats why I got on the shot because it eliminated my periods completely. Hopefully Lybrel will eliminate my periods :) Everybodys body is different ! Good Luck !

I've always taken Ortho TriCyclen (sp). I have taken the pill for over 10 years and always had good results with that one. My new dr had put me on Yasmin to cut back on my hormonal PMS problems and to help with my acne, however it was $20 more per month than the Ortho (pharmacy gives me generic, but there is no generic Yas). Never had any unexpected pregnancies (tho now I wouldn't mind one! LOL) Anyway, good luck finding one that works for you!

I was on the patch, which in return, made me extra moody. I hated it. I have heard great things about the IUD's. I have thought about getting that, because I would forget to take the pill everyday.

Talk with your doc. though, they do have a lot of information they can give you.

Hi Molly, I know it's been a bit since you asked your question, but I wanted to give my advice, too. I have been taking Seasonale for a little over a year and only had some problems when I was taking the generic versions. I got authorization to take the name brand and now pay a little more but it's worth it to go 90 day and only have one 7 day light period. My problems were spotting lightly (brown annoying spotting) for 3+ weeks. I don't have mood/hormonal issues, but like someone said all these things are going to be different with each woman.

I also tried the Nuvaring. Unfortunately my pelvis shifted after the birth of my two kids and the ring kept slipping. I kept adjusting it and went in to my GYN to ask if I was putting it in correctly. He even tried, but said, "Nope, you are just shaped differently now." It seemed to work fine and felt fine otherwise. I have a girlfriend, though who had some hormonal issues with hers. Like I said, each person is different.

Good luck.

Melanie