Birth Control Question.
- Thread starter PWCorgi
- Start date
If you can deal with being an emotional roller coaster for about a week or two every so often, possible weight gain, no periods, and taking calcium supplements you should be fine. Oh, and it can take up to two years to become "normal" and fertile again.
I've been on it for 7? years now... started when I was 17...I'm almost 24 now.. whats that? about 7???? I can deal with the emotions... I can turn into a TOTAL bitch out of nowhere... I have gained weight but I think it is more a stress factor since I was 105 until I was 21 (as well as a cortosteriod I am on). Exercise can help with that
I hear you are supposed to get off it every few years... I have asked many doctors, they say it is fine. I plan on getting off it in December so I can hopefully start a *small* family.
I've been on it for 7? years now... started when I was 17...I'm almost 24 now.. whats that? about 7???? I can deal with the emotions... I can turn into a TOTAL bitch out of nowhere... I have gained weight but I think it is more a stress factor since I was 105 until I was 21 (as well as a cortosteriod I am on). Exercise can help with that
I hear you are supposed to get off it every few years... I have asked many doctors, they say it is fine. I plan on getting off it in December so I can hopefully start a *small* family.
Definitely wouldn't recommend Depo to anyone.. I only got two shots and while I didn't have terrible side effects, I'm now 6 months out since my last one and still waiting to be semi-normal again.. I had thinning hair to begin with, and I'm pretty sure it made it worse.
That and I just went to an Endocrinologist (for unrelated stuff) and she basically insinuated that Depo does irreversible damage to the body. Not sure if I completely believe that, but thought I'd throw it out there!
I'm not on any BC now (haven't been since going off the Depo).. you want to talk about paranoid?!
That and I just went to an Endocrinologist (for unrelated stuff) and she basically insinuated that Depo does irreversible damage to the body. Not sure if I completely believe that, but thought I'd throw it out there!
I'm not on any BC now (haven't been since going off the Depo).. you want to talk about paranoid?!
HAHAHA. This was totally me while I was on the NuvaRing. And actually, even though I've been off of it for a year and a half I really only feel like I'm starting to have normal drive again. Except for that one (major, relationship affecting) side effect it was amazing but....didn't end up being worth it. BC can majorly **** you up.
yeah with birth control pills it stops you from ovulating at all. it doesnt' matter when your period starts (in fact I think it's typical that your period comes a couple days after stopping the regular pills) but it basically takes your body 28 days to go through a full ovulation cycle... the pills essentially stop an egg from being dropped and then since there is no fertilized egg, you shed the lining which is then your period. the sugar pills are to signal your body to shed the lining. that's why some people will skip the sugar pills for a month and just start into the next set of pills so they don't get a period that month (it's apparently perfectly safe to do so every once in a while... say you have vacation and you don't want to have your period while on vacay but I wouldn't make a habit of it)
Make taking your pill part of your morning routine. keep it next to your toothbrush and make it a habit and then have the phone alarm reminder set just in case.
I was on BC pills for YEARS (15 years old until about 25 years old) and once you find one that works for you.. stick with it. don't change brands or types once you find one that works. I did try depo for a year and I had the same problem you did except it wasn't just spotting. I would have full on periods for a month at a time with only a day here and there of reprieve. I got off of that right quick and went back to old Trusty (mine was a BC pill called Triquilar 28 but I think that's only in canada. I don't know what the US equivalent is)
I don't take BC anymore. it killed my sex drive and I had no idea it was affecting me that way until I got off of it and have been off of it for 5 years and noticed the difference. now my sex drive is basically determined by my cycle lol. hubby could probably mark it on his calendar when I will be "in the mood" and when I won't be lol
Make taking your pill part of your morning routine. keep it next to your toothbrush and make it a habit and then have the phone alarm reminder set just in case.
I was on BC pills for YEARS (15 years old until about 25 years old) and once you find one that works for you.. stick with it. don't change brands or types once you find one that works. I did try depo for a year and I had the same problem you did except it wasn't just spotting. I would have full on periods for a month at a time with only a day here and there of reprieve. I got off of that right quick and went back to old Trusty (mine was a BC pill called Triquilar 28 but I think that's only in canada. I don't know what the US equivalent is)
I don't take BC anymore. it killed my sex drive and I had no idea it was affecting me that way until I got off of it and have been off of it for 5 years and noticed the difference. now my sex drive is basically determined by my cycle lol. hubby could probably mark it on his calendar when I will be "in the mood" and when I won't be lol
I've been on depo for almost a decade. Not non-stop, I went off it for about a year and tried other things and then went back on it.
The "damage" depo does to your body is mostly reversible. People freaked out when depo appeared to hurt bone density, but later studies showed the loss of bone density is reversible once you stop taking depo. Lots of people are terrified of depo and insist it will kill you. I had a doctor years ago REFUSE to give it to me because it was "really bad for teenagers." So I went to a gyno instead and she literally LAUGHED OUT LOUD when I told her that and said "No, actually, depo is better for teenagers than it is for older women!" People are just funny about it (and some other forms of birth control too) - they have their own opinions on stuff based on one study they read somewhere and convince themselves it will kill you if you go on it...
I spotted constantly for the first year I was on depo, then it stopped and I have never bled on depo again. The biggest weight loss of my adult life has occurred while on depo. I only have mood swings if I forget my appointment and miss getting my next injection, which hasn't happened in years. I do take calcium supplements but realistically ANY woman on ANY form of birth control really should be taking calcium supplements.
That said I honestly wouldn't recommend it to anybody who wants kids someday. It can take a long time for your body to go back to normal as far as ovulating goes. And your fertility starts naturally declining a lot sooner than most women think... just not something I would recommend.
crazed, you are probably reacting to the estrogen in most birth control pills and that's where the headaches are coming from... tends to run in families too. Have you ever tried a progesterone based birth control instead? I know there's at least one progesterone pill out there but I can't remember which one it is.
I'm not sure if Nuvaring is progesterone either. I was on Nuvaring for a while, that's initially what I went off depo and switched onto, BUT it's the only birth control I've ever actually had terrible side effects on. Bizarre skin reaction and I got depressed, and got more and more depressed the longer I was on it. It wasn't until one day I was actually googling the skin reaction and happened to read about the depression and it clicked in my head. I immediately went to the bathroom, pulled the Nuvaring out, and never looked back. My mood started improving the day after I took it out. Took a few weeks until I felt "normal" again. I was on it non-stop to treat endometriosis so my body was never getting that break from having it out, or I bet I would have figured it out a lot sooner. =P
But a friend of mine was on Nuvaring for a long time and she really liked it. It's basically the same theory as a pill pack... you put the ring in for three weeks (three weeks of hormone pills) and then you take it out for a week (one week of no/sugar pills) and then you put another one in for three weeks, repeat. So that might be an option for those of you who aren't fans of having to take a pill every day! I really did like it except for those nasty side effects. ;P
The "damage" depo does to your body is mostly reversible. People freaked out when depo appeared to hurt bone density, but later studies showed the loss of bone density is reversible once you stop taking depo. Lots of people are terrified of depo and insist it will kill you. I had a doctor years ago REFUSE to give it to me because it was "really bad for teenagers." So I went to a gyno instead and she literally LAUGHED OUT LOUD when I told her that and said "No, actually, depo is better for teenagers than it is for older women!" People are just funny about it (and some other forms of birth control too) - they have their own opinions on stuff based on one study they read somewhere and convince themselves it will kill you if you go on it...
I spotted constantly for the first year I was on depo, then it stopped and I have never bled on depo again. The biggest weight loss of my adult life has occurred while on depo. I only have mood swings if I forget my appointment and miss getting my next injection, which hasn't happened in years. I do take calcium supplements but realistically ANY woman on ANY form of birth control really should be taking calcium supplements.
That said I honestly wouldn't recommend it to anybody who wants kids someday. It can take a long time for your body to go back to normal as far as ovulating goes. And your fertility starts naturally declining a lot sooner than most women think... just not something I would recommend.
crazed, you are probably reacting to the estrogen in most birth control pills and that's where the headaches are coming from... tends to run in families too. Have you ever tried a progesterone based birth control instead? I know there's at least one progesterone pill out there but I can't remember which one it is.
I'm not sure if Nuvaring is progesterone either. I was on Nuvaring for a while, that's initially what I went off depo and switched onto, BUT it's the only birth control I've ever actually had terrible side effects on. Bizarre skin reaction and I got depressed, and got more and more depressed the longer I was on it. It wasn't until one day I was actually googling the skin reaction and happened to read about the depression and it clicked in my head. I immediately went to the bathroom, pulled the Nuvaring out, and never looked back. My mood started improving the day after I took it out. Took a few weeks until I felt "normal" again. I was on it non-stop to treat endometriosis so my body was never getting that break from having it out, or I bet I would have figured it out a lot sooner. =P
But a friend of mine was on Nuvaring for a long time and she really liked it. It's basically the same theory as a pill pack... you put the ring in for three weeks (three weeks of hormone pills) and then you take it out for a week (one week of no/sugar pills) and then you put another one in for three weeks, repeat. So that might be an option for those of you who aren't fans of having to take a pill every day! I really did like it except for those nasty side effects. ;P
My doctors (3 over the last 8 years) have all said they don't recommend depo any more unless the person who needs BC can't remember to take pills and doesn't qualify for other options - the risks are too great in their opinions.
That being said, I <3 my IUD and will probably stick with that over pills unless I can't for some reason down the road. It is so awesome not to deal with worrying about forgetting a pill and not dealing with periods is also pretty nice. I know they don't work great for everyone though.
That being said, I <3 my IUD and will probably stick with that over pills unless I can't for some reason down the road. It is so awesome not to deal with worrying about forgetting a pill and not dealing with periods is also pretty nice. I know they don't work great for everyone though.
Years ago I had one Depo shot. For me it was horrid. Months and months of bleeding. Ugh. I know it works fine for others though.
You're still protected in the off week of the pills, assuming you've taken it properly the rest of the month. I used to just skip the off week for months on end (with no ill effects). Hate the bleeding, I do.
You're still protected in the off week of the pills, assuming you've taken it properly the rest of the month. I used to just skip the off week for months on end (with no ill effects). Hate the bleeding, I do.
Depo didn't give me any terrible side affects like weight gain, thinning hair or anything, but it killed the reason I was on BC And it's still screwed with my sex drive and I've been off it for about two years now.
I'd like to get an IUD but I've heard a lot of Drs won't do that if you've never had children, and it can cause some pretty serious cramping?
And it's still screwed with my sex drive and I've been off it for about two years now. I'd like to get an IUD but I've heard a lot of Drs won't do that if you've never had children, and it can cause some pretty serious cramping?
I was on Mirena for a while and never had kids. I believe somebody in a previous Mirena discussion said the reason they would rather use it for women who've already had children is it's easier to place?
I never had any cramping while on it beyond the first few days (it's a foreign object so your body tries to force it out.) I had a few other side-effects though. Nothing too terrible, but the constant "check the strings and make sure it hasn't moved through your uterus wall!" got to me and I had it removed after six months or so I think it was. I've heard other people say "oh, my doctor never told me to check the strings! I never check the strings!" Lucky them... guess they never read the informational booklet either... I made the mistake of actually reading it. =P
I thought about trying Implanon but after having Nuvaring not work out and the Mirena not work out, I decided to just go back to depo since we knew it worked for me. So far I believe only one small study was done on Implanon and endometriosis and it was so-so as far as effectiveness went, so... I haven't ruled it out as a future option. I personally would rather do Implanon than Mirena I think, having already experienced Mirena.
Oh yeah, and it HURTS LIKE A MOTHER when they place it. "You'll feel some slight cramping..." By that she meant CRAMPING SO BAD YOUR UPPER BODY WILL CURL UP OFF THE TABLE IN RESPONSE. But beyond THAT and I think the first four days, I didn't have any more cramping. I didn't really have a lot of bleeding or spotting either. I bled for the first day, maybe two, after it was placed? I think that's all?
Mirena and depo are both progestin though. Mirena is a different type of progestin, IIRC that's the only one that contains that particular type. But I would be worried that since depo killed your sex drive, Mirena might do the same... =/ FWIW Implanon is also progestin based...
I never had any cramping while on it beyond the first few days (it's a foreign object so your body tries to force it out.) I had a few other side-effects though. Nothing too terrible, but the constant "check the strings and make sure it hasn't moved through your uterus wall!" got to me and I had it removed after six months or so I think it was. I've heard other people say "oh, my doctor never told me to check the strings! I never check the strings!" Lucky them... guess they never read the informational booklet either... I made the mistake of actually reading it. =P
I thought about trying Implanon but after having Nuvaring not work out and the Mirena not work out, I decided to just go back to depo since we knew it worked for me. So far I believe only one small study was done on Implanon and endometriosis and it was so-so as far as effectiveness went, so... I haven't ruled it out as a future option. I personally would rather do Implanon than Mirena I think, having already experienced Mirena.
Oh yeah, and it HURTS LIKE A MOTHER when they place it. "You'll feel some slight cramping..." By that she meant CRAMPING SO BAD YOUR UPPER BODY WILL CURL UP OFF THE TABLE IN RESPONSE. But beyond THAT and I think the first four days, I didn't have any more cramping. I didn't really have a lot of bleeding or spotting either. I bled for the first day, maybe two, after it was placed? I think that's all?
Mirena and depo are both progestin though. Mirena is a different type of progestin, IIRC that's the only one that contains that particular type. But I would be worried that since depo killed your sex drive, Mirena might do the same... =/ FWIW Implanon is also progestin based...
I've been on depo.. 12ish years straight. Get a bone scan every two. Haven't bled in 11, so don't miss it. Possibility of sterility in time, I'm all for never having kids. I did lightly spot the first year, and managed to pack on 30 pounds in those 12 years. It can increase hunger, it likely did for me. Finally down 26..
Have extremely thick hair, have had no thinning.
Have extremely thick hair, have had no thinning.
CD my doc did say they hesitate to place it in women who haven't had kids 1. because it's harder to place (holy OUCH!), and 2. they make uterine infections more of a risk and that's a higher risk if you aren't in a committed relationship. But she still placed it for me.
I've not had cramping to speak of except right after it was placed (bad, but normal for me, period like cramping for 24-48 hours), the actual placement suuuuucked but was still worth it. I don't check the strings but DH basically does so yea that's not a huge issue for me; the only thing that causes periodic worry is when I feel "off" for some reason I tend to freak out and worry about being pregnant since there's a 0.02% chance of it happening and I don't have periods to go by with on the IUD.
I've not had cramping to speak of except right after it was placed (bad, but normal for me, period like cramping for 24-48 hours), the actual placement suuuuucked but was still worth it. I don't check the strings but DH basically does so yea that's not a huge issue for me; the only thing that causes periodic worry is when I feel "off" for some reason I tend to freak out and worry about being pregnant since there's a 0.02% chance of it happening and I don't have periods to go by with on the IUD.
I first got Mirena when I was 19, no kids. I took an aspirin or two before the insertion and I didn't find it terribly painful. I had cramps (light) for the first day or so, bled constantly for the first few months and spotted for a year until it just stopped completely and I haven't had a period since. Totally love it.