Yasmine / Seasonale / Other? (Birth Control)

[landi]

Hi All,

In two weeks I'm going to the doc to start bc pills again. I stopped because of the discomfort, weight gain, painful breasts and general down moods I got taking it. I was on Ortho Novum.

A friend suggested Yasmine because she got no negative effects while taking it and another suggested Seasonale since I have such painful periods.

I know things work differently on everyone, but what pill are you on, and how do you like it? Any side effects?

Thanks

Landi

[bluegrrrl79]

I was on Orthocycline but it totally killed my sex drive, so my gyno suggested going on Yasmin too. She said it's one of the best tolerated birth control pills, and said her daughter/other people she knows are on it. I've only been on it for a few weeks, so I don't really know how I would compare it yet but so far it's ok.

[GTChick01]

I had those same symptoms when I was on BC and I tried several different brands. Yasmine did have the lowest side effects to me, but I still gained a lot of weight on them. :-/ I'm getting an IUD put in since BC pills effect me so much. The one I'm getting only has 1 kind of hormone (unlike BC pills which has 2) and it won't make you gain weight or give you mood swings. :)

[rainbow_clouds]

I'm on Ortho-tri-cyclen. I exprienced slightly more side effect than when I was on Othro-Evra (breakthrough bleeding, cold sores) but after about 3 months they stopped. Othro-Evra I didn't experience any side effects really.

[Acadia]

While Yasmin helped with PMS symptoms more than other BC pills I've tried, it completely killed my sex drive, and I still gained weight as well. It has it's good and bad points, I suppose, but I quit taking them (quit all BC pills actually).

[rabid_child]

I'm on Ortho Cyclen, which everyone told me I was gonna go nuts on before I started taking it. (I have supportive friends :p) I haven't had a problem with it. No side effects or problems after the first week. (The first week I was nauscious some, and really emotional) Before that I was on Mircette for 2 mos which is supposed to be really well tolerated and it made me bleed the entire time, heavily. I need a lot of estrogen :D

[landi]

has anyone ever heard of nordette??

[blueskies]

I don't know about Nordette, but yasmin made my periods very painful and killed my libido. I didn't gain any weight from it, though.

[k@rm@_girl]

I have tried ortho tricyclen before and had lumps in my breasts and nausea so this time I'm trying the patch(ortho evra). The first month I had major mood swings(yelled at my boss) and my breasts were so tender they hurt walking down the stairs! I'm using the patch all the time to treat my endo and so far I've been bleeding every day for the past month. My doc says I need at least 3mo to get used to it so I'm trying hard to be patient because it has relieved the horrible cramps I used to get. I think the main thing is a lot of women get side effects from any form of birth control, but it takes 3-6mo to get rid of the side effects so most women stop using them before it gets better. Easier said than done though-it's pretty damn hard to have these types of side effects for half a year and just be "patient". I think doctors forget how hard that can be on you and your personal life. :wall:

[Vegankat]

I'm on Aviane, and I really love it. I started it more to help my painful periods than for contraception, and it has helped immensely. I am also rather badly anemic, so my gyno approved of me skipping my period week every second month, and I've noticed a real difference in my energy levels.

I have had no negative side effects, other than slight nausea the first two weeks, and I actually lost around 5 pounds the first month I was on it.


However, I recommend consulting your gynocologist about which pill is best for you, rather than walking in there and saying, "I want to take [insert pill name here] because lots of people like it." What works for me might not work as well for you, and gynocologists have a lot more information available to them that they can provide to you to help make your decision.

[zoebird]

i'm in the 'other' category.

i use a method that is as effecitve as the pill if properly followed and practiced and has absolutely no side effects (except self knowledge). I practice Fertility Awareness Method. There is information about it at Taking Charge of Your Fertility (http://ovusoft.com) and also at Garden of Fertility (http://gardenoffertility.com).

i know it's not directly about the pill, but the pill has many side effects that we have only begun to understand (such as links to low or loss of libido, fertility issues, and it's relationship to women's cancers). so, here's another option that forgos the pill altogether.

certainly, i support any woman's decision to use whatever form of birth control she sees fit--including the pill.

[Piggie]

I started with Ortho TriCyclen and it gave me the worst leg cramps I could hardly walk. Gyn said I was developing blood clots and was immediately taken off and given Ortho Novum 7/7/7. I've been taking it for 4 years now and have not experienced any weight gain. My periods are less painful and not as heavy as before.

[Min]

Hi All,

In two weeks I'm going to the doc to start bc pills again. I stopped because of the discomfort, weight gain, painful breasts and general down moods I got taking it. I was on Ortho Novum.

A friend suggested Yasmine because she got no negative effects while taking it and another suggested Seasonale since I have such painful periods.

I know things work differently on everyone, but what pill are you on, and how do you like it? Any side effects?

Thanks

Landi

I used Yasmine before & had no problems my dr put me on a schedule with my pills where I would only have my period four times a year because they were so painful it worked great except the insurance co didnt like the idea they said I was refilling to soon & wouldnt pay thats when I started Seasonale I love it Ive had no problems at all with it.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

I'm on Seasonale BC and like it just fine. I started it due to very heavy, miserable periods and my anemia - it seems to have helped.

I definitely don't have any side effects with it.

Like someone mentioned, check with your doc. Different pills are prescribed for different reasons and symptoms

[Christy]

I was also on Ortho Novum. I went on Yasmin because it contains a derivative of spironolactone, which I was already taking to help with acne. I've had no problems, other than when I was having digestive problems (not caused by Yasmin) during the time I was skipping the placebos.

[IamJen]

Yasmin supposedly has less side effects, since it's formulated a bit differently. There's actually an independent study out there somewhere showing that it was the least worrisome with regard to weight gain. I have no idea now, though, where I found it at.

I've been taking it (Yasmin) for about a year, and have had no problems other than some morning sickness when I first started. (now I take it at night instead).

I know that chemical birth control has it's problems, but for me it's almost literally saved my life. For about 7 years I struggled with girly problems, including severe (ER visits) anemia. For me, it's what works.

[zeenes]

I've been on Seasonale for a couple of years now due to severe endometriosis and ovarian cysts in the past. It's great. It's really expensive though, and my insurance won't cover it unless it's considered a medical necessity (luckily, in my case, it is). Good luck!

[Amy SF]

I only just started on Seasonale four days ago, so I can't determine how it will help me long-term. So far it has shorted my period from the typical 8-9 days to 6 days. I've had some stomach queasiness for about 2-3 days, but it's gone now. I don't know if the queasiness was due to the Seasonale or from something else, although the literature that came with the pills says to not stop taking them even if nausea is experienced, so I guess the queasiness and nausea are expected.

[piratebean]

One form of very low-hormone birth control is the Nuvaring, which you can look at here: http://www.nuvaring.com. I can't recommend it highly enough, and you only have to worry about it twice a month (to take the old one out, and a week later to put the new one in.) It's lower hormones than other forms since you put it right where the hormones need to go. (Go to the website for a better explanation of what I'm talking about.) And, yes, you can wear it during sex, and your partner will probably not even feel it.

I switched to NuvaRing because I had been on Depo and I gained a ridiculous amount of weight. (I also found out later that I was over the weight limit for Depo, which means I was not adequately protected. Stupid GYN didn't mention the weight limit issue - she probably didn't know. My advice: always read up about your meds, because your doctor doesn't.)

Fertility Awareness Method, if it's basically the same thing as Natural Family Planning or the Rhythm Method, is not effective for most women. (These forms involve using calendars and noticing changes in your body to predict when you are fertile and when you can have sex without risk of pregnancy.) If it works for some, good for them. But I just want to warn people that the human body is not a machine and can therefore be unpredictable. You can still get pregnant on your 'non-fertile' days. This might be fine if you're ambivalent about having a child. But if you are dead-set against getting pregnant (for whatever reason), I would suggest that you look for a better method. Again, I am not criticizing this method. It would be great if it worked for everybody, or a majority of women. But it is not anywhere near as effective as other forms of birth control.

[Amy SF]

I've now been taking Seasonale for 6 1/2 weeks. I didn't get my August period, and it was nice not having to deal with it, especially when the weather was hot and sticky (my apt. doesn't have AC) and I was experiencing some work-related stress. I DID have some mild crampiness and queasiness about the time my period would have been at its worst. That lasted about a day or so. At various times in the past 6 1/2 weeks my breasts have felt a little sore and painful. Also, at various times in the past 6 1/2 weeks, I've had the kind of yellow discharge I get at the end of my periods, oftentimes thick. It doesn't stain quite as much as menstrual blood, but it's still an icky feeling, :stinkeye: and I have to remember to wear a pantiliner.

Overall, I'm glad I'm taking Seasonale. :yes: Who would have thought that a tiny pink pill would bring me so much happiness? :D (I've always had seriously miserable periods, and that's why I was prescribed Seasonale.)

[Art Vandelay]

I take Lo-Estrin 1/20, which is a very low-dose pill. I take it continuously (12 weeks on, one week off) like Seasonale. It was prescribed to even out my hormone levels to hopefully reduce or eliminate my migraine headaches, and it has done just that... I now have one migraine every 13 weeks, a vast improvement over the 1-4 per week I was having before.

I like not having periods, and the only real side effect I've noticed is that it's now incredibly difficult for me to lose weight.