[gas4]

Hey everyone. For the second month running I'm at the end of my period and having not taken the pill in a week have found that my wonderful old libido is back. This morning I had to take another little blue pill and I feel like I'm kissing my sex life goodbye again for another month. It really messes with my relationship and I really miss it as well.<br><br><br><br>
I'm starting to seriously consider going off the combined pill, but just using condoms makes me nervous. Could anyone recommend something other than the combined pill which is reliable as BC but won't kill my sex drive?<br><br><br><br>
Thanks in advance.

 

[GhostUser]

*jumps on the thread*<br><br><br><br>
Hope you don't mind me listening in for ideas as well. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[stellar26]

I know that both zoebird and strawberry are hugely in favor of cycle monitering- I can't remember what it's proper term is. In conjunction with condoms, it's worked for them (I know this because I posted a thread similar to this one a while back). You might want to PM one or both of them for some more information.<br><br><br><br>
Personally, I think that the theology behind monitering one's cycle and abstaining from sex at certain times of the month to prevent pregnancy sounds fabulous, but I personally would be too frightened to try it. I'd probably mess it up and end up pregnant.<br><br><br><br>
I hate hormonal birth control. I hate it. I feel like an entirely different person while on it and my sex drive is virtually non existant. I really wish that there were better options for us out there.

 

[gas4]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>stellar26</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I know that both zoebird and strawberry are hugely in favor of cycle monitering- I can't remember what it's proper term is. In conjunction with condoms, it's worked for them (I know this because I posted a thread similar to this one a while back). You might want to PM one or both of them for some more information.<br><br><br><br>
Personally, I think that the theology behind monitering one's cycle and abstaining from sex at certain times of the month to prevent pregnancy sounds fabulous, but I personally would be too frightened to try it. I'd probably mess it up and end up pregnant.<br><br><br><br>
I hate hormonal birth control. I hate it. I feel like an entirely different person while on it and my sex drive is virtually non existant. I really wish that there were better options for us out there.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I'm with you, too chicken to try working it out myself. Plus I already have far too little sex as it is to go abstaining on certain days. The funny thing about this situation is that I'd be perfectly happy to get pregnant but my fiance isn't ready yet.

 

[rabid_child]

Have you tried a different pill? You may be able to work a better hormone balance out for yourself if you're willing to experiment a little. I've been on ortho-cyclen for five years and I've had no problems with my sex drive, unless having a crazy high sex drive is considered a problem... I was on something else for two months prior and I was a mess.<br><br>
If you're wanting to stay on some sort of hormonal method, I'd suggest talking to your doctor about trying something different.

 

[gas4]

I went to the family planning clinic a while ago and talked to a doctor there. She suggested the progestogen only pill. I wasn't ready to do it then because I wasn't as sure as I am now about the effect on my sex drive of my usual pill. Plus I have a very minimal period at the moment and she said that it would go back to normal. I guess I can't have everything my way.<br><br>
I just wanted to hear about people's experiences and what they think would be best because doctors never tell you the whole story. They sure as hell never warned me about this side effect when I went on the pill.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Thanks for the responses so far.

 

[Dirty Martini]

copper IUD is supposed to be pretty good and is non-hormonal, but can be painful during & after insertion.<br><br><br><br>
I've used a diaphragm + spermicide for a long time and have no kids, but that combo's only about as effective as a condom (perhaps just slightly less).<br><br><br><br>
I found the same thing when going off the pill. In fact, I also found that my depression (which had been around for ~10 years) also went away. I was pretty upset that my doctors never even considered that the BCP could be a cause, and it didn't even occur to me to make the connection. I felt like a new person after stopping hormonal treatment and it took about 6 months to feel totally normal.

 

[bstutzma]

I would recommend trying a different type of pill - perhaps a tri-phasic one. I took a tri-phasic pill for 9 years and it never affected my libido. I JUST stopped taking it (tonight I would have started a new pack - but nope!!! )<br><br><br><br>
I once tried taking a non-triphasic pill and it felt AWFUL. I didn't feel like myself at all. I would recommend women who dislike their method of hormonal birth control to keep trying new formulations. I would NOT recommend stopping use of birth control pills unless you are willing to accept potentially getting pregnant. I know Zoebird and others are big supporters of FAM and others methods, but it takes a special kind of person to pull that off, its not a casual form of birth control.

 

[IamJen]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>OregonAmy</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
copper IUD is supposed to be pretty good and is non-hormonal, but can be painful during & after insertion.<br><br><br><br>
I've used a diaphragm + spermicide for a long time and have no kids, but that combo's only about as effective as a condom (perhaps just slightly less).<br></div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
<<hijacks the thread for a second. I was combing the BC thread the other day to see if there were any diaphragm users here. One of the things I've been reading is that they can make you more susceptible to UTI's (which I've managed to avoid some 35 years now). If it was like once every five years or something, then that's not so bad, but I was reading on another board (gasp! another board!) that some women had them 2-3 times a year! Ouch.<br><br><br><br><div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>stellar26</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I really wish that there were better options for us out there.</div>
</div>
<br>
Hear hear! When I'm scouring the 'net and discovering that the some of the "good" methods like diaphragms and condoms have an actual failure rate around 20%..eek! That's a pretty chancy game of Russian Roulette.

 

[Dirty Martini]

Hmm. I have only had two UTI's my entire life, and they were both over 10 years ago.<br><br><br><br>
I follow the rules for a diaphragm pretty closely, and imagine that there are a lot of people who maybe don't do so. I use mine with spermicide every time (which you should do), which increases its effectiveness since you then have 2 barriers plus dead sperm. I also leave mine in for at least 6 hours after sex, which you're supposed to do (but imagine some people might take it out...?). I put mine in at least 5 minutes before sex... which you're supposed to do, so that the spermicide can form the barrier over your cervix.<br><br><br><br>
It's not for everyone, I agree, but I like it. Plus you can wear it at night when you're on your period, and not have to wear a bulky pad to bed. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Dirty Martini]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>bstutzma</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I would NOT recommend stopping use of birth control pills unless you are willing to accept potentially getting pregnant.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I agree with this 100%.

 

[gas4]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>OregonAmy</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I agree with this 100%.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
Me too, thanks for the reponses everyone. I'm going to have to think about this some more.

 

[raw jess]

I have the Paragard IUD because I didn't want hormones either. It IS an option. There are horror stories about every kind of BC. From my experience, I've had mine for a year and 7 months, I have no kids, and I've had no problems with rejection or infection. This is the best I've chosen, and I've used lots of different pills, the shot, the patch, and the ring.

 

[Astarte]

I'll give another thumbs up to the IUD. Mine's a Nova-T (roughly equivalent to the paragard, but sold in canada) and I'm quite happy with it. I've only had it since May, but from what I've read it's about as effective as the pill but all you have to remember is to check it after your period to make sure it's still in there.<br><br><br><br>
It's not all that fun getting it in, but it's somewhere in the pain range of a really bad menstrual cramp and it doesn't last long. As for cramping afterwards, I was pretty much back to normal within a day. It did make my periods a lot heavier, but for me it's been a small price to pay. My sex drive is a lot higher now as well.<br><br><br><br>
I've only used pills and condoms before, and I find this infinitely preferable. I didn't have any major gripes with the pills, but I wasn't very good at remembering them so I always worried a bit before my period came along. It's a lot nicer, I think.

 

[gas4]

Well I've been thinking about it and I'm now considering going off my pill and just using condoms. I've always used two types and it does scare me a little but the fact is that I'm at a stage in my life now where it wouldn't actually matter if I got pregnant, it would be ok. Plus after 5 years off using condoms anyway, I'm pretty competent with their application.<br><br><br><br>
Do you think that it would be reasonable for me to ask my fiance to consider that we take the risk, in order to assess whether the issue that we've had about the lowering of my libido is fixable, before we get married. I would tell him that there is a chance that it might return but if I get pregnant then I would not be getting an abortion. Is this fair to him? I know that he feels that he isn't ready to have children yet. Of course I can always get the morning after pill if a condom broke but that hasn't happened in 5 years.

 

[CharityAJO]

Ah... I am having a similar dilemna. I wonder, if anyone's had experience with shots, as opposed to the pill? (Maybe once a month, rather than a daily ingestion... Might, soften the constant asexuality?) I mean, if I'm off the pill for two days, my libido increases... So my reasoning...<br><br><br><br>
Ladies?

 

[*Star*Lass*]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>gas4</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Hey everyone. For the second month running I'm at the end of my period and having not taken the pill in a week have found that my wonderful old libido is back. This morning I had to take another little blue pill and I feel like I'm kissing my sex life goodbye again for another month. It really messes with my relationship and I really miss it as well.<br><br><br><br>
I'm starting to seriously consider going off the combined pill, but just using condoms makes me nervous. Could anyone recommend something other than the combined pill which is reliable as BC but won't kill my sex drive?<br><br><br><br>
Thanks in advance.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I thought everyones libido was higher during a period anyways? I didn't think that the week you stop taking the pill would have much/any effect on that, cos it's still in your system.<br><br><br><br>
I stopped taking the pill a few months ago, and initially my libido was higher than it was, but i think it might have disappeared again. I'm going back on the pill now though cos i just feel too nervous using only condoms.

 

[Medesha]

I had the same problem, and so my husband had a vasectomy. I suppose that won't help you. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> But you're definitely not alone. Maybe a sponge/spermicide in conjunction with a condom?