birth control-need opinions!

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Luci

Luci

Gizmo's roommate
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
833
so i went to the dr today and came home with a lovely prescription for ortho tri cyclin.

my periods are normal, cramping isnt too bad, pms symptoms last for only a day or 2, and i hardly have acne. so yep, the only reason im considering it is so i dont have kits of my own.

but ive been reading some patient reviews of OTC, and they dont sound too pleasant. people complain about:
* weight gain
* increased acne in those who hardly get acne
* mood swings and feelings of irritability and depression
* thinning of hair
* nausea and headaches

i dont know how to make this decision. sure, my body isnt "perfect" but i still love it and would hate to take a pill that may change a few things. I LIKE MY HAIR!!!! i know that side affects vary between users. i just dont want to have to try out pro-active because of a pill; nor do i want to start dieting because of it either. rob and i are monogamous and have been together for 2 years, i see him in my future. buying condoms is do-able, but sometimes a bit pricey. i dont know if i should take the chance and possibly alter my hormones. i tried taking aviane a few years ago and hated it. i was sooooo moody and gained weight despite going to the gym. it made me so miserable and after 3 months, i stopped taking it. i know most drs say that it takes about 3-4 months for the body to get used to, so maybe i didnt give it a chance.

anyone have advice or experience with this bc? or any other pill for that matter?
 
Are you set on on a pill? I have an IUD and LOVE it. Nothing to worry about daily, and if you do decide you want a baby, it is almost like not having been on birth control when it is removed.

I know there was a bc thread on here a few months back...try doing a search also.
 
I highly doubt Luci will be able to find a doctor willing to give her an IUD. I have a friend who is 23 and she still has yet to find a doctor who is willing. They all say she is young and will most likey change her mind about children in the next few years blah blah blah.
 
I have always been on a pill of some sort as a form of birth control. When I first started bc manymany years ago, I was on something called Loestrin, and it was actually terrible. It wasn't the pills that were bad, but the inactive pills actually made me sick and naseous. So, then I was switched over to ortho-tricyclen. I didn't have any problems with it--no weight gain, or acne problems, mood swings, or anything else. It was just like nothing really changed about me, except that I was just preventing pregnancy. Well, I figured that since I am taking a pill everyday, I might as well have even more advantages with the darn thing. So for the past almost 3 years now, I have been on seasonale. I freaking love that fact that I only have a period 4 times a year. I don't have heavy periods, or cramps or horrific pms during that time (I don't think), so it was mere selfishness that I take seasonale lol. I just don't want an annoying period so often and hey I think I have a better sex life cuz of it too...teeheehee...
 
Personally I've found that the worst thing you can do is read the reviews - you'll come across all kinds of horror stories and psych yourself out - for ANY medication. Naturally, most of the people who post those are the ones who have a strong opinion about it (usually negative). I've tried a number of different brands (switched for various annoying but not serious issues), and for me, Ortho-Cyclen has been one of the better ones I've used. As you mentioned, it does take time for your body to adjust, and from what I've read, side effects are usually most prevalent when you first start and when you stop - huge hormonal changes. If you have serious side effects right away, then perhaps that one won't work for you, but I would give it a chance.
 
Essentia said:
I highly doubt Luci will be able to find a doctor willing to give her an IUD. I have a friend who is 23 and she still has yet to find a doctor who is willing. They all say she is young and will most likey change her mind about children in the next few years blah blah blah.
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Really? My sister was 23 and got hers (married, no kids...and didn't want any at that time). She had it several years and had it removed right before she turned 26 in August and got pregnant in November or December (due Sept 8).
 
I've been taking bc for years and never had any of the side effects, that I am aware of. I can be moody around that time, but it's worse when I'm not on the pill! I haven't tried the ortho tri-cyclin, but they do make a "lo" version of it, which has less hormone in it. I took Mircette for years, which is one of the lowest dose pills you can get.

I've been on several things lately because I have started having severe migraines. In an attempt to get them under better control, I tried going off the pill, which just made them worse. Now I'm taking LoSeasonique. So far, it's working better with my headaches, and you only have your period every three months...which is never a bad thing if you ask me!

If this is something you are going to stick with, I would recommend finding a "lo" pill and sticking with it for at least 6 months before you decide to discontinue it. That way you can see how your body will react to it and make a better decision.
 
I am 42 & have been on the pill pretty much since i was 18. i went off while trying to conceive my son & subsequent pregnancy, but went back on soon thereafter.
This past january i decided that i have been on the pill long enough. wanted to give my body a break. i have never felt better! less headaches & stomach issues and other benefits.
BUT since you are only 21, you have the ability to try some options. you can also try out different pills. OTC has been around for a LONG time, i was on it for years. when i switched to Yaz, lots of problems started. i tried the patch (horrible!).
i think it is great that you are researching options and i am sure you will make an excellant decision!
 
I am 21 and have been on the pill since I was like 15 years old to regulate my periods. I have been on orthotricylin and the lo version. They both didn't give me any side affects.

I talked to my Dr. about an IUD but she said that you have a tendency of getting more cramping and spotting between periods. I just chose to stick with my lo version.
 
I've tried just about everything (don't like kids, certainly don't need to have any of my own!) Started with a "low dose" pill, I forget the name, but hated taking it all the time. Switched to the patch, which gave me some crazy side effects, but those disappeared after a month or two. I eventually got sick of that and went to the Nuva-ring, which I actually liked better than any of the previous stuff. I left them in for the "off week" so I never got my period--BONUS! Last year I mustered up the guts to get the Mirena IUD, and while I read numerous horror stories, I held onto the few good reviews I read. Remember that when you read reviews online, most people want to vent about their bad experiences, but few people that have no problems ever think to go out of their way to leave a bunch of reviews. Anyways, I love it. It was painful to get, I was crampy for the first month or so, but since then its perfect--no cramps, no periods, no spotting, nothing.
 
It's the "cyclic" part of the pills that cause so many women problems, since the pills mimic the same hormonal changes that cause PMS symptoms naturally. Is your doctor willing to re-write (and is your insurance willing to pay) for the Nuvaring? It's the lowest dose of hormones available (0.120 mg/day of etonogestrel and 0.015 mg/day of ethinyl estradiol ), it's a "set it and forget it" so you don't have to take your pill at exactly the same time every day like most low dose pills are designed, and it's a constant supply of the hormones so you're less likely to have mood swings etc. once you've stabilized on it.
 
I'm on the generic of Othri Tri Cyclen (Tri-Sprintec) and absolutely love it. I have serious mood swings, and though Yaz would help. Instead, it made it worse. But on OTC/TS I'm in love. I have less moodiness, and my periods are shorter/lighter. I have bad acne and it's actually helped, although I do get bad breakouts occasionally for A or B reasons, but I don't think it has anything to do with my bc.
 
Hated Ortho tricyclen - Had mood swings like a Mack Truck - I am on Microgestin(loestrin) and I like it except for I am on it for cysts (and bc) and I am still having them - which means ill probably have to switch to a higher hormone pill...And btw you don't have to take the reminder pills, nothing in them but iron supplements...And you can skip your periods on any kind of birth control not just seasonale - just have to immediately start the pack after the last one. Had a friend who got pregnant with her Merena - lost the baby and bled very badly - :( I would not recommend that one
 
I highly doubt Luci will be able to find a doctor willing to give her an IUD. I have a friend who is 23 and she still has yet to find a doctor who is willing. They all say she is young and will most likey change her mind about children in the next few years blah blah blah.
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Wow, that seems strange, I had gotten an IUD at 23 without a problem. It may just be the doctor, because I've never heard that an IUD does away with the possibility of children in the future - in fact, I have a beautiful 8 year old to prove the opposite.:)
 
I have taken birth control since I was 14 due to severe cramps. I currently take a generic version called 'necon', I have used it for a couple of years without any bad side effects. I have taken my birth control the same for I'd say the past 10 years - which is continuous active pills til I feel like taking a break. Typically I take active pills for 5-6 months, then break. This is actually how my doctor prescribes it to me - not breaking any rules :p
 
yea im still trying to weigh my options. all these opinions helped so much and its great to see people happy about their bc. i may opt for a nuva ring, i'll see if i can schedule an apt or just go in there and see if i can have a quick chat.

im trying to read the RX and i think it says -lo. but im not too sure. if i do decide to get it, i'll ask for a lo one. my sister loved ortho when she was on it. i wonder if being from the same gene pool will be an indicator...hmmm, just a thought.
 
Everyone knows Im a depo girl. I swear by it. It is truely the set it and forget it form of bc. I do have mood swings towards the end when my hormones are dropping. But I just take my shot a week earlier and Im good to go! AND! I have not had a period on 5 years. Only side effect if my calcium is low. Depo apparently deplets the calcium from the bones.. So I CRAVE milk like crazy. But to fix that I take calcium pills and I dont crave it.

As for the IUD, I thought that was the lowest to no hormones and I dont know of any reason why a Dr would not give it to someone. Its the quickest birth control to come off of if you decide to have kids later. My friend has one in right now. Had it put in right after her first child and LOVES it. Her doctor told her when she is ready for more children to come to get it taken out. It might even be an option for me when my doctors finally decide to stop writing me RX's for depo.
 
Crysta, I had a Copper-T IUD put in when I was 20. I didn't have a problem finding a doctor to do it. I had to sign a bunch of papers because I had never had children, stating that I'd most likely be in pain, that they were advising against it, etc. Sadly, I had an allergic reaction and had to have it taken out 24 hours later, as there was so much swelling, it almost punctured my uterus. The doctor suggested just having a hysterectomy after that lol.

I wish I could give advice on birth control. I haven't been able to be on birth control for years due to hypertension. I was on depo provera when I first got married and I gained 60 lbs. I was on it about 2 years, and I had a bone density scan done and I was advised to stop it ASAP. So now, I don't really have any options, other than to be celebate.
 
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im on the depo shot and i get it every 3 months...but ive packed on some pounds from it and my face has broke out pretty bad, not nasty, just little small pimples
 
I was on the Ortho Tricyclin Lo and I absolutely hated it.

I kept getting sick on it and gained so much weight. I did have mild acne and it cleared while on it, but the constant sore boobs, bloating, nausea and weight gain just made me throw it away.

I'm currently looking for another alternative.
 
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