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Frustrated with BCP!
As the title shows, I am fed up with bcps. I was on Yaz for a couple years and I have always taken it exactly like it was directed. I started bleeding half way through the month for a few days and then I would have my regular period also. There were a few months that I completely missed my period too. I went back to my doctor and she changed me back to Ortho Tri Cyclen. I took this when I was younger and it worked just fine for me. This time around, however, I have started back to basically having two periods a month!! I am sick of this!
I am going to call the doctor for another appointment, but I just wanted to see if anyone else has had problems like this. Is it possible my body just cannot tolerate the hormones? Something else completely? I just want something to work. I was really hoping to stay on the pill since my insurance covers oral contraceptives 100%. Every other kind of bc has some sort of copay. Any advice or forms of bc that worked for anyone else would be greatly appreciated here. TIA!
Re: Frustrated with BCP!
I'm kind of like you. I was on Ortho Tricyclen Lo for over 5 years but it was so expensive, I asked to switch to something cheaper. I went through a whole slew of BCPs and none of them worked. I hated how I felt bloated, tired, hormonal, etc. all the time. So, I decided to start charting and have absolutely loved it.
I bought Taking Charge of Your Fertility and did a few practice cycles while coming off the pill and a few months after (we used condoms) so that I had the routine down pat before completely relying on it. I take my temperature every morning first thing and keep track of my cervical fluid so that I know when I am fertile and when I'm not. When I am, since we're not trying to get pregnant right now, we use condoms.
I too can not take hormonal BCP (found out after 15 yrs of BCP and having awful mood swings).
I've had my paragard for almost 2yrs now and love it. Aside from heavier periods and bad cramps for a day it's great.
I tried Yaz a couple of years ago, with horrible side effects. I had spotting EVERY DAY for 3 months, and when I called after about 6 weeks, they told me they wouldn't change the pill until I had been on it for 3 months. Then, once I did, they put me on such an expensive pill that I quit using BCPs for a while.
A year ago I talked to my OBGYN about it and discussed the issues I had. I am on Apri now, a generic form of Desogen I think. I never had a single issue with spotting, and I think it's because of the level of hormones. I think Yaz was classified as low dose, while this is in more of the moderate range. I had just assumed that low dose would have less side effects, including issues with spotting.
Good luck with whatever you choose!
i had this same issue i went through so many different bc that i almost gave up but then my doc. gave me seasoniue its wonderful. you have you period only 3-4 times a year. you get a three month supply and its not cheap but not expensive either. i mean your paying for three months so its like 150.00 they have a low dose and a regular dose. i took the low dose for the fist 6 months but then switch to the regular dose. so you might want to talk to your doctor about this too.
the first pack i had a lil spotting a few days before i was suppose to start by period but then i never had it again. the only side effect i had was that i broke out but i brake out easily under stress. so i am currently not on anything. but hope this helps but good luck!!
I had very similar problems and was on Yaz, last. Yaz totally messed with me and I'm pretty sure it messed with my gaul bladder, too (since my heartburn how now turned to acid reflux). Anyway, I talked with my doctor about options and ultimately decided to take a break from BC. Partially, I made this decision because I knew my husband's insurance wouldn't cover it until I got a new teaching job (catholic companies, apparently, get to decide if I can take BC).
Anyway, I'm not back on anything yet but I do plan to go back on in the fall when my insurance kicks in. I'm starting to "even out" a bit as far as mood swings, my libido has made a reappearance, and my periods are becoming more regular. Thought I have gained weight and have more acne
. It's a bit of a give-and-take I suppose but everybody reacts differently, too. This was just my choice of solution. I'm hoping to go back on in the fall and maintain some of the things I've gained since going off of BC. Good luck!!
Just wanted to inform you of an alternative to bcp, the Nuva-Ring. I'm on it and had switched after taking the pills for yearsand love it. I had the same problem where I was getting spotting in between periods and was frustrated. Nuva Ring is a small ring that you insert vaginally once a month. It's great because you don't have to remember to take a pill every day (and remember you must take the pill at the same time each day to be effective - it only lasts 24 hours). It's also preferable because it's a low hormone option, and it is not affect by foods or antibiotics. Some foods have enzymes that reduce the efficacy of the pill (such as grapefruit), and antibiotics make the pill completely ineffective. With Nuva-Ring, you don't have to worry about these issues.
Many women are squeamish about inserting something vaginally, but I assure you that it's like a tampon in that you (and your partner) cannot feel it if it's in correctly.
I too had the same prob with my bc, I think one year I prob bled for 6 mos total. Believe me, I've tried many options. I ended up needing the strongest dosage, and I also got the generic, so it was cheaper. In my opinion, the spotting has something to do with the lower dose, because whenever I took them HELLO PERIOD!
The higher dosage works great for me. The only down side is baaad pms.
I LOVE the Nuvaring!!! It was the only thing that would regulate my period after trying about 8 different pills. I believe that the trick is that the hormones SLOWLY secrete into your system instead of all at once every day. It's an awesome option. If your insurance doesn 't cover it, most doctors will give free samples.