Barrier methods symptoms and conditions

My girlfriend and I have been dating for over 3 tears. She just switched her birth control 3 weeks ago to this from Ortho (no problems at all with Ortho, just got to expensive). Ever since then she has been very irritable and upset. One day she was fine and then the next the smallest things set her off. I was wondering how long these symptoms are going to last and if her body will finally regulate it. Should she switch again?

Thanks.

...I am not taking any birth control, BUT i discovered this website on behalf of my best friend who's had Mirena for a little over 6, maybe 7 months now...Personally i Dont' trust any birth controls - other than condoms :-) why ? Guess i Just don't trust the Industry...it appears to me, that the only extensive Tests done on birth control are the ones done to make sure Ladies don't conceive...AnyWay, my BF's side effects include UTI's, stomach aches & cramps, yeast infections; I'd even say her mood has been effected by Mirena....she tells me & may i add we hide nothing from each other; she's had no issues w/UTI's or yeast infections before the insertion of Mirena...I worry about her. She wants to have another kid & i don't want this birth control messing up her body...just Last Week she told me: Out of noWhere - began to bleed heavily w/no pain w/heavy clotting....I keep telling her its the BC, but in her words, "it's just so convenient." did i spell that right ?....i know this BC is easy and effective & now i see all these harsh side effects it brings...A friend of my sister's complained of an Odor down there....I'll be telling my BF about all of u Ladies experiences w/Mirena...I know the reason why she & other women would get Mirena, but i don't want her or any other woman 2 suffer, or loss hair, or gain weight, or acquire cyts OR any of those things when it can be avoided....and of course your doctor will Tell u how great & safe it is....that's their job, its just unfortunate that their job isn't 2 tell us the truth !

I got Mirena 10 weeks after having my second Child. That was in December 2007. Since then I have absolutely NO sex drive at all!! I get irritable about sex and angry at even the thought of it. I have had low abdominal pain for the last 3 months and feel like I have put on weight around my belly and Butt and hips that I don't remember having even after my last child was born hmmm. I was told to get this because it is a low dose hormone that is localized to your uterus and not your whole body but now I am having major thoughts of getting it OUT! My hands have been sore and feel swollen in the morning and my joints have all been hurting for the past 4 months or so. I am young but feel as if I am aging very rapidly because of my health issues. I feel the same way as some though that if I get it out I don't have any options of birth control because I am nursing and I got pregnant last time while taking the mini pill and breastfeeding. I don't want to do anything permanent either because we may want to have another child in the distant future. After reading all the complaints from others though I am going to call my Doctor today and see what she says.

I have been taking Yasmin for about 6 months now. So far, so good. I haven't noticed any side effects yet. Before taking Yasmin, I had the hormone implant Implanon for almost 3 years. During that time I had gained a lot of weight, I was really bloated. My face looked swollen and my tummy was huge that people thought I was pregnant. I also had mood swings, feeling tired all the time, occasionally having pain in my tummy and others. Since having it taken out and being on the Yasmin pill, the weight has come off and I have felt better. I hope this will last. As I read here about the side effects and when I start to have it, i'll have to look for advice again. I hope there will be a better alternative besides abstinence.....

I lterally just starting taking Yasmin today. I used to take Tri-phasil, but found it just wasn't keeping my mood in check over the last 6 months, not to mention I was suddenly getting 2 periods a month. So, I stopped taking the pill for a month, and after seeiong ads for YAZ ended up with Yasmine after visiting my Dr.
My questions for the ladies with symptoms of anxiety and mood swings: Did you not have these symptoms before starting the pill? If so, are you saying that Yasmin made them worse?
Also, I would be curious to find lout what BC pills you NOW use, and how the hormone dose compares to Yasmin. The Tri-phasil I used to take was stronger than Yasmin. If I begin to feel any side effects using Yasmin, I will have to assume that I just need something stronger and will begin with Tri Phasil again.

I am sooo relieved that I found this site. OMG. I was on the NR before for about a year and 3 months. I didn't have any side effects whatsoever. I went of the NR because my boyfriend and I broke-up and I wasn't having sex. About 4 months later, I developed 2 ovarian cysts that ended up rupturing in my right ovary. BTW, I turned 30 in the same month. I was in so much abdominal pain, hot flashes, painful menstrual cycle, passing huge blood clots, depression, crying all the time, thoughts of suicide, anxiety attacks, very irritable, easily frustrated, inability to concentrate, and nausea. I had NEVER had any bouts of depression, crying all the time, thoughts of suicide, anxiety attacks in my life before. NEVER! My OB/GYN told me my hormones were all out of wack and that I should go back on the NR to regulate my hormones. So, I went back on the NR, my cysts went away and I felt 100% better immediately. Now it's 2 months later and I'm having all the same symptoms I had before the NR, although, it’s not as bad as it was before. Apparently, I'm still ovulating while on the NR although the NR STOPS ovulation. I have developed more cyst(s), haven't gone for the ultrasound yet, in my right ovary, even though my last ultrasound showed that the last 2 cysts went away. Right now, I am emotionally drained and physically in a lot of pain. I think that if I get off the NR my symptoms would be a lot worst. I’m allergic to the patch because of the adhesive, coming off of depo caused too much pain, and I forget to take the pill. So I don't know what to do.

Hello all,
I have a question regarding menstruation. I have been off of oral contraceptives altogether since August. My first and second period came right on schedule. Now I am waiting around for my period. Even though it is only a few days late, I am terrified of pregnancy even though I use barrier methods and chart my temperature. Is it normal to have periods be a bit irregular, even if the first few after quitting were regular?

I've been on Yasmin for 2 years (the only bcp I've ever been on). I gained 10 pounds even though I run every morning and I'm a fanatic when it comes to eating healthy and nutritious - I'm a health nut. The weight gain seems to be associated with water retention - basically I'm PUFFY. Especially in my legs. I developed CELLULITE - even though I had no cellulite before I took Yasmin and even though I'm a health nut who works out pratically every day. The irony is that Yasmin, unlike other pills, has a duretic - its supposed to maintain your weight by making you pee all the time to eliminate any water retention (that's why when Yasmin first came out everyone was making such a big deal about its connection to weight loss). With me, it was the total opposite. Other side effects: dry throat, dry throat, dry throat. I'd wake up thirsty.

I'm off Yasmin now - and off bcp's totally. I figure this: the hormones they put in these pills are synthetic - they're fake. They play games with our mind - manipulating the brain to cause certain effects and conditions. Somehow playing with mother nature just seems beyond unnatural. Barrier methods aren't the greatest but its better than nothing. And here is some food for thought: heart disease is the number one cause for death among women - I wonder how many of those women were on oral contraceptives. after all, haven't there been studies to suggest that long term use of oral contraceptives affects the heart??? I wonder.

hi, i've been on nuva for about 8 months and am stopping next week. i have been lightly depressed and have experienced A LOT of hair loss, but the worst for me have been the debilatating panic attacks. my advice: "waiting it out" is NOT the answer. there are plenty of other forms of birth control, including non-hormonal barrier methods.

After I was separated from my husband of 9 years, I decided to go off the pill. I immediately stopped getting migraines, no more bloating, no cramps!, no Headaches!!, slept deeper, lost 10lbs, was on Cloud 9, had the energy of a 19 yr old, dancing and had never felt better, but I had irreg. periods and went months without a cycle. Most would point this to being happy that Im not in an unfulfilling marriage anymore, and I'm not discounting that. But, 4 months after I met my Soul Mate, I went back on Yasmin (b/c the others gave me migraines). Little by little I gained weight, lost my waist again, sex drive is much lower, lower energy, breasts went back to 36C! but they're so tender now, migraines hit right before I start again, bloating, cramping so bad it wakes me in the middle of the night, I look tired all the time. It's taken my youth away from me once again. I think we women have greater intuition than western medicine has proof, and I believe it's time to go off the pill forever and try other barrier methods. Does anyone have any recommendations of things they've tried and worked well, and the didn't get pregnant using them? Thanks for reading and any comments you have :) - phoebegirl

The way that all of you are feeling is not in your head I promise. I was on Yasmin for several months. I had heart palpitations, numbness of the toes and cramps in legs. These are only a few of my symptoms. I have had two children and never even had post partum depression, but while on Yasmin I was short with my children and husband and even didnt want to be around my kids. I was depressed while on Yasmin, at least I thought I was, I even went as far as to call the Dr. and get medicine for depression, I stepped back and took a look at my symptoms and how they only occured since my Yasmin use. I decided not to take one pill for depression to make up for another pill (birth control) I stopped the Yasmin and within a couple of weeks felt better. I wasnt clinicaly depressed, I was Yasmin depressed, big difference. Me personally, I am thinking about stopping birth control pills all together and using other barrier methods, I dont like the thought of putting extra hormones on my body. To all the women who are feeling the awful side effects of Yasmin, I urge you to please step back and compare the before and after you while on Yasmin, it is the pill I promise, they need to discontinue this drug before someone has a stroke or worse.