Different types of birth control symptoms and conditions

I had laproscopic surgery done in May to remove an ovarian cyst. At that time it was confirmed that I have endometriosis. I have always had very difficult periods and at times constant pelvic pain. I have experimented with many different types of birth control and had finally given up on them because they all cause me varying degrees of depression. After my surgery my doctor recommended Lupron because I cannot take the pill. I had my first injection in September. I only did the one dose because I could not tolerate the depression that followed. At times I was nearly suicidal because I was so depressed. I have also gained weight and completely lost my sex drive...

Just after the new year I went to the ER with extreme vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. It turns out that my gallbladder is only functioning at 10%. I have since learned that this is probably due to the Lupron injection (my doctor never mentioned this as a possible side effect!! but I discovered other sites that mention it and my GI confirmed) I am visiting a surgeon tomorrow to discuss removal of my gallbladder and I am wondering if any other women out there have had similar experiences and what the outcomes were??

I live in CT and I am going to look for an OB/GYN that specializes in endo. Please let me know if anyone has recommendations for a doc in CT too.

Thank you!!

Well, I'm kind of nervous reading these postings now. I just got the Mirena put in today and I had my first child in September. It didn't hurt at all when he put it in, because he used a local anesthetic, but I started having a little cramping after he finished up. Now I'm home and I've noticed that the cramping is a little bit worse than before. I was already on my period (because they said you have to get it put in during your period or immediately after it stops), but it was almost over. Now i'm bleeding a little more, and I'm feeling aching pain in my pelvic area and back. I can't afford those major side effects that have been discussed here. Should I keep it in and wait and see if I am different, or get it out now? I'm worried!

I have been reading all the side-effects women have been experiencing with the Mirena, and I just needed to add my two cents. I am a 28 year old woman, no children, very physically active, and I have had no problems with my mirena. I have had my Mirena in place for a year and a half. I have had no weight gain, no tenderness, no facial hair, no mood swings, nothing. The only side effects I have experienced are very light to non-existent periods. I have had my Mirena checked by my doctor regularly, just to be on the safe side. So, some women may experience negative side-effects, but others do not. I have been on several different types of birth control; the pill, the patch, the ring, natural planning, and now the Mirena and this is BY FAR the best method I have used. I feel for the women who have experienced negative side effects, but for me it's the one that works. Oh, and it did hurt having it put in since I have not had children. My cervix did not want to dilate, and it took two tries to get it in, but once in, I was good to go. Now my husband can be active any where at any time with no worries.

Almost everyone is affected differently by different types of birth control pills. They are not all the same, please talk with your doctor about what is best for you. Sometimes is DOES take a few tries with different pills to find the best one for YOU.
This is my personal experience with Yaz... I have been on it for 1 year and 1 month exactly. I am 22. I was on Ortho-Cyclen (not tri-cyclen mind you) for a full year previous to Yaz. My periods without birth control were usually very heavy and lasted a week plus a day or two without birth control. My doctor suggested birth control to help with those problem. Ortho-Cyclen helped somewhat shortening my periods to about 5-6 days and made them a "normal-like" flow. After taking it for a year, she suggested Yaz to me help make them even shorter and lighter. Well I switched immediately after the last pill of my Ortho-Cyclen and things proceeded very nicely since I had already been using a method to regulate my cycle.
Yaz has helped me tremendously, my periods are only 3-4 days now and much lighter. I start them after 2 days of placebo and usually have a little bleeding into the first 2 active pills of my next pack.
The only side effects I have noticed are;
1) Weight gain: (I have gained about 8 lbs on this pill) and I even get more exercise than I used to when I was on Ortho-Cyclen. I eat healthy as well.
2) Breast tenderness: I have more noticeable breast tenderness while taking this pill. (But it is not every single day)
3) Cramps: I get cramps now on the first day of bleeding, but they are well taken care of with an aspirin or ibuprofen.
4) Slight depression: I cannot directly link this to Yaz as I am not a professional. However, I do find that a week to a few days before my pill period, there may be a day or two when I find myself crying over some nonsensical thing. (I never noticed this with Ortho-Cyclen.)

Another thing I have noticed though, and it's pretty nice, while I have gained a little weight on this pill, I do not get bloating before/during my period as I used to before I started using birth control pills. And yes, I used to get bloated using Ortho-Cyclen. So I can say that I have to thank Yaz for this "desired effect."
Also, I never suffered from any bad acne problems before using birth control, just the occasional breakout before getting my period, and Yaz actually did away with even that little issue.

Just to clarify, aren't YAZ and Yasmin two diffy types of birth control?

This is by far the worst pill I have ever taken. Before Yaz I was on Nordette, Ortho Tri cyclen and Alesse. I saw the commercials and got sucked into trying this pill. All I can say is proceed with caution. I ended up taking this pill for the unhappiness 8 months of my entire life. I had problems with other pills causing weight gain (Nordette, Ortho Tri cyclen) or acne (Alesse). However, those symptoms are mild compared to what Yaz inflicted on me.

I have always been described as happy go lucky and Yaz gave me extreme moodiness, panic attacks about my future and life, and major depression. I did have the best skin of my life and lost about 5 lbs but I was an emotional MESS! I would cry at the drop of a hat and find fault in everyone and everything. This symptom didn't start right away but each month I was on Yaz got worse. My friends coined my "alter ego" "she devil." I almost felt possessed at times on this pill. I finally realized it was the pill and not life causing these problems when 3 of my girlfriends had the same problems and got off and the problems went away.

Prior to having this experience I thought people tried to blame too much on the pill but my experience showed me just how much these can mess with your body. I switched back to Alesse 5 days ago and it's like I am a different person--even my skeptical boyfriend noticed the change. As for the acne, I am going to go to a dermatologist to address that. I will be happy to have a few zits as opposed to being a crazy woman.

Proceed with caution on this pill and watch your moods carefully. Just because you've been on it for a few months doesn't mean you're safe. The majority of my emotional disorder started about 5 months in. I do have some girlfriends that like this but most have found it to bring out "she devil".

I went on NuvaRing in June or July 2005. and in may 2006 I started having eye pain behind my eyes, which i thought was my sinuses but it turns out it is posterior Scleritis, which is a form of localized autoimmune disease, which of course, the doctors know nothing about and cant treat unless I agree to take steroids all the time or Methotrexate (the same medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and which causes hepatitis as a side effect). no one has told me that the NuvaRing and Scleritis could be related but after reading the multitude of symptoms women have had on this site, i am starting to wonder if there is a relationship between the two. i have no history of anything like this, I'm 26 and otherwise very healthy.

I have been on the NuvaRing for about a year and a half now and it has been the best thing ever! I am a 20-year-old junior in college and had previously been on the pill since 8th grade due to the unbearable cramps I experienced. They kept me from going to school, participating in extra curriculars, and everything! I was literally bedridden for about four days every month. When I started college, and was out in a dorm on my own, there was was little to no stability in my schedule. I was forgetting to take that pill everyday and on tope of this, I was becoming sexually active. My risks of not taking my pill everyday at the same time were growing from just having cramps to actually having a baby! So I decided that there had to be an easier way, because I have heard so many horror stories from friends using condoms alone, and did not want to have one to add to the list.

In my freshman intro to biology class, the professor was going over the different types of birth control methods and discussed one that had just recently achieved FDA approval, and told us that we would start seeing commercials for it. It was the NuvaRing and I started a little research. I asked my doctor if it would be a good option for me, and she agreed, especially since she was going to discontinue writing prescriptions for the patch because of the high risk of blook clots. I picked up my prescription and was very scared because of the entry method. Didn't exactly want to put my finger inside, but "gotta do what ya gotta do."

I DID NOT experience any side effects that even compare to what these women have gone into detail about on this site, and my heart goes out to them. However, my chest grew a full cup size (hooray!) Definetly not a problem for me...it was a good day when I was at Victoria's Secret and explained to the saleswoman that I didn't understand why my bras weren't fitting as they usually did. She measured and indeed, had grown a full cup size, a very nice surprise when I had considered implants previously. I also have increased discharge but not a problem, I just use pantiliners. The increased discharge is not really a con to the NuvaRing, in fact I think it has increased my libido and my boyfriend's as well. No need for lube, it is all natural now (haha). Yes, the male can feel the ring during intercourse, and you can as well, but that is such a small price to pay for the peace of mind. It is never an issue for me or my boyfriend.

I recently thought of switching to an IUD, because of a commercial I saw on tv, about a five year plan. I don't want to have kids for at least another five years, but read about all of the side effects, including infertility, and that was enough to scare me away. I am perfectly happy with the NuvaRing but just wanted something I wouldn't have to worry about for five years.

Also mentionable, I gained a little more than the "freshman 15." It was the freshman 25 for me, and since switching to NuvaRing I have lost 15 lbs. Still not as small as I was in high school, but I am a happy 130 right now, and on my small 5'2" frame, it's not too bad. Don't really know if it was a result of the ring, but I didn't do any exercise, or much change to my eating habits (I have always eaten a tremendous amout of food!) I don't drink any carbonated drinks, only juices and water, but walking back and forth to class and the dorm might have something to do with it!

Just got back from doctor, blood pressure is normal.

Please don't think that the ring is terrible, yes some experience negative side effects, but not all. I love this thing, and will probably continue to use it until I am ready for a baby. I would recommend discussing it with your doctor first, and let them know at the first sight of any side-effects. Based off of my experience, I would suggest everyone get it, and I do to all my friends when they forget to take their pill.

I thought that been on the ring would be more covenient than taking Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo. And it is but, the headaches are too much for me. I only was on Nuvaring for 3 weeks and discontinue its use. I started feeling the side effects about 2 weeks after inserting it. I would be so hungry and my head would kill me. I thought maybe it was me, because I normally get headaches when I wait to long to eat. But these headaches were horrible. After I would eat I would still have a headaches, so I knew it had to be the ring. I also experienced excessive wetness and irritation. My ring would always come out. I tried to push it back in, but later in the day it would push its way back down. I waited until the third week to take it out and call my gyn to get back on the pill. The pill is inconevient since you have take it everyday, but I don't suffer from any side effects. Before using the ring recently, I was on the pill for 2 yrs with no problem. Everyones' body is different so use whatever works for you. But don't put yourself through unnecessary pain. If you are feeling awful discontinue it and try something else. There are like 15-20 different types of birth control. And please don't just not use anything unless you are planning to have a child. Good Luck to all!

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

I still think a class action lawsuit should be filed and this product taken off of the market, i felt like i lost 3 years of my life on this medication!! Not to mention i put my husband and daughter thru hell!!

I have been on Aviane for about six months and I too have experienced weight gain (after working very hard to get rid of it prior to going on Aviane...), mood swings, which are horrible just before and continue the first few days of my period, mild depression (probably a result of the weight gain), and similar pregnancy-type symptoms (swollen breasts, going to the bathroom more often, and cravings). This is the first month that I've put two and two together to recognize that the symptoms/side effects are probaby related to the birth control. I've been on so many different types of birth control, I really don't know what to switch to next. I know that I need a lo-dose of estrogen, because I frequently experience a lessened sex-drive on BC pills.