Preventing pregnancy symptoms and conditions

I started the Yaz . First BC ever for me , Im 38. I did try the Nuva Ring once but stopped after 2 weeks because of a burning sensation down there. So, not ever searching symptoms, side effects on line ever for any BC I decided to take this Yaz , recommended by my doctor explaining if I had PMS , Yaz may ease that as well. Ok, sounds great. Also I was told Yaz had a diuretic in it too , which was a plus to me because I tend to hold water , bloat a lot during the month. So, Im happy go lucky thinking wow, this is great. My face cleared up , I felt the bloat going away, Boy was I in for a surprise !
The second month of a pack is when I went down hill and fast ! Depression hit me so fast out of no where...I never had a clue a BC could do this ! I started having bad dreams every night. Bad headaches. Like the kind where I was holding my hand to my head constantly. Emotional. Snappy , grouchy. Irritated , impatient with my boys. I felt like ripping my hair out. Weird I was.....then is when I stared doing research online.
This is so sad to me , now I think of all the sweet young girls getting on these and feeling these side effects and not even knowing it is the BC. I have boys but I would be devastated if I had a daughter and had to worry about preventing pregnancy. I stopped taking them and had the Essure done to avoid ever ever having hormones in me again. I am so so sorry for the millions of women who have been on BC and had to suffer from this. It is not you , you cant help be witchy....it is the BIRTH Control !!

I started taking Yasmin 7 months ago, and although many of the side-effects I experienced in the first months are gone, some have been chronic and are making me question whether or not I want to continue taking this medication. I am currently uninsured, so each month when I go to the pharmacy, I feel a pang of guilt when I hand the pharmacist my $50, because I'm starting to realize that the negatives of Yasmin FAR outweigh the positives.

Positives--Considerably better skin, larger/firmer breasts, and effective in preventing pregnancy.

Negatives--I had irregular bleeding which continued throughout the first 3 months. Once that stopped, I developed chronic vaginal moniliasis which combined with a decreased libido has virtually ruined my sex life. On top of this, I often get feelings of hopelessness which interfere with my performance in school and work. Although it may be unrelated, I have noticed accelerated tooth decay in my front row of teeth--which may or may not be related. All in all, I'm very dissatisfied. I was originally drawn to Yasmin because of its "fewer side effects" claim. Now I wonder why I am even prescribed to birth-control when I'm not even having sexual intercourse anymore.

I had Mirena inserted Oct 3, 2008 six weeks after having my first child. I too really wish i had done my homework. My side effects were little things and i really wasn't sure if i wanted to have it removed since it does work and i enjoyed not having a period. But in the end i decided that the fatigue, hair-loss, acne, headaches, inability to lose my pregnancy weight and last but not least, my mood swings were all hindering my daily life more than i realized. i feel ugly due to the acne, thinning of my hair, and because im stuck at 170 lbs and i'm only 5 ft tall. i didn't want to go out in public. I was so so tired all the time for no reason. i feel more tired than i did being 6 months pregnant in the military working 15 hour days with only one 10 minute break an hour to sit with anemia. it just isnt fair to my daughter that i can't give her the attention she deserves. So, March 2nd i finally got it removed. The removal didn't hurt. My period came immediately. It's only been three days and my acne is about 60% clearer. Unfortunately the headaches continue. I still feel tired, but it hasn't been as severe. I really can't wait to get back to feeling like my old self. It's been so long. Now my dilemma is what to do about preventing pregnancy. I've never used any bc besides condoms but my husband and I don't really enjoy sex with them but i'm afraid after this experience to use any other kind of hormonal bc. Any suggestions???

Hi all...

Well, I first posted when I got the Mirena out on Feb 13th and I just wanted to give an update.

I am STILL having migraine type headaches and a "morning sickness" of sorts. The moodiness is NO MORE! YIPEE!!!

I was wondering if anyone can share what their periods were like after taking it out? I'm late this month and I figured I might be. I've actually been having so many pregnancy type symptoms (which are recorded side effects of Mirena) that I took a pregnancy test and it came back negative.

My doctor told me that Mirena can be ineffective at preventing pregnancy in the first 10 days and she told me to use condoms during that time. However, my dh and I did have unprotected sex once during the first 10 days after the bleeding subsided. So, I guess it's in the back of my head that there could be a pregnancy. I guess what is concerning me the most is that the doctor said that IF you do become pregnant on Mirena that the egg would never be able to settle in the uterus and it would stay in the tubes and be fertilized there which leads to ectopic pregnancy. I know that's more than likely not the case, but being that it was suspected that I've already had an ectopic pregnancy ( i lost it too early to truly know) I'm kind of concerned.

Anyone have anything like pregnancy happen after Mirena???? Or ON Mirena? I know they say it's as effective as tubes tied, but I'm just curious.
And how are the cycles after Mirena? Anyone notice a difference in length?

Thanks for all your support and encouragement ladies :-)
YOUR WONDERFUL!

I forgot to add about my hair loss--a 32 year old woman should not be losing her hair! Mirena was effective at preventing pregnancy, and it is nice not to have a period, but the price you pay in side effects is NOT worth it!

Pregnant or not pregnant?

After reading the posts from women who have had negative experiences with mirena, it has helped me know I am not alone.

I had the mirena inserted three months after the birth of my second son at the end of 2006.

Everything "seemed" great. My periods were lighter, sometimes only spotting. And the mirena was preventing pregnancy which was why I had it inserted. I wanted a tubal, but my obgyn recommended mirena instead, saying she had it and it was great.

After over indulging at Christmas, I decided to do a bit of dieting right after. The number on the scale has gone down, but my belly size has increased significantly, and so have my boobs.

My period stopped completely in August or September. I was told this would happen, and I was glad not to get it. I'm not so sure now.

I have all of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy (I feel just like I did when I was pregnant with each of my sons). I can't get through the night without getting up to pee at least a couple of times. My boobs are sore and sensitive. I've had headaches. My lower back is killing me. I feel nauseous in the mornings. I'm ravenously hungry at times. I'm sooo tired. I feel little flutterings in my belly. My pre-existing stretch marks have stretched even more and are itchy as heck.

Two hpt's have shown negative results. I'm making an appointment today to see my gp and find out what's going on.

I used to be nicer than nice and noticed after the birth of my second son I lost a lot of my niceness. At first I thought it was post partum, and when my nasty spells continued, I chalked it up to having two little ones to keep up with and being tired and all. I NEVER tied it in with mirena. Now I see my moodiness is possibly related to it.

I had commented to my husband one day before Christmas that I was feeling really bitchy, and he commented, "you're always bitchy". His comment shocked me. He told me I'm mean. This so does not describe the person I used to be. I want the old me back. This isn't fair to me, my husband or my boys.

Also, since giving birth to my second son, I have had body aches like you would not believe. When I get up in the mornings or after having sat for a spell, my body (feet, legs, back, arms - everything) hurts. Once I've limbered up, I'm okay until the next time I sit or lie down. Again, I never tied this in with mirena.

If I'm pregnant, mirena didn't do its job, so I'll have it removed and after the baby is born, either have a tubal like I had originally wanted, or convince my husband to get a vasectomy.

If I'm not pregnant, I will still have the mirena removed, because these are side effects I can do without and I want my life back.

I am currently on Loestrin 24, and have been for four months. The first month, I experienced breakthrough bleeding after two weeks, then it went away a couple days later and I had a very, very light period. Then, The second month, everything went well and I had a normal period. In the third month, I experienced a light period, again. Then, in the fourth month, i experienced the weirdest things yet. Now, keep in mind I was stressed out from moving, but I had a full-fledged period in the second week of my pills. Then, things were off and on because I kept on taking it late, or forgetting until the next morning, for three days. Then, because of this, I had a light, ovulation period again, like not even a period at all. Finally, when I did get to my brown pills, I did not even have a period, except for some spotting (again) on the last brown pill. i still have it now, although I haven't taken the first white pill of the next month yet. I am really quite aggravated, and worried that it isn't working and will not do it's job at preventing pregnancy. I have also been experiencing sharp headaches since taking the pill, loss in appetite for sex, moodiness, and bitchiness the day before I get my period, and most recently, for the past two nights, I have not been able to sleep.

I just got this pill from my doctor today!!!!! but i am afraid to take it reading all these comments. I started birth control when I was 16. My doctor first gave me the orthro patch. I took it till I was 22 and had major mood swings depression and bad anger problem. Everyone thought it was just that I was a bitch and there was nothing I could do. I knew it had to be the birth control so I asked my doctor (a different doctor since I moved) and she said that the patch is very bad and doctors have now come to realize it puts to much of the hormone in your body. That is what was causing me to go insane. I then switched to the NuvaRing . IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! I had the same mood problems ( a little less dramatic) but I felt like the ring was cutting my insides. I could feel it everyday putting pressure inside me. It made me lose my sex drive and it even came out one time during sex which my fiancee found weird for a ring to pop out of me lol. Now today I went to the doctor to switch birth control again and she gave me Loestrin 24. I am kind of afraid to take this because everyone has problems and when I read all the comments it sounds like every possible birth control out this is making every women go completely insane. Any advice from someone would be good. Should I stay in the crazy birth control world and give this pill a shot or should I give up birth control all together?

I have been on this pill for almost two years. After a pregnancy mishap on my last pill the doctor put me on this as it is more effective at preventing pregnancy in women who weigh more than 170 lbs. Well I have gained about 25 lbs on it over the past 2 years and can not lose it. I am constantly crampy and crabby and just overly emotional with extreme mood swings. I have not gotten a period in over a year and the doctor doesn't seem to think that is a problem. I too take multiple preg tests just to be sure. I am going to be going off this pill.

I used the Nuvaring for over two years. I absolutely loved the convenience of it, and for a while, everything else. I had always had a little PMDD/PMS on hormonal BC, but over for the last 8 months or so I was on the NR it had gone from one or two days a month feeling a little wacky, to a week, to two weeks, then to feeling like that ALL the time. My self esteem was shot, I could rarely feel really happy or excited about anything, my sex drive had finally started to go, and it go so bad that one day I couldn't even get out of bed. I am pretty in-tune with my body and I knew this wasn't normal at all. It had started to affect my relationships with friends, and most importantly my wonderful boyfriend. I wasn't the confident, fun girl he fell in love with...I was a crybaby with self esteem issues and severe mood swings. So, I decided to stop using the Nuvaring for good about a month and a half ago. I have PCOS so it was "regulating" my cycles as well as preventing pregnancy, but I did a lot of research and decided to try and treat my PCOS with diet, exercise and supplements. I have already had one whole cycle off the ring, and I feel amazing. My body is doing what it is supposed to do, naturally, without synthetic hormones dictating what my female parts do. I am not depressed, my self esteem and motivation have returned and I feel HAPPY again. It's like a cloud was lifted from me or something. I can hardly describe the difference.

I know to some women, this may sound a little exaggerated, but the ring really was making me severely depressed. So, if you're one of the women who are affected this way, stopping it may help. I had my doc fit me for a diaphragm, and though it's a little weird at first, I love it and so far it works great for us. Hormonal BC only masks the symptoms of my PCOS, so I believe treating it the natural way will be a lot better for me.

This list of side effects helped me tremendously when I was researching my depression and going off the ring. Good luck to any of you other ladies who are going through that! It will get better :)

I'm 32 years old and have three young children (5, 2 1/2, and 1). I had the Mirena inserted October 30, 2007. I've experienced heart palpitations, moodiness, anger, anxiety and panic attacks. I've also experienced periods of dizziness and feeling off-balance. When I started having palpitations I immediately called my gyno and asked if it could be the Mirena and he said flat-out "NO" and to call my family doctor to find out the cause. I even went to the ER and thought I was having a stroke or something (dizziness, blurred vision, numbness in face) and they told my it sounded like anxiety and prescribed Atavan. I've never experienced anxiety before and figured it was just because I was at home with my kids or was nervous about returning to work in a few months. After reading the other stories posted here, I know I'm not alone. I'm not crazy after all. My instincts told me - right from the start - that it is the Mirena. But I listened to my doctors instead. I'm calling my gyno today to see when I can get this thing taken out. Hopefully, my feelings of anxiety, worry and panic disappear and I get back to normal.

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

I posted a question to anyone who used Tri-Sprintec before, but now it's been several months & I'd like to let everyone else know how it's worked for me! Tri-Sprintec has been the best birth control I've ever taken. I have been on other birth controls over the years, and up to this point Yasmin was good but I still had some side effects. I've just started my fourth month on Tri-Sprintec, and I feel more like myself again. I don't have any crazy mood swings, my skin has cleared up, my periods are regular again & my appetite has gone back to normal. I recommend Tri-Sprintec to anyone who is looking for an affordable & reliable birth control (it's offered at the Wal-Mart pharmacy for $9 a month if you don't have insurance.)

I've been on the NR for about 6 months now.
Now that I'm reading all the comments, I see that my migraines, lack of sex drive (NR kills your sex drive, therefore it is doing a good job of preventing pregnancy :-), bloated feeling, sharp abdominal pain - like someone stabbed me from inside, pain during sex (so we can only do certain positions) ... can all be attributed to NR. I also experienced that my natural D cup breast feel like DD because they are constantly swollen. I'm off the NR for about a month, strangely my migraines disappeared entirely and I do not have to take Excedrin migraine every other day. I'm going to my doc to check out my ovaries since I think that the sharp pain is related to perhaps some cyst.
I'm not sure what will I use in the future as BC... I'll probably try this new minipill called Cerazette, it is a pill without oestrogen.

I am at the end of my third month for Yasmin... I was on Ovcon before that for four months but it was not helping my periods. My whole point of getting on the pill was to regulate my periods, and help with the intense pain... Since Ovcon didn't work I was put on Yasmin which has regulated me to the tee... However, all sex drive is gone, I get opthamalic (sp) migraines...headaches... My husband says I'm moody and he blames the pill for everything... I didn't even know I was being moody and now I can tell that my attitude has changed....but I can't go back to how my periods were before...they were just awful and I had them every two weeks for 7 - 10 days at a time.... The sex drive is the biggest issue with me...I already had gotten the weight gain from the Ovcon and my face looked like I was 16 (I'm 29)... Yasmine has cleared up my face though.... If there was a way to get my sex drive back I would love it...I can deal with the other affects. But there are side effects to every pill. I would not use the pill merely for birth control. In fact my husband and I had been using Natural Family Planning which had been working out great...with the exception that I was bleeding half my life away.... It's not worth it to go through all the side effects when there are many other ways of preventing pregnancy.