Spermicide symptoms and conditions

I am a 31 year old mother of a beautiful 13 month old daughter. From the age of 15 to age 23 I was on a birth control pill (I do not remember which one...I think it was Ortho Tri-Cyclen.). When I decided to stop taking the pill at age 23, I noticed a HUGE change in my personality. I felt much better/happier and had an increased sex drive. Going forward, I decided not to take hormones if I could help it.

Prior to the birth of my daughter, we tried the diaphram with spermicide and I had a reaction to the spermicide. My boyfriend would lose his erection any time we tried condoms. I did try the NuvaRing (hormones) and HATED that; it made me feel like my head was going to explode. I ended up pregnant, had my daughter and, after the birth of my daughter, tried the copper IUD. My body rejected that and it was a bad experience. I felt like I had no other choice, but to try the birth control pill again. I approached it with a positive attitude and was hopeful.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH LOESTRIN 24:

Dear women and concerned spouses,

Today is the sixth day I have been on Loestrin 24. I started taking YAZ and had diarrhea so bad that I had to switch after day two of taking the YAZ product. On day three, I started Loestrin 24 and (like I said previously) have been on it for almost a week. I went from being energetic, happy and sensual to the polar opposite.

The signs of depression and anxiety were almost immediate, but I was trying to give it a chance. It is not worth it to me any longer, as I have been upset with my boyfriend and crying almost every day. You might think it is coincidence, but it is not. I know my body and my mind; this behavior is not me. I have not been reacting rationally and I have been extremely emotional. I am an emotional person to some degree, but this is REDICULOUS. I have a constant feeling of irrational fear in our relationship and severe anxiety. I am aware enough to recognize that these feelings are not natural and that something is wrong and the problem is NOT with me.

The first day I took Loestrin 24, I had the shakes and felt very cold. Anxiety accomodated these physical effects. The second day of taking the YAZ product, I noticed a cramp in my right leg. By the time I was into my second day of Loestrin 24, I felt an aching in both my legs and lower back pain...both of which have NOT gone away. My periond stopped by the second day on YAZ, but started again with the first pill of Loestrin 24. This may be due to a change in pills, but it has not stopped since.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sadness and unusual behavior, or even a relapse in depression, the birth control pill may have something to do with it. I have been doing quite a bit of research on all birth control pills and the effects of depression that they have on women. I am speaking from experience and, so far, Loestrin 24 has been the worst at causing me symptoms of fear, depression, anxiety and just an overall helpless feeling. These leg cramps have me fearing blood clots, as well. Some of the other women on here have noted these leg and back pains, as well.

If I could find a non-hormonal solution to birth control (other than abstinence) I would use it.

Some women do fine on the pill and, obviously, some do not. I say, "Give it a try!", but listen to your body and that little voice in your head telling you that something might be wrong...it is usually right.

Ladies,

God gave us all that "little voice inside" that we call a woman's intuition. LISTEN TO IT! Unfortunately, I did not when it came to choosing Mirena as my first and only choice of birth control since I was a young teen first experimenting with sex. Well now, I am a day away from my 31st birthday and have been married to my high-school sweetheart for ten-plus years. After two kids and a miscarriage of twins, I decided I just didn't want to go through pregnancy again. So, little ol' me decided to be hip and choose a form of birth control that allowed me to be free and not have to worry about the likes of condoms...or spermicide...or those wretched birth control pills. If only I knew back then what I know now, however.

I first got Mirena inserted the end of March 2007. Since then, my sex life with my husband suffered dramatically, because, first, I bled inconsistently (that is, I didn't know when my period was going to show up---every week, every two weeks, etc.); second, when my period did show up, it would last 8-11 days; and third, the wire attached to the device was painfully uncomfortable for my husband during sex to where we were limited to just a few positions, which made for a pretty mundane sex life.

From a health standpoint, like so many other posters, I suffered severe hair loss. It had gotten to the point where I literally had a receding hair line and had to wear very weird-looking bangs just to cover up my hair loss.

I stayed bloated and on edge from the anxiety I felt from feeling like the start of my period was just imminently hanging over my head, because it seemed as though I was always on it (because I did bleed more times times than not).

The weight gain was horrible. I always felt insatiably hungry and looked up one day and realized I was a size 16...and barely squeezing into my clothes. I went on a diet, which went fine. However, I ended up coming to a standstill even after increasing and intensifying my exercise and lowering my calorie intake even more than I had. NO ONE 'til the day I die will be able to convince me it wasn't Mirena's fault for causing the initial weight gain and later stagnating my progress to lose weight.

And, yes, there was a change in my personality. I went from a laid-back, independent, self-sufficient woman to one who was totally clingy, overbearing, and extremely jealous. But then, I turned into the worst person I had ever seen myself becoming: I then turned into a woman who just wanted to be by herself. And so, I was one phone call away from hiring a divorce attorney and leaving my husband and kids, because I just couldn't handle my every day life as it was. I did not know what was going on with me; I just knew I found myself having a total change of heart about everything in my life, even though my life was a pretty dang good one, according to all of my friends and family and even people on the street who would observe how well my husband treated me.

Enough was enough, and I finally had Mirena taken out Friday, July 11, 2008, at approximately 11:00 AM!

My life has totally changed.

No lies. No embellishments. No exaggerations. I lost three pounds by that Tuesday, July 15. So, my efforts to reach my weight loss goal don't seem so futile now. Furthermore, my husband and I are as happy together as we were back when we were in high school; and, I can't even imagine not having the kids and him in my life. Oh, and my hair.... I no longer have a receding hair line. It's still going through that annoying growing-out phase, but at least it exists again!!!

Looking back, particularly at some of these posts, something told me I was in for a nightmare come to life when my doctor was amazed at how I felt hardly any pain while he inserted Mirena. And even now how he and his nurse act totally shocked and surprised at all of the problems that I had while using Mirena just sickens me to the point of wanting to punch something. These medical professionals know. They get very nice perks for being in cahoots with these drug representatives and manufacturers by going along with making us, the patients, guinea pigs. Such low-life scum! I am hurt and totally pissed off by the whole thing. But still, I am thankful my life has returned to normal since having Mirena taken out.

Nevertheless, be warned! Mirena is a steep, pricey sentence on one's life. So, you'd better be prepared.

so i posted on here a week ago to see if i was going crazy. turns out i wasn't. i have had this horrible mirena for a month now and the side effects are not getting better so i called the doctor today and said i wanted it out. the girl that answered the phone put me on hold went to talk to the doctor and said the doctor was going to call me and she scheduled me a day to get it out. the doctor called me this evening asked me what was going on and i told her that i was feeling really depressed, having a hard time sleeping, horrible back pain that my kidneys hurt and that i was sick of this bc and want it out. she told me that the mirena should not be causing these side effects that that it had to be something else. i told her that i have never had these issues before getting the mirena. i don't see why all these doctors think we are the ones that are going nuts. what is the big deal in wanting it taken out if its not right for you? she finally agreed to take it so i have an apt thurs so we shall see if i go back to being NORMAL after its removed. i will keep you posted.

also does anyone know of any other bc that does not have a risk for blood clots? that was the whole reason for me being put on mirena cause there was no risk for that. i have had them in the past from and IV and no doctor will put me back on normal bc.

Friends,
I've posted on this twice before. I was on the ring for nearly 2 years before I got off this past February when I discovered this site. I have to say I feel sooooo much better. Currently, I'm not on any birth control (we use condoms and spermicide) and I love being myself and being normal. While I gave up convenience and a relative peace of mind, I also gave up a decreased loss in sex, dryness, mood swings, fogginess, and putting my health at risk etc.

I still have numbness in my legs especially at night (RLS was ruled out) but it's much better than months ago. I never had this before I started the Ring.

I worry about others because I didn't know my side effects were caused by the Ring. And my obgyn made me feel like an idiot when I suggested it. But getting off the Ring was the best choice. I have my health, my sex drive, and natural lubrication not to mention a great relationship with my boyfriend (when you lose interest in sex obviously your partner is going to take it personally).

If you have NO side effects and are confident the Ring will not affect you then by all means go for it. But if you have doubts look into it. Trust your instinct and take care of your health. There's no point in taking birth control if it's going to kill you (figuratively or literally).

I'm looking forward to being healthy again and I hope that you all are safe.

I've posted several times before, but it ahs been a while since I've updated on here. So a recap: Almost 33, have 3 kids(ages 13,11,and 7) Had insert on 12/27/07 after having used depo for many years with no major side effects...issues continually worsened over next few months. Had removal early May, 2008. Several issues cleared up within the first few weeks after removal, such as the joint pain, swelling, heartburn. Brain fog and moodiness became much better. Libido returned gradually as well. But I still have had no success in losing the weight gained over the last 6 months. Still 30 pounds heavier thatn was at insertion...increased workouts, decreased caloric intake, only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months. Family doc even put me on meds to help with the weight loss, and they had opposite effect...I actually was hungry all the time and felt completely stoned! Acne still unrelieved to the point that I know have an appointment for a 2nd dermatologist as my first one ran out of options for me! Completely unable to clear up my face. Family doc wants to put me on antidepressants, but I don't' think that's the answer. Plus after all the problems I've had...don't trust a whole lot of meds anymore...especially ones that are known for reducing your libido! (Plus after all this and to STILL be overweight with acne...he'd be pretty depressed too!) Bloodwork all came back fine...actually a "Picture of perfect health!" The only thing he did say was that my testosterone level, although in normal range, was at the high end of normal. However, as I'm still young 30's, no one tested my hormone levels before...so I don't know what is normal for me. Will be talking to him about using an anti-androgen, like aldactone, to see if that will help. Not using any form of hormonal birth control any longer. As old-fashioned as it is...I now use a diaphragm and spermicide...and I'm actually pretty happy with it. I'm happy for all those ladies who had a flat belly again within a few weeks, and their faces cleared up almost instantly...but I must admit I'm jealous. I wish it was that easy for me. Good luck to all of you. Will post again in the future.

after serious weighing of the pros and cons of this IUC, my husband and i have decided to have it removed. I have an appointment on 3/20. i will let you know of the effects of the removal as well as an update on the release of side effects. I am hoping to be relieved of most within the first 3 months. hopefully i will loose weight, gain better skin, start new hair growth, be relieved of my daily constant heartburn, clear up my constant yeast infections, become less dry, and my husbands favorite, TAKE BACK my sex life. again, i will keep you updated on my recovery.

as for our new form of birth control; we are staying away from hormones. we are going to trust condoms and spermicide, along with watching my ovulation cycle. this will be much more thought then i have had to put into the Mirena, but it will not only help me feel normal again, but strengthen my marriage. to all of you that are wondering if you should remove it, my thought is yes. i miss my old self and i want to regain the control of my body from this terrible device that seemed so wonderful at first. thank you to everyone who posted. you have confirmed to me that it is the IUC and not me.

I got my IUD placed in about april of 07 i have seen than experience crazy skin problems such as ance i've never had a problem with ance and i'm 25 i have very bad mood changes that are unexplainable now that i have reread the side effects of Mirena i now know why all the side effects began around the same time and now i'm figuring out why! I will be getting it removed. Has anyone else experience really bad mood swings i was so ready to get on depression medications now i'm going to get it removed and will take it from there!!! Please let me know if i'm not the only one

I am a 44 year old widow with 2 children. I had used bc pills throughout my adult life with no problems. I never had a regular cycle, so being on the pill always solved my biggest problems. After starting a new relationship I decided that nuvaring sounded like an ideal birth control to use--worry about it once a month, very low dosage-lower than any pill I ever took. I was told that it doesn't cause weight gain or moodiness. Since I recently lost 24 lbs. I was glad to hear that. I started using it on Saturday. The next day I woke up with a rash on my chest and neck. I didn't associate it with the ring until I found this forum and started reading. I was using calamine lotion on the rash, but it wasn't going away. I took the ring out last night, and this morning it was almost gone and it stopped itching all together. I can't prove that there's a direct correlation, but I'm not taking any chances.
For those of you who are young and haven't started a family yet, I say stick to condoms and spermicide. Not as romantic, but it probably won't kill ya either!

ok, i feel better. i am almost finished with my first month of this bc and i thought that i have got to be pregnant, with the mood swings, depression, headaches, fatigue, HUGE boobs, and nausia. i guess these symptoms are common. i also had bleeding for about two weeks after i started taking these pills. i am going to stick to spermicide i think.

I had to stop taking Yasmin after six weeks (a pack and a half). I had been on Ortho 777 for about 20 years was experiencing severe PMS symptoms for 14 days per month. So, the doc switched me to Yasmin. I had severe diarrhea for the entire six weeks and lost eight pounds that I didn't need to lose. I looked and felt so very ill. I had no appetite and was nauseated all of the time. By the last few days, I was experiencing panic attacks at night. I was extremely dehydrated, my skin was dry and lips were chapped. By the second pack of pills, the veins in my lower left leg began to pop out, and I was experiencing a warm sensation along the side of my shin--not warm to the touch, but warm from the inside out. After one final night of violent diarrhea and anxiety, I threw out the pills. After the first pack I phoned the doc's office and the nurse told me that it usually takes two to three months for a woman's body to adjust to a new pill. But these side effects were much too much to handle. Now that I've been off of them for a few days, my appetite is back, BMs coming back to normal, and I feel like a fog has been lifted from my brain. Not sure if it was the drug itself or the dehydration, but I was so listless and out of it. I'm coming back to my normal self, and I am very grateful for it. No more artificial hormones for me; my body needs to heal. Old fashioned condoms, spermicide, and hope that my 42-year-old ovaries are petering out.

I have been on the Nuva ring for 8 months, I cannot take it any longer. The effects for me have been horrible. Here's the list:
Extreme mood swings
Anger for no reason or petty reasons
Any excuse to vent the anger, fights with loved ones.
Severe Depression, I have actually had sucidal thoughts.
Severe headaches and Migraines
Extremely hightened emothions
Crying all the time and for little or no reason.
Weight gain, and that's just a few!!!
As an insight of who I was before I started using the Ring. I was happy and fun, my moods never lashed back and forth with such force. I have never been depressed and for me to think of suicide is absolutely absurd, I have always been against, I think that is the most selfish thing anyone could ever do. As far as emotions go...I have always been an insecure person, as much as most women. But, like this..no way. Every emotion known to human kind was just magnified to the 1000th power. It's insane what these hormones can do to a womans body!!! They can make us think we're crazy. We should all be warned. I have stopped the Nuva Ring and am now using a diaphram and spermicide. It has only been a short while and I feel so much better, I smile now. To anyone who is using the ring and feels the way I felt, in my opinion...take it out NOW. Don't wait it only gets worse.

Nausea...not vomiting yet. i was told by a doctor to take doxycycline for an infection in my vagina (caused by some spermicide that i wont name)...have to take it twice a day for ten days. also i'm on zyrtec for the itching...so i dont know if that has an effect on anything.