Desogen and gyno

all i can say is THIS PILL SUCKS. i stupidly kept taking it for 6 months and since probably the 2nd month i have had horrible vaginal dryness, very bad mood swings, stomach pains, cramps when i get my period and depression. the only severe side effect is the dryness. when i want to have sex i cant because it hurts too much. my boyfriend and i have tried about 8 different kinds of lube and all different brands but nothing is working, we always have to re-apply which kills the mood quickly. spit is an excellent lube for a 5-minute quickie before work but other than that its useless and i don't want to only have quickies the rest of my life! i am only 20 and i am like a dried up old well! luckily i am going to the gyno Friday and telling her i want off this pill!!!!

I went on Apri almost a year ago and had no weight gain, no breakthrough bleeding, virtually no side effects until this summer. I started having anxiety and panic attacks during my spring semester (I'm now a senior in college) and although I usually deal with stress pretty well, I thought that it was just because I was having a rough semester.

But in the past two months I've had a consistent nervous stomach and I've lost almost 15lbs from not being able to eat as much (not a good thing, I'm already a little underweight for my height). I started to have mood swings and that led straight into depression, so bad that even on vacation in Aruba I cried almost every day and night. I felt pathetic and anti-social and angry and basically scared that I'd never come out of this "phase." I called a therapist but couldn't even follow through with that. Then last week I went to the emergency room for severe stomach pain and they did some bloodwork and sent me home because "nothing was wrong." I'm also breaking out, which hasn't happened since I was like 15. Finally I went to a gyno who said this could all be side effects from the pill. If that's true than this all could have been prevented, and that upsets me greatly, but I also feel relieved that this might be over soon.

Everyone is different but if anyone is feeling things like this on Apri, see a doctor because it might be as simple as changing the pill or going off of it completely, which I plan on doing asap. Sorry but using condoms is better than being physically and mentally unstable.

I stopped taking Desogen two months ago after being on it for about 3 years (just wanted to take a break from pills). When I first started taking it, my skin stopped breaking out (face and body acne), which was nice, but my lips were dry and irritated for the first few months. My breasts increased in size slightly---they seemed to be more full (they returned to normal size one month after I stopped taking it). I gained about 10-15 pounds in the first few months, which made me feel bulky everywhere (even arms). This weight did not come off when I stopped taking it, but it seems that the weight has shifted to my mid section. Not pleasant. I was extremely irritable while taking this pill, and found it hard to contain anger once I started feeling upset (very short temper). I wasn't so much depressed, it was more that I didn't enjoy things as much as I used to. I also started getting horrible HORRIBLE premenstral abdominal pain/cramping over the last year while taking the Desogen. My sex drive decreased greatly during the first 3-4 months while taking it, but it did return (never as strong as before though). Other observations that I've made since being OFF this pill: change in overall body odor (body odor was almost non-existant while on the pill), vaginal dryness immediately after periods, skin started breaking out everywhere about 1.5 months after stopping, irregular periods (start time and length), I feel much more happy/relaxed, incredibly severe yeast infection 2 months after stopped (none during 3 years taking it), pregnancy-like symptoms during pre-menstral time (first two periods after stopped taking). I guess I am shocked at how much pills can affect the body. I am afraid to start taking it again --even if my skin was beautiful. My doctor gave me a perscription for a lower estrogen pill, but I haven't started it yet--- I just feel so unsure about this whole birth control method now. I hope this helps someone make a decision if nothing else!

I'm wondering how many of you are using the generic. Most pharmacies don't want you to know this, but it IS different from the name brand -- "Desogen." I have experienced lethargy, weight gain, bloat, etc. with the generic, but the real thing has not let me down and now I demand it. I suggest you inquire as to which you are getting because you may have better luck on the name brand than the generic. By the way, my gyno. said he heard similiar complaints about the Desogen generic from other women.

I've been on Desogen for two months now and am switching to another pill. Biggest complaint is MAJOR mood swings. Angry, pick fights with my husband, cry for no reason, and the feeling that I can't stop myself once I'm set off. It's horrible! Only good thing is it made my breasts swell a cup size, but it was very painful. My gyno told me this pill and breast tenderness can be affected by caffeine. I'd rather give up the pill than my morning cup of java!