Birth Control Pills: BE CAREFUL.

JatieKo621

I was wondering if anyone had any horrible reactions/effects with certain pills. I was on EstroStep for years and years and basically could control when my periods were. I didn't have any terrible problems, just spotting once in awhile. I was spotting more and more and decided to try a new pill. My doctor prescribed a new pill, I went to the pharmacy, and they recommended me trying the generic form of it. I had bad problems with the generic version of EstroStep, but since this was an entirely new pill I decided to give it a shot. 4 months later I am SERIOUSLY regretting it.

I have been on Previfem now and am completely miserable. I have gained about 15 pounds, and it is REALLY difficult to lose a single pound. I used to be very successful at slimming down in a relatively short time frame, but lately it is not working at all. I don't completely blame the pill because my eating habits are not 100% perfect, but what used to work for me to lose weight is not working anymore at all. I have also had a period for 2 months now which is NOT normal (sorry TMI), I have had horrible headaches and cramps, and I have been ridiculously moody-I lately will cry over anything and that isn't like me. My libido is gone, I feel awful, and I just now realized it has been occurring in the same time frame as switching to this new pill..

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I will never again trust a generic form-its obvious there is something in them that I don't react well to...but has anyone taken this pill? I am so relieved to put two and two together, but what are other options?

JatieKo621

Also anyone on IUD or NuvaRing or anything else, do you think that is better than a pill? I really only used the pill for a regular schedule.....not for birth control.

Madame_Goldbricker

Also anyone on IUD or NuvaRing or anything else, do you think that is better than a pill? I really only used the pill for a regular schedule.....not for birth control.

I had an IUD, no weight gain, lighter periods, no side effects for me. Although if you don't have children they are less keen to fit it. However, they will if you press the issue. Also have a few friends who have had the arm implant. They also had no issues although if you have very thin arms it can sometimes be slightly seen under the skin. My best friend had it removed due to wanting to become pregnant. It took less than a month for her to conceive.

Athena98501

Also anyone on IUD or NuvaRing or anything else, do you think that is better than a pill? I really only used the pill for a regular schedule.....not for birth control.

My best friend had Mirena (IUD with hormones), and within 2 years, it had worked its way most of the way through the wall of her uterus. It required abdominal surgery to remove it, and the recovery was pretty miserable. I would never use our recommend an IUD knowing that.

enesamac

I was taking Levlen Birth control pill for 2 years and receiving my period twice a month and gained 10 kilos. If I hd known it would be like this, I wouldn't touch them

einzweidrei

I am on a generic because that's what my insurance will pay for and that's that. I have not had any issues.

I will say that I was taking a name brand (I forget which one) many years ago and then I was switched to a generic. I did not experience any changes when I switched. Eventually I was having some breakthrough so I switched to another generic that had a slightly more hormones than the one I was on (they were both low dose) and I've been on that one ever since.

soupandcookies

I am using the NuvaRing, and I've found it to be weight neutral so far (I'm 3 months in). I don't have to think about it more than twice a month, and I haven't really had any issues. The only thing i notice is that the day before my period, I have ridiculous fits of rage. It's kind of bizarre. But my periods are super short and light, and very predictable. I haven't had problems! Good luck!

attackhamster

I took Emoquette (generic from Apri) for about 6 months and it gave me deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. My side effects were life threatening! It didn't cause my to gain weight, or make my boobs grow, or get rid of my pimples, or change my mood much (it did help my PMS). It made me very sleepy, which was awesome, because I always have trouble falling asleep at night!

So now I can't take hormonal birth control ever again, which sucks. I'm looking at getting a copper IUD but I'm nervous about the side effects from that.

GingerLolita

I'm a Yaz, which I'm aware that there are lots of horror stories about, but it's the only thing that makes me functional during the week before my period. I tried the generic pill as an attempt to save money, but the problem with generic pills is that they only need to have the same active ingredient for the main purpose, which is birth control. My terrible periods came back, so I switched back after a few months. Of course, thanks to Obama's new health care plan, generic birth control is free now, which is great... But as a result, my insurance stopped covering my pills and they now cost me over $80/month.

I haven't really experienced any terrible side effects. Actually, I think I've gained weight in my boobs, which I'm totally fine with! They have become more sensitive though, which can be bothersome.

dakotababy

Copper IUD 100%. Never looking back to using hormones.

JoRocka

Which I know lots of women use, but it did not like me! I gained 9 lbs the first month. Nothing in my lifestyle had changed.

incorrect.

you don't magically gain weight. hormones might make you more lethargic- more hungry- more moody. But they don't magically make you gain weight- in order to gain weight- you have to eat more. Period.

If you gain weight on the pill- it's because you are eating more. Not trying to be nasty- but the pill causes all sorts of side effects- magical weight gain from no extra food isn't one of them. Moody? hormonal? hungry? depressed? sure lots of those things that drive us to eat- but it can't make you magically gain weight if you were eating at maintenance before you started.

VelveteenArabian

Periods are optional. Opt out! I've been period/PMS free for over 7 years and it's AWESOME!!

SoDamnHungry

Not all generics are bad. But obviously this one isn't working for you. There's tons of different pills you can switch to, so talk to your doctor immediately. No reason to keep feeling like crap.

redraidergirl2009

I've been on several I didn't like. Lo estestrin 24 fe was my favorite but was recently discontinued. I'm not on lo loestrin which is okay so far. They both have a very low dose of hormones and each pill has the same amount so that helps avoid weird side effects like mood swings. Most other pills change the dosage of hormones each week

lilbearzmom

I have had an IUD (copper, not Mirena) for 9.5 years with no problems. It's due to come out this summer, but I might just get another one. No hormones, no side effects, nada. I got it right after my now 9 year old was born.

DawnieB1977

I'm in England, so I don't know if you have the same pills in the US, but I used to take Cilest and never had any problems with it. It never made me gain weight. I think when I started taking it again after my first child to made my weight loss slow down a bit, but it never stopped it.

The pill is free in England.

Sylvitryinghard

I will start again bc my skin is going crazy and its making me nuts also period is like being totally really really sick for 2 days altho I take ppills. fck this **** i will take it again no matter what. just take care its a low dosed one then its ok my doc said...even after 10 years.

nikkylyn

I had bad reactions to all types of hormonal birth control. Pill made me sick to my stomach. I also used the ring and that was no different. IUD was bad.. I had it for 7 months. It actually made my hair fall out in clumps. I would get hot flashes. Example it was 20degrees out and I went outside in shorts/tshirt flip flops and was sweating while I was outside in the snow.. Omg I felt like freak....I no it was the bc cuz as soon as it was removed the hair loss stopped and all other symptoms stopped too. I thought about the paraguard cuz it has no hormones but I havent tried it yet.

Myhaloslipped

I gained weight with the Nuva Ring, and it also made me act insane by giving me extremely unpredictable mood swings. Eventually it gave me such horrible abdominal cramps that I was real close to possibly going to the hospital, but my dad wrote me a prescription for some powerful painkillers. The pain subsided throughout the night, and I felt much better after a couple of days. This all happened within two weeks of beginning it. Horrifying experience! However, I have some girlfriends who love the Nuva Ring. You just never know how your body will react.

indybost

My BC is amazing
sooo I cant. Relate to the side effects, I have gone thee a few different. Brands and this is what. Works for me! Its sprisingtec ...as. far as any weight gain on any pill, its not the actual pill puting on the pounds ..its the extra. Hormone in the pill that makes. U feel. Like ur hungry all the time, BC basically tricks ur body into. Thinking. It's. Pregnant, as long as u keep in mind that its the hormones. Maybe that will help ..ask outher dc to put u on something. Dif

Wenderzs

I've been on Nuvaring for close to a decade with no problems at all. Just make sure to mark a calendar or set a phone reminder to put it in a take it out. I get my weeks mixed up and find myself looking at a calendar thinking has it been 2 weeks, 3 weeks or 4 weeks? It's easy to forget when it's not part of a daily routine like the pill. I tried Seasonique for about 4 months once thinking that 4 periods instead of 12 per year would be nice, but I spotted the entire time and switched back to Nuvaring. My sister and best friend both have IUD and have had no problems with them. My sister has Paraguard, she doesn't have kids, but had crazy emotions with hormone birth control crying and sadness all the time, so she got the IUD. My best friend has 2 kids and IUD was best for her because she wasn't good at remembering to take the birth control. Not sure which kind of IUD she got. Another friend has been getting the Depo shot for about a decade and does not ever have periods. She worries that it may affect her ability to get pregnant when she is ready to, but really has no idea if it will at this point because she hasn't tried yet.