What birth control are you on? Does it work with you?

HMToomey

I won't go on anything. I was on yaz and I dealt with kidney stones and gall stones. You ever pass a gall stone ON YOUR OWN while waiting for surgery. No, condoms work and they don't mess with my hormones or my organs!

OspreyVista

I use the nuva ring. It works fantastically for me. I never ever forget to take it out and put it in. When I tried the pill I ALWAYS forgot it and everyone I know who uses/used the pill ends up pregnant, so I don't trust it. I've done the patches, they make me get rashes and make me sick, so I can't do them. Don't like them advertised on my body anyways. I've also done the Depo shot. However, It made me really sick with it and nauseous. Also, the major side effect of it that really made me stop it is that it's been known to cause infertility after 6 months. As I already show signs that I might have that problem, I don't want to take something that has that side effect in it. I'm scared to do the one t thing (forget the name of it) inside me as I've heard 10% of women get their insides messed up from it not being inserted correctly. I stick with the nuva ring because it works for me, and there are no side effects that show up for me with it.

Missklara

i'm on lindynette and i have no side effects and no weight gain

melduf

Love my Mirena. $25 co pay for placement and 5 years of easy control. No pills, no rings, no mood swings, no wt gain, no babies.

Mirena was hell for me! I had severe cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. The doc gave me anti-inflammatory 2 x 10 days with little results. I asked her to remove it after 3 months.

My first pill was Marvelon. Took 20 lbs. Switched to Yaz; it gave me water rentention. Tri-cyclen low was fine for a while, until I started having migraine with auras (visual phenomenon occuring before the migraine). Women with those can't take the pill. I refused depro because I was too scared of gaining weight like with Marvelon. Tried the mini pill, and I was spotting almost every day... That's when I tried Mirena. After that I went for good ol' condoms. And then decided to try to get pregnant. And now I don't have to worry for the next 8 months about either contraception or periods!

PBsMommy

So many brand names here, I don't know what's what! (I'm also British which probably doesn't help matters either!)

I'm on Microgynon and I'm one of those weird people who has fairly few side effects. No weight gain, and I'm only moody on the third and fourth days of a new strip, after that I feel like it actually stablises my mood!

I'm thinking of moving to IUD though because it's killing my libido and that upsets me but the risk of heavier periods and worse cramps scares me because my cramps were already bad enough before I started taking the pill, so I don't know what to do about it.

Everyone acts different. I have the paraguard and my cramps are actually sooooo much better with it in vs before and my periods stayed the same. However, I have a friend who has it as well and she says her cramps are about the same (really bad on the second day of cycle) but her flow is a little heavier.

ninaquelinda

If you don't ever want to be pregnant or are done having kids, there is a procedure called Essure. I had it done in oct 2006 (along with Novasure which is burning out your uterus). With Essure, they put rods into your fallopian tubes. Best two things I ever had done!!!!

Same here, but just the Essure for me, I didn't need Novasure. Def the way to go when you are done having kids!

DisneyAddictRW

Dr's said due to hubby's cancer tests showed he couldn't have kids. That was our form of birth control....TILL six months later we found out I was expecting! Yep tests were wrong and we had what they called a "miracle" baby. Two years later we had another "miracle" baby! We said the hell with dr's and I got fixed! (PS - I love my kids they were wonderful surprises!)

kr1stadee

I have the Mirena. Got in placed in September, right when I started here. No weight gain, the odd spotting, the odd mood swing, the odd cramp, but that's it!

Now, I haven't had a period in a month or so, but I'd assume that it's just me getting used to the IUD.

When I turn 30 (in just over 2 years), I would like to have a tubal done.

ggsmamma

I have Paragurad, a non-hormonal, copper, IUD. I LOVE IT!
No b!tchy mood swings
Still a nympho
Haven't gained weight from it
up to 10 years of worry free BC

And contrary to what they said, my periods are no heavier than before and they last the same length as before (4days).

Ha. I could have written this word for word! I love the copper IUD. It is great. Some insurance will pay for it but mine did not and it was about $700 here in Alaska.

Itssojen

I'm on the Ortho Evra patch. I was on a variety of different pills previously. I really like the patch because it is hidden except for the person it's intended for and I only have to worry about it once a week. I never had issues remembering the pill, but I just got sick of taking it everyday. I had some spotting about 2 weeks in, but that was it. I haven't gained weight from it, and I cramp most of the month anyway, so I can't say that the cramping I'm having is from the patch. Overall, I would recommend it.

sunshine_gem

I did great on the pill. Mirena made me gain weight.

Depo is horrible and I hate to tell you, but every single woman I ever knew who got pregnant after using Depo miscarried at least once and usually several times. It also causes bone loss and can send you into menopause, among other things. Weight gain is the best side effect of Depo.

I have to disagree. I'm on the depo and I love it. No periods for one thing which is amazing! There was no weight gain for me and actually a bit of weight loss. The weight gain came about from a different medication but that's a whole other story. It can in SOME cases cause loss of bone density if you're on it for a long time. If you are and you're worried then get it checked. I've never heard of it sending you into menopause so can't comment on that and also have never heard of the miscarriage effect so can't comment on that either. On the flip side though I do know women who've been on it, come off and and had succesful pregnancies. I think it can just depend on the individual on how long the effects stay in your system as to how soon you'll be able to successfully conceive. Basically, everyone's different and will react in different ways.

rml_16

If you don't ever want to be pregnant or are done having kids, there is a procedure called Essure. I had it done in oct 2006 (along with Novasure which is burning out your uterus). With Essure, they put rods into your fallopian tubes. Best two things I ever had done!!!!

Same here, but just the Essure for me, I didn't need Novasure. Def the way to go when you are done having kids!

NovaSure is to control heavy periods, so if you don't have that issue, you don't need it.

I just had my tubes tied and Novasure a couple weeks ago and am off all hormonal BC. But I'm also done having kids. :-)

My doctor said no to Essure. She said they've seen a too-high rate of failure with it.

SheilaN1976

had my tubes tied on December 10, 2001 after the birth of my 3rd child. yes it has worked since i have not gotten pregnant but the failure rate increases at the 10 year mark, i have had night sweats every single night since getting my tubal, gained 30 lbs the month following my tubal despite nothing changing in my exercise or eating habits.

rml_16

I did great on the pill. Mirena made me gain weight.

Depo is horrible and I hate to tell you, but every single woman I ever knew who got pregnant after using Depo miscarried at least once and usually several times. It also causes bone loss and can send you into menopause, among other things. Weight gain is the best side effect of Depo.

I have to disagree. I'm on the depo and I love it. No periods for one thing which is amazing! There was no weight gain for me and actually a bit of weight loss. The weight gain came about from a different medication but that's a whole other story. It can in SOME cases cause loss of bone density if you're on it for a long time. If you are and you're worried then get it checked. I've never heard of it sending you into menopause so can't comment on that and also have never heard of the miscarriage effect so can't comment on that either. On the flip side though I do know women who've been on it, come off and and had succesful pregnancies. I think it can just depend on the individual on how long the effects stay in your system as to how soon you'll be able to successfully conceive. Basically, everyone's different and will react in different ways.

Assuming you don't have the bone loss and early menopause (and, yes, these do happen), then you are lucky to be in the 60% of users who don't experience any side effects from it. However, 40% of Depo users experience side effects from it, which is a very high rate and not a chance I would personally take.

madworld1

I did great on the pill. Mirena made me gain weight.

Depo is horrible and I hate to tell you, but every single woman I ever knew who got pregnant after using Depo miscarried at least once and usually several times. It also causes bone loss and can send you into menopause, among other things. Weight gain is the best side effect of Depo.

I have to disagree. I'm on the depo and I love it. No periods for one thing which is amazing! There was no weight gain for me and actually a bit of weight loss. The weight gain came about from a different medication but that's a whole other story. It can in SOME cases cause loss of bone density if you're on it for a long time. If you are and you're worried then get it checked. I've never heard of it sending you into menopause so can't comment on that and also have never heard of the miscarriage effect so can't comment on that either. On the flip side though I do know women who've been on it, come off and and had succesful pregnancies. I think it can just depend on the individual on how long the effects stay in your system as to how soon you'll be able to successfully conceive. Basically, everyone's different and will react in different ways.

Like you said, everyone is different. Unfortunately, depo contributed to my ectopic. I had to have emergency surgery. BUT, a year later, I was able to conceive. Now, I have a healthy 11-year-old boy.

tinavflynn

Nuva ring... Been on it 4 years and love it!!

Agreed! I've been on it for almost 6 years. I wouldn't change!

norcal_yogi

husband's snipped.

Slack2ShortGo

Abstinence......but not by choice :frown:

Ditto! Can't the wife throw me a bone every once in a while? (Pun intended!)

AmberLee2012

I'm on Sprintek which is a generic. I was on Yasmin for a long time but it started getting quite expensive. The Sprintek only costs me $9.00 at Walmart. I had side effects when I first started on birth control years ago. My first kind was the Depo shot. I was 17 and I gained 40 lbs even though I wasn't eating different. It was terrible. Plus I had an allergic reaction to it and had to go to the ER and my mother was irate when they called her (because I wasn't 18 yet). When it wore off, I had my period for THREE months!! After that, I have only used the pill. When I first when on it, I was nauseous but I switched to taking it in the evening before bed and that seems to work for me. I've 31 and have never been pregnant. I'm married but we do not want to have children.

jennaworksout

condoms only, for 10 years, haven't got pregnant yet , pill messed me up too much, and I gained weight. Nevet taking those evil little pills again :laugh: