birth control pills (girls only)

IAmTheAwesomest
IAmTheAwesomest Posts: 61
edited October 1 in Chit-Chat
I'm looking for a birth control pill that works without alot of harsh side effects.
I know everyone is different but I'm curious of what a majority of women take.
I know the basic side effects are vomiting, nausea, headaches, weight gain, yeast infections (which is a major downfall considering I am prone to them!), and a few other mild ones.
So if you take one that is really good or have taken one that really sucked, I'd appreciate the details.
«1

Replies

  • starracer23
    starracer23 Posts: 1,011 Member
    nada for me
  • tonilizzy88
    tonilizzy88 Posts: 920 Member
    microgenion 30 i take and have doen for years

    sorry if i spelt wrong
  • GreenSkinnyJeans
    GreenSkinnyJeans Posts: 204 Member
    Lutera.
    But I did gain ten pounds...
    All in my thighs D:.
    But other wise no bad side effects :D.
  • neesh200
    neesh200 Posts: 9 Member
    Nuva ring
  • NatalieWiley
    NatalieWiley Posts: 147 Member
    Are you only open to the pill? I would suggest an IUD.
  • A_New_Horizon
    A_New_Horizon Posts: 1,555 Member
    I am on Lo Loestrin FE and have had no issues - now I have only been on it 2 months (the only issue I have had was a little nausea in the beginning) but it went away. No weight gain for me.

    I was on Ortho Tricyclin Lo before, and I gained weight from it (but it was probably just me not watching what I eat).

    I have a friend on the Depo shot and gained major weight from it, and I also had a friend gain major weight from the Merina.

    Just remember that everyone reacts differently to any form of birth control.
  • igora_soma
    igora_soma Posts: 486
    It's hard to say because everyone is so different. I've tried at least 7 different types of pill and eventually all of them stopped working effectively or I have severe allegeric reactions (to the nuvaring specifically) and my periods became heavy again.

    I would see a gynecologist and discuss with them. You can usually get trial packets to see if it works for you. I personally think it's better to not use them, but wish you luck still the same!! :)
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    I hated pills. I even tried the low hormone ones and had issues.

    I switched to the ring after about 4mos on the pill due to nausea and simply forgetting about the stupid pills. The ring is low hormone and I find easier to deal with. I've really had no side effects from it.

    I had been on Elesse before I went to the ring. It may not give you the same issues since people respond differently.
  • NaomiLyn15
    NaomiLyn15 Posts: 388 Member
    If you are prone to yeast infections, do not use the Nuvaring.
  • husker_gal
    husker_gal Posts: 462 Member
    I'm not on them now but when I was I used Loestrin fe....HATED IT!! Lots of break through bleeding and it just sucked. Then I switched to Mircet (not sure if that's the proper spelling) and loved it! Actually lost weight on it, no acne, no migraines, no cramps. It was wonderful!
  • jpaden
    jpaden Posts: 21
    IUD
  • I really love my NuvaRing! No mood swings or nasty side effects that I've been able to see, and it's super convenient. The pills gave me migraines.
  • rthompson81
    rthompson81 Posts: 305 Member
    Nuva Ring. I love it, and it's easy. Also, according to my doctor, weight gain is not a proven side effect.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member

    I have a friend on the Depo shot and gained major weight from it, and I also had a friend gain major weight from the Merina.

    I always tell people to avoid Depo. I had a HORRRRRRRIBLE experience with it. Perhaps I'm just lucky in that respect... heavy spotting for 6+ months (started after my 2nd or 3rd dose). And the best side effect: raging b!tch. Like throwing things across rooms b!tch.

    There are IUDs similar to Mirena that don't use hormones in them, just copper I think it is.
  • I gained weight on Lutera, also but it was a good one. The side effects I get from BC pills are usually emotion related (think MAJOR mood swings), but I have had luck with Necon for about a year now. I would try talking to your doctor and tell them the side effects you are experiencing, last time I did that it really helped the doctor determine whether I need more or less estrogen/progestrone, etc. Good luck!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm looking for a birth control pill that works without alot of harsh side effects.
    I know everyone is different but I'm curious of what a majority of women take.
    I know the basic side effects are vomiting, nausea, headaches, weight gain, yeast infections (which is a major downfall considering I am prone to them!), and a few other mild ones.
    So if you take one that is really good or have taken one that really sucked, I'd appreciate the details.

    The way one pill works for one woman is not necessarily the way it will work for another. You need to talk to your doctor about this and figure out what's best.

    And it may just be that the pill isn't the right contraceptive for you. I was on it for 13 years. The last year, I had to keep switching because I was having two-week-long periods and nothing was fixing that. I finally got an IUD instead.
  • TenLaws
    TenLaws Posts: 273
    Nuva Ring. I haven't had any issues with it and I think it's AMAZING. I was a little discouraged during the first month of using it - I was spotting the whole month - but after that, it was SMOOTH SAILING. I love it. This may be TMI but my guy and I never use condoms and I've never had a pregnancy scare.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    I used Orthotrycyclen. My doctor actually gave it to me to help with my PCOS symptoms(cystic acne, trouble losing weight) and I lost 25lbs on my first 2 months of it. I love it, no side effects and my skin looks better than it has in 10+ years!

    Also, TOM comes like clockwork every day that is supposed to and is very light and short.
  • sandislim
    sandislim Posts: 264
    couldn't take pills - very horrible experience with depression, weight gain and mood swings. I thought I'd better give up taking them if I ever wanted a lasting relationship!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member

    I have a friend on the Depo shot and gained major weight from it, and I also had a friend gain major weight from the Merina.

    I always tell people to avoid Depo. I had a HORRRRRRRIBLE experience with it. Perhaps I'm just lucky in that respect... heavy spotting for 6+ months (started after my 2nd or 3rd dose). And the best side effect: raging b!tch. Like throwing things across rooms b!tch.

    There are IUDs similar to Mirena that don't use hormones in them, just copper I think it is.

    Depo is terrible. The side effects happen to something like 40% of them women who take it (that's a high number).

    My best friend was on it for a while. She actually lost weight with it -- it sped her metabolism to epic levels. But she also ended up with lumps in her breasts (benign, thankfully), osteoporosis and early menopause at 27 years old. Luckily, with a lot of meds, they've turned that around, but the bone loss is permanent.
  • angeleenlouise
    angeleenlouise Posts: 8 Member
    I was on a few different ones due to having headaches caused by the hormones. I was on Ortho Tricyclin Lo and got pregnant with my son. Now I have the Merina IUD and like it. Only down fall is I gained about 30lbs in a year and half after having it put in.
  • JeannieFo
    JeannieFo Posts: 35 Member
    I've been on triphasil for about 16 years. I did experience the nasuea and vomitting in the beginning. Then I started taking the pill after I ate breakfast and really made a difference. I now can take the pill on an empty stomach and it doesn't bother me, but it did the first several months I was on it.
  • hefinator
    hefinator Posts: 260
    I had an IUD for almost 5 years, but would like to conceive in the next couple, so i got off and switched to a new pill, Lutera, and its great. since i started, i've noticed increase in "bedroom activities", and actually haven't gained wait. it put me on a weight loss stall fora couple weeks, and then started dropping again!
  • wdmom
    wdmom Posts: 24 Member
    I like the Nuva Ring. I've been using it for about 5 years. I started using it after my last child. I used to use the Pill before I had my two children. Once I had the kids, I had too many distractions and kept forgetting the pills. Nuva Ring is convenient. I just put a reminder in my iPhone to take it out after 3 weeks and then put one in after 1 week out.

    However, I'm 44 years old. In the past couple of years I've had a lot more spotting and my periods have become erratic. I also have spotting after intercourse. My family physician sent me to see a gynecologist to determine if the variation is peri-menopause related or due to other issues. I'm told that I now have some uterine tissue in my vagina because of the hormones in the Nuva Ring. That is likely causing the spotting after intercourse. Apparently, there are increased risks of using hormonal birth control over 40 with regard to stroke, breast cancer... As long as you are monitored appropriately (yearly mammogram, Pap test, etc) the risk is manageable. Know the symptoms of stroke (severe pain in leg or head - blood clot). I'm having a couple of tests done to ensure I don't have any other risk factors. If it's just peri-menopause, I plan to continue using the Nuva Ring. It's still the most convenient birth control I've found and there are really minimal side effects.

    On Tri-cyclen I had severe nausea which was like pregnancy nausea. I ended up on a low dose pill. That was in 1993. I'm sure there are even better options now.

    AND NOW TO SWING OFF INTO A TANGENT...
    A note for those who may consider getting pregnant later - that based on my research, nausea on the birth control pill may indicate that you will have a lot of nausea during pregnancy. I had nausea 24/7 for the full pregnancy both times starting at week 6 and I vomited 3 times a day until 6 months pregnant. It was worse than any stomach flu I had ever had. I took Diclectin and Gravol during both pregnancies. Motherisk at Toronto's Sick Kids hospital told me that without meds, I would probably have developed HG. On the good side, my kids were both born very healthy after short labours and the nausea stopped the moment they were born. At ages 7 and 11, they are both tall, healthy and intelligent. Neither nausea nor meds seem to have had ill effects. I also gained excessive weight both pregnancies because I ate to calm the nausea so I wouldn't vomit.
  • curryinahurry
    curryinahurry Posts: 83 Member
    I USE LEVORA AND I HAVE TO EAT WHEN I TAKE IT OR I FEEL LOOPY AND DID GAIN A FEW POUNDS

    HONESTLY I THINK ITS ONE OF THE BEST BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD HORROR STORIES ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER

    OPTIONS ON THE MARKET.

    GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FOR YOU BEING SAFE N ALL
  • I have Loestrin 20 and I've had no problems with it.
  • dragonbait0126
    dragonbait0126 Posts: 568 Member
    I take Yaz and love it. I was on Yasmin for a while but then my doctor switched me to Yaz which is just the lower hormone version of Yasmin. Yaz also only has a 4 day sugar pill. This means NO TOM!! At least for me. By the time my body figures out I'm on a sugar pill I'm back on the hormone before my body can adjust. Yaz/Yasmin also has a small does of a diuretic in it which is one of the reasons my doctor switched me over to that from Ortho-Tricyclen.

    As others have stated though, do your research (which obviously you've started since your asking for other opinions) and then talk to your doctor about what's best for you. Think about what you are looking for in a birth control as well. I got on birth control at 18 because my cramps were so horrible it was ridiculous. The best form for you is also very dependent on what you are looking to get out of it (aside from being just a birth control).
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member

    I have a friend on the Depo shot and gained major weight from it, and I also had a friend gain major weight from the Merina.

    I always tell people to avoid Depo. I had a HORRRRRRRIBLE experience with it. Perhaps I'm just lucky in that respect... heavy spotting for 6+ months (started after my 2nd or 3rd dose). And the best side effect: raging b!tch. Like throwing things across rooms b!tch.

    There are IUDs similar to Mirena that don't use hormones in them, just copper I think it is.

    Depo is terrible. The side effects happen to something like 40% of them women who take it (that's a high number).

    My best friend was on it for a while. She actually lost weight with it -- it sped her metabolism to epic levels. But she also ended up with lumps in her breasts (benign, thankfully), osteoporosis and early menopause at 27 years old. Luckily, with a lot of meds, they've turned that around, but the bone loss is permanent.

    My best friends on Depo= Raging ***** who gained 45lbs. Don't get the shot...
  • boyslie72487
    boyslie72487 Posts: 181 Member
    I'm on the shot and HATE it! For the first 6 months I would have a headache every day with a migrain thrown in every now and then. I've read that some women couldn't conceive for upto 12-18 months after they stopped taking the shot. Stay away! As somebody else said an IUD is good, there's even a no hormon one which I can't think of the name at the moment. Good luck!
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    I have been on Necon for a few years. I've had no side effects and do well on it. As I am now 37, I am weighing non-hormonal options though.
This discussion has been closed.