Birth Control Pills- Serious Opinions Only, No Haters!

Going on birth control can really be a God Send when you have problems. I have both family and friends that take them, not because of preventing pregnancy but because of issues like ovarian cysts and endometriosis among other problems.
I myself went on them in the hopes that they would help my severe migraine headaches and other problems that I get premenstrally that leave me unable to function normally. Unfortunately for me I had some bad side effects to the artificial hormones and had to stop using them after only a few months. My OB was trying the system where you skip a period for 3 months then have one to try to limit how many times I have to deal with it.
After reading your symptoms I think they are absolutely worth giving a try to see if they help. Your quality of life is diminished because of your physical symptoms. No one should have to live that way if there is something that can be done about it.
To those that are spouting off about birth control of any kind right now. Honestly..if you have an infection, are you not going to take an antibiotic so as to heal yourself and live? Yes?? Taking birth control is no different. If you have a condition and that is the best treatment then there is nothing else to discuss.

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I started seasonique almost a year ago. The first couple of weeks there was some nausea and sore breasts, but that went away. When I do get a period it's minimal cramping and minimal bleeding
The reason I tried it is that I also used to have horrible periods. I used to handle it with handfuls of ibuprofen around the clock but that left me with permanent stomach problems. I really wish I had listened back in my teens when BC was recommended to handle the problem. I could have saved myself a whole lot of pain and suffering. Give it a try!

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Birth control pills are safe. As long as you are not obese, a smoker, and/or have had a history of blood clots or stroke you are fine. I just turned 35 and have been on the pill for almost 15 years with the exception of the year that included going off and 2 months later conceiving our son. I am just about to switch to Avienne, which is super low dose. I was on Tri-Sprintec and I don't love it. Iwas on YAZ before my son but that has too many issues to be on now. I really liked it though. Good luck!

My midwife told me that pregnant women have a greater risk of getter a bloodclot or stroke than women on the pill. Puts it into perspective.

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I feel iffy about BC pills. Like you, I had a very weird cycle history. I tried a few different ones and I was a disaster - I felt completely out of control, even long after the "leveling off" period. God love my husband...it wasn't pretty!

One of things that worked the best for me was the Nuevo Ring...I'm not sure, do they still make it? You insert it for three weeks and remove it the week of your period. The hormones were localized and released a steady dose of all three hormones so you didn't get the crash from one week to the other like the try-cyclic pills. I felt more normal than ever, was regular, and had great skin to boot! =)

Ahhh hormones....good times! Good luck to you with your decision.

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I had cycles like yours or worse. I often missed work 4 or 5 days out of every month. I was too anemic to drive several days each month.

I started on pills and suddenly was a new woman. I don't remember the name of the pill I took, and it doesn't really matter, because each woman needs to do what is right for her own body.

Mine was a traditional one month at a time pill, very low dose, but I almost never had a period. If anything it would be less than a day and very, very light. I took them for years about 20 years with no problems. I had to stop as I entered middle age due to blood pressure problems.

I'm so glad I listened to my doctor and started b/c pills when I did.

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I've had my tubes tied so don't take them anymore, and I was off them when I got pregnant with my youngest because I was having migraines every month.

However, when I was on them .... it was a THANK YOU WHOEVER INVENTED THEM time for the longest time. I went on them, regulated my periods, reduced the PMS (which is closer to pmdd then actual pms), the cramps that had me crawling places were now managed with tylenol or ibuprophen and I LOST 40 lbs (regular periods meant I could control the cravings better).

Here's the great thing about birth control pills ... if they don't work or don't work the way they should OR make things worse ... you can STOP them.

I'd say give them a shot, if they don't work you can stop taking them and no harm no foul. BUT ... if they do work ... can you imagine? a REGULAR period? how awesome would that be?

Good luck, and don't give up on them too early. There are TONS of them out there and they have been more and more refined over the years. You may need to try a few before the right one clicks.

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I am not familiar with the medication you list by name (Seasonique?), but if your doctor recommends you try using a birth control pill to relieve symptoms of a fertility cycle that is malfunctioning, then I say give it a try. I am not sure I understand what you are asking... or if you even had a question in there anywhere...... You might want to put one in before your post is pulled.

ETA: I took Norinyl 1/35 for years, then switched to Ortho-Novum after my kids were born. I have not had any issues. Without it, my menstrual cycle is quite heavy, and very unpredictable (a 20 day cycle one month, a 39 day cycle the next, a 43 day cycle the next, 17 days the next? With no rhyme or reason. No thanks). I do find that as I age, my cycles are heavier than they used to be, and I have more headaches and PMS type symptoms that I never had AT ALL when I was younger, but I don't think there is any correlation between those and my current prescription. I think they are more age related. I am not a smoker and never have been. I also don't have any real risks for strokes or any of the increased risk factors that the medication warns about. Just my age (I'm past 40).
I have never tried any of the other types (patches, Mirena, etc). I did have the option presented to me to skip periods with the non-stop usage of hormones, but I declined. I figured, I have no issues with what I am currently using, so why rock the boat?

@Katrina--Who's spouting off? I read all the responses so far, and no one has said anything negative except to mention potential side effects to worry about. Did I miss something that got pulled or something?

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I've had female issues similar to you since I first started my period, and tried many BC pills. I discovered that BC pills don't agree with me. They made my issues worse. Still, it's different for each woman, so in your situation I would certainly give them a try. I hope you find something that helps you. :)

Updated

I've had female issues similar to you since I first started my period, and tried many BC pills. I discovered that BC pills don't agree with me. They made my issues worse. Still, it's different for each woman, so in your situation I would certainly give them a try. I hope you find something that helps you. :)

Updated

I've had female issues similar to you since I first started my period, and tried many BC pills. I discovered that BC pills don't agree with me. They made my issues worse. Still, it's different for each woman, so in your situation I would certainly give them a try. I hope you find something that helps you. :)

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I had a bad doctor prescribe something to make me have a period and it lasted 28 days. It was so awful that another doctor was going to give me something to stop it. Luckily it stopped at day 32.

I would be open to anything that helped me be more healthy. I would never want to have an ongoing period again. It was exhausting and miserable.

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I took Seasonique and I actually liked it although I never took it long enough to have my periods level out to 4 a year. It is actually quite common to have periods each month, or at least some form of spotting throughout the three month cycle. I liked it but had to stop taking it because my insurance wouldn't cover it over a generic. Didn't have any major side affects or anything.

I then took Yasmine (I think is what it is called). HATED it! Mood swings, depression, weight gain/bloating. All kinds of problems. Quit taking it almost 4 months after I started.

Then I did ortho-tricyclene. Also hated because I bloated a lot and had weight gain. It was designed at least then (and it was almost 8 years ago) to increase the amount of estrogen you received each week as you progressed through the cycle. I found that I PMSed almost as bad if not worse because of the increasing estrogen levels. Quit taking after 6 months.

Finally, after all this experimenting (and it was about a year and a half that I was doing all this) I started taking Mircette. LOVED IT! It was designed that you only had 2 days of sugar pills followed by a LOW dosage of hormones for the next 5 days that your cycle would start. I would usually start my cycle Thursday and be done by Sunday. It took almost a year to balance out right, BUT when it did it was great! I didn't have any major side affects, mood swings, I felt normal. Also, I didn't have an estrogen crash that last week.

I was happy with this and went to my new doctor in St. Louis and she suddenly switched it Joviette (I think is what it was called). It is a progesten only "mini-pill." These are not good if you want period regulation. You just take continuous hormones and you start whenever (I think I was on a 21 day cycle when I started these). She switched me against my consent because "research shows estrogen can cause migraines." I mean I had been on Mircette for like 7 years at this point, so I think I would've know if estrogen was bad for me, but whatever. Sorry I digress.

So that is my experiences. It will affect you differently probably, but your doctor can easily switch you if you don't like the one he puts you on. Good luck!

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I have always had problems with my period. Without medication, they are 12-14 days long, heavy, and the cycle length varies. I have tried many brands of birth control pills, but not Seasonique so can't speak to that particular med. I have tried Yaz and the Depo-Provera shot and absolutely hated both of them. The others all seemed to work about the same. They would get my period down to a more manageable 7-9 days and I knew within a day when they would start. What worked best for me was the Mirena IUD that I had put in after my son was born. It both shortened and lightened my period. The main downfall to me about Mirena was that I could not predict when I would start my period.

I'm glad you are going to a doctor. I hope he or she is looking into the CAUSE of your symptoms and not just treating the symptoms.

Take care and good luck!

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Birth control pills will help you a lot! I have been on several different kinds. I recently got my Essure done, so I will be stopping them eventually, but for your problems it would help a lot! Don't let stroke stories scare you, unless you smoke. If you smoke and are on bc pills and are over 35 your risk for a stroke can increase quite a bit. But if you do not smoke I would not worry too much. Good luck, really this will be better in the long run!

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I was very similar to you in many ways. I went on Ortho Cyclen which did help regulate things, however it only lasted for a year and then I would go back to the same problems. I did try Yaz but that was awful and could not take that one. I again went off all pills as I have not had the courage to try any more. I never tried Seasonique. I am all messed up again so will be interested in your responses.

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Huh. Last I read, Seasonique & Yaz were getting recalled because of the monumental risk of stroke and blood clot compared to other forms of birth control. Yaz is about a gazillion times worse than anything else out there, but all of the 'seasonal' ones (like seasonique) have a much greater risk associated with them than the monthly pills. Weird. Maybe they're only pulling it in the UK?

Personally, I don't see the difference between taking birth control pills for hormone issues than taking hormone pills for thyroid issues. A side effect of birth control pills (just a hormone pill) is birth control. If your hormones are screwy, and you need to even them out, what's "wrong" with taking hormones to even them out?

As per your Q... I'm the type of person that has taken several kinds of birth control pills over the years with no side effects at all EXCEPT that I have hormone triggered cancer, and they don't prevent pregnancy in me. So they were triggering cancer, and I was still getting pregnant on them. So I quit taking them once we figured that out (took about 5 years) and now use non-hormonal birthcontrol (copper IUD). You know the little super-fast-list-of-warnings-at-the-end-of-the-commercial? The "Not for women with certain kinds of gynecological cancer" part? That's me. Pregnancy is a no-go for me, as are birth control pills. But ASIDE from that? I used a lot of various different brands/concoctions.

Another thing to consider would be the Mirena IUD. Hormones directly in your uterus solve a LOT of people's massive period problems.

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I am so sorry you have had so much trouble with your cycle! I would definitely try a bc pill! I really liked allese(sp?) and nordett (sp). Those two worked well for me with little to no side effects. Or if you have skin issues--orthotricyclin works great too. Seasonique is my fav though--I really enjoyed the 4 periods a year and they were lighter than a normal period. So check that one out. Take it 9pm nightly and you won't suffer any of the stomach issues that come with taking them. Best wishes and give each pill you try at least 3mos to see if it will work or not for you. GL and hope you feel better!

M

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Wow. You've had tons of great responses. I could only briefly skim them but I don't think anyone mentions acupuncture and Chinese medicine. You say in your post that you want to remain natural, which I think means you don't want to take artificial hormones and you'd also like to have your body regulate itself a little better. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine (herbs mixed in custom formulas for you) can be REALLY effective at helping with irregular cycles and the symptoms you describe. It's more expensive than birth control pills, and you won't see results as quickly, but I've always had such a strong feeling that Chinese medicine is helping your body to help itself. My mom was in danger of needing a hysterectomy due to heavy heavy bleeding and frequent periods and she was able to make it through to menopause "intact" due to regular visits to the acupuncturist. Chinese medicine practitioners will also ask you many more questions about your lifestyle, stress level, and general health. They might see a pattern in your life that your Western MD wouldn't identify because they're not as thorough or holistic.

THAT SAID, birth control pills might really help you. I'm just suggesting an alternative because alternatives are out there.

Best of luck. I hope the situation improves for you soon.

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Sorry I don't have an answer. I've been off the pill for 6 years now. I just gotta say WOW - you are one strong woman! This sounds like an awful experience .... I hope that your doctor can help you find one that works for you. When I was on the pill way back when, my doctor gave me lots of samples. I think I went one whole year w/o having to pay for my bc pills - as I got samples and more samples. Ask your doctor to try some! What does the doctor say about IUD? I hear that's a great/easy way to have birth control. Not sure about how/if it helps with your pain and other issues.

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I take yaz.. Works great for me.. Also I have pcos helps so much with my periods lighter... mood no headaches.. I take it continuously with 3 breaks (periods a year). Best of luck.

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I have been on Lybrel for about 4 years now and like it. I have endometriosis and was having ovarian cysts. With Lybrel you never have a period. You might ask about it.

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Have you been checked out for PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)? If you're interested in an ob/gyn who is willing to explore options besides birth control methods to help with your medical problems, please check out http://onemoresoul.com/. Also look at http://www.fertilitycare.org/ and http://www.aaplog.org/physearch.htm. These sites have a directory of ob/gyns who do not subscribe to the idea that the pill solves everything. I've heard that these doctors are more successful at determining the root cause of problems associated with your cycle and treating those problems. Hope you get some relief soon.

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Mircette - wonderful pill with few side effects and great benefits for what you are talking about. Doesn't drop you off the estogen cliff the 4th week, and helps prevent ovarian cysts.

D.

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Sounds to me like you need a BC pill...Listen I'd go crazy with a period months on end. I took Loveral and yasmin. I did fine until I had kids and then had to stop because it caused me too many emmotional issues. For you I would definitely try one.

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I was on Ortho tri cyclen for about 4 years, and then took Yaz for another 6 years prior to getting off them and starting a family. I have an IUD now since I'm nursing and can't go on the pill. I loved the Yaz, I had alot of depression/anxiety and after years of suffering I was diagnosed with PMDD. Yaz helped decrease my symptoms and emotional lability, while also decreasing cramps and shortening my period. Good luck with whatever you decide. There are alot of options out there, props to you for doing some research to decide what is right for you!

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I was on Lo Orval (nor sure the spelling) for about 5 years in my late 20's. I had no problematic side effects (maybe weight gain?). This was about 10 years ago that I went off them. My cycle was and is very regular and it made my period a little lighter but not major changes.

If you are that miserable because your hormones are off balance it is well worth a try to use birth control to help them back on a reasonable cycle. I would definitely consider this if I were in your situation. Obviously talk to your doctor in detail and make sure your questions are answered. Seasonique was not available when I was on the pill so I don't know too much about it. But see which brand and type of pill your doctor recommends and why. It can take a few tries to find the right brand.

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Have you considered trying Vitex (Chaste Berry) or a natural progesterone cream? They don't carry the negative side effects of the pill, and help regulate your cycle. I would be leary of the pill for so many reasons.

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I would give it a try! I don't do well personally on the pill -they all make me feel weird in a variety of ways, although one (back when I was in my late teens and early 20s -Lo Ovral) was good. However they ALL drastically reduced my periods, bleeding, time -all of it.

I am about to schedule an endometrial ablation. Have you looked into those? They are for women who are done having kids and evidently take your periods away or almost away. I know a few people who have had them and LOVE it! It's one way to stop the period insanity without hormones if they don't mix well with you. There's another medication that supposedly limits bleeding without hormones called Lysteda as well, but I haven't read the pamphlet I got on it yet.

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Is there any other way? I am not going to preach, but I think this current dialogue is way more than a moral issue. It is a health issue. There was a woman in my area who had a stroke from the pill. They finally pulled the oxygen after 3 years per her request. I don't think you should suffer, but wonder if there is something else they can do. I will pray for you so that you can find the answer. Good luck.

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It's been a long time since I've been on the pill, so I can't help you with current brands, but I say go for it. I had horrible periods, and believe me, you will be a new woman and won't understand why you waited so long. Do it do it do it. Good luck to you.

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My poor mom had periods like that, she would get anemic and just feel so horrible. I remember as a kid she would take me out to eat and order liver and onions for herself bc she was so low on iron, it was rough. She also bled through like crazy etc etc. Anyway, she did get on the pill for many years to control the bleeding and it did help, but she said it did affect her overall mood, she was on it for like 10 yrs or so. Finally, although she did get on it for so long she had to have a hysterectomy and had a lot of fibroid tumors which she wonders if they were a result of many years on hormones. So that is her story with all of that. But I think she did have relief for a few years in there. As far as other solutions, I wish I could be more helpful but maybe just continue your research and see if any other options can help, short of a total hysterectomy like my mom had I personally don't know of any, but now in hind sight she wishes she had researched more bc she had regret about the hysterectomy for a long time. Hang in there, I got a front row seat to the hardship this kind of thing puts a woman through, I wish you the best.

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I have used birth control pills on and off for years (from age 20-40) until recently. I preferred Alesse (or the generic) as is very low dose. Higher dose pills made me too emotional. The pill lightened and shortened my periods dramatically-it was wonderful(takes several months of use to get there).A regular tampon for 2 days and pantiliners for another 2 days or so. It also helped with pimples and breakouts.No weight gain issues.They always worked wonderfully until my forties. Now that I'm in my forties my metabolism has slowed greatly and I was unable to maintain/lose weight. I decided to go off the pill and another med to be all natural and make sure they weren't complicating the matter. I have been able to lose weight with effort but I started new weight loss routine when I went off pill. Not sure if the pill really had anything to do with it or not. Anyway, went on the Paraguard (non hormone) IUD. Whoa! Heavier periods than I have ever had in my life that last 8-9 days!!!! Need tons of super tampons! Interestingly NO cramping though. I am also suffering horrible breakouts on my face, neck, scalp and shoulders. My skin looks worse that in my teens! I see no problem using birth control pills for medical conditions other than preventing pregnancy. Many medicines are safely used for additional purposes than what they were developed for.Make the quality your life better! Feel better to enjoy your family and your life! As far as I know Seasonique works just fine. Might want to check out if it's one of the lowest hormone dose pills though. Good luck to you1

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I was on othronovum for year without symptoms or problems. After my kids though I found my PMS symptoms extreme and switched to the generic of Yasmin. I've been happy on it, normal cycles and I do think it has helped ease up the irritability a bit.

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I believe trying hormone therapy with the b/c pills would probably benefit you. Look at all the risks & benefits and make your assessment. I had very irregular periods for years and a low-dose pill worked to help me at least feel regular again!! Take care & good luck.

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I was put on BC back in my early 20's for medical resons. I had the same problem...extremely irregular cycles...and it was causing inbalance of hormones and I had what they call hersetism. I have never had any problems or side effects. I went off to have my 2 kids and am back on. I take Yasmin (not Yaz) and it has been great for me. The only thing I don't like about the once a year or even the 4 times a year pills are that that isn't what the body is like naturally. The body, when functioning normally, would cycle once a month. I have never really talked to my doc about it but I have a feeling they would not be best for my situation.

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Hi there, I was on the pill for years before I finally decided to go the IUD route. I just want to mention a conversation I had with my ogbyn when I was exploring what birth control would be right for me after the birth of my son. We were talking about Seasonique, he mentioned that a lot of insurances won't cover it as there is no generic form available but that most pills can be used the same way. You just skip the none hormonal pills for 2 packs drinking it with the third pack. Thereby only having 4 periods a year similar to Seasonique. Maybe you should discuss this with your doctor so you can make the desision based on the best pill for you hormone wise and not based on the amount of periods you would have a year. Hope this helps.

I would rec. any low dose (hormone) bc pill. I was on that before and eventually you may only have spotting for a period. Sometimes any type of bc pills may make you feel nausous so if you take it before you go to sleep then you won't feel any nausea. I think the pill is the best way to go, just stay away from any IUDs- they can be horrible! good luck

I'm one of those women "blessed" with a 3-week cycle, and I definitely relied heavily on bc pills before I had my kids. I haven't been on anything since, and if I were sure I didn't want any more kids, I would DEFINITELY go back on bc just to add 1 week to my cycle!

I have nothing negative to say about bc, but you could definitely consider other, more natural options, such as the Chinese medicine someone else mentioned. Look into all your options, then make peace with what you decide regardless of what anyone else says to you. After all, it's YOUR body, not theirs, and they don't have to live with you do!!!