Ortho Evra Patch & Migraines

About 25 years ago when I went to a Dr. because of a tumor in my breast- which was benign, said the only "safe" form of birth control out there is the condom. He said all forms of birth control that women use either cause problems or exasperate problems that you might already have. My husband and I have been using condoms for 22 years and have only had one break! They are like 98% effective too. So if you can find a way to get past the migraines, maybe you should consider giving them a try.

Hi Jennifer,
I have been using the patch for over 5 years know without any real side affects. The one thing I thought I would mention though is that for the past 2 years, I have been continously wearing the patch. I start to get break through bleeding after about 3-4 months so I take it off and have a period. Otherwise, it's really nice to be able to go so long with out one.

Good luck!
M

Hi Jennifer,

To answer your questions:

(1) I have, mercifully, never suffered a migraine, so I have no advice there.

(2) After over a decade on hormonal BC, I am now using a diaphram w/spermicide, and could not be happier. It's an economical choice--after insurance, the diaphram cost $70 and it will last for 2 years. The spermicide (available at any drugstore) is $15 for a large tube that lasts us several months. It's also ecological--no continual waste like with a condom, sponge, or pill packaging.

No one thinks of diaphrams any more--they are considered "old school", but they are effective and easy to use. (There is a myth that you have to be a contortionist to insert one; if you can insert a tampon, you can insert a diaphram! It's not rocket science.)

I would never, ever go back to hormonal birth control. I had mood swings, battled depression, weight gain, etc. Also, now that I'm off hormonal BC and am having "real" periods, my attitude about my menstrual cycle has really changed. I really embrace it now. (No, I'm not nuts!). I take Evening Primrose Oil capsules to alleviate PMS symptoms and reduce cramping. My period is my downtime each month: my time to go to bed early, eat chocolate, take bubble baths. God forbid women slow down for a few days each month to take care of themselves.

(3) Yes, there is a monthly BC shot called "Lunelle". It has estrogen & progestin in it.
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/lune...

(4) Birth control is a highly individual choice, but I would encourage you to consider non-hormonal methods, and let your body operate the way nature intended.

Good luck!

I can only speak to #2: I love my mirena iud. I was nervous about an iud because of problems with them way back when (10-15 years ago). IUD's are safe now (trust me I looked up the research) and truly simple. My insurance even covered the cost of the IUD and insertion. I haven't had any trouble and no periods to speak of as an added bonus. If you want to have another child, an IUD is also good because your fertility returns immediately after removal unlike going off the pill, for example, where it can take a few months.

Sorry about the migraines.

Hi Jennifer,
I was getting horrible headaches when using birth control many years ago. After having a good friend whose sister died from using birthcontrol I knew I did not want to put any more chemicals in my body. I believe your body is telling you something - it doesn't want the chemicals :) NFP is the way to go!

I have an IUD and I love it. I had it put in 3 years ago (when I was 27) and have had no problems with it. It lasts 10 years, but it can be taken out and fertility is restored very quickly. Best part is that there are no hormones. I haven't had any trouble with heavy periods or cramping that can sometimes be a problem with it. There is also a 5 year IUD that delivers a small amount of hormone available as well.

NFP is the only form that doesn't have side affects. I would recommend Naprotechnology. Not only is it great for helping to plan a family, it helps to diagnose hormonal issues and aid the doctor is regulating hormones for better health.

I would just use your birth control continually. I know there are pills that you can take all month long so you just don't get a period but obviously you are not too interested in an every DAY method. I am on the nuvaring, was previously on the patch and I have often not gotten my period just by putting another patch on or ring in the week of my period. You can talk to your doctor about it because obviously you'd go through the script faster that way but it worked for me with no problems.

ive gone thru hormone withdrawls etc.not fun...but to cure the migraines-the best solution i found is a drug called..

NORTRIPALINE 10 MG.at bed time-its a great drug-very low side affects-the only thing that cured my migraines after years of trying everything else.i took them for a year-been migraine headache free for 2 yrs now even after i stopped taking them...life is good....good luck...

Jennifer,
There is a whole website devoted to the Ortho Evera side affects. It is: http://www.birthcontrolpatchsideeffects.com/
I had a very bad experience with it and have not heard anything good from anyone that was on it. I would switch to a pill or some other source of estrogen. It may save your life.
C.

I had horrible migraines when I was on the patch, too. I didn't figure out that it was the patch doing it to me until after I stopped. I was never on Depo-Provera, so that did not lead to my migraines. The way I dealt with them is that I just planned around them. I went bed at 7:00pm on the day I expected them, or at the first sign of a headache on my period week, and would usually wake up after it was gone. Of course, I was single and childless back then, not very practial for the mother of a 2 year old, unless you have a husband, mother, MIL, or friend that could drop everything whenever you called. I stopped using the patch and when I started trying for my first child. I haven't gone back to the patch, although I have been back on the pill twice and the migraines have not come back. The reason, I think, is that not as many hormones make it into the system with the oral, so the difference on the week without is not as drastic. Now my husband had a vasectomy, so I'm not worried about birth control for me. I did have a doctor recomend the "ring." It is insterted once a month, and she said she used it and really liked it. I never tried it, but I would have if my insurance companies after each of my daughters would have paid for it.
I hope you find a way to stop the migraines. I know how they can stop your life and how the people around you can be so un-understanding of your "headache." Good Luck.

Hi Jennifer--
I feel your pain -- or used to feel your pain.
I too had 10 day migraines-- since my early 30's.
It does have to do with swings in hormones.
I was on imitrex and 800 motrin just to survive-- and not so clearly I might add.
Then I started using some nutritional products. I apparently can't talk about them on this venue.
If you want to know what I used/use-- I have been migraine free for more than 5 years. I still get mini headaches for a day or so with the swing of hormones but I don't even take tylenol.
My email is ____@____.com
Make sure you write momsource in the subject line so I can find it if it end up in spam.
There are alternatives.
Have a great day,
B. J

That happened to me with the patch too. It was horrible. I had to quit using it--NOTHING helped the headaches. They did try a migraine medication with me, but the side effects were scary (numbness in my arm) and it didn't really seem to help either. I ultimately had the Mirena IUD inserted. I've been pretty happy with it. The hormones are a constant low dose and don't get into your system so I don't get headaches. My period did stop though. Good luck. I know there don't seem to be any perfect methods.

I have suffered from hormone related migraines for years, and they are terrible. I'm so sorry you have them, it's very hard to be a mamma with a headache. I too found little or no relief from a lot of the migraine drugs out there (immetrex, relpax, etc...) I have had some success with caffeine, Excendrin (bc it has caffeine in it), alternating between Tylenol and Advil, soaking my feet in hot water to get the blood to my lower extremities and away from my head, icing my head, and honoring any cravings I have(usually in the form of protein). Good luck.

I've had cyclic migraines for years that are definitely affected by the rise and fall in estrogen. So when you go off "the pill or patch", your body is responding to the falling estrogen. Nothing keeps my migraines away during this time, but I can take Imitrex (or any of the other triptans) for some relief, and Tylenol 3 when the pain won't go away, and I just want to survive. What I have tried while on the pill is to take the pill 21 days, and when going off the pill for only 3 or 5 days (or not doing the off week at all). If I do go off, I will wear a lower dose estrogen patch so my estrogen isn't fluctuating as much. These are some things that have worked for me.

You might want to consult a headache specialist or even a different gynecologist - someone who will validate your migraines as being severe and needing a good treatment regime while keeping your goal of birth control in mind. Good luck.

Hi, Jennifer! This is PROBABLY not the advice you want to hear, but I had to go off the Pill (a LONG time ago) entirely because it was the only thing that kept me from getting migraines, which were frequent and exacerbated by being on the Pill. I switched to condoms, and have used them with success ever since.

If you'd like to continue meds, though, my girlfriend is on the kind of pill that you take continuously--Lybrel or Seasonale or something--to suppress menstruation, and to keep her from getting migraines. She still gets occasional migraines, but not horrible ones when she goes off for a week to menstruate.

Have you thought of trying a low-dose estrogen pill, so that your estrogen levels don't plummet so much when you go off for a week? I think your estrogen level dropping drastically can trigger migraine as well.

I would definitely talk to your doctor about other options and finding a good migraine medicine that works for you, and in the meantime, take ibruprofen prophylactically for a few days before your are scheduled to menstruate, and continue it during your menstruation. But check with your doctor first, perhaps calling your nurseline, about the ibufrofen--I am no doctor, after all! :) This is just something I have done when I am feeling prone to migraine.

Hope you find a solution. God bless!

Hi Jennifer....my GYN just switched my BC for the very reason you mentioned....HEADACHES. After the birth of our 3rd baby in July I went on YAZ (which was new for me) and I started noticing that the day I take the inactive pill I get migranies type headaches. My GYN said that it is very common hormone changes can trigger migranes if you are prone to get them. She switched me to Solera (sp?) which is one of the pills that you take for 3 months before you take the inactive pills and get your period. She still suspects I might get headaches when I go to the inactive pills, but at least they will be every 3 months not every 3 weeks. I am hoping she is right.

I of course took this opportunity to tell my husband it would be just great if he went in and got "fixed" then I wouldn't have to deal with hormone levels going up and down! Always a little squimish about that I reminded him that I pushed out 3 babies...he was there, I am sure what ever his procedure involves is NOTHING compared to that :)

Hey, sorry to hear that you are getting migrains. I get them on a normal bases but when I was on the patch I felt like I could no longer handle it my head felt like it was going to expolde. I went to the doctor and they gave me imatrex that works real well. You might want to have some one there to take care of your son just in case it makes you tired. I deal with the migraine till I go to bed then I take it and when I wake up I feel better but if you are not prone to migranes then don't waste the money on meds, I would say to ask your doctor what would be the best thing for you to use instead. Hope this helps.

A.

The migraines are probably from the lack of estrogen during the off time. You could try Seasonale. I would ask you doc about it or switching to a pill that you can do 3 months on, then 1 week off. (I have 2 friends that were on the patch and got pregnant, they swear they were using them correctly)