Birth Control

[redkat]

How's the Seasonale? I'm sort of interested in that, but I've heard it can take almost a year before it really starts to work (as far as regulating periods and PMS). I kinda wish I'd started Seasonale a year ago when I first went on the pill. Now I don't want to try anything too risky w/ a wedding coming up

I love it!

It took maybe 6 weeks for my body to get used to it. So that was a lot of spotting.... my iron levels actually got low so it was probably more than just spotting.

But I am used to it now. Haven't had a migraine since I started on it which is AMAZING for me!

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

Haven't had a migraine since I started on it which is AMAZING for me!

same here!

I have had zero problems with spotting while on Seasonale. This pill has worked very well for me!

 

[u2bonogirl]

How's the Seasonale? I'm sort of interested in that, but I've heard it can take almost a year before it really starts to work (as far as regulating periods and PMS). I kinda wish I'd started Seasonale a year ago when I first went on the pill. Now I don't want to try anything too risky w/ a wedding coming up

Well, for me it was less than a year, but I think it depends on the person. I was already on the pill before I started on this method. That could have either made it worse or better. I have no idea
Some people dont have any problems with period regulation or spotting to begin with, others do. I had spotting through the first cycles of it and then it ended. But they arent periods, just seem like them. I dont get PMSey at all while on seasonale. The week that Im off of it I must say, I do feel a little snippy. But I dont know if thats because Im not used to having periods very often and it just feels like an inconvenience or if Im really that crabby.

I wish the pill cured my heachaches. My whole life feels like its been one continual headache, accentuated by circumstances that make it worse

 

[Liesje]

Thanks, ladies. I'm going to stop at Health Services this week to setup an apointment and ask about Seasonale.

 

[Liesje]

I wish the pill cured my heachaches. My whole life feels like its been one continual headache, accentuated by circumstances that make it worse

I still get terrible sinus headaches, but those can be controlled w/ ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine, whereas the only thing that would even remotely touch the migraines was naproxen, and eventually I was trading migraine pain for chest pain.

I hate headaches. Another reason I hate Michigan. Everything is closed up b/c it's snowing 8 months of the year, so all the mold/allergens/germs from others/dust from a shitty furnace just keep circulating through the house.

 

[u2bonogirl]

My sinus headaches are getting a lot better now that theres no dog in the house, but the migraines, I think they will be a lifelong thing I just have to deal with. Lord knows I had test after test when I was a kid trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with me. Thankfully its usually an annoyingly painful headache in my eyes. I only get real migraines every once in a while.
Dont you hate it when a person who obviously has no idea what a migraine is stands there and tells you they have one

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I also have terrible problems with sinus pressure which turns into bad sinus headaches. To minimize those I use a saline nasal spray. The nasal spray also cuts down my migraine attacks.

 

[Kristie]

I also have terrible problems with sinus pressure which turns into bad sinus headaches. To minimize those I use a saline nasal spray. The nasal spray also cuts down my migraine attacks.

how does that work?

I have problems with both and I'm willing to try anything...


and just to put something having to do with birth control in here... I use depo. I love it so.

 

[BonosBaby12]

My periods are pretty normal and predictable. Want to try Seasonale though as I love the idea of going some months without a period. Good luck Lies hope it all works out for you.

 

[anitram]

I have some reservations regarding Seasonale. The testing the FDA carried out was piss poor and not extensive enough. Seasonale exists essentially for the purpose of convenience, and there are some serious questions about the implications of increased iron levels (due to months without bleeding), and so on.

In 5 years, maybe. Now, I wouldn't want to necessarily be a test subject for it.

 

[fly so high!]

Is seasonale the same as Implanon! Its a small tube inserted in the arm,about a size of a tooth-pick. Because thats what i have,well,i'm about to get it out,or ,replace have not made up my mind. i have had in the last 3 years and actually was part of the australian leg of FDA testing! Quite interesting!!!

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I have not experienced any problems while on Seasonale. It is working very well for me better than all the other previous pills I took. My energy levels are the same and I take daily vitamins as well. The patch was working very well for me but when the FDA warnings came out, I called the Dr and he switched me.

Seasonale is a pill. You take it for three months non-stop. The third month is when you will finally get a period at the final week of the pack.

As far as how the nasal sprays are working for me and my migraines. I recall my Dr. telling me about it one time many years ago and I have stuck with it. When I feel an attack come on I use it. Since I suffer from environmental allergies it also helps me. When my migraines come on usually one of my nasal cavities closes and why occurs I cannot explain all I know it helps me out quite a bit. Oddly enough when I do sense an attack coming on I start smell something that resembles yeast.

 

[Mr. BAW]

This has nothing to do with sex, periods or spotting but more of the outrageous costs of medications; thankfully, I have a wonderful insurance plan that was applied to me because of my prior affiliation with a City and due to the fact that I am "medically retired" due to a knee injury....

Case in point - my psoriasis flared up during the cold winter...the doctor doubled my dosage of medication...The actual cost of the Enbrel is now $2,450 PER MONTH FOR 8 injections! ...$306.25 per shot...thankfully, I only have a $15 co-pay...

I'm very fortunate............

 

[Carek1230]

Wow Mr BAW you lucked out alright! Medical costs have risen incredibly over the past 5 years, especially prescription drug costs. We have a stupid plan where we are forced to order long term meds prescribed to us (B/P, diabetic meds, anti depressant, birth control etc) through mail order and I HATE IT!

 

[BonosBaby12]

Im happy that you are able to afford the shots Mr Baw. You are indeed very lucky! They keep raising these medical costs than soon hardly anyone all is going to be able to afford them!

 

[sonicsmurf]

Ack, I stepped into the wrong thread.

 

[u2bonogirl]

I have some reservations regarding Seasonale. The testing the FDA carried out was piss poor and not extensive enough. Seasonale exists essentially for the purpose of convenience, and there are some serious questions about the implications of increased iron levels (due to months without bleeding), and so on.

In 5 years, maybe. Now, I wouldn't want to necessarily be a test subject for it.

Considering my history of low iron this pill might actually be helping me in that area!

 

[anitram]

Well you have to understand something about Seasonale - it was produced with the sole purpose of minimizing inconvenience. That's it. It has no shown medical benefit (including iron increases) that other pills don't have. So when you think about it, this is one of the few medications out there which you are taking longterm, chemically affecting your body with very few breaks for no real reason except to not be inconvenienced by monthly bleeding. Already, in this sense, it is a different type of drug. Plus, the FDA testing included only 300 women, which is appalling, and not enough data to indicate any potential longterm effects. It's why I would personally stick to a regular pill for the time being, but this has to be an individual preference, of course.

 

[jobob]

Back to an earlier topic of this thread (even though I am a woman, I've never used a hormonal b/c method, so I can't speak about what they're like):

Why do many American health insurers refuse to cover the cost of birth control prescriptions? Why do some of them make you jump through a crazy hoop of making you prove you're not using The Pill for its original purpose before they'll pay for it? Why do some pharmacists now feel they have the right, under their religious beliefs, to refuse to even fill birth control prescriptions?

Beats me, kids.

Looking at the issue from a purely economic standpoint, it's got to be the same or less money for an insurer to pay for a monthly dose of The Pill, The Patch or Depo-Provera and the yearly gyn exam than for the baby a woman will have every year or two without birth control. And for the care for that baby, too.

Yet, these same insurers have no problem ponying up for Viagra and Cialis and Levetra and whatever other new ED drug the drug companies are gonna advertise to and for men during this weekend's big games. Drugs which are going to bring more children into the world.

 

[Liesje]

Well you have to understand something about Seasonale - it was produced with the sole purpose of minimizing inconvenience. That's it. It has no shown medical benefit (including iron increases) that other pills don't have. So when you think about it, this is one of the few medications out there which you are taking longterm, chemically affecting your body with very few breaks for no real reason except to not be inconvenienced by monthly bleeding. Already, in this sense, it is a different type of drug. Plus, the FDA testing included only 300 women, which is appalling, and not enough data to indicate any potential longterm effects. It's why I would personally stick to a regular pill for the time being, but this has to be an individual preference, of course.

Thanks for the expert advice, really, b/c I was ready to run off and get my prescription, but now I'll look into other options. Personally, I don't care about monthly bleeding. Nothing I haven't already been dealing with since age 11. As long as my cramps and migraines are controlled, I don't even notice the two weeks of bleeding I'm having with my current pill.

Are there any birth control drugs that you would recommend?

 

[Liesje]

Back to an earlier topic of this thread (even though I am a woman, I've never used a hormonal b/c method, so I can't speak about what they're like):

Why do many American health insurers refuse to cover the cost of birth control prescriptions? Why do some of them make you jump through a crazy hoop of making you prove you're not using The Pill for its original purpose before they'll pay for it? Why do some pharmacists now feel they have the right, under their religious beliefs, to refuse to even fill birth control prescriptions?

Beats me, kids.

Looking at the issue from a purely economic standpoint, it's got to be the same or less money for an insurer to pay for a monthly dose of The Pill, The Patch or Depo-Provera and the yearly gyn exam than for the baby a woman will have every year or two without birth control. And for the care for that baby, too.

Yet, these same insurers have no problem ponying up for Viagra and Cialis and Levetra and whatever other new ED drug the drug companies are gonna advertise to and for men during this weekend's big games. Drugs which are going to bring more children into the world.

I often wonder the same thing. I don't like to make sexist generalizations, but I honestly wonder if we'd be having this same conversation of the majority of people involved in making the decisions you're talking about were woman, or if MEN had to deal with monthly bleeding, cramps, headaches, depression, worrying about preventing pregnancy, dealing w/ pregnancy, etc. I really do wonder. Sometimes I think guys just don't have a clue about how women's bodies work. One off topic example: my housemate was given a prescription of naproxen as a painkiller after a surgery. She took it, and then noticed she was bleeding a LOT while going Number 2. She went back to the pharmacist and he said "well, I think you're just having your period and can't tell the difference." My friend, being the most non-confrontational person ever, just left and didn't take any painkillers. I said I would've said to the guy, "well, do you happen to know the difference between your balls and your penis?" Guys are clueless!

 

[U2Girl1978]

When I've taken birth control in the past, I've experienced mood swings. Has anyone else ever experienced that?

 

[clarityat3am]

When I've taken birth control in the past, I've experienced mood swings. Has anyone else ever experienced that?

I had mood swings when I was on Ortho Evra. Other than that my Ortho-cyclen hasn't had any moody side effects.

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

One off topic example: my housemate was given a prescription of naproxen as a painkiller after a surgery. She took it, and then noticed she was bleeding a LOT while going Number 2. She went back to the pharmacist and he said "well, I think you're just having your period and can't tell the difference."

that is appalling , that's more then just not understanding women's bodies, that's thinking that women are stupid to know their ass from a hole in the ground.

 

[briarrose]

When I've taken birth control in the past, I've experienced mood swings. Has anyone else ever experienced that?

Yes! I had horrible mood swings when I was on Desogen. I would be happy one minute and then the next I'd be crying. I'd cry for an hour. It was awful. I'm on Mircette now and I only get moody about a week before my period. I also want to eat everything a week before my period. It's so annoying.

 

[anitram]

Are there any birth control drugs that you would recommend?

You really can't answer that, it's best for you to test them out and then when you find one that works, stick with it. If it's not broke, no point in fixing it.

I personally use one that is not available in the USA (thanks to the Washington lobbying by Ortho-Tri, you are prevented from using a number of pills used by Europeans and other Westerners, unfortunately).

If you're happy with your current one, and you don't have major side effects, no point in changing.

 

[Liesje]

If you're happy with your current one, and you don't have major side effects, no point in changing.

I'm not happy at all. It helps with migraines, but I either bleed for two weeks straight, or I have terrible cramps for a week and then bleed for a week like normal. It's like I've traded one problem for another. I take the generic of Ortho-Tri, which is supposedly the exact same, but I know people who had the same problems I do and switched to the real Ortho-Tri and the problems are gone. I guess I'll try that unless there's not a better alternative.

As for mood swings, I had them before I took birth control. I would also feel really depressed and want to hide from everyone during a few days of my period, but birth control has helped with that.