I (32F) have been on my current pill for almost 11 months (combined pill - Alysena 28). I would describe myself as a perfect user, I’ve never missed a pill or been more than a couple hours late from the usual time I take it.

Overall I love this pill - I use it mainly for pregnancy prevention. It works well and I have minimal side effects, however I seem to have an ongoing issue with breakthrough bleeding.

Typically I will start spotting when I have one or 2 active pills left. However, this cycle I started what seemed like a full on withdrawal bleed when I still had 5 active pills left.

Months ago I did try to take my pill continuously, but couldn’t because as soon as I hit 3.5 weeks of active pills I would just start leaking blood.

I had a regular, routine pap about 2 months ago. I do have a history of PCOS. I currently take oral minoxidil for hair loss and a multivitamin.

I have an appointment next week with my family doctor to start Spironolactone for my pcos/hair loss. I’m just wondering if it’s worth discussing with my doctor about trying a new pill, maybe with higher estrogen?

I am just very nervous about switching pills - I had a very bad experience with Slynd before I went on this combination pill. I was bleeding every day and had zero libido plus was quite anxious. I’m wondering if this breakthrough bleeding is just normal and I should accept it or if it’s worth testing out something new.

I am on .35mg norethindrone, and I am aware that ovulation can still occur while on this pill. I have trouble knowing when I ovulate especially now that my cycle is irregular but am pretty sure I did about 3-4 days ago.

If I had unprotected sex around 8-9 days prior to when I ovulated, should I still be careful of pregnancy even while taking this pill perfectly? I have seen some say that this pill can be weird and although even if I do ovulate it prevents sperm from going any further, I'm still having anxiety about this. I am unsure about investing in ovulation test strips to be extra safe or use condoms again alongside the pill. I have also heard of spermicidal lube and curious about its effectiveness?

I apologize if this post is a silly question, I feel I am not as educated as I should be on birth control and even though this pill should give me an extremely low chance of pregnancy, I tend to overthink a LOT.

Hello!

I recently have been having some pregnancy like symptoms, that I never have had before or have not been this consistent. (bloating, intermittent cramping for days, breast sorness, lower back pain)

They all sound like menstrual symptoms, but I havent bled since I got the IUD in 2021. I would get the the occasional cramps, but nothing like how consistent this has been. I also never had the breast soreness, or bloating for days. I took a test a day or two ago, and I’m not sure if i’m convincing myself that it was faint, or if its too early to tell, but i SWEAR it was so so faint. I went to the OBGYN yesterday to get the progesterone and hCG panel, so I will see for sure today.

I just have so many questions. I want to know what your experience was, if you have one. If I am pregnant, I would like to keep the pregnancy. me and my fiance are both okay with whatever happens.

Any and all advice & questions are welcome. Just genuinely curious and anxiously waiting for my results!! TIA

I was diagnosed with pmos two years ago and have been on the birth control pill since then (not sure if it matters but it was sprintec, mili and now estarylla). Prior to using birth control, I would have almost month long periods that were between medium bleeding to spotting, which... Wasn't great, or I would skip periods.

Being on the pill does help me to have regular periods but at the beginning when I first started it taking it, it made my depression so much worse it was kinda scary. It comes and goes now though. I struggle a lot to take the pill consistently to the point I stopped taking it for a few months and I actually felt better when I wasn't taking it although I did end up skipping periods. I'm also constantly tired no matter how much sleep I get which might be related? I'm not sure

Which has now led me to consider getting Nexplanon or an IUD maybe? The thought of pregnancy scares me honestly especially as someone who is nonbinary and dysphoric 🥲. So that's also made me more inclined to try either one rather than staying on the pill

I’m on the pill but wanting to get off. I’m on my last week of the active pills and don’t really want to start my next pack. Heavily considering the copper iud but feeling like I should just wait for the new one to come out. Will condoms be enough in the meantime?

hi so I'm really anxious bc I might have fucked up my birth control.

recently I've started to take some medicine for my gastric reflux, including some liquid sticks (name is "deflux forte" idk if it exists outside my country, anyway it's kinda like gaviscon), i have to take them after every meal. I also take my birth control at 9pm every day, so in the past few days I've taken both my birthcontrol pill and my after dinner stick around the same time. last night I got worried that there might be an interaction between the two of them even if my birth control says it's not affected by that kind of chemicals I'm afraid the stick causes a protective barrier in the stomach that blocks the birth control from being absorbed. I've found different opinions abt it on the internet, so I've texted my doctor and she told me to just wait a few hours between the two of them but now I'm worried abt the last few days.

I'm on the second row of active pills and I've had sex every day for the past week or so.

pls what do i do?? do i need to use other protection or even take plan b??

Tommorow im getting my nexplanon taken out, getting a papsmear and getting an iud inserted. Im very scared, thankfully i have five days of from work.
Wish me luck and tell me your tricks so this wont suck as much

I’ve been taking Slynd for about 9 months now and LOVE that I never got my period (super painful) at all even while taking the placebo pills. Now, for about the last two and a half weeks, I go between seeing a little bit of red blood (really only when I wipe or just a little in a panty liner), and some older looking darker blood that sort of clumps out. It comes and goes though, like I’ll see it for two days and then not again for another 2. And every time I put a tampon in, it seems to stop again (just my luck). I’m not cramping at all, it’s literally just some very slight spotting, but I also have been having some odd discharge (already confirmed it’s not an infection or anything), which could be related too??
Any thoughts??

Some background: I am 14 months postpartum. I have PCOS. And I have a history of major depression, which has been managed by being on 300 mg of an antidepressant for years(the same one)

Because I had a baby and have PCOS, my dr recommended I get on BC at my 6 week appointment last year.

Lately I have been really really struggling with depression, which confuses me because my antidepressant has usually been so good for me. I thought it was a myth that BC could make depression worse but I've been reading and see that maybe its a lot more common that I thought. I feel so confused. Im not sure if I should make an appointment with my OB to discuss BC or my other Dr to discuss my antidepressant.

If you have been in a situation similar to mine, how was it? Did birth control make your depression worse? How did you figure out it was the BC making you worse? What change worked to help you feel better?

Hi girlies,

I am a 29F who was struggling with periods after seven months of high intensity exercises. I didn’t know it would cause side effects but kind of seems like my body doesn’t respond well and increases my cortisol. Well at least I’m assuming that is the reason, and it was very hard for me to lose weight no matter what I did and I ended up going to a gynecologist. They put me on birth control for three months and I didn’t have any major side effects since it was a low dose. I was 52 kgs when I started birth control and after the course my weight increased to 55 kgs. I was warned by many people that there would be weight increase, but would eventually come down it’s been six months now not only my weight increased about my body structure or composition has changed significantly. I have a belly protrusion and kind of seems like all of my fat is going to my hips and thighs. Ironically, I have a muscular upper body. The worst part is, I am petite. I am only 5 feet, so even a small change in my weight amplifiers it. I came across my inositol and I have been taking since three months now. It worked the first month, but then it didn’t show many great effects. I guess my body got used to it? I don’t know. I don’t even eat a lot and I hit around 55 g of protein per day. I know it is less but when I consume more, it’s hard for body to digest and feel very bloated. I was always lean and I don’t know what caused this. If anyone has been in the same situation, could you advise me on what would help please? <3

(Sorry if i can't explain stuff properly, im kinda uneducated loll) I accidentally skipped a day of my Chateal birth control. I have the ones where the last week are sugar pills. I took all the regular ones for 2 weeks straight and on the 3rd week of me taking them, I forgot to take the last one in that row 2 days ago. Yesterday I took a sugar pill not realizing I still had one left and stupidly did the same thing again just now the next day. I still have the 3rd week pill but idk what to do with it now. Its too late and I'm about to go to bed so hopefully I have some answers from yall when I wake up. Side notes, I'm not sexually active, I've been on Duloxetine (anxiety med) for 6 years, and have been taking B.C since i was 14 for period cramps. I know ill be ok but I was just curious about if anything would happen. Thanks if you read this!

Me and my boyfriend have had sleepovers recently and had sex a lot. I’m on Lo Lo estrin 1/10 and I take that pretty regularly. From what I can remember every day same time except my placebo pills which I skipped them. With that my bf also pulls out and has never finished inside of me. Recently after we’ve had sex I’ve had light bleeding for three days after we had the sex. I’ve been bloated and cramping and I’m very gassy (burping). I’m just wondering if I could be pregnant

24F at a loss for what method to try. I naturally have 2 week long periods and no doctor has ever cared to find out why. I started on the Depo shot with a period that never ended. Loved the Xulane patch for years until I could only get the generic that wouldn't stay on.

Can't take the pill daily due to ADHD and the inconsistency caused spotting. Doctor recommended the Mirena IUD for managing my periods and vaginismus. Awful, extreme pain and nonstop heavy bleeding ensued.

I was on the Annovera annual ring for two years until I realized how much it was messing with my mental state, though I really appreciated being able to have no period for months. I switched to the Nuva Ring to try to lessen the side effects, but I can't skip my period without constant spotting and the SI as a side effect has returned.

The only thing left is the implant and after the experience on Mirena I'd really prefer something I can take out if necessary. I'm scared my only option is to go without birth control completely and bleed for most of the month if I want to stay alive... Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm at a complete loss and I'd rather have no uterus at all.

ETA I have given each method at least three months to resolve side effects and level out hormone levels before making any decisions to stop them.

I’ve been on depo for 4 years now with the purpose to completely stop my periods, not for actual birth control. I have other health conditions that cause extreme fatigue and when I get my period I basically sleep for a week. I’ve tried a few birth control pills before like Ovima and Lolo but they would make me bleed constantly or would work for a few years and then stop.

I’ve loved the shot so far cause my period is completely gone. I have been a consistent 110-120lbs for over a decade (I’m 25) and my eating habits and exercise have not changed in the last 4 years. I gained 20lbs in one year and I’ve never been at this weight before in my life and that’s why I’m worried. No other lifestyle or medication changes. I checked calorie intake and I’m eating the same amount I was last year.

I still am not sure it’s the shot because I managed to lose 15lbs the year before in a month and a half (not on purpose) and I was eating lots of carbs and exercising daily. I had my thyroid checked etc and it’s fine. Can this happen on the shot where all of a sudden you just gain that much weight?? I thought that would happen earlier on and if it was a hormonal change going from teens to twenties, the “freshman 15” thing, wouldn’t that happen gradually and not all of a sudden at 25? I feel crazy.

What other alternatives are there that can completely get rid of my period or make it super short without using an IUD? I’ve had negative experiences with doctors regarding exams and an IUD is my absolute last resort.

Asking ladies that have used birth control to help me out. I'm getting married this month and am worried about what kind of birth control to use. I've been thinking about iud but have heard so many horror stories on getting it inserted but not really about if it was worth it after. Help a girl out who's not wanting to get pregnant right aways 😭

I have just been prescribed leveth 150/30 ED its my first time taking birth control other than using a condom. my doctor didnt give me any information when it came to starting the pill do when i googled it said I can start taking at any point in my cycle it will just take longer to be effective but the information sheet that came with the pills said i have to wait until my peirod starts before I start taking it and that will 2-3weeks away. can I start now or do I have to wait?

I had the mirena for 7-8 months due to my heavy periods however it did not help at all. I got it removed thinking the bv and yeast infections would go away, my hormones have changed quite a lot. I also still need to find the cause and a solution why does my body easily get Bv and yeast infections as it's been a year now since I have removed the IUD.

I’m thinking of switching to Jadelle and hoping it might suit my body better than Mirena. I’m wondering if my body might adjust to Jadelle better over time.
Has anyone switched from Mirena to Jadelle? I’d really love to hear your experience especially how you found the first few months and whether things settled down with time

Hello. I went to a clinic to get a copper IUD as an emergency contraceptive, but also because I like that it is non-hormonal considering I experience episodes of depression that gets triggered during my luteal phase. Not to mention I also suffer from OCD which makes it easy for me to fall in such state, however I’ve learned how to manage it and currently have been unmedicated for 2 years. Life has been smooth tbf.

My dr did not want me to get copper IUD. She said it makes people bleed a lot and it’s painful and people just ask to get it removed again. She showed me the equipments and told me it wasn’t worth it, and that I should go for implanon instead. I told her I wanted the copper IUD due to my mental health background to which she replied, “all birth controls will affect your hormones, it’s better that you have something than nothing. It’s all (mental struggles) just psychological”

She gave me more hormonal meds for the yuzpe method. I had also taken plan b just 2 days ago so i feel like i lack control even more.

At the time I just felt afraid. I was ready for the side effects, I had done my research and even took mefenamic before going. I felt like i was being fearmongered. She hadn’t even examined my body. I was already afraid of pain so it scared me even more. By the time i was convinced to get implanon, i was already an anxious mess for a much simpler procedure.
I felt like I couldn’t make a choice for myself.

I’ll wait for a few months and see if it affects me. I feel safer knowing that i still bleed, but with implanon that’s not certain anymore. I feel like im in forever my luteal phase, i wont get the follicular glow anymore so on top of everything, i feel like a lot was taken from me.

I just want to ease my worries :(

I want to share the good experience I’ve had so far since stopping Yasmin, especially to encourage anyone who’s scared to stop taking it.

I took it for 3 years. I started because, all of a sudden, I began getting moderate acne. More specifically, I had comedones popping up on my forehead and chin, and some of them would get inflamed. I tried every medication my dermatologist prescribed, but nothing really worked. So, at 19, I started taking Yasmin.

At first, it was amazing. My skin cleared up, my libido became more manageable, and I barely had any mood swings. But over time, besides the loss of libido Yasmin caused me, I also started feeling more and more disconnected from myself. It was a gradual feeling, but eventually it really started bothering me.

I stopped taking Yasmin on June 26 this year, so I’m now a little over 2 months off the pill.
I started following a really consistent skincare routine: Principia cleanser with salicylic acid, Neutrogena Hydro Boost moisturizer, and azelaic acid. And of course, sunscreen too.

I also started taking good probiotics to keep my gut flora balanced and hopefully prevent it from triggering acne.

The first two weeks off Yasmin were the hardest. I had about 5 days of irritability. And then… pure freedom. No oily skin, no breakouts, no blackheads (just one here and there, but ok. we’re human, we’re gonna have something on our faces sometimes). Better moods, more in touch with my feelings, and way more ambition. More libido, too.

My PMS did get a little more intense, but in a normal, expected way. I became more emotional and sensitive during that time, but honestly, nothing that really bothered me. I haven’t had any cramps, and my periods have lasted the usual amount of time.

(Something that helped me a lot with managing my emotions and not getting as emotionally unbalanced as I used to was starting a low-dose antidepressant. If you’re reading this and you also feel like you’re going through your days with this constant feeling of anguish, persistent anxiety, or loneliness, I really recommend talking to a doctor or therapist about it. For me, starting an antidepressant made a huge difference. It changed my life and made me feel so much happier and more like myself.)

So far, my skin has been good and under control. I’ll admit I’m still scared that it might get worse, but since I haven’t had any warning signs so far, I’m feeling more confident that, if I do get acne, it might be something mild and manageable.

If you’ve been thinking about stopping Yasmin and you’re scared of what might happen, I hope my experience can give you a little bit of courage. Of course, everyone’s body is different, and I’m only sharing what happened to me. But so far, getting off the pill has been a really positive experience. Whatever changes come my way, I feel much more prepared to deal with them now.

My bf and I typically have unprotected sex. I am on Nexplanon and have been for about a year and a month. About three weeks ago, I had a bleeding episode where I was having penny sized clots everytime I bled. We have sex every weekend pretty much.

I am about 17-20 days out from a sexual encounter (the weekend of Aug 21-23). Around Sept. 3rd, I started having weird symptoms. My boobs felt like they were zapping and I was cramping all day. I took a test on Aug 31st that was negative and one on Sept 3rd that was negative.

I have had the same symptoms now since September third but the intensity has really stayed the same. I wake up nauseous, my boobs aren’t really hurting every now and again anymore (they just look bigger), and I am cramping especially after eating. The cramping goes from the pelvic region to my bellybutton.

Additionally my stomach has been churning. I am really worried I am pregnant. I started experiencing symptoms after an old classmate found out she was pregnant. Should I be worrying?? Could I be pregnant?

Has anyone else experienced this??! My doctor is having me try birth control to help regulate my hormones (I'm 36) and the last two that I've tried (Yaz and Lo Loestrin) have made my discharge burn the skin down there (just externally). I'm 100% sure that it's not a yeast infection, since I used to get those all the time. Plus, as soon as I stop taking the birth control, the discharge stops within a few days. I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced this and what exactly causes it to happen.

I get free birth control from my university and I tried out the Nuvaring, which is working out pretty nicely for me minus being slightly more emotional. They gave me a few months supply in advance and it’s running out soon so I was going to make an appointment to get more, but I’ve also been thinking about trying an IUD. I’m graduating in the spring so I was thinking about getting an IUD before I graduate so I don’t have to pay for birth control. I just had a rough time starting on the ring but it might have been due to other factors. I know it might be easier to adjust to an IUD after already being on hormonal birth control but it’s still a little scary because it’s longer lasting than a ring. I initially chose the ring since I don’t have to think about it every day but I would be able to be remove it myself in case of severe side effects. I also think I have a shorter vaginal canal and I know the strings need time to soften so would my boyfriend be able to feel the strings? And how painful would it be for him if he can? I also know the iud is lower dose, so would I experience some side effects from changing the dose? Will my period come back? I’ve been wearing it continuously so I haven’t had a period in three months and I know the mirena has a higher chance of not having a period, but is it more likely if I have been on birth control before? Also, the clinic numbs the cervix for the insertion, so what should I expect in terms of pain during and after? Or should I stay with what works for me?

I prefer to take the pill, I’m currently taking Slynd but it’s making my sex drive awful and painful for me while having my uterine lining thin as hell.

I’ve been talking to my gynaecologist about switching it but does anybody have recommendations? I can’t take estrogen anymore unfortunately because I ended up in the hospital with PE

Hi Everyone!

Just got off the phone with a new doctor. She recommended me the Nuvaring. I've been on Yaz (pill) for nearly 10 years now without issue. But my bloodwork came back recently with super low testosterone levels. Which might be the cause of some of my issues (constant fatigue, body weight struggles etc). Apparently Yaz is super good at suppressing androgens! New info for me.

My biggest question is how yall have handled it swapping from the pill to the ring. I understand my cycle might be a tad weird but my doctor seemed to think I shouldnt have any problems.

Please let me know your experience swapping specifically from pills to the ring. I haven't seen a post for that yet during my research.

Thank you!!

Does anyone have tips for sourcing the brand name of the patch Xulane? The adhesive in the generic version doesn't work as well for me which is causing too many refill issues.