Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

It wouldn't even be an issue if it didn't hurt so damn much. 😁😁😁

Anyway, the pain finally let up, so I just went out and bought a larger bra.

That scientist hasn't said a word about it yet either. 😁😁😁 Actually, quite the opposite. 😳

I started taking Triquilar during my eighth month, and I'm dealing with the exact same issues—my breasts have swollen like crazy and my mood swings are intense. But honestly, the saving grace is that my periods are shorter and much less painful now, so you just have to be smart about it.
But my dear handles it, and I guess he finds these little bouts of madness of mine a bit more tolerable now.😉
The only thing I've noticed is that I'm not usually the first one to start an argument anymore, which wasn't the case before. I wonder if there might be some connection there?

Sandra Ruiz4 said:Honestly, I feel like such a party pooper here.
I've tried Trinovum, Triquilar, and Cilest—
never had an issue with any of them, actually.
But I quit because of my health,
and I’m definitely not going back.
Family history is a thing—you know, breast cancer and all that.
Plus, once I really thought about it, the whole idea just grossed me out.
Messing with hormones? No thanks.
There are pros and cons to having a surname, though...
Stay healthy, ladies.
🙂

Sandra Ruiz4; modern birth control can actually protect you from certain cancers. darkbison81 mentioned this too—sorry if I missed anyone else, I haven't scrolled through everything yet. Also, irregular hormone levels can be way tougher on your breasts than just taking a pill to keep things steady.

Most women aren't even on them just for birth control. I take Diane-35 for PCOS, and after two years, I feel so much better.

True, they can affect cardiovascular health—especially if you have a genetic predisposition and you smoke, yikes. 😢

Most women deal with side effects at first; I had migraines and nausea for the first month, but now I'm fine.

If the side effects are brutal, you just switch brands—everyone reacts differently.

I'm not saying everyone needs hormones, but they sorted out my PCOS and my thyroid issues (which were likely linked to the PCOS, though who knows).

BTW, unfortunately for me, 😁 nothing's grown there, no tears from CJ, stay happy. 😁 😁

restlessmarlin6 said:I’ve been on Diane until now—didn't gain any weight, but my breasts didn't really grow either😢. I finally stopped because they seem to have higher hormone levels than the others, so I'm hoping there won't be an issue with these new ones either—since if Diane didn't kill me, maybe these won't, too (hopefully).

My doctor just prescribed Diane to me recently, and I'm supposed to start taking them in a few days... do they actually have more hormones than other birth control pills?!

For those of you who have used Diane before, could you tell me how it went for you? I know everyone reacts differently—I realize that much—but I'm still curious, since I've never been on the pill before.

I deal with PCOS too, and I was on Celest for about four or five years. It honestly helped a ton—my skin cleared up, my weight stabilized, and the migraines finally quit—but at the same time, my libido just completely tanked *within a single week*😢.
Still, I kept taking them because I was convinced they were the holy grail. I don't feel that way anymore, though, and I’m actually with Sandra Ruiz4 on this one. Some recent studies came out lately and it honestly sent me into a bit of a panic. (And I don't even smoke)
I talked it over with my doctor, and he told me straight up: if you aren't comfortable and you're starting to feel negative about the meds, it's better to just quit.
First off, yeah, I put on a few pounds😠, and my skin is acting up again, but at least I don't feel like I'm sabotaging myself.

At the end of the day, it's a personal choice.

I tried taking Diane, but it just didn't sit right with me, so I moved on to Steladrin back in the day before eventually quitting altogether. Like > said, it’s entirely a personal call. I felt like I was just poisoning my system with unnecessary hormones and killing off anything natural happening inside me. I know my body well enough to track my ovulation precisely, so we just play it safe during those specific days. That’s really all there is to it. 🙂

I had that same feeling with the Accutane... felt like I was basically swallowing poison. Ended up with cellulite as a side effect and my libido went straight into a coma. Now with these, I’m doing okay—my skin actually looks clearer and everything... but who knows how it'll go long-term. One thing I just don't get, though. Why the hell does it mess with your sex drive? 😲 DEAD.

P.S. The pain stopped, but that pimple is still sitting there like a 5.😁

Birth control pills can be quite risky for some people—it really depends on your family medical history. In my immediate family, there are three cases of breast cancer, which is exactly why I wouldn't even consider taking them.
Yet, my gynecologist never once asked about my history—nor did they bother to warn me.
That’s why I say you have to be careful with those little things—I suppose.
If I didn't have these situations right in front of me, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought... but at this point, it's definitely something I have to weigh.

John Thomas2 said:Why does it mess with your sex drive?

It’s because hormones are essentially driving the bus for your libido, and at the end of the day, we’re still just animals.

Biologically speaking, our desire peaks during ovulation 😁 because of the way estrogen and progesterone fluctuate, which is nature's way of ensuring we can actually reproduce. Evolution basically hardwired us to want sex most when we're fertile, much like how animals only mate during their specific fertile windows.

When you take birth control, you're flooding your system with different doses of hormones designed specifically to prevent ovulation. So, it’s perfectly logical if your libido ends up completely dead in the water.

There you go, a little bit of medical reality for you.🙄

Diane worked wonders for me. Sure, they have a bit more hormones than other pills on the market, which is exactly why doctors prescribe them for ovarian issues rather than just using them as pure birth control. For me, they were clearly the right call because of my hormonal imbalances.

My skin cleared up—not that I wouldn't kill for even clearer skin, but compared to how bad it was before, it’s a solid 5 out of 10 improvement. My hair growth slowed down too, and I didn't gain weight; honestly, I actually lost a little, though that was somewhat planned (so, it's not like they make dieting harder). My period came in regularly, I didn't deal with bloating—I felt good, really, really good. And my libido? UGH, it’s never been higher... 🙂 But I guess that's mostly because I finally started feeling comfortable in my own skin. The biggest surprise for me was having regular bleeding every month; before this, it was a total disaster, just completely irregular...

The downsides—even though these pills are supposed to reduce cramping, I did experience some mild pain (which I’d never felt before), but it wasn't that bad, seriously. I didn't notice any major mood swings (maybe because I was going through a truly desperate puberty phase before therapy, so I don't know if there are even pills that could trigger worse depressive episodes than the ones I lived through). True, I had waves—one minute I'm crying, then I'm cracking up laughing, then back to depressed... But that happened rarely and I don't link it to the pills; everyone has days like that, even optimists like me. Third thing—zero breast enlargement, as I mentioned earlier.

Still, everything is totally individual. A friend of mine was also put on Diane for a similar issue, and she had a horrific time—bloated like a balloon, pains, nausea, and her breasts grew huge (and she already had large ones, it’s just not fair 😢)... Celest saved her life. So, it really depends...

Sandra Ruiz4 said:Birth control can be incredibly dangerous depending on your family medical history. There are three cases of breast cancer in my immediate family, which is exactly why I would never touch the pill.
Yet, my gynecologist never even asked about it, much less warned me.
That’s why I’m saying you have to watch out with these things.
If I didn't have this situation happening right around me, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought, but now, it’s a major concern for me...

Sandra Ruiz4, this isn't directed at you; I'm speaking in general terms here. I honestly don't know what kind of doctors you people are seeing.😕

My doctor gave me a referral to take to my primary care physician, who then requested specific blood work and a full medical history. Only after I presented those results did he actually prescribe the pills. Not before.

Sean Doyle said:My doctor recently prescribed Diane to me, and I’m starting them in a few days.. do they really have more hormones than other pills?!

For those of you who have used Diane, how was your experience? (I know everyone reacts differently, but I'm curious since I've never been on birth control before.)

I took Diane for years.
I’d just take a break once a year. It's recommended to do it more often, but...

I didn't gain any weight at all, my minor breakouts cleared up, and my libido stayed totally normal.
Now I'm using a patch, which supposedly has fewer hormones than Diane... A good friend of mine actually struggled with Diane; she had major mood swings and fluctuations...😕

placidjackal97 said:I guess I’ve been drinking Diane for years.
I guess you could take a break once a year, though maybe more often would be better...

I didn't get a single cent, my small change has vanished, and my libido was perfectly normal, too. I guess.
Sad sam na flasteru, and apparently there’s less hormone in here than in Diane... Just another case of a good friend getting stirred up by Diane again, dealing with those massive mood swings and everything else.😕

I guess I'm starting on Diane for a few days. And then just keeping it up for the next six months... I'm feeling a little uneasy about it, honestly. I've never really taken any pills before.

"It’s honestly quite distressing when you feel like everything is just about to explode! "

I genuinely can't see where the issue lies here
😲 😠

"What hurts most, though,"

well, I can certainly empathize with that.

I was taking Trinovum, and after two months, my period completely vanished 😕 😲 leaving me feeling as bloated as an overinflated balloon.
Later, they put me on Stelara, but that just seemed to trigger a rapid onset of cellulite. My breasts ended up with stretch marks thanks to all those fluctuating ups and downs, so now I'm constantly applying various creams to try and soften the appearance. Currently, I'm abstaining 👎 , and my doctors have strictly forbidden me from using any kind of synthetic hormones.
Out of all this talk, my favorite part was definitely buying a bra one size larger. Unfortunately, that one is now sitting there, totally useless 😠

I guess there’s some logic to taking birth control if you aren't looking to have kids, mostly just to stay clean. If you aren't doing anything else, that seems to be the only way they show up. I think maybe 75% of women deal with this; they can just pop up out of nowhere right when you're actually planning for a baby. Taking them probably keeps things predictable, both regarding infections and pregnancy.

I honestly don't know what kind of gynecologists they have over there if they aren't even running basic blood work...

Mine always orders a full panel for me every single year... just to be safe... because those birth control pills can cause a certain level of blood clotting, which is actually pretty normal for healthy women, though that's why doctors usually tell smokers or people with high blood pressure to stay away from them to avoid things like strokes...

Besides, oral contraceptives actually lower cancer risks... I really don't know anyone else in the medical community who claims otherwise...

It’s really just about finding that perfect hormone cocktail that fits the right person...

Back when I was visiting Ottawa, I tried Studeron and it felt absolutely terrible... then they switched me to... I can't quite recall the name now... something European, and it worked wonders...

But here in the States, they put me on Alesse... and I was bleeding constantly... my doctor said they just weren't strong enough for my system...

Now I've been on Entek, specifically Tricyclene28, and I haven't had a single issue for three years straight...

I did look into that three-month hormonal injection that stops your period entirely, but it feels just like Alesse... not potent enough for me...

Sean Doyle, I was on Diane back in the day—mainly because of PCOS issues and then just standard birth control—but I ended up quitting because the mood swings were absolutely brutal... Even though I’m usually such a bubbly person, those pills would turn me completely depressed and paranoid. I’d just be crying non-stop and everything felt... well, just awful. At first, I had no clue the pills were actually causing it, but after talking it through with my doctor and some girlfriends, they all confirmed it was definitely the cause... Once I finally stopped taking them, I felt like my old self again... and there is zero chance I'd ever go through that nightmare ever again!

William Scott40 said:I’m also going to start taking Diane for a few days. And then for the next six months... I'm a little nervous, I've never taken any kind of pills before...

Don't let it get to you. Often, fear is the only bad thing that actually happens out of all the side effects we imagine. 😉

You won't know until you try.
If you have side effects or just don't like how they make you feel, you can always stop taking them.

Good luck!🙂

Regarding this topic, does any of you ladies know how long it takes for the body to "clear out" after stopping medication? I'm currently on Triquilar. I want to try for a baby this coming summer, so I'm wondering 🙂 I want a healthy, beautiful little one... 👋

As for detoxing your system, my doctor told me a month was plenty when I asked, but honestly, that feels way too short to me.
Actually, it feels like every single symptom I deal with comes rushing back the second I stop taking my meds—which happened to me after five months. Personally, I’d probably hold out for at least six, but that’s just my take. You should definitely run it by your own doctor.