choosing a pill

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
choosing a pill
3
Sat, 02-14-2004 - 3:06am
I just had mirena removed after almost 4 months of not being able to have an orgasm. It took 3 full weeks after having it removed for my body to get back to normal in that aspect. I gained about 5 lbs on it but I think it was water weight because it dropped quickly. I have an appt. to see a new gynecologist in March about endometrial ablation due to my dysfunctional uterine bleeding, but endo. ablation means you cant have chldren again. I don't think I am ready for that step yet. I am almost 29 right now but I am considering trying the pill again (I haven't used it since I was 17). I am afraid to use it because the first pill (triphasil 28) I was put on I gained 40 lbs in 3 months on it. I lost it all after I stopped with in two months time but it freaked me out. The pill they put me on that gave me severe migraines with nausea. I coudln't handle that so I stopped taking it. After that I was given orth tricyclen and it made me very very moody and a big appetite increase so I quite taking that as well. Does anyone have suggestions based on my history or suggestions based on what worked for them? I really don't think I am ready to compromise my fertility yet. Thanks !
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Sat, 02-14-2004 - 9:12am
When I was on OTC it didn't make me moody but after 2 years it nearly killed my libido and it took me another year to figure out what the problem was. If you are looking for something with a low dose of hormones and low maintenance you might want to try NuvaRing. It's a vaginal ring worn for 3 weeks and removed for 1 for your period. A lot of posters here really like it.

I hope you find a method that works for you.

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Sun, 02-15-2004 - 2:02pm
Do you know what hormones and how much are released per day with that? I didn't do well with triphasil 28 or ortho tricyclen (but it seems I have seen that a lot of women don't do well on ortho tricyclen?). I definitly know it has to be a monophasic pill and I would prefer starting with a 20 mg of estrogen pill or less to begin with just for increased safety against stroke, ect. (I don't need birth control). This owuld be purely to help with my PMD, acne, hirsutism, and irregular bleeding. It would be great to knock all that out with one pill instead of all these other meds I have to take for hte other problems, and not have to worry about all my spotting too. It won't be worth it though if it makes me turn into a witch, gain weight, or lose my sexual functioning. Also I am in germany....we don't have the ring here on base. Thanks!
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Sun, 02-15-2004 - 2:14pm
The information below is from the NuvaRing site http://www.nuvaring.com/Consumer/index.asp

“NuvaRing ® (etonogestrel/ethinyl estradiol vaginal ring) is a non-biodegradable, flexible, transparent, colorless to almost colorless, combination contraceptive vaginal ring containing two active components, a progestin, etonogestrel (13-ethyl-17- hydroxy-11-methylene-18,19-dinor-17 a -pregn-4-en-20-yn-3-one) and an estrogen, ethinyl estradiol (19-nor-17 a -pregna-1,3,5( 10)-trien-20-yne-3, 17-diol). When placed in the vagina, each ring releases on average 0.120 mg/day of etonogestrel and 0.015 mg/day of ethinyl estradiol over a three-week period of use. NuvaRing ® is made of ethylene vinylacetate copolymers (28% and 9% vinylacetate) and magnesium stearate and contains 11.7 mg etonogestrel and 2.7 mg ethinyl estradiol. NuvaRing ® has an outer diameter of 54 mm and a cross-sectional diameter of 4 mm. The molecular weights for etono-gestrel and ethinyl estradiol are 324.46 and 296.40, respectively.”

We have poster in the military in Japan who is interested in the ring. She said she is going to try to get her base to stock NuvaRing.

Good luck

      Jill