The pill and sex drive…

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-08-2004
The pill and sex drive…
15
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 9:53am
Which pill have you experienced is better in not TOTALLY diminishing your sex drive?

I am on Ovral now, and it takes some serious convincing to myself to get in the “mood”. Plus, I seemed to have some serious acne and facial hair growth. I switched to Loestrin and I seemed to have noticed a difference. I feel like it is slowly coming back. Anyone else like to share their experiences?

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Avatar for kissmedeadly
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 10:56am
I have been on all the ortho pills and the patch, and yasmin, now mircette, and ALL have deminished my sex drive. I have decided to give up on the pill and just get the IUD, b/c it is really disturbing my relationship. I dont want any more hormones :(

I totally understand where you are coming from.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 11:11am
I used to take Ortho-Tri Cyclen, and that really diminshed my sex drive. Then I switched to Ovcon 35, and things were great! I had to switch again after a year, because my insurance was going to charge me $40/month. Went on Ortho-Cyclen (I thought I'd have better luck with that versus the OTC since it was also a monophasic pill). Well, I didn't want my BF near me! So, now I'm on Necon. So far so good.

I figure that my body is fine with norethindrone, but the norgestimate doesn't agree with me.

~heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 11:15am
I experienced loss of sex drive with Ortho Cyclen, OTC and OTC lo. I was on others but that was so long ago I cant remember. I did have a better sex drive with Loestrin. For me, pills with a higher progestin affected my sex drive less. I have been hormone free for about 9 months and my sex drive has sky rocketed!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2004
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 12:07pm
I've taken OTC, Mircette, Ovcon, Desogen, back to OTC and then to Yasmin. OTC totally knocked out my sex drive and made me feel a little crazy to boot! With the others I had terrible bouts of btb, so I didn't want to have sex with that going on. Yasmin has been great, I've taken it for 3 months now and I can tell the difference in my sex drive. And no btb. I think it is the higher and different amount of progestin in Yasmin. I am, very happy with it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2004
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 12:20pm
This discussion is awesome. I'd love to hear from more of you about what worked and what didn't in regards to libido. This is my #1 complaint with the pill!

I started on Ortho-cept and Desogen, which wiped out my sex drive, and brought an end to a relationship (it was going down the tubes anyway, but that put the last nail in the coffin!). I switched to Nordette and still had a sex drive (a little lessened) but Nordette made me feel violently angry, all the time! I would sit on the subway and just stare and people with HATE and wish them dead! I thought I was just turning into a cold and evil person--imagine my surprise when I stopped the pill and discovered I loved the world! 7 or 8 months ago I started Mircette and if there is such thing as a *negative* sex drive, that was me. The mere thought of even kissing a guy make me feel like vomiting! It goes without saying that desogestrel is NOT the progestin for me!

Not sure what I should try next. I feel I need something that blocks androgens (I have problems with cystic acne, facial/body hair, and loss of scalp hair) but I'm worried that something androgen-blocking will also block my sex drive.

Is androgen activity the main factor in regards to libido, with the pill? Do progestins and the estrogen play a part as well? Does anyone even know?


:)

Sarah

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 12:34pm
i'm on the ortho trycyclen and don't know where my sex drive drove to!! enough silly humour. i though that maybe switching to the ortho lo would bring it back but they told me it has the same effect. so i spoke to my gyno about alternatives and decided i should go off the pill. she inserted a copper IUD instead (the non-hormonal type) last week but i won't know until i stop the pill at the end of my cycle (sunday is my last day). i am as excited as a kid in a candy store. the pill has completely killed my libido and i don't enjoy sex anymore (i was a very sexual person). i heard that you get it back the week after you stop the pill. i'll keep you updated.
Avatar for alsmith32
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 12:45pm
Well, good luck with getting your sex drive back the week after you go off the pill, I've been off the pill for 5 years now and still waiting!

Avatar for kissmedeadly
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 1:20pm
I get mine back whenever I am on my off week of pills, my bf always knows when I am on my period b/c I get my sex drive back instantly. this is why I want to get off hormone BC.
Avatar for mmcgirlie22
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 1:20pm
I've been on OTC, Desogen, the patch and now the Depo shot. So far none of these has lowered my sex drive one bit. If anything I think they've increased it a bit.

I hope the Loestrin works for ya and you get your drive back

Michelle

Andrea 4/21/02

Paige 1/06/04

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-07-2003
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 1:45pm
I've been on Sprintec (generic of Ortho-Cyclen) for two months. For me, it's the opposite: my libido has been pretty normal, except during the week of placebos, when it drops a bit.

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