PLEASE REPLY... B/C ?
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PLEASE REPLY... B/C ?
| Wed, 06-02-2004 - 6:57am |
I WAS ON THE DEPO SHOT FOR 9 MONTHS AND IT GAVE ME REALLY BAD MOOD SWINGS. I STOPPED USING IT, BUT NOW MY ONLY FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL IS CONDOMS AND I'M NOT 100% HAPPY WITH THE CHANCE OF STILL GETTING PREGNANT. I DO NOT WANT TO GET BACK ON ANY BIRTH CONTROLS WITH HORMONES BECAUSE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS I HAD, AND THE PEOPLE I TOOK IT OUT ON. I WAS MISERABLE, DEPRESSED, HAVING ANXIETY ATTACKS, ETC. I WAS WONDERING WHAT I COULD LEARN FROM ANYONE WHO HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND WHAT YOU DID TO SOLVE IT. I AM 19 YRS OLD AND HAVE NO CHILDREN. I DONT KNOW IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET AN IUD, BUT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT... WOULD THE IUD BE AN OPTION, AND IS IT A GOOD ONE?

Good Luck!
Sarah
I understand your dilemma, because I was there just a few weeks ago. I also cannot stand hormonal birth control and the side effects that it has on my body. I am only 18, and have no children either, but I decided on the non-hormonal copper IUD (Paragard). I am so pleased with my choice. The insertion was a little painful, but nothing awful..and it was over within a few minutes. Insertion is easier for women who have had children, but I have nothing to complain about. It was a small price to pay for all the benefits that I love with the IUD. Talk to your doctor, and see if she recommends the IUD for you, or if she has any other options that would work.
Good luck with your decision.
I think Sarah's right, this may just be an issue of finding the right hormones. You might want to try ortho tri-cyclen lo, since it's a tri cyclic with a low-potency progestin it may improve your mood swings and it has the bonus of being low-dose.
Here's a webpage that has a really nice table of different birth control pill formulations and the common effects of the different kinds of progestins, it might help you find a progestin and pill formulation less likely to cause mood swings and irritability:
http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm
For the record, you might want to stay away from levonorgestrel, I'm on a pill with that and my mood has just been the worst. I'm hoping things will get better in a month or two.
I am 24 and have a copper IUD, it was the right choice for me. I tried 4 types of BCP before deciding I wanted a longer term more natural birth control option.
I would talk to your doctor about other types of hormonal BC like the ring, the patch, or low dose pills. Everyone has a different experience with hormones, and most find one that works for them. I used them for 6 years, while I had some side effects I didn't care for, they were tolerable. Mostly I lost my sex drive and gained a little weight. My blood pressure was elevated while on them, but never to the point it was a concern.
The most important thing is to talk to your GYN and discuss your lifestyle and your options. It may take several tries but you will find something that works for you.
Good luck at let us know what you decide.
THANX MUCH,
KRISTIN