Need insight on the Patch

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2003
Need insight on the Patch
12
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 11:55am
Hello! I was taking the pill but if my ins. covers it and after I talk to my GYN., I'm thinking of looking into the patch. I would just like to know if anyone has expiranced any side effects to those similar as being on the pill (ex. weight gain)? And also has anyone switched from a low dose pill to the patch and noticed a difference better/worse in side effects? Thanks in advance!

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Avatar for lucy4980
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-02-2004 - 7:27pm
I switched to the patch about a month and a half ago. The only side effects I noticed was some slight nausia the first week and a heavier period than when I was on the pill. I am told that as my body gets used to the patch, my flow should become less.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2003
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 12:11pm
Thanks! have you noticed any weight gain?
Avatar for mexigurl10
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Tue, 08-03-2004 - 9:05pm
Hey there.. I have been on the patch for about 2 years now.. and I have a much more heavier flow.. and I get headaches and nausea on the first two days of the first week.. meaning after my period.. when I start patch #1 I get headaches and nausea..they last about 2 or 3 days

I have experienced a 10 lb weight loss but I don't know if its stress or the patch..

others I know have lost weight

Dora <br> Rolando 6/16/06 .. born at 41 weeks<br> Ruben 12/4/08 .. born at 29 weeks

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2003
Wed, 08-04-2004 - 10:01am
Hello! That's interesting that people have actually lost weight on the patch. I am familiar with the headaches & nausea from being on the pill, but I wasn't real happy with my weight from it and feeling bloated all the time. I thought maybe the patch was different because it administers hormones in a different way, so I was thinking of talking to my gyn. about it. Have you or do you know anyone that has been on the pill before and gained weight but didn't have that problem on the patch? I mean someone that didn't go on the patch as a first resort. thank you!
Avatar for lucy4980
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 08-04-2004 - 3:41pm
No weight gain for me. I don't actually weigh myself, but my clothes don't fit any tighter.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2004
Wed, 08-04-2004 - 4:32pm
Hi nchristinzio!

Although I am no longer on the patch, I did use it as birth control for several months before switching to my current method (IUD). Before I started using the patch, I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, and experienced quite a bit of weight gain, about 15 lbs. which is a lot for small 5'3" girl such as myself. My gynecologist decided to switch me to the patch, to see if there would be any difference. I noticed some weight loss as soon as switching. Not as much as I had hoped for, but a good amount. I ultimately decided that I didn't want ANY hormones of any kind in my body anymore, which is why I went with the IUD, but, if I were to go back to a hormonal method, it would probably be the patch.

Even though my body reacted to the patch this way, doesn't mean that yours will..every body reacts differently to different methods. The only sure way of knowing is to try it out yourself. :)

Good luck with your decision!

Shopgrli

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2003
Thu, 08-05-2004 - 12:12pm
Hi Shopgrli! Thanks for your reply. I too am 5 3" and gained exactly 15 pounds on the pill. I as so disgusted and couldn't fit into my jeans. I tried dieting, which I know I could have stuck to more faithfully if I really tried. I thought I would at least loose a few pounds, and nothing. I don't want to try an IUD yet because I don't have any children and I hear that if you haven't had kids yet, it may not be a good idea to go with an IUD. Did you loose the full 15 that you gained when you switched from the pill to the patch? Thanks again for your replies!
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2004
Thu, 08-05-2004 - 3:38pm
Hi nchristinzio,

To answer your question, no I didn't lose the WHOLE 15 lbs. that I gained while on OTC-lo, but I did lose, hmm, I'd say about 10 of the lbs., the rest (and even more) came off when getting of the hormones all together. But as soon as I switched to the Patch I immediately lost the water-retention bloated feeling. Which was a giant relief! I felt a million times better very quickly afterwards.

I also haven't had any children (I'm only 18), but my doctor agreed with me that the IUD would be a good option for me.

Make sure to talk to your doctor and she what he or she has to say about your situation, and what would be best. Good luck!

~*Shopgrli

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-10-2004
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 7:38pm
Hi nchristinzio:

Last year I swapped from the pill to the patch thinking it would be an easier thing for me to remember to change weekly rather than to take a pill every day. I tried it for three months and was very sick. I had every side affect there was even more side affects worse than when I was pregnant with my kids. I have no side affects from being on the pill which I have been on for quite some time now. The Dr. told me that there is no "low dose" patch but there is a low dose pill, which I am on. I guess the level of hormones is just too high for my body. I am 5'4" tall & I weigh 122. I am sticking with something I know rather than experimenting with something that hasn't been tested long enough.

Good luck :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Sat, 08-14-2004 - 1:24pm
I have been on the patch for a little over a year. When i started the patch i loved it. I had no side effects and even had some weight loss. I had been on the pill for years and thought it was great not to have to take a pill everyday. My GYN recently changed my patch cycle so that I would get my period 3 times a year. Not for any medical reasons he just asked if i would prefer it since it was totaly safe. I am on my first cycle and about 10 weeks in. I have been bleeding for almost a month now on a daily basis. I have been told that its my body getting used to the hormones. But trust me it really sucks to bleed for a month. As far as the patch itself id say its great but for a prolonged cycle i think its a pain unless you are willing to have breakthrough bleeding all the time.

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