Which BC Method??

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-15-2004
Which BC Method??
1
Wed, 08-04-2004 - 3:23pm
I have been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for a little over a year. I recently stopped taking them about a month ago. I've been having really bad side effects from this pill. Im moody and irritable all the time, I've gained weight and unable to loose any, get tired all the time, get frequent headaches. Has anyone else had these types of side effects on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo?? I want to get on a different pill or bc method, but am very confused on which one. I like the idea of depo, but have heard a lot of bad side effects with that as well. And I don't like not being able to concieve right away after stopping. I've heard of Yasmin, but don't know too much about that. Is anyone on Yasmin bcp? Does anyone have any recommendations on what are some good bc pills, or if depo is good? Please let me know, I could really use some advice and information.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 08-05-2004 - 8:20am
It's really territory that you're going to have to brave on your own, I'm afraid. We all respond to different kinds of pills in different ways, and just because I love what I'm using (Nuvaring) doesn't mean that you will too!

Some women find that they are more moody on triphasic pills, which are pills that have three different hormone doses during one cycle. An easy solution is to take a monophasic pill which has the same dose of hormones every day--there are lots of these, not to worry! Weight gain is an extremely individual side effect, it can be either due to the estrogen or the progestin, so you'd really have to try something different for a comparison to see what you might be more sensitive to.

Yasmin will help with estrogen-related weight gain, but it's not a miracle pill. The progestin in Yasmin (drospirenone) is derived from spironolactone, which is also used as a diuretic. Synthetic estrogen tells the kidneys (in some women) that they need to not get rid of so much water, but the progestin in Yasmin counteracts this so that there is less water retention. If your weight gain was caused by anything else, your odds might be just as good with any other pill.

My preference is for Nuvaring. It's super-easy to use and very low dose, the lowest estrogen dose on the US market. There's still the risk of regular pill side effects, a possible increase in vaginal discharge or infections, and some women find it uncomfortable, but most of our ring users are happy with it.

Have you asked your doctor what s/he thinks you should do? That may also be a great place to start! Good luck!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control