thoughts on the patch?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-14-2004
thoughts on the patch?
36
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 2:15pm
Any opinions out there on the patch? I just started it and have been getting headaches (never had any side effects with the pill). Then I read an article about an 18 year old who died from a blood clot because of the patch (my rational mind knows that the chances of that are so slim, but it still really spooked me). I really like the convenience of the patch but I am starting to think maybe it hasn't been around long enough to know if it is really safe.

anyone else have patch experiences?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-15-2004
Sun, 08-15-2004 - 11:30pm
I have been on the patch for just over a year and I am happy with it. Yes, sometimes it does get a little loose, but nothing (for me) too bad. I've been swimming (ocean, pool, lake) and all manner of physical activities (fencing is a hobby of mine) and haven't had one come off yet ( although I was messing with it once in the shower and it caused it to come loose and I got an extra patch just in case, but it was under $20). I still get headaches and nausea, but nothing like when I was on the pill (I was getting hormone related migraines with Aleese). And for the person who says you shouldn't be using BC at all, God gave us sex as a gift and the intelligence to know how to protect ourselves from disease and pregnancy. That's just my two cents.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2004
Mon, 08-16-2004 - 12:28pm
Hey!

I have been on the patch now for about 6 months and I love it!!! I am 21 years old and suffered hardly any side effects, unlike taking the pill. Of course you have the ring from it being in one place but that is easily removed after the shower. My only complaint was when I got my period the first time it was very heavy and painful. Through time though it seems my body has accepted it and I love it. I switch butt cheeks every week! ha!! Its great. My mom is a nurse and she reccomended it to me. It beats having to remember to take the pill.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2003
Mon, 08-16-2004 - 12:36pm
I've been on the patch for almost 4 years (I started as part of a study group when it was still in the experimental stages) and I love it. The first month I did have occassional headaches, and soreness wherever I put the patch, but that went away and I've had no problems since. My period is regular (to the hour almost), and I love not having to remember to take a pill every day. I'm in a water aerobics class that meets 5 times a week, and I've never had a problem with the patch coming off in the water. I've also gone swimming in the ocean at least 50 times since I started wearing it, and I've never had it come off there, either. I've never had anyone notice it under clothes, and NO problems about not being able to wear a bikinni (unless you are wearing a thong or something!) so I don't know what the other posters issues were. The only person who knows I wear it is my boyfriend, and let's just say when I'm undressed, he's not exactly paying attention to a patch on my butt.

You do need to switch where you put it each week, but I just switch back and forth from one side to the other. Also, the replacement patch isn't that expensive (my pharmacist said it's $15) plus you can fill out a form on the pharmaceutical companies website to get a refund for the replacement, you just have to send them the receipt and tell them what the circumstances were of it coming off. The patch is not 100% effective, the only thing that is is not having sex, but when used correctly it is 99% effective. And as for the person who got pregnant a few weeks after stopping using it, that was supposed to be one of the benefits of it, that you didn't have to wait a long time before you could become pregnant, like with depo-provera.

You shouldn't worry too much about dying from it, people die from all sorts of things. Some 13 year old kid died from the fright of SEEING a bear (a black bear, not even a grizzly or anything) a few weeks ago. Does that mean you should never let your children go into the woods? Hardly.

Hope that helps!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2004
Mon, 08-16-2004 - 11:01pm
I have been on the patch approximately 2 weeks and I can't say that I am impressed. I switched from Depo Provera mainly as a change of pace. I had no side effects from Depo. My migraines disappeared while on it. I get the dark circle on my patch as well which is kinda grossing me out. My skin is very irritated with the patch. My boobs are constantly tender and my moods have been swingin' all over the place! I'm seriously considering going back to depo provera. You can't beat no period, no pms, and no remembering any BC for three months straight!
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2004
Tue, 08-17-2004 - 2:52am
I have never been on any type of birth control before the patch and I am wearing it for my third week now. I have been getting some headaches but not bad ones and I have been somewhat more sad than before, but my fiance lives 12 hrs away so that probably has something to do with it. The main issue I was concerned with is that I did not want anything that would make me gain weight ( I had a friend gain 30 pounds on the shot) but I have seemed to have lost 5 pounds since I have been on it. I don't know if the patch is the cause or what. But, I guess I have to wait it out some more
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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2004
Tue, 08-17-2004 - 5:58am
I went on the patch for about two months, then stopped because I was concerned I suffering the side effect of one-sided numbness. I ended up going to the hospital to get checked out - the right side of my body and in particular my right arm was numb, very similar to pins and needles except it didn't go away. The doctor who saw me said it was probably a pinched nerve and that he didn't think it was caused by the patch. If it was caused by the patch it would have been a blood clot, and he couldn't find any evidence of that.

I didn't have any problems with weight gain while I was on it, which was a relief as the last type of Pill I was on was awful with that. I didn't have any problems with headaches. I found I was a lot less hormonal/moody than when on the pill.

The sticky residue or ring from wearing the patch is annoying, and it smells AWFUL, but it's just a matter of giving the area a thorough scrub when you remove it. I too was concerned about the wrinkling when wearing it on my butt, but it usually held on pretty firmly - helps not to pick at it! It is not skin colored, and it won't just blend in to your skin when you wear it.. a clear one will definitely be a great change.

One thing, when you go off the patch.. I got my period straight away, but I'm still waiting for a second period now, am a few weeks late. They mention something about that in all the paperwork that comes with it, that if you're trying to conceive afterwards you should probably wait a few months as it takes awhile for your body to resume it's normal cycle and you don't want to think you're pregnant if you're not, but you are late. The less anxiety the better!

Oh and, increased libido from being on the patch/off the pill - woah! That was crazy!


Edited 8/17/2004 6:36 am ET ET by des_eka

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-17-2004 - 9:20am
When I first started the patch (almost 2 years ago) I got headaches for the first 2 weeks. My doctor said it was just my bodies way of adjusting to the new hormones. After those first 2 weeks I never had any other problems from it. I would give it a couple weeks & give your body some time to adjust. I absolutely love my patches! My husband & I are VERY fertile (our first daughter was conceived while we were using condoms, and our second was conceived when I missed one - yes only one - birth control pill.) so this was pretty much our last resort (my body has issues with the other forms that are available) and so far so good! LOL

~Jenn

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-12-2004
Tue, 08-17-2004 - 1:51pm
Ok, I know I should ask in the TTC Board, but with the wealth of experience with the Patch found here, I thought I would give this a try. Maybe someone here has had some experience like me??

I loved the convenience of the patch (soo easy, not stinky, bubbled up a few times, gained about 8#, decreased libido, but everyone is an individual and everyone can have different experiences...) but I quit the OE patch 4 months ago in hopes of Trying To Conceive with my new DH. Here we are 4 months after quitting and we still are ttc... My first cycle after stopping was like 33d, then I had a 19d, now the past 2 cycles have been a 'perfect' 28d. I did the opk last month and I did ovulate on day 12/13. So I am back to ovulating, but I haven't experienced the whole EWM phenomenon like everyone talks about... I did read that having all that globby, copious amounts of mucous aren't necessary for conception anyway. I haven't had those 'copious amounts'!! TMI! (Maybe this is also a result of the patch--????)

Hopefully, since we know that I am ovulating, we have the timing right, cycle is a perfect 18, we know the days to have babymakin' sex, this will be our month!!?? My OD will be Tues Aug 17 for our best chances. This is baby #2 for me, #1 for DH. All this 'failure' is extremely hard on DH as he considers it HIS fault since I have had a successful pg already. I still wonder about the risidual effects of the patch, but have been unable to locate much info on the subject of "ttc after bc"-- esp the patch. ANYONE out there with more info on the subject? How long does it usually take to get pg after going off the Ortho Evra patch? please let me know!

THANKS! Goatster74

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2004
Tue, 08-17-2004 - 4:19pm
I've been on the patch almost two years and really enjoy the convenience of it. I had headaches at first all of the time, but now they are few and far between. Although, I was never a migraine sufferer, and now I am, not frequently though. I too dislike the gummy mess it makes around the edges of the patch, but I the convenience out weighs that for me.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-27-2003
Wed, 08-18-2004 - 3:02am
I just want to say that you really need to proceed to the shot with caution. My sister-in-law gained about 40 pounds since she's been on the shot. Not to mention her moodiness! yikes! Also, dispite what the doctors are saying it's just not safe since it's in such a high dose. Something else you may want to think about if you are planning on nursing, what will be safe for your new baby?

Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

skomaromi@pobox.com

Just concerned,

Shelly