Yasmine versus Seasonale

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2004
Yasmine versus Seasonale
4
Tue, 09-21-2004 - 12:30am
Hello everyone! Okay.. I was on Cyclessa for about 6 months, and I stopped about a month ago. Well, it REALLY helped my physical symptoms (like heaviness, cramping, bloating, back pains), but I stopped it because I began to have mood swings and uncontrolable emotions, even when I was not PMSing. I'm not sure if the Cyclessa was the cause of this, but I cannot figure out what else it could be???? Well, my doctor recommended that I take Yasmin or Seasonale. She did not tell me which one would be better, she just told me it's a matter of whether I want 4 periods a year, or 13 a year. Does anyone suggest one form of birth control over the other for this type of problem? (That is, my emotional unstablility!) I need some mental relief here!! Thank you in advance!! :) :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 09-21-2004 - 11:34am
Hi tagershine007, welcome!

Cyclessa is a triphasic pill (three different dosages of hormones during the 3 active pill weeks) and triphasics are more likely to cause moodiness than are monophasic pills (ones that have the same dosage of hormones in all active pills), such as Yasmin or Seasonale. Yasmin has a unique progestin so it is difficult to compare it with other monophasic pills. Some members love Yasmin and others don't. It's a very individual thing as to how your body will react to the hormones in a particular pill.

Seasonale has the same formulation of hormones as Nordette a 21/7 regimen pill that has been around for a while. There have been a lot of posts about Seasonale and most of them deal with the side effect of irregular bleeding during the first 2 or 3 extended cycles while your body adjusts to being continuously on hormones. Women who haven't had that side effect or who have stuck it out until their bodies adjusted, seem to like Seasonale.

It's up to you which you want to try, but keep in mind that if you like Yasmin there is nothing to prevent you from taking it continuously (beginning the actives from the next pack immediately without having a hormone free week) for 3 packs so you could use it in an extended cycle manner.

Let us know what you decide and how you're doing, ok?

Good luck,

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 09-21-2004 - 10:06pm
Here's another idea, one I'm surprised that your doctor didn't suggest. Because triphasic pills can cause emotional roller coasters for some women, suggesting a monophasic pill is pretty standard. But why not suggest a pill that has the same hormones as Cyclessa? That would be either Desogen or Mircette. The estrogen dose of Cyclessa seems to be somewhere between Desogen and Mircette, the progestin dose varies. Desogen has 0.15mg of desogestrel and 30mcg of ethinyl estradiol, and Mircette has the same type and dose of progestin but 20mcg of ethinyl estradiol. If your only problem was with your emotions, you may not need to switch to an entirely different formulation like Yasmin or Seasonale.

Between Yasmin and Seasonale, one isn't necessarily better than the other, one might be better for YOU than the other, they might both be good, or they might both be not good, the only way to know is to try. They have the same estrogen dose. Yasmin has a new progestin that is not derived from testosterone like the progestins in the other pills. One of the properties of drospirenone, the progestin in Yasmin, is that it counteracts the tendency for water weight gain that afflicts some women. The progestin in Seasonale is good at controlling uterine bleeding, and it's found in a number of pills.

I know that probably doesn't help, but you've got more than the two options that your doctor suggested--any of them might be good, you'll have to pick one and check it out! Your doctor may have suggested Yasmin and Seasonale because they're hot on the market right now and there's LOTS of advertising for them.

Good luck, let us know how things are going?

Judie
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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2004
Thu, 09-30-2004 - 11:28am
Hey Judie, thanks for your reply, it really helped out a lot! I called my doctor yesterday and spoke to the advice nurse. Well, asked about starting Desogen or Mircette, and she said that she would ask my ob/gyn doctor and get back with me. Well, she calls me later in the afternoon and told me that she called in a perscription for Desogen. I asked her why not Mircette, and she told me the doctor chose Desogen. I was kind of upset because I never even made a decision as to which one I preferred. I was leaning much more towards Mircette since I have heard a lot of positive things about it on the board, plus the fact that Desogen has a high risk of blood clots really scares me. What do you guys think? Is there a significant difference between the two bc pills? Should I call my doctor and ask to switch it? Thanks again!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2004
Thu, 09-30-2004 - 12:11pm

I'm on Desogen and I really really like it, but I do worry about the blood clot thing.


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