Want to switch pills... need suggestions

Avatar for melissa_jpf
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Want to switch pills... need suggestions
14
Mon, 08-07-2006 - 6:39pm

I have been taking Triphasil for at least 15 years. The past few years my libido has gone down the tubes and is now just plain gone. I'm wondering if it could be the pills, so I have decided to switch to another pill and see if there is any change.

Any suggestions from others using any and all other brands of birth control pills would be greatly appreciated.

I will be making an appointment for my yearly exam and to get a new prescription in about 2 weeks and would love to have a few names to discuss with my doctor.

I was actually going to do this last year, but my exam was right before I was going to take a vacation and after having a bad experience (migraines) changing pills once before I didn't want to risk being in that condition on my vacation so I was going to put it off for 1 month. One thing led to another and I kept putting it off and here it is a year later and I'm still taking Triphasil.

I had already decided to do the switch before I knew about the company stopping production on them so it looks like a good time to go ahead with it.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 08-08-2006 - 7:37am

Welcome back!

Judie Cl for Birth Control 
Avatar for melissa_jpf
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Tue, 08-08-2006 - 8:46am

The only other pill I ever used was Ortho Tri-Cyclen for one year (5 years ago) and it gave me migraines. That is when my libido troubles started... it gradually started slipping away that year, and is now totally gone. I originally hoped switching back to Triphasil would "fix" it, but no such luck.

I forgot to mention before, I am not just considering pills... if anyone has any experience with other forms of bc I would be happy to listen. The patch, for one...

What I want is a tubal or the Essure procedure. I know I don't want children... never have... I will discuss it with my doctor, but I don't have high hopes of him agreeing to it since I have never had a child.

I am tired of taking pills... I want to give my body a break, but I do NOT want to get pregnant.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Tue, 08-08-2006 - 10:27am
What about looking into IUDs? There are two types and there is a link of info on this board under the FAQs header that I found very helpful myself. (I'm gettting a Paragard this friday) Good luck in your decision and finding something that works well for you!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 08-09-2006 - 7:25am

Actually I agree with tortoisegirl.

Judie Cl for Birth Control 
Avatar for melissa_jpf
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Wed, 08-09-2006 - 6:39pm

Thanks for your reply. I was kinda iffy on the Patch thing anyway... not sure I trust it to stay on after seeing how my boyfriend had so much trouble with his nicotine patches a few years ago when he quit smoking.

I will do a little reading on the Nuvaring...

My appointment is next Thursday (8/17) and I want a lot of stuff to discuss with the doctor when I go in...

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-15-2006
Wed, 08-09-2006 - 6:42pm
Loestrin, Ortho Tri Cyclen, Seasonale, Yasmin
Avatar for melissa_jpf
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Thu, 08-10-2006 - 3:47pm

Ok, so I'm looking into the Nuvaring, and now also IUD's...

I think, at least at first, I would be very paranoid about the Nuvaring slipping out and getting lost or something... I'm sure I would get over that eventually, but that paranoia might be just enough to keep me from even trying it.

But I did print out a free trial voucher just in case.

I'll be seeing a new doctor, so I'm not sure what her opinion of giving IUD's to women without children is. Guess I'll find out next Thursday. I just found out that the NP I saw last year has moved to Daytona, so I made the appointment with the new doctor in the office, instead of using my regular doctor... (Is it weird of me to want to keep my Gyno stuff separate from my "regular" stuff? I don't know why I'm that way, I just am.)

From what I can tell, my insurance would cover a tubal ligation but NOT an IUD.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Fri, 08-11-2006 - 7:21am

That's bizarre (covering a tubal but not an IUD).

Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 08-11-2006 - 1:15pm

Hi,

Incidentally, my vote goes for the IUD too ... like you, I don't want children and have never had any. I was offered an IUD by my gyne even though I am considered young for it because I am trying various epilepsy drugs, some of which interfere with Pills and some of which do not, and it would be nice to not have to worry about using back-up. He said in his experience, if he gets 100 women on the Pill, 20 - 30 of them will come off it or change pills/methods within a year due to unhappiness with it, but if he gives women the Mirena IUD, only 1-2 will have it removed due to unhappiness with it. This is an unscientific survey, but it's my doctor's pesonal experience, and he's a good doc, so it has to count for something.

I would have gotten the IUD, but it's not covered by my insurance either - no birth control is, not the Pill, not a tubal, an IUD or anything. The IUD costs about $500 - and at least for me, it would work out to be a lot less in the long run since Yasmin costs me $55 a month. I haven't done it yet because I haven't had $500 lying around due to medical bills and moving. But soon.

If you are interested, i recommend checking out Mirena's website! They even have suggestions on how to talk to your insurance company and get them to cover it, for example, trying to get it covered as a "prescription" rather than a surgical procedure or doctor's visit. Maybe you tried that already, I don't know, but it's worth a shot.

Good luck with your decision!

PS: hey Judie has it really been 4 years you've been on Nuvaring? My goodness ... I remember when you were thinking about switching to it!

Avatar for melissa_jpf
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Fri, 08-11-2006 - 5:12pm

I remember when she started using the Ring too... I have been away for awhile and when she said she'd been using it 4 years it made me realize just how long it had been since I posted.

Ok... so now I have a question for the IUD users... Mirena or Paragard? And why you chose the one you did?

I would love to go totally hormone free, but do NOT look forward to having my pre-pill monster cramps back. But I notice on the Mirena website, they actually mention that for you to be totally right for it, you need to have at least 1 child. Paragard's website says that you do not need to have a child to use it.

So much to think about... *sigh* and I've got PMS too! Woo hoo!

Did you see where the Mirena website has a 12 month payment plan? That might be something you want to look into if you don't have an extra 500 lying around (who does?). I told my boyfriend about the payment plan, and if I find out from my insurance that it isn't covered, and I could get the doctor to agree to it anyway, he said we'd probably do the payment plan and just split the payments between us. No reason for me to pay for the whole thing... he doesn't want kids either.

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