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If this is your first, I'd recommend talking to your physician. He may or may not recommend a low dose. I never gained any weight (I've been on Tri Ortho Low and Sprintec) and most of my friends didn't either.
which would you recomend? did you have any crazy side effects like mood swings?
None of the birth control I have taken has made me gain much weight, but if there is anything that my years on the pill have taught me, it's that it is different for everyone. What works for you may make me crazy. What makes you gain weight may make someone else lose weight.
I take ortho tricyclin lo now (after having had issues with the patch and lo-estrin, and a complete lack of sex drive on the ring) and it has worked perfectly for me. But I have a friend who used to take it and had to switch because it made her crazy.
If there is any way for you to get on the pill earlier rather than later so you have some time to see what type of pill works best for you and how it affects you, that would be my recommendation.
@danidominican: Not all birth control will make you gain weight, but the trick is that each pill will affect you differently based on your individual body. I tell my patients that while a lot of people have sucess with their first pill, it might take a few tries to find the one that is right for you.
oh ok, also i heard taking vitamin b will help with any mood issues the pill can cause is that true?
@danidominican: If lack of vitamin b is the problem, then yes. If it isn't then at least you are getting your b vitamins!
I never had any mood swings on either brands. Do you think you can try getting on BCP before 6 wks? Just so that you can find the right pack for you.
yeah i wasnt sure how far in advance im supposed to do it, my grandma is the one that said 6 weeks lol i dont have my mom here helping me so i need advice
Here's an example: my sister and I literally started taking the same pill (yaz) the same month, she gained 10 lbs and was super depressed, and I was FINE. And I'm the one with health issues in the family. It's totallly just your body. I'd start now if there's any way you can.
I never had problems with weight gain, but when I very first went on BCP when I was 19 I had spotting for four months solid. Going on the pill 6 weeks early may be a bad idea. BCP can be something you have to shop around for before you find one that works well for you.
oh ok. does the dr have to do a whole exam and everything to prescribe me something?
I had a terrible experience with the pill, I was on it for over a year and never had a regular period...I was always spotting randomly. It made me super nauseous too. Sometimes I'd throw up after taking it. Ugh. I always felt like crap after I took it so I took it at night. I stayd on it because I didn't know what else to take. I gained a little bit of weight, mostly my cup size got bigger lol. Just a little. I switched to the nuva ring two months ago and couldn't be happier!
@danidominican: My doctor didn't because I am still a virgin. You doctor may do things differently.
oh ok i'm still a virgin too so i need advice, my FH mom suggested after the honeymoon switching to the nuvaring, i heard that ones great
@danidominican: If you want nuva ring, use nuva ring. It's not any more invasive than a tampon. I would say that if you start on the pill, then don't change while it's still doing ok for you.
Definitely start thinking about this now. Most women are just fine, but there can be issues. If you have any, you want to give yourself a little time to work through them. I've been on Ortho-Tri Low and never had a problem. A little nausea the first couple months but nothing terrible. Note--you are supposed to take your pill the same time every day. If I forget and take it at night, that makes me nauseous.
If you have never been to an OB-GYN or it's been more than a year, they will want you to do have an exam. If you are up-to-date on that, they will probably just write you a prescription.
I use the nuvaring to balance hormone issues w/ ance and stuff and really like it!
I wasn't able to take the traditional pill b/c they ALL made me nauseous like morning sickness for the first few days every month...
Plus if you don't take them at the same time everyday they're 87% effectiveness goes down like crazy.
The Negatives I've noticed on the NuvaRing...
There are times through my cycle I feel pregnant
Breast Tenderness (more than I had with normal pms)
I tend to get bloated more about a wk before I take it out
and
My weight fluxuates alot more through my cycle but I haven't actually "gained" weight.
Otherwise I really like it... like a pp it's not as invasive as a tampon & I got used to it really quick...
AND the best part of all...
I only have to worry about it 2x a month (without the horrible idea of other bc that make you not have ANY cycle.... <--- this to me seems really dangerous for the body)
I put it in for 28 days, Take it out, & 7 days later (even if still menstrating) Put it back in.
Hope that wasn't TMI... the way I see it, the more you know the better you can make your decision ;)
So speaking as a pill user for over ten years I can tell you I never did gain weight with any of the many brands I have used but some did cause other issues like acne, low sex drive, mood swings and spotting while your adjusting to it. I have tried them all, normal, low estrogen, seasonal, tri-cyclic. I agree with the other ladies, don't wait to start, it will take time for your body to adjust and you don't want to deal with surprise break through bleeding during your wedding or honeymoon. I know it sounds like a lot to worry about but once you find one that works just take it on time and your golden! Good Luck
Can you go on the pill earlier than that? Everyone reacts differently to different pills so you'd be better off having more time to adjust. Personally I gained weight on ortho tricyclen. It was just about five pounds of water weight (I know because it came on within a couple days of starting and was gone within a couple days of stoping), but who wants to be bloated on their wedding day? I also tried Yaz and it didn't make me lose weight but it made me really depressed and moody.
Have you thought about nuvaring? It's a hormonal medication like the pill, but instead of taking a pill everyday you insert a flexible plastic ring into your vagina, leave it there for three weeks, take it out for one week, and then put a new one in. So it's similar to the three weeks of active pill followed by one week of sugar pills with the pill. Inserting it is easier than putting in a tampon, you don't have to put it very far in, and you can't feel it once it's in. The benefit is that, because it is not ingested, you don't absorb as much of the hormones into your bloodstream so you have less of a chance of experiencing negative side effects.
I doubt it , however I am still a virgin and my new doc told me that I have to do the whole exam thing this April.
Yes, you have to do the whole exam before going on the pill. Make sure your doctor knows you're REALLY a virgin (and is a woman, preferably.) I say this only because the spreader thing they use isn't a problem for me now, but it HURT during my first examination. My male doctor that did it wasn't terribly understanding of how uncomfortable something that big could be in a space that had never accomodated more than a tampon.
I also think you should get on the pill early. I'm on Ortho Cept. Ortho lo didn't work for me... AND I strongly suggest that you get BRAND NAME birth control pills. When I was younger, my dad's insurance switched me to the generic version of Ortho Cept which should have been "the same" but it WASN'T. It threw my hormones off so badly that I cried for three weeks straight.
It's different for everybody, but I didn't gain any weight by going on the pill. I think a lot of times the weight gain is more associated with the life/age change that corresponds with the pill, but its different for everyone.
Back to the exam, although it hurt, it wasn't that bad. It's over quickly. :)
it really is different for everybody. I do have to say that sometimes there is a "placebo effect." meaning, some symptoms may just be in your head. if you take the pill and gain weight, you might blame it on the pill even though it might not be the pill's fault. know what I mean? "mind over matter" is a very powerful drug!
some pros of the pill for me: it reduced my flow and made my cramps less painful. it also greatly diminished my adult acne.
some cons: the pill made me feel a little bit depressed and seemed to diminish my sex drive.
by the way, I heard an ad for a new pill, it supposedly has the lowest dose of hormones ever. this is a very good thing, it means fewer side effects. I can't remember what it's called, but it's worth looking into!
good luck!
I have had a horrible time with pills and based on my experience I would say if you can wait until after your wedding to start experiementing I would do it.
Pills have given me depression, weight gain, crazy mood swings, the tendancy to start crying uncontrollably for no reason, agitation, lethargy and a whole heap of other horrible symtoms.
The only one that has ever been any good is the mini pill Yaz, which had none of the above side effects.
I wouldnt start trying to figure out what works for me 6 weeks before my wedding though, for sure.
@janie-janie: It's called Lo Loestrin 10. The current low dose combo pill has 20mcg of estrogen and this has only 10 mcg. It's a monophasic pill.
I have been on several different types of the pill, never had any weight gain, I still weight the same now what I weighed 10 years ago before I first started the pill..
@amnystik: fyi, the pill is over 99% effective if taking properly, not 87%
People have different experiences... I didn't gain any weight, nor did I experience any other side effects.
No birth control "MAKES" you gain 10 pounds. Just eat what you used to eat before. Also, it only takes a week to kick in, so you don't need to start 6 weeks before (read the pharmacist pack, or talk to your pharmacist).
For the mood--- it'll take about a month the get used to it. It isn't much worse than PMS. And, once you're used to it--NO MORE PMS!
Yes you HAVE to do the pelvic exam. Definitely tell them it is your first one. You don't have to remember to tell them you're a virgin--they will ask you at least twice. It totally hurt the first time, but every time after it hurt less to the point where it's just annoying now, not really painful.
Ortho Tri Cyclin Lo was horrible for me - I gained a little bit of weight (mainly in my face) and I had horrible mood swings. I was also on the Patch & hated it too. Yaz/Yasmin have been awesome for me. Also, I would recommend getting on the pill more than 6 weeks before your wedding. Is there a reason why you're waiting until that point? I would say get on a pill at least 3-4 months if you have time. It takes your body about 3 months to adjust to a pill brand, and sometimes you have to try a few brands before you find one that works with your body. I tried 2 brands before I found the 3rd that worked, and it took almost a year to figure it all out.
@Ms.Meowerson that is true... got mixed up with what I've heard about condom use.
Although, if it's not taken on time all the time &/or you are taking ANY over-the-counter medications (other than advil/tylenol) or antibiotics the effectiveness goes WAY down... and it says this in any Nurses PillBook or PDR.
My mom got preg with BOTH my sis & I on bc b/c she took an antibiotic & same with our Pastors.... sigh.. does ANYTHING really work?! lol
helenberry crunch answered my question: the new pill is called Lo Loestrin 10. it's worth looking into! lowest dose of hormones in a BCP ever.
there are other methods to consider that I know some women have never heard of before, that have even lower doses of the hormones: the nuva ring and the mirena IUD. they're also worth looking into, ask your doctor.
I'd give you the lowdown of these but really, when it comes to medical things, it's not a good idea to do too much research on the internet! you can just end up freaked out. there are a lot of good and bad stories out there, but they are anectdoal-- not based on scientific reseach. sometimes I think it seems like more women with a bad experience are telling their story online. so it might seem so scary when in reality so many of the women with good experiences are just not telling their stories online. your doctor can tell you the real statistics!
I'm on Apri (used to be called marvelon) and have been for the last 7 years. I haven't gained weight from the pill. It did make my boobs bigger which is a plus. It does make you naseaous when you first start taking them or at least it did that to me.
The first birth control I tried was Ortho Tricyclin Lo, and I noticed I seemed to be retaining water on it, plus I kept spotting, so I discontinued use after 2 months.
Awhile later, I went on Yaz and have been totally fine with that. The first two weeks I had some mood swings and I was retaining a lot of water, which I hated. But I was told to stick with it through the adjustment period, and literally at 2 weeks and a day, I was totally back to normal. I have been fine ever since, and don't even notice that I'm on the pill (except for, you know, the fact that I'm taking a pill).
So as others have said, you will adjust to different pills differently. I, too, recommend trying out the medication sooner, rather than later, It will give you time to switch if you're having problems, and will make sure you avoid having the adjustment period coincide with your wedding/honeymoon ~ who wants to be moody and bloated for all of that? Not me, at least, haha.
And yes, I believe most doctors require that you get examined before they'll prescribe you anything. However, I had already had sex a few times by the time I got my ass in to a gynecologist for the first time, so not sure if that also applies to virgins.
Birth control needs a little trial and error. My first pill was great for about 4 months then I was constantly spotting between periods so I changed to another pill which zapped my sex drive. I was also tired of remembering to take it every day. So I switched to Nuvaring, which I'm currently on. That slightly helped my sex drive for a little bit but now I'm worse than ever. I had an insanely high sex drive before birth control and now I can barely respond, if at all. I'm getting off Nuvaring this week. I'm gonna detox so I can get back to where I once was. Going back to good ol' withdrawal method. :)
But talk to your doctor. Not everyone responds in the same way to every drug. And you may never experience any side effects. Or you may experience all of them. But you don't know till you try.
yeah i definitely should get an appointment soon. anyone live in las vegas that can reccomend a good gyn? my grandma said i could go to planned parenthood, do they do exams? i really want to try the nuvaring, but the dominican culture is that virgins dont put anything up you know where, not even a tampon or they're not considered virgins, my FH freaked when he heard i'd been using tampons lol so i dont know how to convince him of starting that now.....
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i'm going on the pill 6 weeks before my wedding, do all birth control pills make you gain like 10 pounds? any that you recomend? i've never taken any kind of birth control