Ortho-Evra

[yentruoc-64.livejournal.com]

Hi. I checked the memories, but for some reason couldn't acess the entry on Ortho-Evra (it says it was a protected entry... hmmm...) Anyway... :-)

Just a little FYI before I go on w/ my question:
I'm 17. I've been on the patch for 2 months now, and this is my 2nd "patch free" week. My boyfriend and I have been together for 2.5 years and always always always use condoms... so this isn't one of those "help I think I screwed up" type things... lol. <33


The first "patch free" week I went through I got my period about 4 hours after removing the patch, which very little cramping. (Right in the middle of having sex with my SO... he was a little freaked, lol). I took the patch off this morning, and am experiencing a little cramping. However ~ I was sick all this week with the flu, and now have bronchitis. So my question is this: is it "normal" to get your period almost immediately after removing the patch / when do women using the patch usually get their period / what are the chances of having the flu and now this bronchitis messing up my cycle?

Also - just out of curiosity, what are some symptoms commonly experienced while on the patch? My breasts were really tender, and they've grown quite a bit in the last month... just wondering if this is common.

Comments

[nelliebelle.livejournal.com]

my period didn't come for at least 3 days after taking off the patch. side effects were awful for me to the point where i had to go back to my normal pills. mainly i was extremly mean and nasty, but i also had breast tenderness and swelling, awful cramps, and heavier periods.

[yentruoc-64.livejournal.com]

Sounds ... fun, lol. My cramps weren't too bad last time... but I've been very moody lately. I spent a lot of today completely convinced that my boyfriend doesn't love me anymore b/c he didnt feel like coming over, lol. (This is xmas vacation, so Ive seen him for like 22 hrs of every day for the last week...) I'm thinking of switching to the pill because of it. I really don't enjoy being an over-dramatic bitch, ya know?

[nelliebelle.livejournal.com]

i can definitely feel you on that. it was actually my boyfriend who asked me to change back to my pills because he was having a hard time dealing with me. plus, i started having dizzy spells from the first day i put the patch on and that never really went away. i forgot to mention that!

[sulingsi.livejournal.com]

you guys could also try the ring, instead of going back to pills... i really like it. and i haven't heard much in the nuvaring community about people getting bitchy on it, more vagina-related problems i guess - it doesn't have to have much hormone in it cause it's right there where it's supposed to be working already.

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

Mine usually came a couple days later, but sometimes when I first started using it, my period would come as soon as that evening (I'd take it off in the AM)

When I was on the patch (I just quit it almost a month ago) I was rather moody and had a lot more whitey discharge than I'd ever noticed before I was on it. That's about it, though.

[yentruoc-64.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Well the discharge is due to the fact that the patch causes you to have more cervical mucus so that sperm can't attatch to you etc etc... lol. So the discharge is a good thing, it means it's working.

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

I still get it less with Mircette. It was REALLY irritating.

[yentruoc-64.livejournal.com]

A question on "discharge" - although I don't know if you specifically will know the answer... I know that at one time of the month discharge is heavier than normal, but is it just prior to getting your period or when you're ovulating? I never can remember...

[skeptictank.livejournal.com]

I believe it's usually when you're ovulating that it'll get a little more "thick" or "tacky" and the look of it might get a little more interesting than normal.

[dichotomise.livejournal.com]

I'mn on the patch and usually get my period four days after taking the patch off. For example, Tuesday night I took my patch off, and Saturday afternoon I got my period.

That sucks that you're having side effects... I've been on the patch for two years now and love it. My cramps were basically nonexistent this month and I didn't even have to use Tylenol (I'm usually pretty wimpy about cramps, too).