(no subject)

[whiteraevyn.livejournal.com]

My birth control pill adventures have wreaked havoc on both my periods and my moods. :P

I started out my pill adventure on Ortho Tri-Cyclen (35mcg estrogen) when I was 18, and a freshman in college. This pill put about 25 pounds on me, and had adverse mood-altering, bu I didn't realize the pills were the culprit until much later. I went to Planned Parenthood after I graduated, and received Ortho Tri-Cylen Lo (25 mcg estrogen), because they didn't carry regular Ortho. My moods calmed drastically and I lost a bit of the weight I had gained, and I finally realized that it was the old pills that made me a chubby, bipolar nut. :P

I was on the Tri-Cyclen Lo for a year, until I got a job that had Kaiser HMO (yuck) insurance, and of course they want to give you generics or charge you an arm and a leg. So, I went with the nurse practitioner's suggestion of Microgestin Fe (20 mcg estrogen), and this was the WRONG choice. I had breakthrough bleeding almost every month; I was very lucky to go longer than two weeks without a period. Ugh, it was a nightmare.

The weird thing was, the Microgestin brand of pills made my actual periods really funky. The blood was very, very dark, almost dried-out looking, and there was little bright-red blood or clots. Odd.

Well, finally I called Kaiser after living with this for about eight months, and after receiving a pooh-poohing response from the nurse practitioner, I convinced her to give me something with a higher estrogen content. So, she prescribed Levelen (30 mcg estrogen).

I've been on these pills for three months now, and they are working great for normalizing my periods. In fact, I don't usually start until the fourth placebo day (kinda scary sometimes), which is a change from the 2nd day of the Microgestin ... that is if I could make it to the placebos without starting. :P

So, the Levelen pills have more estrogen than the Lo and the Microgestin, but less than the Tri-Cyclen. I am noticing, however, more moodiness on these than the other lower-dose pills, but only around my period ... on the regular Tri-Cyclen I was moody all month. So, I feel like I can put up with it if it's only for a few days. I'm 26 now, so this has been quite the oral contraceptive roller coaster.

Anyway, this post was more a vent of sorts, and perhaps to help some women who may be researching the Pill. But, I *am* sort of wondering on the side if anyone has had similar pill adventures.

Also, like I said, my PMS is pretty rampant now, I get sobbingly depressed and kinda scarily angry for a few days before I start. I know it's an issue because my husband has commented on it, which is odd because he's pretty tolerant of such things. Does anyone have any natural ways of regulating your moods during PMS? I've tried Primrose capsules, which work okay, but I was wondering what other methods you ladies use?

Comments

[apis-cerana.livejournal.com]

You might want to try passionflower (http://www.allnatural.net/herbpages/passionflower.shtml)? It helps calm you down considerably. :)

[3v1lsh33pz.livejournal.com]

i've read that birth control pills decrease your vitamin B-6 levels, which can cause moodiness/depression. i've also read that they don't affect them that much. i don't think it would hurt to try eating lots of B-6 rich foods, or adding a little B-6 supplementation as long as you don't go overboard.

Microgestin and bleeding

[(Anonymous)]

I have been on Microgestin for about 15 days. The past few days I've had like this purply blood leaking out. It's sort of like the last day of a period,... but not quite. In the foldout with it, it says many women have breakthrough bleeding during the first month through the third month on it,... but to keep taking it. I'm not sure if this means it isn't strong enough on the estrogen,.. if it means it wont fully protect, if this is an early light period, or if something is really wrong,...etc.

Re: Microgestin and bleeding

[whiteraevyn.livejournal.com]

Breakthrough bleeding in the first couple of months is just your body getting used to the artificial hormones in the pills you are taking. Nothing is wrong. :)

For me, since it happened off and on for a far longer period of time than the first couple of months, my doctor told me that I needed a pill with a higher estrogen content.

As it stands right now, I wouldn't worry about your protection being compromised. You're having a normal reaction.

Truthfully, I'm not sure if breakthrough bleeding on a basis *beyond* the initial months indicates a compromise in protection or not. I'd Google it or ask your doctor.