(no subject)

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

Hi. My name is Ashley, I jsut joined this community. I was on a hunt of a community that I could ask some questions about birth control pills and shots in, and I came across this one. I have to say I'm rather excited! I hate being a woman because of having a period. As I'm sure you all do, I have horrible periods. I feel like I'm hungry all the time when I'm not. I'm always hot and cold at the same time. I always feel like I have to go to the bathroom. And I'm always an emotional mess. Heating pads don't work. Pain killers don't work. It's just horrible.

I've never been on birth control before. I don't want to take it because I don't want to get pregnant ( that's just a bonus ). I want it because I've heard it causes you to not have your periods. But because I've never really researched it, and have no idea where to start ( and I'm always gotten the best answers using LiveJournal communities ), I thought I'd ask the opinions of other people who have been on birth control. And since it all has to do with getting rid of that damned mentstrual Hell, I also thought I'd ask my question here as well. Does borth control cause you to not have your period or not? Does it just make your periods irregular? Any information would be very helpful. Thanks!

Comments

[smitten4jimson.livejournal.com]

"I hate being a woman because of having a period. As I'm sure you all do"
i actually disagree with you. i love my periods and i love being a women because of it.

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

I guess I really did word myself wrong. It's not that I hate being a woman, it's that I hate that being a woman comes with so much pain. I absolutely hate being on my period. I can't do anything, and I feel like crap while I'm having it. I can't ever get comfortable.

I've never met someone who loved being a woman because of their periods. I'm actually impressed by your comment. I admire you for being able to say that and mean it.

[smitten4jimson.livejournal.com]

oh, thank you. :)
i believe being a women/being a women on her period is a magical thing.

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

That's kind of funny, actually. Silver Ravenwolf said the same thing.

Re:

[smitten4jimson.livejournal.com]

heh.
that is interesting.

//comment edit: to tell you the truth though i didn't always feel this way about my period. i have horrible pms and extremely painful cramps, just as you do, but for some reason as i've gotten older i have learned to embrace it as apart of myself and not this horrible disadvantage of being a women.
[that might sound a bit corny but its true.]

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

Wellp. I'm still young. Only 16. I hope I can embrace it one day. I'd like to be able to get over it.

As of right nowk, I'm looking forward to Menopause.

[smitten4jimson.livejournal.com]

hey, who would have thought that you would start such a big discussion when the only thing you wanted to know was if using birth control pills would stop your period.

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

Yes. I know. lol

At least I got my answers, though.

NuvaRing

[xviragox.livejournal.com]

I've never used an oral contraceptive, but I've been using NuvaRing (http://www.nuvaring.com/consumer/aboutNuvaRing/) since October and I'm completely in love with this product.

My periods were always very regular before birth control, but heavy. I had little in the way of cramps and PMS -- just enough to be a nuisance. Now my periods are extremely light and my cramping/PMS have pretty much disappeared. I tried skipping my period once by inserting a new ring as soon as I removed the old one, but the effect was that I just oozed and spotted all month -- it would have been better to just get my period over with. Otherwise, using this product has been absolute bliss.

Re: NuvaRing

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I just got done doing some research on birth control. I found a nice little FAQ. I've decided I'm going to be put on the pill. It might not get rid of my periods all together, but form what I understand so far, it makes things easier.

[st-raoul.livejournal.com]

I disagree as well. Being a woman and having your period is the most incredible thing. You can give life. I've never understood how anyone could hate that! It's amazing!

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

The say goes to you. I admire you for being able to say that and mean it.

I agree that the ability to give life is amazing. But the entire process of these amazing things women can do involves pain. Menstrual cramps. Labor. That's what I hate, and that's what makes so many women hate it. The pain that comes along with it.

Sure, we have a lot that can make up for it, too. But when you're on your period, huddled in your bed and feeling like you're dying, it's hard to be grateful for being a woman.

Re:

[st-raoul.livejournal.com]

I've been there. I've been in terrble pain, and I usually still am. I have some ovarian cysts that occasionally trouble me, and it's screaming, horrible pain. But I would never, ever say I hate being a woman because of it.

[lip-hickies.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I admire you for being able to say that.

[smitten4jimson.livejournal.com]

i agree with ya[!!!]

i have extreme pms, nasty cramps, and ovarian cysts but damn, never have i said i hate being a women either.

[dragon-spirit.livejournal.com]

Remember that the fact that you menstruate doesn't gurantee the ability to give life. Also remember that for many women, including women with endo, fibroids and PCOS, menstruation can leave them physically incapacitated for days, so nauseous from the pain that they can't eat or sleep, or sometimes walk. My mother and I are two of these 'lucky' women, and while I'm glad to be a woman and glad that I am able to menstruate, it is easy to hate the pain of it, especially since fertility isn't even promised.

And when one is curled up in a fetal position wishing for painkillers/sleeping pills to kick in so the agony can be escaped, "gee, this is really amazing" is a thought that rarely occurs to one.

[st-emma.livejournal.com]

I have bad cramps, always have. Even when I was on the pill, I had bad cramps; I just had one fewer day filled with crampy badness. That wasn't worth the health risks, as far as I was concerned.

I hate my cramps, and unfortunately that really taints the way I view my period. I mean, yeah, it's kinda cool in a detached intellectual way that my uterus sheds its lining, blah, blah, blah, but the fact that when it does, I'm writhing in agony for 2-3 days kind of robs it of whatever coolness it may once have had.

Not all women cherish the ability to give life. If there was a nonsurgical way of rendering myself sterile that had been proven safe and effective, I'd get it done in a heartbeat.

I do like being a woman, but it's hard to like menstruating, and, for me at least, fertility is way overrated.

[ladyariadna.livejournal.com]

I'm with you - and there are also many, many women who may not have all those problems and do not wish to have children!

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

The birth control I use doesn't affect my periods at all, but that's because it's condoms.

But back when I was on hormonal birth control, my periods were lighter and regular, but I certainly had them. Some folks never take the non-hormone sugar pills every fourth week, and some of the people who do that don't get a period at all, but some do, just lighter, and some have one every few months.

On the pill, I gained weight, got sluggish, had wacky mood swings, and it gave me migraines along with vomiting.

Many people do fine for years on hormonal birth control, but some people have really bad side effects. Is it actually worth having lighter periods for? If you think it's worth a try, talk to your doctor about it.

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

She does have the right to feel however she wants about her periods. I don't feel particulaarly blessed to be a woman, though I don't hate it. I do hate some of the things that comes along with it, and periods were one of those things.

I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for over four years, and I've been taking it continuously, with no periods, for two years, other than the months I can't afford the pills right away. I know some people have some terrible side effects; I had none. Zip. Zilch. Nada. My body took to the pills right away, and when I started them continuously, there were also no problems. I love it. No pads or tampons, no cramps, no leaks. I would honestly recommend doing this for anyone, though the final decision should of course be between you and your doctor. From what I understand, it Depo causes the same effects, due to the constant hormone levels in your body.

As much as we all may have learned, your best bet is still to talk to your doctor, and see what she thinks.

[lto.livejournal.com]

I take birth control pills to regulate my period. Before I went on them my period was terrible, it lasted forever and I was in a lot of pain. Now I work like clockwork and no cramps, though I do get PMS now. My period didn't go away but it got lighter. If you skip the 4th week of the pill and start a new set right away you can skip your period, but the one time I did that it made be feel pretty crappy.

skipping periods

[sulingsi.livejournal.com]

just thought i would weigh in on this. my doctor told me it isn't a good idea to continuously miss your period by skipping the week of sugar pills, that you can safely skip two months but then should have your period the third month. maybe she just wanted me to do that so i wouldn't be totally oblivious to it if i became pregnant, i don't know. but my period is rotten and i love skipping it!
and i love the pill and have been on it for years with no problems whatsoever. when i'm not on it i either have my period at random times (like not every month and not at the same time) or just bleed a lot for weeks on end. thank god for regularity.