The pill wreaking havoc on my period?

[Trishlovesdolphins]

I've been on the pill since I was 16/17 (health reasons) and only went off when we decided to start a family. I can tell you that I NEVER believed that women had cramps that would prevent them from working. The first period I had after starting the pill was so bad I seriously wanted someone to take me to the ER. I was convinced something was wrong.

I can tell you though it did get better, and I have even switched pills and there is little to no difference between now and before I started them... oh, yeah, I don't have periods. It's great. Apparently, after you've been on them awhile it's not uncommon for periods to stop (which isn't unhealthy according to my doc) and I even take my pills continuously. Occasionally I'll have a period, it's usually light, but otherwise, nothing.

I would give it another round and if the pain is worse or at least not better, I'd call your doc. You can go on a lower hormone, achieve the same results, and it might be easier on your system. Also, don't freak out if you have a period in the middle of the month. Sometimes you'll spot a bit before your body adjusts.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I was on Yaz for roughly about a year, year and a half. Loved what it did in terms of vastly reducing the monthly curse's output, hated the price I had to pay - in more ways than financial. I got Migraines From Hell that put me down out of commission for the better part of 3 days every month, and no OTC painkiller would touch 'em. (I was damn near ODing myself into the ER because I was so desperate for relief from the pain; I'd eat tylenol and ibuprofen like candy)

Finally admitted defeat and stopped taking the pill cold turkey. Curse came back, and to add insult to injury the migraines have remained. Can't afford a doctor visit and I'm getting to that age bracket where taking the pill in any form may be more detrimental than good (past a certain age point, your risk for Unpleasant Things goes up; this is why they tell you not to smoke if you're on it), so I just want to rip out these useless organs and be done with it once and for all.

[MaggieTheCat]

There actually is a generic form of Yaz that just came out a few months ago, just for reference. It's much more affordable. I think Yaz was something like $25/month (with insurance) and the generic is $7/month. I didn't have any trouble switching over from Yaz to the generic.

[Eisa]

Oooh, there's a generic? It wasn't $25 a month here...it was over $70 a month. Although wait, that's cuz my insurance sucked...I'm not the primary policy holder, so they wouldn't authorize birth control pills for me...even though my doctor was willing to say [cuz it's true lol] that they're a medical necessity.

[tropicsgoddess]

the first month or two it's iffy, but after a bit it should lighten up but I would check to see if switching brands would be better with your doctor. I'm on OvCon (the generic) and I have no problems with it.

[blas]

I have one of the biggest insurance providers there are, and almost all types of BC pills are $30-$70

The cheapest one is Lybrel, at $20 a month.

I have to unfortunately switch to the Pill, and I'll be choosing Lybrel, because like the Depo shot, it supresses the menstrual cycle. For the past couple of years I've noticed that the Shot is costing more and more every time, and the lady at InformedRX said that it was only going to go up more.

[shankyknitter]

Parroting everyone else it does take a month or two normally for your body to get over the initial shock of the pill. If it doesn't get better talk to your doctor and if it's quickly looking like pills aren't your best option there are other BCs out there. I was on nuvaring for a while and I loved it! It was gentler on my system since it was continuous rather than a spike of hormones each day. Might be something to look into.

[Lindsey]

Thanks for the great responses everyone! I'll wait it out for another month or so and maybe check out the health center next month on campus after winter break if I still feel it isn't working. I'm just not sure I want to switch prescriptions and have to wait another week/whatever period of time it takes for the new one to start working, it'd be a bit of a hassle.

[fireheart]

Another option to consider if it's available is the Implanon. It's progesterone-only, but there are still some issues with bleeding patterns-that's about the worst of it. However it's basically set and forget for 3 years. That's what I'm on. I've had some spotting, although my periods tend to be a bit out of whack so I'm going to speak to the doc about it soon (when I go to get my antidepressant prescription reviewed). Also, just a note: if you end up developing diaorhea or vomiting while on the Pill, I believe that you need to use backup for some period of time as your body hasn't absorbed it enough. The Implanon you don't have to worry about it nearly as much.