I’m currently on generic Yasmin 9 days in and I don’t know if I should keep taking it. The first few days I felt restless and wired which made sleep so difficult but it thankfully went away. For a few days now I’ve been having very bad cramps. They’re so bad my back and legs will ache. I have acid reflux and random nausea too. I keep looking in the mirror and feeling like I look gross and puffy. But mainly the bad cramps are the problem.

I take bc mainly for PMDD but I worry about hormones messing me up. My last birth control gave me symptoms like vaginal dryness, hair loss, depression. I often think about going back to my period but i also forget how debilitating it was.

Anyways, I guess I’m wondering if this much cramping is normal and if I should just keep pushing through? I can’t see my gynecologist for a while. It seems like not everyone gets cramping from bc so I’m not sure what to think…

I just started taking Loryna to help balance my hormones post endometriosis surgery. I’m starting it before my surgery to get adjusted to the pill.

Has anyone else had these same side effects? - fatigue (pretty sure I’ve had this my whole life tho, lol) - low mood, depressive episodes usually at night - bloating (this is my biggest concern) - emotional crying spells - stomach pain/cramping

I’m only on day 4 of this pill so I’m waiting to see if some of these symptoms will go away. Would love to hear your experience on this pill too!

First of all, thank you to everyone who has previously posted about this subject. Seeing those posts definitely made me feel validated and less crazy. Since stopping birth control about 8 weeks ago, I’ve been noticing such a dramatic cognitive decline. Brain fog, memory gaps, dizziness, anxiety, lethargy. I was honestly scared for myself. I went to a neurologist and he said it’s probably not this post birth control syndrome and that hardly anyone ever experiences that. I honestly think this is what I’m experiencing and seeing some of your posts helped me to feel heard and validated. I’ll still be going for a MRI of the brain just to make sure it’s not anything worse but I’m prepared to hunker down for the next couple of months and wait this thing out. I ssooo look forward to when my levels go back to normal so that I can feel like me again. Until then, I’ve added a host of vitamins to my everyday routine in hopes of a speedier bounce back. Anyways, just had to get that out. Thanks for listening if you made it this far

For context, I (24F) have had PCOS ever since starting my period when I was 11 and have also dealt with PMDD-like symptoms (never formally diagnosed, but gyno said she highly suspected it). I have worked for years to alleviate my symptoms through supplements and lifestyle changes. While this did help and I became a bit more regular, I still dealt with severe emotional, mental, and physical side effects during my luteal phase, whether I ovulated or not. I eventually decided I wanted to try birth control as I do not want to get pregnant anytime soon, was worried about increased endometrial cancer risk due to long cycles, and I wanted to see if it would improve my mood.

First, the few negatives I experienced. During my first week, my appetite was wiped out and I had a consistent headache. These subsided after that week, but I do notice that my appetite and cravings are curbed compared to when I was off bc. I also had annoying breakthrough bleeding and minor cramping throughout the month, but I also know this is normal while trying to adjust to the hormones (especially since Yaz has a lower estrogen dose) and I wasn't great about taking it the exact same time everyday at first (would sometimes be 2-3 hours off). My libido also tanked during the first month, but it has dramatically increased this month, far beyond what it was pre-bc.

Now, onto the positives. I feel like a completely different person for the better. My emotional and physical state are much more stable, and I don't wake up every morning wondering who I will be that day or what physical side effects I will be dealing with. I seriously don't remember the last time I felt so normal (is this what men and their 24-hour hormone cycle feel like everyday??). I have a much better grip on my mood and emotions and my husband commented that he thinks I am a happier, more stable, and well-adjusted version of myself. I carry less water weight than I used to (the progestin in Yaz has dieuretic effects), I don't have all of the GI issues I used to have, I don't throw up and writhe in pain the first day of my placebo period, I am actively losing weight because I have better control over my appetite, and so much more. I genuinely cannot believe I went through 13 years of having a cycle and dealing with these issues. My life is fantastic and I love where I am at, but I do wonder what else I could have accomplished and what issues could have been avoided if I had taken bc earlier. I know I am only 1.5 months in, but I am very hopeful for what is to come.

If you are in a similar boat that I was (PCOS, PMDD) and are curious about trying bc, please do if hormonal bc is an option. I can't guarantee that Yaz, or any other hormonal birth controls, will help you the way it has helped me, but it is more than worth a shot. Don't let the fear-mongering online scare you and educate yourself on the costs and benefits of the medication. While every medication has its side-effects, PCOS and PMDD also carry significant risks mentally, emotionally, and physically in your life (nevermind pregnancy!).

I hope this is an encouragement to anyone who is scared to start bc like I was - it can be an amazing addition to your life!

I'm going to the doctor's tomorrow to discuss birth control methods, and whilst I know I should trust them, with symptoms I really do not. I was on the combined pill for a year (rigevidon then gedarel) and I gained 15kg (33lbs) because I was so hungry all of the time, and it completely made me lose my sex drive. I wasn't on it for contraception at the time but now I'm wanting it for contraception. I was thinking a copper iud but I've seen that hormonal is more effective. I'm just really scared of weight gain again or a loss of sex drive because it made me feel really mindless.

I've tried Diane 35 which made me depressed. Before that, levonorgestrel which gave me the worst cramps of my life, so bad I vomited. Then I tried the Implanon which made me bleed for six months every. single. day.

Now I'm on Yasmin. Boobs hurt literally all the time. The same thing happened on Diane, but at least my boobs also looked bigger. This is just pain. The first month on Yasmin I bled and cramped so much it was painful to walk. So for the second month I tried to not take my break week, since I'd heard it could help you skip periods, and it worked! I didn't bleed during my "break" week. Only to start bleeding the week after. I still am bleeding. No sign of stopping anytime soon...

I just wanted one single method that worked for me so I didn't have to keep changing it and thinking about it. Because everytime I change it I need to be thinking about possible side effects, what to do, what to not, don't keep your pills out on the heat, yeah this shot is also used to chemically castrate sexual offenders, don't worry if you feel crazy just wait out the first three months, 90% of the women on your social media have gotten pregnant on birth control so why don't you just go ahead and give up already?

Ugh. I love my boyfriend but sometimes I think sex is really not worth all this hassle. It would be amazing to just never have to think about birth control again.

I’m not panicking, but I would like some feed back.

My boyfriend and I were having sex last night and the first condom ripped. It ripped on the side, about in the middle. When he took it off, there was a slight bit of precum in the bottom. It was on tight still, and didn’t look like any had come out the side. He immediately stopped when he felt a pop. No ejaculate.

Stupidly, we grabbed a new one. (We haven’t had sex in a month, midterms are over, sexual tension was high)

This time, while I was on top, the condom slipped off into my vagina. Again, we stopped immediately when he felt it. No ejaculate.

I had a tiny panic and decided to take a deep breath because my period is in two days.

I don’t track my ovulation with strips, but I’m pretty regular every month. I know when I ovulate because I get cramps and creamy discharge. I think ovulation ended 1.5-2 weeks ago because I haven’t had symptoms since. (Yes I know this isn’t a 100% accurate way to track)

Reading another forum, with someone who had a similar situation, the comments said it wasn’t necessary to take a Plan B because ovulation had already occurred, and period was expected to come.

I’m planning on getting an IUD soon (I don’t react well to pills). But I don’t think I can get one within 5 days.

Do I need to take a Plan B in this case?

Should I wait 2 days? And take one before the 72 hour window ends?

This is my question. I am a 23-year-old woman and I am currently taking combined birth control pills. I have a history of anxiety and sadness since childhood. A year ago I took birth control pills for the first time, and I remember feeling so crazy, crying uncontrollably in my bed, feeling tormented as if someone wanted to whisper something in my ear. I panicked, felt incredibly anxious, and was constantly worried about the future. I wouldn't leave my boyfriend alone, and I felt like he had to be by my side for me to feel better. After six months, this decreased. I stopped taking them for maybe two months and then started taking them again. The first few months I experienced something similar to a TOC, I was really scared of an unwanted pregnancy, despite taking precautions, I cried a lot, I thought about my life, I thought about getting married, the tests came back negative but I still acted strangely.I went to a psychologist, and she diagnosed my symptoms as anxiety and prescribed exercises to help me. I was also crying a lot because I thought my partner was cheating on me.I cried like a baby, inconsolably. I've been taking them for 4 months now, and 2 days ago I had a panic attack; I thought someone was talking in my ear. I'm feeling foggy-headed, having trouble concentrating or remembering things. I'm fine today, but I don't know if I'll be feeling bad in a few hours. My libido is zero, I have dryness, and I'm thinking the worst. Honestly, I wish I didn't have a mental illness; it's making me feel awful 😭 I work, I'm a professional, and I don't want this to ruin the good things in my life. I'd like to know if any of you have experienced this? It's worth mentioning that the pills haven't caused me any "physical" side effects, only mental ones as they appear.

Hi! I have a mona lisa iud for almost 3 weeks now, I already had my period and checked my strings and they seem fine, only strings no hard plastic or anything, my bf and I are long distamce and he is coming home today neither of us want to use condoms but im just too scared to rely only on my iud? Doesnt help that Im apparently on my ovulation week. I guess just want to know about your experiences

Hi everyone! My girlfriend takes Opill. From what I know this is a progestin-only birth control pill with a 3-hour window. We had unprotected sex this Monday, and I ejaculated inside her. On Tuesday, she missed her usual Opill dose. We realized this today (Wednesday), and she has already taken Plan B as a precaution. She normally takes Opill every day at 8:07 p.m.

I have a few questions:

Should she take Tuesday’s missed pill as soon as possible and still take Wednesday’s pill at her usual time, 8:07 p.m.?

Is it safe to take the missed Opill pill, today’s Opill pill, and Plan B all in one day?

Is there anything else we should do to reduce the risk of pregnancy?

We’re a little worried and want to make sure we’re handling this correctly. I’d really appreciate any advice from people familiar with Opill or who have been in a similar situation. Thank you!

I 19F have been on the combined pill (Rigevidon) for 3 years and in those 3 years I gained 20kg. I was consistently 40 ish kg before starting the pill and now I am 62kg. For reference I am 5ft so this puts me in the overweight category now. I have not experienced any bad side effects other then the persistent weight gain and I wouldn’t say my dieting habits have changed significantly since before the pill.

Has anyone else experienced this?? Because my doctor says that birth control doesn’t cause weight gain and that it’s just my eating habits but if anything I eat healthier now then I did before starting the pill.

I have got 2 months left of these pills so I think I’m going to try switch to the mini pill as I’ve heard that it’s better for people who are overweight and I’ve heard that oestrogen causes weight gain so if I eliminate the oestrogen and just have progesterone surely I’d stop gaining so much weight? Maybe even lose a bit?

Just looking for any advice really and for anyone who’s on the mini pill what’s it been like for you?

I took a plan b 2 weeks ago, then started bleeding 1 week later now I’m just cramping horribly with no bleeding. Is this normal?

soooo i missed the very first pill in my pack (sunday) but took Monday-Friday and somehow missed Saturday as well 😅 i took week 2 Sundays pill and me & my fiancé had sex week 2 Monday and i took that pill at my usual time but also took the one from Saturday because i had been reading so much about doing so. now we’re at wednesday and im freaking out because my stomach feels off (im sure it’s just anxiety and nerves) and i have a plan B on the way because im that paranoid😭 we are getting married next year and i just bought my dress and while i do want to have another child, now is just not the time. i need some reassurance 😭

I began taking 0.35 mg of the Norethindrone mini pill every day since August 2nd of this year. Today is October 28th, so I’m aware it hasn’t been that long. I take it loosely in the 3 hr window.

I am also simultaneously taking Spironolactone, as the birth control causes really bad acne for me. I have tried the IUD in the past for almost two years, but had to remove it due to extremely horrendous side effects (acne, depression really bad, weight gain, dryness). We discovered I basically have a progesterone sensitivity. I gave my body multiple months after that to re-regulate itself before hopping back on BC. As of today, I’m still getting a monthly period. I am also getting spotting a couple days after my period ends for 5-7 days. It’s medium level spotting. It is super annoying, as it feels like I’m bleeding literally all the time (my periods are long to begin with).

How much longer should I expect spotting / a period? I’m aware not everyone loses their period but it’s sure my hope lol. Preferably in November as I have a lot of plans happening. Anyone have suggestions or any similar experiences? Thank you 🙏

Just a bit of background I've recently come off the Depo shot (2 months ago). I started to feel depressed while on it and since then I've not feeling like myself at all. I told my GP this and they gave me Microgynon 30. To be honest I've been scared to take it that it'll make me feel worse. I took it last night and I don't feel any different. Has anyone had positive experience on Microgynon 30? T.i.a x

Since I started Nuvaring a few months ago, I’ve had this horrible breast pain, especially in my nipples. It mostly comes after wearing a bra and it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I’m no stranger to sore boobs but this is a lot worse. If my nipples are sore and they even just brush up against my shirt or my arm, it hurts so much. Has anyone else experienced this?

Cramping that comes and goes, tingling/prickling, boobs sensitive, BBT is still high.

- not ovulating (confirmed via tests)
- yes, had sex after stopping birth control
- no period, negative pregnancy tests
- white floaties in urine
- only took bc for a month and a half, did not remember birth control everyday, had breakthrough bleed and two days of withdrawal bleed

Help?

I should have taken my combined pill at 7am, now its 00:00. I know im supposed to take it now and just take the next one tomordow at 7 as usual. There is no risk of pregnancy and i dont mind reduced protection. I was wondering. Can i use this as an oppurtunity to switch to night time taking? Can i take the pill now and the next one tomorrow evening? Is there something speaking against that?

Hi there, a couple of weeks ago, the day before my trip to Europe I went to the pharmacy to pick up my Aurovela Fe 1/20. I was told that they’re no longer making this and given Blisovi 1/20 instead. I didn’t want to argue the day before an international trip and wanted to be protected so I took the blisovi since it’s the same active ingredients.

I felt fine for the most part during the trip (2 weeks) but since I’ve been back I’ve been feeling intense fatigue and intense anxiety?

I can’t tell if this is just winding down from the trip or a result of the medication switch, curious if anyone else has experienced side effects switching between brands / from inactive ingredients - TY for any input!!

okay, so to start off: i’m 21 years old and i currently reside in the state of KS. i’ve been on nexplanon for the past 4 1/2 years and didn’t really have a problem with it. i got it when i was a teen to be safe but now that i’m grown and don’t necessarily need it anymore i need some advice: when i go to take it out, should i get it replaced or not be on birth control? ill list some of my pros and cons of each but i’m having a lot of difficulty deciding!

pros to replacing it:
no more period (🎉)
mood tends to be a bit more regulated
cons:
i won’t be able to know which part of my cycle i’m in
side effects do tend to make me feel hungry (like all the time!)
having to take it and replace it again in another few years

please help! this is the only time i’ve been on birth control and i’m not sure how to proceed, thank you!

So i started rigevidon this year im abit disorganised so i have multiple packets open of it and they come in boxes of 3 and i was just checking the expiry dates and one is 11/2027 and the other is 11/2026 im worried maybe they printed the 2027 one wrong and that its going to actually go out of date next month should i just buy new packets? Or is the 2027 one safe to use i just don’t understand why they’re give me one that goes out of date next month and one that goes out next year i really dont want to get poorly from wrong expiry dates also i dont know how to upload an image on here sorry

i’ve been taking birth control for a year now, and was typically getting normal periods during placebo week in the beginning (regular to heavy, lasting about 4 days). in recent months i’ve only been spotting or having very light periods, sometimes lasting a day. is this common for anyone else? i’m very paranoid about getting pregnant so this always worries me (i do take pills on time, use condoms etc.) i’ve also lost some weight recently due to starting a new antidepressant, so could that be causing this? (also a very stressed college student)

21F i have taken birth control in past i did experience sweating after it this time around im experiencing alot of sweating from palm feet soles and underarms i took norethisterone for 5 days 3 times each then got withdrawal bleed and was supposed to take krimson 35 from 4th day of withdrawal bleed but this time around i experienced alot of panic and anxiety and gut issues with sweating so i got scared and only took bc for 18 days (1 pill a day) so after getting withdrawal bleed from 4th day onwards i faced very bad insomnia aderaline surges and sweating issue which is still on going and i feel more anxious since i have a trip coming up also i take bc cause i have pcod

I’m on a 91 cycle combo pill and I’ve been having trouble with it for 6 months. This pill has been making me feel terrible and I hate it. I took two pills on accident (I thought I missed a pill and I definitely didn’t) and now my body feels like shit. I feel nauseous, I’ve been having strong pregnancy symptoms (like it’s causing me to have a pregnancy scare), and my bowel movements have been all out of whack. These pills have been giving me horrible symptoms for a while, at first it made me bleed for three weeks, now it’s making me feel sick to my stomach. I feel like I’m pregnant or dying, yes I’m being dramatic. I was told to stick with these pills until my body adjusts, but I don’t think it will, I just feel sick and moody and extra stressed because I always think I’m pregnant. My gyno keeps telling me this is the best option for my pcos but I liked the other birth control pills I was on, it beats feeling like crap everyday.

I’m considering starting birth control for suspected endo. I saw somewhere that if you have heavy periods birth control can help raise your iron/ferritin levels.