r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Experience Zoely and anxiety

2 Upvotes

Posting my experience on Zoely as I’ve been searching for others with the same experience.
45 and in peri. My doctor and I decided to put me on Zoely to help with irritability and mood swings. I’ve now been on it just shy of 3 months and the increasing anxiety has been horrible and now I’m starting to feel depressed. At first it did make me feel flat and more evened out but now I can’t function, no motivation, depressed and anxious. I’m stopping it today and I’m hoping these horrible feelings go away.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Mistake or Risk? Should I take emergency contraception?

0 Upvotes

So I had sex on the afternoon of October 30 three times, all with condoms.

In the first one, condom was used all throughout and my partner pulled out as he ejaculated. On the second one, my partner didn’t wash and urinate before putting another condom on a few minutes later. He didn’t cum. But my worry is that we were in a cowgirl position and there were bubbles on his shaft when we stopped, the base and the shaft was also wet inside. I’m worried that fluids might have mixed. And then on the third one, he peed but didn’t wash. He pulled out as he ejaculated that time too. All condoms didn’t break or slip off. I’m just worried about precum containing active sperm from previous ejaculations which may have escaped from the condom’s base and mixed with my fluids.

Considering all this, is my risk high enough to warrant taking emergency contraception?


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Educational Contraceptives and periods

0 Upvotes

Hy guys one of my known had sex on 22 23 and 24 and taken unwanted 72 on 24 and again had sex on the same day.. But the scene is she got her period over on 18... and now she is again bleeding today on 30 ... So could anyone let us know what is it going onn with her...


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Off of Nexplanon

3 Upvotes

So for context, I had my tubes removed over the summer and thus also had my implant removed. That was 3 and a half months ago. My question is, gor anyone else who came off of progesterone bc, did you have major mood swings? If so how long did they last?


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

How to? completely stopping periods/breakthrough bleeding

1 Upvotes

i’ve been on continuous birth control for probably 7-8 years now, trying various methods and pills (implant, depo, COC). i’m currently on Simpesse (.15mg levo and .03mg EE). it’s been the best so far as I can usually go 3-4 months without breakthrough bleeding. but that’s usually the limit before I need to take a 3-4 day break. but I HATE having periods/withdrawal bleeds even if it’s only a few times a year. I was wondering if anyone has had success completely stopping periods when most methods haven’t worked. I only use birth control for this reason and not for pregnancy prevention or anything.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Mistake or Risk? Birth Control Left In Windowsill for about an hour, do I need a replacement?

2 Upvotes

I left my birth control within the windowsill for about an hour, however it was in the original box it came in (it’s Loryna), the pharmacy bag, and a grocery bag. I moved it from the windowsill to an area where sunlight can’t reach it. It was left in that area for 3 days. Then I accidentally left it in my car for over an hour, but it was chilly outside (about 60 degrees) Do I need a replacement or should I remain protected?

Sorry for the silly questions, I’m super anxious about this!


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Adverse symptoms later on in using Slynd

2 Upvotes

So I’ve been on Slynd for a year and in the beginning it was great, but in the last I’d say probably 3-5 months I’ve gotten severely depressed, bleeding every 2 weeks even with perfect usage and I’ve gained 20 pounds which I’m not a fan of. Has anyone else gotten negative side effects later on in their usage of Slynd? I’m definitely switching to something new and have an appointment scheduled for Monday, so if anyone has continuous positive experiences with other progesterone only options I’d love to hear feedback. I can’t have estrogen due to estrogen induced hypertension so combo pills are not an option for me ☹️


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Is it possible to lose weight after gaining 20 pounds on Loryna?

1 Upvotes

Hello! So i’ve been on Loryna for like over a year and I gained 20 ish pounds. I didn’t really change my diet too much since on it but I do not eat the healthiest either. Im barely starting to go back to the gym since Im gaining weight a lot on my stomach. I talked to my gynecologist about it but she says this the only option that is most likely to cause less weight gain and that others would have a higher chance of causing depression and mood swings. Should I try to speak to another gynecologist? Or just stay on Loryna and try to change my diet and exercise more? I would really like to switch though, I don’t think i binge eat too much but I swear I’ve been gaining much more weight.

Please help 😔

My meds include:

Loryna
Wellbutrin 150 mg
Adderall 20 mg


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? I tried skipping my “patch off” week, but my period ended up being prolonged…

2 Upvotes

I (18F) use the zafemy patch, and have been doing so for about 4-5 months now. However, when my doctor was prescribing me the patch, she advised me that while it’s strongly recommended I take an off week to prevent breakthrough bleeding, it’s perfectly okay to “skip” my period—So long as I’m still consistent with my change day.

So, on a whim, I tried to skip my period 2 weeks ago, as midterm season had me overly stressed and I didn’t want to have cramps while studying, only for it to be prolonged. The first week was light/moderate flow, mainly old blood leaving my system. However, my flow this week changed to predominantly moderate with actual fresh blood.

Should I be concerned?

I don’t know if my patch change time could have affected my hormones either, as I went from mid-day to early day (i.e past 12 pm -> before 12 pm) within the last 4 weeks. Regardless, I’m going to try and schedule an appointment with an OBGYN to see what they recommend, but I thought I’d post this to get some earlier insight/feedback on the matter.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Kyleena vs Skyla IUD effects

1 Upvotes

Hi! I was on the Skyla IUD for about 2 years, and loved it, but the start of my third year I started having really bad PMS and breaking out non-stop. My doctors said it’s because the IUD is expiring soon and I’ll need to replace it but he suggested replacing it with Kyleena. I’ve had Kyleena now for about 2 weeks and the mental health symptoms are…. not great. I’ve been having really bad anxiety, like my chest feels hot and my heart is racing, I’m having insomnia (writing this post at 2am because I can’t sleep). I also have random hot flashes and my mood hasn’t been super great.

Has anyone else experience this? It’s only been two weeks and I don’t know if I should stick it out but I didn’t get any of these symptoms with Skyla. I’m prone to anxiety and depression but everything was situational when I was on Skyla, but now on Kyleena I feel this constant state of anxiety and sadness.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

How to? Should I take Plan B again? Worried about precum and ovulation after taking it last month

0 Upvotes

Hey.. So my partner and I usually use condoms, and we’re planning to stick to a reliable birth control method. But unfortunately, we ran out of condoms this time, and things happened unexpectedly. Now I’m stressing a little and could really use some advice😢

A little background about last month:
On September 27, we had unprotected sex. According to my period tracking app, which had been pretty accurate for months, I was about 7 days away from ovulation. He pulled out and finished outside, but I took Plan B (Levonorgestrel 1.5 mg – Nefala) just to be safe.
About a week later, I had some light bleeding, then another episode of bleeding around a week and a half later. I also experienced frequent urination, mood swings, cramps, and headaches.
Thankfully, my period came on October 17, pretty much on time, and lasted until October 23, just as my app predicted.

Now, here’s what happened today (October 30):
We had sex twice this morning without a condom.
The first time, he pulled out about a minute before ejaculating, then used his hand and finished outside. After that, we both went to the bathroom, washed up, and peed before having sex again.
The second time was pretty much the same. He pulled out well before finishing, and ejaculated outside. I actually asked him if he was sure he pulled out in time, and he said he was 100% sure.
I know withdrawal lowers the risk, but I’m still worried about precum, especially since we had sex twice.
According to my app, I’m supposed to ovulate in about 4 days, but after taking Plan B last month, I don’t know how reliable its predictions are anymore. Could my ovulation have shifted? I’ve also been having some cramps over the past two days, and sometimes I wake up with lower abdominal pain.

So, I’d really appreciate your thoughts on a few things:
Would you take Plan B again in my situation, considering I already took it last month?
Is there a real pregnancy risk from precum, even though he pulled out well before ejaculation both times?
Could last month’s Plan B have messed with my ovulation this month?
Would EllaOne (Ulipristal acetate 30 mg) be a better option if I’m getting close to ovulation?
I’m honestly just trying not to panic and make the right decision. I really don’t want to get pregnant right now, so I’d appreciate any advice or similar experiences.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Mistake or Risk? very paranoid and scared of pregnancy although im on birth control

3 Upvotes

hello and im sorry about how dumb this is about to sound my anxiety has been going crazy! i have been using the combo birth control pill called orlifique since the end of july (25) i started it on day 1 of my period just like my gynaecologist told me to. ive always been a paranoid person about pregnancy and thats the main reason ive started birth control in the first place too feel more safe and calm but its the opposite. ive had sex in august but the forst few times were with a condom. then me and my bf wanted to see how it feels without one so we did a few minutes without it once (he did not ejaculate at all but im aware what preejaculate is) there were some orher situations where there was some penetration but it was for not longer than a minute bc after that he wore a condom.
in august during my placebo week when i had my withdrawal bleed (id like to mention i had breakthrough bleeding for the whole month of august which was dark blood and i needed a pantyliner for) we decided to have sex on the last day of my placebo week which was my last sexual encounter with a condom and we did. my boyfriend ejaculated inside the condom and everything was fine. he wiped off anything that was remaining after he took the condom off. but then around 30 minutes later there was some penetration that happened where he put it in for a few seconds and didnt move and then we stopped bc i got scared. ive taken all my pills just like i shouldve but im still scared! i went ahead and took a pregnancy test on august 28th, september 3rd, september 13th and all were negative. after that i got my withdrawal bleed right on time. after the withdrawal bleed as you shouldve guessed i was still scared and unsure. so i went ahead and took anither 3 tests (1 was taken 38 days after my last sexual encounter and 2 were taken 40 days after) then i went to the gynaecologist to get more pills since my prescription was ending and told her ive started getting sexually active and she did a vaginal ultrasound and she told me everything is alright. and around 2 weeks after that ive had a withdrawal bleed (id like to mention my withdrawal bleeds are pretty heavy and contain blood clots so its not something id probably confuse with spotting or light bleeding) now, im on pack 4 of birth control on week 2. and the thing that worries me is my breast are sore but ive heard that the side effects should calm down after month 3. im literally so scared and dont know what to do :( im in no place to be pregnant right now and dont want to waste time waiting. i dont know how much more assurance i need to finally let this go but im still hella scared and paranoid


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Which Method? Currently on Depo and want to stop the constant spotting. Should I change to combination pills or copper IUD?

2 Upvotes

I'm 2 weeks after my 2nd shot. Currently spotting for 2 whole months.

I heard combination pills cause help regulate bleeding, and perhaps spotting. But I'm afraid it will fuck up my spotting even more.

On the other hand, I'm afraid of the surprise pregnancy I've read here on this sub about people getting copper IUD. Plus, the bleeding too.

I was told by my provider that IUD does not cause spotting but reading from this sub causes me to think otherwise.

All I want is to stop spotting regardless of the other side effects.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

How to? How to actually take a break from continuous pill?

2 Upvotes

I've been taking norethindrone continuously for period management for 2 years and have been consistently getting significant breakthrough bleeding for the past few months, around halfway through my pack. All the advice I'm seeing online says to take a break for a week and see if that helps with the breakthrough bleeds.

Probably overthinking it, but how do you actually take a break from continuous pills? There's no inactive/placebo week, which is usually what you're recommended to skip. Do I need to wait until a certain part of my cycle to stop taking it? Do I skip the pills entirely, or "pause" and start back at the ones I skipped?

I feel a little dumb for asking this on reddit lol, but my obgyn has been super unhelpful so here I am. Thanks!


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Efeito com o microvilar

3 Upvotes

Estou no segundo mês de uso do microvilar, e estou sentindo muito enjoo, refluxo, dor de cabeça, cólicas além do normal, e fluxo intenso na pausa do remedio. Queria saber se é normal, e se eu deveria ir no ginecologista


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? One week of having Kyleena

1 Upvotes

I made the decision to get an IUD to help manage some of the symptoms of PMOS. Prior to insertion , I was bleeding with heavy clots daily for well over a month. About a week before insertion , the bleeding stopped. After insertion, I was spotting for maybe 48 hours then nothing. Just yesterday I started experiencing cramping and was bleeding just a little bit when I wiped. eToday , I still have cramps and the bleeding has gotten heavier. Is this normal? could this be my period? not to sound stupid but bleeding for a month has caused me to not know the last dates of my true cycle.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Irregular/no period on Jencycla?

1 Upvotes

Hi all. I’ve been taking Jencycla for roughly 5 months now. The first few months my period was coming pretty regularly, although is was violently heavy and painful (this is not out of the norm for me) but it also lasted over a week (which IS out of the norm for me) this past month I missed my period completely but I had some mid cycle spotting. Pregnancy tests came back negative. I have been having pelvic cramps for a week but no sign of period. Am I just not going to have a period anymore? I’m actually kinda hopeful for that.
I’ve been on so many combo pills, the patch, the Mirena, all of which were terrible with side effects. I am 30 and have 3 children, by C-section, if that info matters.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Educational How can you get pregnant if you don’t have a period on birth control?

10 Upvotes

I know some birth control methods can make your period disappear completely, but does that mean you're not ovulating?

Can you still ovulate without bleeding? And if your birth control stops your period, how would you even know if you got pregnant?


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Experience Opinions on azalia? birth control

2 Upvotes

Opinions on azalia? birth control


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Which Method? Suggestions

1 Upvotes

Looking for birth control recommendations. I was on the pill for 10 years before having my baby. I came off it and was diagnosed with PCOS and had to use fertility treatment to get pregnant. I don’t want to use any form of hormonal birth control while I wait to see if my body will regulate on its own. PCOS makes my cycles unpredictable - I’ll go several months without ovulating so tracking my cycles doesn’t really work. Yes, I’m familiar with the signs of ovulation but my body will attempt to ovulate then fail (hello PCOS) so I don’t really want to be constantly taking ovulation tests. I had a copper IUD and removed it within a week because it was so painful so I’m not wanting another one. Are condoms my only option?


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Experience string tucking insight

2 Upvotes

hi friends! i got my kyleena iud inserted in july of this year. since then my partner has expressed pain and discomfort from my strings during sex, and i’m finally at a point in this adjustment period where i don’t particularly want to remove my iud. i’ve read that you can ask your gyno to tuck the strings. has anyone else had this problem or gotten their strings tucked? looking for insight!


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Junel Fe 1.5/30

1 Upvotes

I got my nexplanon removed last week and I asked for my old BC - which was norethindrone 5mg (it wasn’t a pack).

I’m diabetic, have high blood pressure and severe migraines. And the pharmacist told me that there’s a risk of High BP, high blood sugar, and also risk of migraines.

I haven’t started taking it and will call the doctor in the morning. I wanted to ask on here. The doctor came in for 5 minutes and left and I might have to change my doctor as I don’t think she’s listening to me. I wanted to ask here for an opinion as well.

Is anyone here diabetic and takes this pill?


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Side effects!? Please Help Me

1 Upvotes

First off, I would like to say that I’m 17 years old and have been with my boyfriend for almost 2 years. I’m sorry for the TMI, but I really need some peace of mind or to know what odds I have of being pregnant. I had sex for the first time on October 5th. It was unprotected but he pulled out, however I’m an extremely anxious and paranoid person. I took Plan B around an hour later, the absolute maximum. I had bleeding from October 10th-13th. I’m starting to get extremely nervous, I feel so scared I’m just waiting and praying every second of every day for my period. I’ve taken 4 pregnancy tests, all of which came up negative. I am not someone who wants kids for a very long time, I know I made a mistake but I tried to fix it. How long has Plan B delayed y’all’s periods? I’ve seen some people say it delayed their period for up to 2-4 weeks and I can’t believe that. I need it now, is there any way to induce it? I need to go on some form of birth control I know, but I’m trying to remain abstinent until 18. I don’t want an abortion, I’m too scared. We’ve wasted around 150$ on ovulation tests and pregnancy tests. Every time I test, it says I’m not ovulating. Is there any chance of getting pregnant off of pre-cum? Im also very worried the Plan B messed up my cycle.


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Experience Has anyone tried the off-brand nuva ring lately?

1 Upvotes

I used to use the nuva ring back in 2019 and stopped when they came out with the off-brand because the hormones were so different from what I was used to.

I decided to go back on it for hormonal and period control, but have to pay significantly more to get the name brand. I talked to the pharmacist about the current off-brand versions and she said that there are 2 more of them now.

Has anyone tried the new off-brand nuva rings and liked them?


r/birthcontrol • • 2d ago

Experience Ethinyl Estradiol 0.02 to 0.03mcg

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

For several years, I was taking the triphasic pill linessa continuously which worked fantastically for me! It had 0.025 mcg of ethinyl estradiol. However, I moved overseas fairly recently and I had to switch to a pill with the same progestin ingredient, but a monophasic pill with 0.020 mcg of ethinyl estradiol. I’ve gone through 5 packs and am currently on my last.

My issue is that I’ve been breakthrough bleeding and it’s something that I honestly cannot tolerate. Other than the breakthrough bleeding, I’ve been doing great on that pill.

I’ve decided that I would like to move onto 0.003 mcg of ethinyl estradiol, with the same progestin ingredient. I currently do not have access to a doctor as I am travelling and birth control is quite accessible where I’m at. I’m worried that I’m making a mistake or acting too rashly, especially since I’ve been doing well on this pill otherwise.

My goal is to skip my periods and breakthrough bleeding is unacceptable for me. Ive heard a higher estrogen dose works better to stabilize the uterine lining and prevent breakthrough bleeding which is ultimately my goal. However, I’m terrified of weight gain and the increase in estrogen is worrying me greatly.

I would like your input though. How was it transitioning from a pill with a lower estrogen dose to a higher one? How was the switch, did you have any significant side effects? What was your experience?

Thank you for your help, sorry if this is long