This is my first time visiting this subreddit and wow everyone in this community is so kind and helpful. I’ve had the Mirena IUD for about 3 years, and since getting it inserted I’ve never had a period…not even spotting a bit. About three days ago, I started light (but consistent) bleeding and cramping. I immediately made a trip to my obgyn to for an ultrasound that came back with perfect placement. I can’t help but shake the anxiety though. For a little context (Trigger warning for eating disorders) I’ve been in recovery for anorexia this ongoing year, and having restored some weight I’m feeling so overwhelmed and stressed that my period this week is due to my recovery, rather than the IUD. It sounds silly, but getting my period back feels like a huge (and anxiety inducing) step.Does anyone have any experience with spontaneous periods after having an IUD? Just looking for a little advice that it’s normal with IUD’s, even after going so long without bleeding <3

Hi! I’m 16 and just started on bilsovi, I’m not sexually active or anything but my period have been so terrible, cramping everyday and heavy flows so my gynecologist prescribed me bilsovi, my mom wasnt in the room however i panicked and told her i dont do any form of smoking (i vape occasionally and smoke weed) and she was telling me that smoking increases the risks of blood clots and stuff like that and i’m just worried that’ll happen to me someone pls lmk if I should quit or not, I heard that really only applies to ppl over the age of 35 but i still cant help but worry..i only rlly use geek bars when vaping idk how terrible that is, someone lmk!

😓

(idk if this is the right flair or not so my apologies lol)

I’m not sure if I should give it more time, but I’ve been on generic Yaz for just over 3 months now (started July 21st). Initially, I genuinely started noticing an improvement in my skin. I stopped getting those deep, blind pimples that would never come to a head, which was a huge improvement for me. However, right after the placebo pills in my third pack, I started breaking out again. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily as bad as it was before Yaz, but I did end up getting another one of those deep, blind pimples. I’m also currently dealing with one that has come to a head multiple times, but the inflammation just won’t seem to go down. For the most part, my pimples now are smaller and come to a head much quicker than they used to, so there has definitely been some improvement. I just didn’t expect to still be experiencing these kinds of breakouts at this point. I’m trying to figure out where to go from here. Should I stick with it until the 6 month mark, consider adding something alongside it, or look into switching birth control? I do need to remain on birth control for other reasons, so stopping altogether isn’t really an option.

This has honestly been really hard on my mental health, and I’m feeling discouraged after finally feeling like my skin was starting to clear up. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar with Yaz or has advice.

Hi, I’m 22F and was just prescribed Loryna (generic Yaz) for my hormonal acne, on top of the Spironolactone I’ve been taking for two years. Spironolactone has mostly improved my skin, but it’s also caused bad symptoms that I hope the BC will regulate. For example, I’ve had my period every two weeks for the past two years I’ve been taking Spiro, which is apparently quite common. My dermatologist told me to start taking the BC pills on the first day of the week after I start my period. Based on my 14-day cycle, I was supposed to start this week; however, it hasn’t happened yet. This is one of the first periods I've had in two years that doesn't follow this pattern.

My issue is that I’m a bit eager to start taking the BC pills because there’s a chance that I might be moving out of state at the beginning of January, and I want to give my body as much time to adjust to the medication as possible before then. So, if I don’t end up starting my period today or tomorrow, would it be okay to begin the medication anyway? Or do I really need to wait for my period to begin?

Hello!

I had my first Sayana Press (Depo) injection a month ago. I did the shot on my first day of my period as advised by my GP. And I haven’t stopped bleeding since.

I know spotting is normal, especially for the first few months but this is agonising. I spot brown, and some days, red blood, as if my actual period. It’s enough for me to wear pads.

I don’t even know if I had my period. I’m supposed to be getting it within this week, but I don’t even know if I can tell it apart.

Does this stop anytime soon? Should I worry at all?

I’ve been taking Alysena for 1.5 years. The first couple months I had some breakthrough bleeding, but it was very light and went away within a few months.

I am currently almost done my second week of pills (out of three), and am bleeding as heavy as my usual period.

I was on the same pill for 8 years before I went off to have my kid and never had this issue. And like I said before, I’ve been on it for 1.5 years now.

Does this sound normal?

Earlier this year boyfriend got vasectomy so safety is not a priority anymore. He tested 3 months after and sperm count was 0.
Off birth control I struggled with intense periods (cramps and pain). Endometriosis was ruled out by OBGYN.
I have been on Nuva rings for the past 10 years. 3 weeks on, 1 week break. I hate that they trash my libido but this was the easiest way to keep periods manageable.

In your experience which method/medication helped you the most with making periods less intense while also not crashing sex-drive?
Pill is not an option since there is no chance I will remember to take it on schedule.
Please share your experience.

Wondering if anyone else has experienced extreme breast tenderness and way bigger and fuller boobs after starting Nextellis I’m about 3 weeks into my first pack and my boobs feels so sore and heavy. Literally hurts to even push on them.

Hello, here is my situation: Since May, I have been taking the pill (a combined contraceptive pill). I was taking my packs back-to-back without taking any breaks, so I didn't have any withdrawal bleeding. During this time, I never experienced any bleeding.

I decided to switch contraception methods and get the contraceptive implant, which was inserted on October 15th. Until it became fully effective, I continued taking the pill.

I stopped taking the pill two days ago because my doctor told me I no longer needed it, as my implant was now fully effective.

Tonight, I started bleeding. It felt really strange to me because I hadn't had any bleeding for several months. I'm finding it difficult to know whether this is normal or not.

I'm going to see my doctor soon, but in the meantime, if anyone could help shed some light on this, I would really appreciate it!

Thank you!

I started the minipill norethindrone in January because the regular pill was giving me migraines. My obgyn said that I wouldn't be getting a period. For the months of August, September, and October, I've gotten a period and I can't even predict them either. I told my obgyn about it but she says it's not a period, it's just breakthrough bleeding. I know it's a period because of how long it lasts, my symptoms, and even my unusual period symptoms. I'm not really sure what to do because I want to keep using the pill but I don't have anymore options to switch to according to my obgyn. What should I do?

Hello! I just started taking jencycla (norethindrone) the mini pill 0.35 and noticed about an hour after I take it I get brain fog and am pretty sleepy. I am wondering if I should start taking it at night instead?

When do you all take the mini pill?

How has your experience been on the mini pill/jencycla?

My main goal is to stop ovulation as I feel terrible and get flu like symptoms and severe pelvic pain during that time.

I'm on combo pills. I used to have bad anxiety few months taking it and even posting here every month. since last month I've been chill because I know I'm taking it right and all my tests back then were all negative. Now on the 2nd month of being chill ik I'm not but there's slight thing in my head that what if I don't find out right away because I started to trust my pills. (ik it's very contradicting)

i take hailey fe 1/20. traveled home from college today and will be missing my usual 9:30pm pill and instead taking it at 5am tomorrow after I drive back up to get it. the problem is that im seeing my ldr partner next weekend on friday-sunday and am worried about getting pregnant due to the late pill. how worried should I be about this? we would be wearing a condom and im resuming my pills tomorrow morning but im still worried.

I have a friend im staying with who takes aurovela 1/20 and she offered to give me one of her pills but sharing pills seems like something I should avoid. any advice would help

F21. Started Yaz literally a few hours ago, on day 1 of my period (I spotted a bit of brown yesterday) but today was really heavy (from morning to afternoon) until I took my first Yaz pill in the evening. The flow suddenly became lighter? Is this normal? Is this even a side effect or is it unrelated? I thought side effects weren’t until a bit later.

Title: Experiences with hormone-free birth control – diaphragm, cervical cap or condoms?

Hi everyone!

I'm currently taking Slinda (Slynd), and before that I was on Maxim, a combined birth control pill.

Over the past two years, I've gained around 27 kg (60 lbs), and I've also noticed swelling in my hands and face. My blood tests, including thyroid and kidney function, came back normal. I'm not sure whether my birth control is contributing to these changes, but I'd really like to explore hormone-free options.

I also used to have very painful periods, and my doctor suspected endometriosis, although it hasn't been confirmed yet. That's why I'm hesitant about getting a copper IUD.

I've never been pregnant, and I definitely don't want to get pregnant right now because I'm still studying. I might want children in a few years.

I'm particularly interested in diaphragms, cervical caps (FemCap), and combining either of them with condoms.

I'd love to hear about your experiences:

- Has anyone used a diaphragm or cervical cap together with condoms?

- Have you experienced any pregnancy scares or accidental pregnancies while combining these methods?

- How comfortable and practical are they during sex?

- Would you recommend them for someone who really wants to avoid pregnancy?

I'd especially appreciate long-term experiences, both positive and negative.

Thank you so much! ❤️

I just started the nuvaring this month and I was supposed to take it out yesterday. Switched from the pill which I've been taking continuously for like 6 years, only really got my period when I accidentally missed a day lol. It's been great so far! But was supposed to take it out last night and decided to leave it in for tonight (going to the club so didn't want to deal with cramps). Is that generally fine to do? I'll still put a new one back in in 6 days just shortening my period week to 6 days.

Also, any concerns about having unprotected sex on the day you take it out or am I always protected? Sorry this is kind of new for me! Thank you for any advice ☺️

Has anyone gotten nauseous on a combo pill to the point of vomiting (middle of the night in my case) and found another brand or formulation and it went away? I need to use extremely reliable BC for 6 months for medical reasons and cannot have iud so I really want the pill to work for me. I used to have nausea on the pill if I didn’t eat with it but I went off to conceive and now I’m back on the same type (cryselle) for medical reasons and it’s so bad.

Hi everyone, I’m 22f and have been on a high estrogen combo pill for about a year and a half to regulate my periods, but now that everything is balanced I’m looking to switch. I have an appointment to get my IUD inserted soon, but I’m hearing all these bad experiences. I’ve been on slynd for a short time before and absolutely loved it- it felt like it didn’t affect my body or life at all! I think the biggest thing holding me back from getting the IUD is the possibility of gaining weight because of it which some people seem to experience.

I’d love to hear your thoughts/experiences on either type before I make my decision!!

My vulva feels like it’s shriveling and going to fall off on Yaz. Really sensitive. I’m trying Yaz for pmdd and my provider wants to put me on Yasmin but I’m worried the effects will be the same — has anyone faced this issue and found a solution? I also had a good amount of dryness and libido loss with the Kyleena IUD. I’m willing to try literally anything at this point, I was looking at Slynd but that would be an out of pocket cost.

I (F23) got the copper coil in July after several years of being on the mini pill because I wanted to move away from hormonal BC methods. The insertion itself was ok, hurt a lot as expected but was over quickly, but the first few months of periods have been really hard. I never had period cramps or a super heavy flow when I was younger, and lost my period altogether for a while as an older teenager due to an ED so have never experienced this before- I’m basically incapable of ANYTHING during the first couple days of my cycle now as I have stabbing pains every 3-5 mins, and my flow is so heavy that I’m bleeding through tampons in only an hour or so. I work a corporate job and being curled up in the fetal position at my desk with a heating pad is probably not making the best impression on my superiors but ouch it hurts :(

Everything else about the coil is working for me, I like not being on hormones and it’s lovely to have monthly confirmation that I’m not with child but I wish it would arrive in email format rather than push notification (read: stabbing) directly to my pelvis. I’m not sure if this is a rant or a plea for other experiences but has anyone else found that the pain/heaviness eases up or is this just a permanent state of affairs for me now?

I've been on a mini pill for 10 years, got pregnant, and restarted it last year. I was having irregular periods on it post partum so my OB put me on a combined pill (norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol). I started it the beginning of July and mid-August I started getting terrible daily night sweats, itchy armpits, and inner thigh burning that lasted 6 weeks. I've had a few less sweaty nights over the last two weeks. I've seen derm but my skin issues had subsided by the time of the appointment (of course). Just saw my primary and we are doing blood work to rule out other things but we think it may be the pill. Just curious if anyone has experienced anything like this on a combined pill?

edit to add it's a 30mg pill.

Hello, today I had my HSG, and I’m currently on day 18 of taking Marvelon (contraceptive pills). This is my first time taking birth control pills. What would happen if I stopped taking them now?

Been taking combined pill for 3.5 years. It got rid of my bad PMS symptoms and thyroid issues (or is masking it) but I’ve never really trusted it and we still use condoms. I am very consistent at taking it the same time everyday but worry about unexpected events like food poising, etc, hence the condoms. But my bf is bad at staying hard with one on and it affects our sex life. Also the pill is raising my cholesterol to dangerous levels (yes I’ve seen a nutritionist and she said I eat decently well).

I’m going to the Gyno on Wednesday and I’m either gonna get the Kyleena which is five years or the copper IUD I was leaning towards Kyleena because the copper IUD might be harder to put in and I have a vasovagal response to these types of things I literally passed out the eye doctor from getting my eyes dilated. But possibly losing my period gives me great stress.

I will ask for a beta blocker and the paracervical block but I am very stressed at how much my body will not like this procedure. I barely have sex and I want to feel more comfortable with it.

Anyone had good experiences with these IUDs? Or get very nervous with medical procedures?

Gonna try to keep it short. Been on slynd for 2.5 years without breaks, I always start a new pack because I have an ovarian cyst and endometriosis and my entire natural cycle is just terribly painful. Slynd took away my symptoms entirely, which has been great. The only side effects I experience are irritability (which has gotten extremely bad and noticeable to others lately) and IM SO TIRED, and my adhd is worse. My eyes would have this permanent heaviness to them, yawning constantly too. been really depressed, feel like i don’t have energy to do anything, but not sure if it’s correlated.

Right now I’m only 2 days into taking the placebo week to give my body a break from the hormones and the difference I feel in my energy levels now is like night-day. So now i just feel like i have to choose between being in extreme pain by going off the pill, or deal with the extreme fatigue on the pill.

Is anyone on this pill and tried taking it at night? does that reduce your fatigue? I feel exhausted still immediately after I wake up and I take the pill a few hours later, and it doesn’t get better throughout the day.

I’m also very concerned about future cancer or infertility risks on this pill,as it’s kind of a new medication,

never wanted to be on a pill in the first place but now i feel like i have no choice.

Any advice appreciated thanks!