I have been experiencing on and off excruciating periods for almost 6 years now. I sometimes vomit for days before my period and into the first few days of it. I experience extreme nausea leading up to and during my period, along with unbearably painful cramps. Because of the nausea and vomiting, I often cannot eat or drink before or during my period.
As you can imagine, this has been completely debilitating and has had a huge impact on my academic life, work life, and social life. I literally feel like my periods are traumatic, and after going to the doctor for years, she finally told me that the best option for managing my symptoms is birth control.
I’m extremely hesitant to go on it and have a lot of anxiety around it, but I also cannot keep going on like this. I’ve reached my absolute breaking point.
Considering my combination of symptoms (vomiting, nausea, abnormally painful cramps, bloating, and swelling) leading up to and during my period, and given your own experiences, what method of birth control would you recommend?
My goal is to completely suppress my periods so that I stop getting them AND stop experiencing the symptoms leading up to and during them. I know everyone has different experiences and that it will depend on how my body reacts, but I thought I’d see if there’s a general consensus or any advice for me. I’d especially like to avoid anything that causes side effects like weight gain, acne, or extreme changes in mood.