Trouble finding BC without bad side effects....
Hey I am a new member to the post and was wondering if any women are experiencing similar side effects. I've been on birth control (merricet) for almsot 5 months now, and in the past 2-3 months I've been experiencing a decrease in my sex drive. My boyfriend and I, been together for almost a year and love him dearly, but we have been having sex increasingly less often because Im never in the mood too. I rarely get aroused now, or get excited when thinking about sex :( , and at 20 I would hope that's not normal. And i know its not from me feeling less attracted to my partner or any emotinal issues concerning him. Recently I heard of a study that just came out that said some women do have a decrease in their sex drive when taking birth control and actually need hormone therapy to correct it. This really concerns me b/c I think what I have been feeling may be a side effect, and so my ultimate question is if anybody else is experiencing this? Should I just stop taking birth control or try something else? I am going to see a doctor soon about it, so let me know what you think.
starbreez
Replies:
I had a similar experience...i was on ortho trycyclen lo for about 4 months..and starting about the third month i started to get really really depresssed, and just started to get really confused about what i wanted in my relationship and sex. Me and my boyfriend have never had any difficulties so i thought it was strange and might be related to the pills...i went back to my doctor and they put me on Allesse28..and supposedly the switch from the triphasic(sp?) to the mono-phasic is supposed to help with the mood swings and depression.. Im starting the new pills in a week, so im curious to know what the results are. If i dont notice a change within a month or 2 im gunna go off the pills completely.
jay-girl
It is common to have to change pills two or three times until you get one that works for you. I see this often in my practice. Talk to your prescriber. There are alternatives. One alternative frequently forgotten because are creatures of habit is the ring. There are much smaller doses of hormones released into your bloodstream and a lower incidence of side-effects. I did wear a practice ring for a couple months just to see what it was like. No problems. I have switched a few women to the ring but none, yet, have wanted to go back to the pill.
Brandye
How do you know if its the pills though? Like, I've been on them for just over a month and I have noticed I have really big mood swings. Even my friends are talking to me about them, cause I can be as happy as ever, and then it takes less than a minute for me to go to being annoyed with everyone and everything. Its gotten bad enough that sometimes I will randomly start to cry, I dont know the reasons.
Lonewolf*
The same is happening to me. I am in my third month taking the pills. The last couple of days, I have been getting upset suddenly and seemingly for no reason. I mean... there are things on my mind, but they have never had this sort of effect on me. Just now, I have been sitting here crying for the past hour and I don't even know why.
Anyway, I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow for my check-up, and I wonder if this is something I should bring up with him.
LyingAwake
I am the same way -- losing sex drive, mood swings-- I was starting to think it was the relationship, although I know whole-heartedly that I love my boyfriend VERY much. Hense why I joined this site to find the root of the problem... (Oh, of course we talk about it too, I recognize that as being most important).
At first I thought it was the pills, and I switched brands... I can't remember the first one (started with a C I think) but I'm on Ovcon-35. I thought the change fixed the situation, and I've been on these pills for a while now. I started taking B vitamin pills to combat the mood swings, and they do give me energy and make me happier... but I completely forgot about the pill.
I think I'll talk to my gyn. about this and try and get a switch in pills. This is very relieving... I hope that this is the problem and not me or my relationship.
Padawan
Man i totally relate to all of you!! I also joined this forum for this reason. I just got back from my bf's place all depressed and crying coz i got depressed for no reason and i have no sex drive watsoever and wen we do i hardly feel anything. I have been taking Meliane for a couple of months now...over a year i think. They were prescribed to me not for birth control but coz i had endometriosis (cysts in my ovaries) and they told me that i had to keep taking them till i decide to have kids. At first it was just moods mostly but then i was told that i'm meant to take 3 packs after each other then stop for a week and this has totally killed my sex drive...not to mention worsened my moods. I have to get down to making a gynae appointment to see if it is possible to switch to sthing else since its not (just) for birth control!! anyone have anything familiar??
sexy_angel