the pill

[e-mante.livejournal.com]

I have been on 'the pill' for 18 months now. I take regular 7-day breaks every month. Is it OK if I continue doing that or would it be better to take a longer break 2-3 months at some point?


I asked 2 doctors and they gave me 2 different opinions. Unfortunately I know that they are influenced by some religious views and therfore it's very hard for me to believe that they were objective.
I don't know where to get information that wouldn't be biased as in the country where I am from contraception is a big issue (and a big no-no) while in the country where I currently live it's the opposite and everybody says it's great and there are no side-effects.

I am confused and I would really like to have babies at some point in the future so please help.

HBC + depression. how do you tell a pill's side effects?

[in-this-love.livejournal.com]

First of all, I am FULLY aware that each pill works differently for each person.

I just want to know how exactly those of you who are on HBC determine if you have side effects from the pill, or it is just you. (especially when you've been on it for a while. I.e. I'm 20 years old, my body and life is changing anyway).

I have reason to believe I am depressed and want to seek help, but before I take more drastic action I want to make sure it's not my pill. I have been on Yaz for more than a year now, and love it for the most part. Because my depression is inconsistent, recent, and may be related to specific circumstances, I think it may not be the Yaz.

However, this just got me thinking, how do you know? Do you do experiments and go off your HBC and wait it out and determine the factor in isolated tests? Would it really be worth that to do for me when I am sexually active, love my pill otherwise, and it may not be the reason at all?

I'm just a little confused.. thanks so much. This community has been a life saver time and time again.

Clitoral....sensitivity?

[shortskirtlola.livejournal.com]

As far as I could tell, there wasn't really an entry like this one posted, so, I figured I'd go ahead with it.

During oral, I'll sometimes get these spasms during climax that prevent me from enjoying it. It sometimes happens while I'm being touched as well now. I figure it must just be the type of stimulation against my clitoris, but it still seems a bit bizarre to me. It only seems to occur if there's a light flicking. No spasms if there's any other type of touch down there. I was wondering if anyone else had heard of this/had it happen to them/had any bright ideas of how to keep spasming to a minimum, but still enjoy the interaction.

Thanks!

Should I take the mini pill?

[acs80.livejournal.com]

I know I've been posting here a lot lately, but I'm desperate!

Has anyone here had bad side effects with the combined birth control pill, but then taken the mini-pill (i.e. progestin-only) and found that it's a bit easier to tolerate? I get weight gain, anxiety/panic attacks, breast tenderness, etc. with combined BCP but am wondering if those symptoms are due to the estrogen...?

Sorry for basically posting the same question twice. I'm at my wits' end!

Possible cyst on vagina?

[dummyposter.livejournal.com]

I used to browse around on here and look at posts & things and never though I'd actually end up using it.

( Here's what's up )

help plz

mirena iud

[perseph.livejournal.com]

I'm supposed to have the mirena IUD put in tomorrow morning. I was hoping my husband could take the morning off to watch the kids, but it just won't be possible, so I'll have to bring my baby and 2.5 year old along.

Baby isn't a problem and I'd bring him anyway, but I'm very nervous and uncomfortable about having my 2.5 year old there. How long does it take? Anyone else had kids along? How did that work out?

I'd really like to call and cancel for another time, but it's hard to get an appointment, and I don't really know when/if I would have childcare anyway as my husband's work is extremely busy right now.

ring question once again

[cmonbabyshockme.livejournal.com]

Is it possible to feel nasious too days after putting the ring in. I'm feeling pretty nasious and having some mild cramping. I know it is also flu season, but can you feel side affects this short in? And if so do you have hints on how to lesson the nausea?

(no subject)

[had-your-chance.livejournal.com]

If you were pregnant would you still be producing cervical mucus? I had unprotected sex Dec 24th - so is it too soon to tell?

Insurance/birth control question

[aheartfulofyou.livejournal.com]

Backstory: My mother is extremely Catholic and not open-minded in the least.

I'm trying to get birth control, and also get a gynelogical exam in general-- I had one within the year that my mother grudgingly paid for, but I've been having irregular periods and severe cramping since then, so I'd like to get checked out again. And my mother would literally not allow it.

How does health insurance work? I'm a little ignorant about it.

More specifically: I have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance that my mom pays for and controls. I am 19 years old. If I wanted to get an exam without her knowledge, would I just have to pay out of pocket?

Or could the clinic (Planned Parenthood) bill the insurance company, and then send the leftover charges to me, without my mother's knowledge? Or do you think she gets a list of all the things the insurance is used for?

Any thoughts?

Because I don't really have $120 to pay out of pocket, plus $22 a month for the pills themselves. :/

Thank you for any responses!

MetrGel and splitting headache

[lanaka1.livejournal.com]

Last night I took my first dose of MetroGel to treat bacterial vaginosis.  This morning I woke up utterly exhausted and have felt totally wiped all day.  Is this a known side effect of this medication?  I totally can't imagine myself at work today.  Then again I could be coming down with the flu or a cold--I haven't had one in years so I'm probably due for one.  I have a call pending to my doctor's nurse but wanted to hear what you all said.  This board is excellent for good advice.

Lisa

Missed the start of my pack?

[a-polaroid-life.livejournal.com]

I've been on Alesse for about 2 years now with no problems at all. Always on time, everything works smoothly.
I was supposed to start a new pack this Sunday, but I have been away on vacation and could not get to the clinic to pick up a new pack.  I usually take it at 11:30am.

I get a new pack tomorrow morning and will be able to take it on time. My google searches have only left me confused! I recall being told that the first pill is crucial to your protection, so I don't know if missing the first pill already has already left the birth control useless for this month.

My question is about what I should do once I get my pack tomorrow. Do I just take my Sunday, Monday and Tuesday pill all at once?

What I found in my google search:
"Miss 2 Pills in a Row - First 2 Weeks:
1) Take 2 pills the day you remember and 2 pills the next day.
2) Then take 1 pill a day until you finish the pack.
3) Use a back-up methods of birth control if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss the pills."

Does this mean on Tuesday, I take my Sunday and Monday pill and then on Wednesday, I take my Tuesday and Wednesday pill? Will it be safe to assume that after the initial 7 days, my protection will go back to normal?  I'm just wary because I have never missed a START pill and I'm not sure if you treat it the same way you would a missed pill in the middle of the pack.

[x-posted]

Blister on areola

[noodz.livejournal.com]

About a week and a half ago I discovered a blister on my areola, about half an inch in diameter, just under my nipple. It was about the same size as my nipple, and when I popped it (I know, bad idea, but I couldn't resist) a lot of clear fluid came out. I have no idea where it came from, the only thing I could think of is that I may have gotten burned by the heating pad that I sometimes sleep with when I'm sleeping alone and it's cold. It's a cheap heating pad and it has this fabric sleeve but sometimes the sleeve slips down. I don't remember getting burned, it didn't wake me up or anything.

Now it's looking pretty infected and I'm kinda nervous that I got a staph infection so I'll probably be going to the cheap clinic tomorrow, but I was wondering if there's anything else it could be besides a burn. I googled but all I found was stuff about blisters from breastfeeding.

Thanks in advance!

Genital warts (yes, another one) and telling partners

[orchid36.livejournal.com]

Awhile ago I found out I have HPV, the kind that causes genital warts. I am 99% sure that I contracted it from a partner I had last year, since we didn't use protection sometimes and I hadn't been with anyone for awhile before.

I emailed him anonymously to tell him about it and asked him to at least email me back with an acknowledgment that he received my email. I got nothing.

I know that he just started officially seeing a new girl and he is not the most honest person in the world, and if he did receive my email, probably won't tell her. I don't want another girl to go through what I went through. Would it be wrong to send her a message and give her a heads-up that she may need to be checked? Or is it out of my hands now?

Thanks for any advice.

Fall asleep after orgasm

[tisha313.livejournal.com]

I hear some women say that they like to have a few orgasms before or during sex, but with me after I have a clitoral orgasm I instantly get tired and fall asleep. I'm pretty much done and need awhile to recharge. Is there something I can do about that?
 

*Update*

[pixelchild.livejournal.com]

  I posted a week ago about several issues surrounding my boyfriend going down on me and just wanted to say THANKS to everyone who gave me advice, I told him about how his comment hurt me and he felt very sorry and guilty, he hadn't realised at the time how much it affected me, but as soon as I brought it up he realised how insensitive he had been and how he should have thought before speaking. So all is well now as far as that is concerned.

  Also dams have pretty much solved the taste issues, so happy time :D

Thanks everyone ^_^

Advice on bad Gyno

[spinsterkitten.livejournal.com]

I am extremely frustrated and thought to reach out and ask for some advice.

I am currently without insurance and don't make enough money to go anywhere but the local health center/clinic in my area because they offer financial assistance and sliding fees. I have been experiencing painful intercourse for about 5-7 years now, and lately a complete lack of libido. I have also been having weight issues as my weight skyrocketed when I stopped using birth control. Tests were run and I was pretty much told that my metabolism must be "slow" because there is no other reason for me to have trouble losing weight.

I switched from a Nurse Practitioner to a Gynecologist in the same clinic. My Gyno diagnosed me with Vulvodynia and sent me home with lidocaine and a prescription for Wellbutrin because she believed I was depressed and didn't know it and the Wellbutrin didn't effect libido like other antidepressants.

The lidocaine didn't help. The Wellbutrin made me twitchy in my sleep, but nothing else. She also failed to warn me that Wellbutrin costs 100 dollars if you don't have insurance.

( Now for the real issue )

3 periods in 5 weeks

[nati-naty.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone, I was just wondering if this was something I should worry about? I was prescribed HBC by my GP to help with my anemia since we concluded that it was caused by my somewhat heavy periods. I took the pill on that monday, the 15th which was 2nd day after my period ended, and I took the pill the next day . Then I stopped taking them after those two days, because my anxiety over strokes/blood clots got the best of me. Then that saturday (20th) I started my period and it went on until the next sunday. It was  a pretty normal period for me, nothing out of the ordinary except that it lasted longer than my normal 7 day periods. Now today I started my period again, should I be worried or is this something that happens when you go off of the pill?

Weird things....

[scorpiosgal.livejournal.com]

OK once again I need some kind of advice... I've missed my period three months in a row, and due to stress its not abnormal for me to miss them that often. But one thing I have never had in the four years i've been dealing with the monthly curse (I'm 17) I have been fortunate enough to avoid the usual things that go along with the curse; the sleepyness, the headaches, the cramps, the overall acheyness... All of a sudden they've begun to hit me all at once, and these are cramps i swear would kill an elephant. Anyone know what might be happening or how to deal with it? Thank you in advance!!

Essure and Radiofrequency Endometrial Ablation

[ammet.livejournal.com]

Hello, I was a member here awhile ago, and decided to rejoin.

Here's a little bit of background info on me.

I'm 20, I have a connective tissue disorder called Marfan Syndrome, and am currently taking an oral contraceptive (Junel 1/20Fe), which is something I've grown very use to, and have had no issues with it thus far. I'm very, very content with my current situation. However, I am a smoker, and because I've got artificial heart valves and am on blood thinners, my new cardiologist (I say new because I switched from pediatrics to erm, adult doctors) has given me no choice but to have the Essure procedure. I know I shouldn't be terrified of this, since this is nothing compared to the majority of my surgical procedures. But I am seriously freaking out. For those of you who've had the essure procedure, please, share your experiences with me. How much pain were you in afterwords/during? I believe that they're more or less knocking me out for this - as I requested it. And the x-ray three months afterwords? How did that go? Is it a contrast MRI? The pamphlet that they gave me wasn't very descriptive of much of anything, nor was the gynecologist or my cardiologist. The procedure has been deemed in my house as the "Anti-baby spring clamping device of doom" because that's more or less how it was explained to me. It's been over 12 years since I've "gone under the knife" for anything. I would back out, but if I don't get it done now, chances are something bad will happen, because that's just my luck. Otherwise I'd be more than happy to completely blow this off and get it done when I'm actually ready.

Then, the issue with my periods without my HBC - they were horrible. I'd literally be bed/couch bound for the entire week that I'd have it, complete with horrid cramps and everything. So my cardiologist suggested Radiofrequency Endometrial Ablation, which is pretty much where they fry your uterine lining and your periods become lighter, possibly completely going away. Has anyone had this procedure done? If so, please share your experiences with me. Cramping afterwords? How long did you have discharge for? They're going to do both procedures at once, which I'm going to assume is going to be really, really painful afterwords. I say this because when ANYTHING gets shoved up my cervix, I get blinding pain. A great example of this is when I go in for my yearly physical and they shove that little brush... thing, up there, it's always ridiculously painful for me.(I did bring this up to the doctor, who said they'd have me pretty much knocked out for all of it). My boyfriends mother, who is an RN, said that they'd probably put me on IV Valium (sp?), and my doctor also said that they'd give me Vicodin for any after-procedure pain.

I've got some of the best doctors in the world working on me, and always have (huzzah Mayo Clinic!) and Dr. Famuyide definitely knows what he's doing. I guess my entire issue is I don't know how comfortable I am with how final this is, I know that in the end I have no choice, and that it's got to get done sooner than later. I have no will to be a parent, I have no maternal instincts, seeing as how those were worn out by the age of 12 (I raised three of my five younger siblings starting at the ripe old age of eight, because my mother's a deadbeat drunk), but I still am terrified, I've actually had the thought run through my head that my boyfriend would leave me for someone who could have a kid, because he does want a child at some point. I've brought this up to him, and he says I have nothing to worry about, and even gives me a hard time for it. I know he wouldn't, but the thought's gone through my mind, and it's still lingering. So, I guess what I need... is just some advice on what to do to deal with all of this. I don't know why I'm finding it so traumatizing, but it really, really is.

What would you all do? Any advice, experiences, etc., would be so very, very appreciated. I did look around, but couldn't find much of anything on here for either the Essure procedure or the Radiofrequency thinger.

TIA!

diva cup

[tanyaface.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of switching to the Diva Cup. Is it easy to insert/ take out? Is it messy to take out? Does it leak?? How do you know when it's full? If you take it out does blood spill everywhere? (I know that sounds like such a stupid question).
I hear so many people here saying they love theirs but I wanna know all the details from real people who use them, not just advertising-talk, before dropping the cash. :)

Thanks! :)