BC harshing my orgasm, I think

[luolian.livejournal.com]

I am going to talk to my gyn about this when I see him in a few weeks for a check up, but I thought I would run this through y'all first.

I have a bf I've been seeing for two months and just started taking Yaz at the same time. I have never had an orgasm while with another person, but with this new bf things have been great and I've gotten to the point where it suddenly seems like it might actually be possible. We're very excited!

 I suspect that the Yaz is holding me back though.

Sure, not orgasming during sex is normal for me, but not feeling like masturbating ever and not really thinking about sex at all unless I'm having it is a bit strange. I thought that maybe it was because I was having a lot of sex (though in the past sex has never had that effect on me - usually I want to masturbate more), but then today on my second placebo pill I get really horny out of nowhere. (Unfortunatley the boy was not around to reap the benefits. *tear!*) So now I'm thinking the Yaz is to blame because the second it's out of my system I'm ready to go.

I know sometimes HBC can negatively affect these things, so could changing my pill brand resolve my libido issues? Or is this likely to be a problem I'm going to have with any kind of HBC?

Aside from this Yaz has been really good to me though. I haven't had any bad side effects from it at all, I love the 24 active pills and my skin looks great. I'm afraid that if I change brands I will have a bad time adjusting to it and then it still will not help my problem. But I really want to get off with my boyfriend and I think that this might be the last hurdle.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[laurensellscorn.livejournal.com]

I think you're pretty much gonna notice decreased libido with any HBC you use; the extent of which may vary by brand, but all HBC works to reduce circulating testosterone, which is thought to be crucial to female sexual response.

You might asking your doctor about a more highly androgenic birth control pill; Yasmin and Yaz are made with a progesterone closely related to Spironolactone, which is a potent anti-androgen prescribed to treat PCOS, acne, excessive hair growth, etc. This makes Yasmin/Yaz a great choice for women with excess testosterone problems, but can deplete levels overmuch for others.

Otherwise, sad to say the only way to ensure your sex drive remains untouched is to choose a non-hormonal method, though a progesterone-only method might have a bit less of an effect.

Good luck!

[luolian.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all these details!

Hmmm. I'll have to think hard about if it's worth trying something else. I think that progesterone-only pills are too time sensitive for me to be comfortable with (I'm very regular with my pill taking, but I also like not having to worry too much about it) and I don't want to go off HBC for other reasons.

But a brand change is still a possibility. It sucks that the same thing that is making my skin look the best it has in years is also dampening my sex drive. I'll just have to ponder this some more and home I can get to my bf before I start bleeding tomorrow.

[rumandtealeaves.livejournal.com]

I don't think that's necessarily true about all HBC causing sexual dysfunction. Before I was on YAZ I was on Ortho-Tricyclen for a few years and never have any difficulty orgasming or decreased libido. I had to switch because of other side effects, but on YAZ I can't achieve an orgasm from anyone else and it's even difficult for me to give myself one most of the time. It's a different type of hormone than other HBC's, and I believe it's one of the only ones that has sexual dysfunction listed as a potential side effect, so it's not necessarily this girl's (or my) response to HBC across the board.

[laurensellscorn.livejournal.com]

I didn't intend to suggest such. In fact, I made clear the Yasmin/Yaz is more likely than the rest. But it is a fact that ALL HBC works to increase SHBG levels dramatically, so women who are sensitive to sexual side effects often find that no amount of switching remedies the problem, and the only way to assure no side effects is to not use HBC.

However, as I mentioned, progesterone-only methods produce much less SHBG, and if one wishes to stay on HBC, a more highly androgenic pill (which Ortho Tri-Cyclen is, but not by a whole lot since it's an approved acne treatment) may help. :)

[rumandtealeaves.livejournal.com]

Um, we have the EXACT same story except replace 2 months with 9 months. I started taking YAZ right when I met my boyfriend and I'm having the same exact problem. I just went to my gyno today and she suspects YAZ is the cause, too. She switched me to Loestrin which I don't know much about, but according to her it shouldn't effect my sexual functioning. Loestrin is also 24 active pills. Hopefully there won't be OTHER side effects to deal with with Loestrin. Cause aside from this, YAZ was the best one I'd been on so far. :( I definitely recommend you switch. Good luck!

[luolian.livejournal.com]

Yay situation twin! Well, not yay for reduced libido, but I'm glad you're here and that there's another BC option that is 24 pills, still recommended for acne and is apparently less associated with sexual side effects. That sounds like something I'd be willing to try. I'll talk with my doctor about it.

I hope your switch goes smoothly and thanks for the information!