Terrified of starting birth control! >:(

**LittleWoman210** · 12-14-2010 07:30 PM

I was prescribed Yasmin last Friday, to help out with occasional breakouts of cystic acne, and to help regulate my periods a little. Being a bit of a 'hypochondriac' (I would say cautious, I'm allergic to four different antibiotics.. the four out of five I've taken... so I worry a little more) and looked up the pill online.. to find complete horror stories. I'm not so much worried about the pulmonary embolisms and the really rare risks. I'm a healthy, young, nineteen year old who doesn't drink or smoke at all.

What I seem to hear more about is the mental aspect of it. The women sound like they're going absolutely mad! It scares the you-know-what out of me. I don't want to become unstable because of a pill, it's just not worth it. I've always been emotionally stable, level headed, and good tempered. I wonder if those women are the small percent out of the entire BC-taking population who have problems and share their stories find comfort, whereas the rest of the women are doing just fine on it. Some say they can't go 'back to normal' even when getting off the pill after realizing there's something wrong, which scares me even more!

I guess my question is, to the women who are on birth control, do you feel mentally 'stable' and happy?! Is it worth it!? I have no problem staying off the pill, but I'd love to see if it helped out my little issues!

Thanks

**chrysdior** · 12-15-2010 09:16 PM

I was taking Ortho-Tri-Cyclen LO. I stopped taking it yesterday because I no longer have my boyfriend and to me its pointless to be on the pill if I dont have a boyfriend. I was on it I was mentally stable. I was happy with it. I had no problems with it. No weird side effects like some people state. I dont know anything about Yasmin so I cant help you there. maybe, if this is your first pill, try OTC LO, its a low estrigen pill with low side effects and it cleared up some of my acne breakouts to

So I had no complaints with it.

Hoped I helped!

**jenn89** · 12-15-2010 11:24 PM

I've been on the pill fr about two years. In that time my moods have been no different than before I went on it, and I haven't had any other pleasant side effects. Really, apart from my boobs being about a cup size bigger and my periods being lighter and extremely regular, It's like I'm not even on it. But everyone is different, and it can have some pretty nasty effects depending on the particular pill and the particular girl. The only way to find out is to try it. If Yasmin doesn't work, you can always try a different brand.

**SidneyAlive** · 12-15-2010 11:40 PM

My Libido is lower at times being on the pill..

**ItsASecret** · 12-16-2010 12:38 AM

The thing with the pill is there is absolutely no way to tell how you are going to react. Some are going to feel like they are not even taking it, some are going to say they are crazed. Either way the fact is the pill is not made to alter someone's psyche. Some people say science and pharmaceuticals are the work of the devil and are nothing but a hazard to society so they will tarnish everything about it. Read the label, it will say side effects are possible...because they are without a doubt possible they would not print it if they did not have those results. Does it mean every single individual who takes them is going to have an adverse or perfectly normal reaction? No. Statistics do not lie. Some will look at only negative statistics and say that everyone is therefore going to be a crazed woman while not having babies because of the bc pill. Not true. There is nothing wrong with looking up information but do so carefully. If there are responses make sure that they are not a center of biased opinion, if the site is named "thepillwillkillyou" then obviously avoid it because their clear aim is to tarnish anything about it. If a site is a bunch of blogs again be careful what you read, many are by no means educated in research of the product nor do they want to be (they tend to not like the words "very rare side effects may occur" because they believe that everything regarding the pill is a bad thing).

The best thing to do in your case is talk with your doctor about your concerns, the first thing they will recommend is a very common brand like Tri-cyclen or Yaz. If it does not work out then you go back for another, it is not wrong or bad to try out a few types or brands. That is why so many different ones were made in the first place, no one can predict how each person will react. The other thing is simply not to worry, the "rare side effects" are real but the key word is rare. They are legally obligated to print that to keep the warning out, a doctor asks a bunch of questions prior to make sure you do not have any risk factors for the common side effects (like asking about smoking or clot issues in the family). Birth control is really a safe thing try not to worry.sat

**Beautiful Disaster** · 12-16-2010 06:50 AM

In my opinion, birth control should not be prescribed unless it's being used FOR birth control. And even then, the pill can cause SO many different side effects, I've decided I'd rather use other non hormonal methods even if they're a little less convenient.

You're young, so you have some acne (see a dermatologist if it's that bad), and you have some irregular periods. I didn't start having regular periods until I was 26. In my opinion birth control, and the possible side effects are just not worth it.

ItsASecret is right, you may have no side effects at all. But I think you'd be in the minority if you started the pill and had no side effects. I was on it for 10 years and there were periods of time in that 10 years that I'd be on a pill that seemed to work for me......but eventually it would always end up not working for me as my hormones and such changed over time. I switched and switched and switched. All in all when I looked back on the 10 years, I had LOTS of times of emotional instability, feeling like I was crazy or depressed, mood swings...I had lots of physical symptoms: weight gain, low libido, vaginal dryness during sex, hair loss, acne (I actually had WAY more acne while on the pill than since I have quit taking it), feeling extremely tired and weighed down for 3 weeks out of a month. The only time I didn't feel that way, is when I was on my period therefore not taking hormones.

I just think prescribing hormonal birth control to a 19 year old who does not need it for birth control, is not having any severe medical issues, etc is frivilous and doctors need to start thinking more about what they're doing to their patients. For what he's prescribed them to you for......it's just not worth all the side effects and risks.

**LittleWoman210** · 12-17-2010 10:24 AM

Thanks everyone.

And I actually have hidradenitis suppurativa. It's a disease where I make cysts chronically and they scar terribly on my groin, inner thighs, underarms, between my breats, and on my neck. There is no cure and they are sometimes painful and connected to my horomoes. It's somewhat embarassing to talk about, so I figured the word 'acne' would be better suited, but I guess not. I also have a cyst on my ovary.. So there's a reason she prescribed it. If I feel anything other than my 'normal' self, I'm stopping. But thanks for your concern.

**Beautiful Disaster** · 12-17-2010 10:28 AM

Don't ever feel embarassed here. First off, you're anonymous. Second, most of us here are very nonjudgmental and only want to help. And last but not least, WE post some VERY embarassing things about ourselves.

You going on bc makes a little more sense now. Hopefully you'll be one who doesn't have negative side effects from it. Just be very aware of any changes and don't allow yourself to look back 10 years from now like I did and realize you felt like poo because of bc and just didn't realize it.

Good luck!!

**Beautiful Disaster** · 12-17-2010 10:35 AM

Looked up some stuff on this skin disease, and on the mayo clinic website here is what I found for possible treatments. Notice none of the treatments listed involve any sort of hormonal therapy. That's not to say hormonal bc won't help you. Just pointing it out.

There is no cure for hidradenitis suppurativa. But early treatment can help manage the symptoms and prevent new lesions from developing.

Treatments depend on the extent of the affected areas and whether the sores are painful or infected. Mild cases can be treated with self-care measures, including warm compresses and regular washings with antibacterial soap. Moderate cases may require medications, such as those you rub on the affected areas (topical medications) or those you take by mouth (oral medications). Possible medications include:

Antibiotics. Antibiotics taken for a long time early in the disease help fight infection and may prevent future outbreaks or prevent the disease from worsening.
Oral retinoid medications. Taken to stop oil gland functions, these medications can help prevent the plugging of the hair follicles.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These can help alleviate pain and swelling.
Corticosteroids or immunosuppressant drugs. These may help reduce inflammation, especially in the early stages of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors. These medications show promise in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa. They can be used only in the short term, however, due to the risks involved with longer use.
For severe or persistent cases or for deep lesions, surgery may be necessary.

Incision and drainage. Surgical drainage or removal of the lesions may be an option when the disease involves a single small area. However, this treatment won't prevent the disease from returning and is generally used for short-term relief.
Uncovering the tunnels or tracts. Cutting away skin and flesh that cover any tunnels or tracts can increase healing of the lesions and minimize scarring. This doesn't prevent the disease from returning in the treated area or another area of the body, however.
Surgical removal. Surgical treatment of recurrent or severe symptoms involves removal of all involved skin followed by direct closure with skin flaps or with skin grafting (removing skin from one area of your body and attaching it to another). Full surgical removal of the affected areas can treat the disease that is present but doesn't prevent the disease from occurring in other areas.

**ItsASecret** · 12-17-2010 10:37 AM

But I think you'd be in the minority if you started the pill and had no side effects. I was on it for 10 years and there were periods of time in that 10 years that I'd be on a pill that seemed to work for me......but eventually it would always end up not working for me as my hormones and such changed over time.

Actually it is the minority of women who experience lets call it undesired side effects like mood swings and crying and loss of libido. That is why they are called possible side effects and not direct effects and also why they will always be printed on the label. Those who experience the negatives are not actually in massive obscene ratio numbers, and are often referred to as anecdotal evidence (going to a blog or health forum devoted to side effects obviously cannot generalize the population at large) but those numbers are not non-existent which is why many forms of birth control are made. The way the pill works has all the science to back it up for why it is prescribed for more than birth control. A select group of individuals does not sway the way it is prescribed unless the numbers get so high that real effects are seen (ex. clot issue with smokers on birth control). If the science works it will be maintained for those purposes unless a new study comes out saying that a new method is a better method.