Problems with Birth Control

**Kara454** · 05-26-2011 08:45 AM

Hey everyone, I just registered on here to hopefully get some relief on what I have been going through for a while. I am 26 and within the last year, have gone full time back to school. Unmarried, no medical insurance, no children- The whole she-bang of things that I did not see myself at 26 basically.

Anyways, I was on birth control (Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo) for a few years- from 18-22/23ish and did not have too many problems except remembering to take the pills and I would constantly be getting my period over and over due to my forgetfulness. I then, just stopped taking the pill. Over the course of the last few years, I have tried to get back on it for various reasons (a relationship, or trying to manage periods, etc) Every single time I have tried to get back on any kind of birth control, I get adverse, horrible reactions. At first, I tried to get back on the Ortho Lo, but I felt really nauseated every single time I ate and in the morning, I always almost threw up- It really affected my work and my whole day. I also was having a hard time remembering to take the pill just like I had before. My doctor then had me try the patch..which to be honest, I was excited about because I did not have to remember so often. I tried a month of the patch and my skin welted up so bad around the spots where I had stuck the patches and it would cause them to flip up and not stick on as well. The welted areas became really inflammed and I just guess my skin was way too sensitive for that. *sigh*

A little over a year ago, I went to a new doctor and had told her that I was going back to school and I wanted to try something again. She had me try the Nuvaring.. that thing made me go absolutely bonkers. I had really bad mood swings and some nausea. It made me feel like I was losing control of my emotions.. as soon as I took it out I felt relief from that. I then decided that I was not going to be on birth control any longer. A year later, I started getting worse and worse periods, to the point of huge clots coming out of me with excrutiating pain. Unmanageable pain that Naproxen or Toradol would not help. I went to another doctor and she said that she was treating me as an endometriosis patient. She said that I needed to get back on Birth Control again......Ugh Ugh Ugh.

I had told the nurses, the operator who had answered the phone, and the doctor that I had no medical insurance and that I needed to be informed what everything would cost before anything was done for me. They proceeded to give me a $400 ultrasound WITHOUT telling me how much it cost, and they also did NOT give me a yearly exam before doing the ultrasound. She then told me that the only forms of birth control I could be on due to me not having kids are the pill, the patch, the ring, or the shot. Scratch the ring and the patch out due to them not working before. The shot, I want to get RID of the periods due to them being unmanageable so the shot is risky since I want to not have spotting or periods starting at wacky times since mine are so unbelievaly heavy. I am around guys all day long (I am going to school for something similar to an electrical engineer..there are practically NO girls around) so spotting or that sort of nature would not be a very wise thing to step into at the moment.

I then decided I would try the pill again.. I have been on it for about a week and I am so very very sick. Nausea, vertigo, horrible mood swings, can barely eat... the mornings are the worse.. I am coughing and hacking trying not to throw up when I get up and try to walk around. I am missing school and I am infuriated. I am on Norgestrel 3 mg pills and I am miserable. I was very unhappy about how I was treated at this office so I have yet another appointment with a new doctor on Friday.. any advice, suggestions, help...anything? I can not afford to be this nauseated and miss school due to a birth control pill, but I must be on some form of birth control to help manage the bad painful periods that were causing me to miss as well.

**caterpillar79** · 05-26-2011 08:53 AM

I personally think you need to be thoroughly evaluated before anything else. What's the reason for not having insurance? Can't you get on one sponsored by the school? You can go to a women's health clinic in your area and get a pap smear just for precautionary measures as it seems like they never did that for you.

For now, I cannot say anything but maybe try to go natural - withdrawal or rhythm/calendar method OR IUD without the hormones.

**Kara454** · 05-26-2011 09:01 AM

Thanks for the quick reply! My parents insurance dropped me after I turned 25. The school is a technical state funded school and I am not aware of any insurance through them. My parents told me that they tried to find insurance for me but it was $500-800 a month just for me.

All 3 doctors I have been to so far will not let me have a semi permenant type of birth control such as an IUD due to me not having children. The recent doctor said I must be on birth control or my endometriosis symptoms will continue to get even worse. They are not giving me many options here.. either way I go through a bunch of suffering it seems like.

**WildChild** · 05-26-2011 09:08 AM

I can understand that you don't have insurance - I don't either, although I'm mystified as to how you managed to enroll in school without it as they require proof to register. That is neither here nor there. Get off all this stuff. It is obvious your body can't handle it.

You haven't said how your general health is? Aside from the menstrual problems? Are you overweight? Any other issues? Are you active? Do you eat well?

I would start with getting completely clean and cleaning up your diet. Do not eat anything with growth hormones in it - which pretty much means eliminating non organic dairy and beef products. This is an additional assault on your hormones. Start educating yourself, Dr.Northrup's book, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, would be a good start.

**Kara454** · 05-26-2011 09:17 AM

I am 5'6" and 116 lbs so I am closer to being underweight than anything, I have always been tiny and have never had to diet or plan meals out. I am pretty active or was until I started taking this pill and it made me start feeling awful. Eating well depends on the budget. Some days I do, and some days I don't depending on which day it is and which classes I have, and also how much money I have to go get food. But for the most part, the diet is not extremely bad, but might need to look into.

On a side note- That is odd about needing insurance for school.. I have never been asked for proof of medical insurance to any of the 5 colleges I have attended...maybe there are different requirements for different states???

**WildChild** · 05-26-2011 09:19 AM

Endometriosis happens for a reason, start educating yourself. Another resource; get down to the library and look up More magazine, I think it was Dec 2008, they had a fantastic article on how and why many doctors are not up on current treatment options and why many women end up with less than optimal treatment options. If I recall rightly endometriosis was one area discussed. You live in your body and will have to become your own best advocate for what you need.

Unfortunately many doctors will load on the tests, whether the situation really indicates it or not. I can tell some stories about that. I think one of the all time best was a doctor who told my ex that because they had been unable to complete a spinal tap to test for meningitis, they had determined he didn't have it! Huh??

**WildChild** · 05-26-2011 09:19 AM

Endometriosis happens for a reason, start educating yourself. Another resource; get down to the library and look up More magazine, I think it was Dec 2008, they had a fantastic article on how and why many doctors are not up on current treatment options and why many women end up with less than optimal treatment options. If I recall rightly endometriosis was one area discussed. You live in your body and will have to become your own best advocate for what you need.

Unfortunately many doctors will load on the tests, whether the situation really indicates it or not. I can tell some stories about that. I think one of the all time best was a doctor who told my ex that because they had been unable to complete a spinal tap to test for meningitis, they had determined he didn't have it! Huh??

**Kara454** · 07-16-2011 10:21 PM

a couple months later-

I went to another doctor, and she had wanted me to try to stick the birth control pill out for at least 3 months. She suggested me to take a Unisom with my pill as some of her patients have been helped with nausea this way.

After all this time- I am still getting sick often. It does not matter if I take it at night or in the morning. I am sick feeling at some point in the day for a while. My nausea got so bad today I almost hyperventilated due to trying not to throw up in the car (I was on the freeway) I am definitely getting tired of always feeling bad. I am going to be starting an internship at a nuclear plant at the end of August.. I am super worried and stressed that I am going to be fighting the sickness while on the job.