Getting off Ortho Evra Patch?

[BDL84]

Now ive been on the Patch for almost 3 yrs. now never had any problems with it until now, Ive posted a couple times about the spotting an breakthrough bleeding between periods ive been having but never really got any responses on it, My last period was the 16TH. an a week before that i had some pink spotting then nothing till about 2 weeks later an ive been spotting an having breakthrough bleeding off an on ever since it doesn't happen everyday but i never know when its gonna happen, I had my Pap come back normal the Culture also came back normal an also took 2 pregnancy tests both negative which i knew they would be, So the only thing i can think of thats causing this is maybe my body can no longer handle all the hormones in the Patch, So ive made the descision to get off the Patch an all BC for awhile to give my body a break from hormones, My periods due tomorrow an ive been having some spotting today but thats not because of my period because i took my last Patch off Sunday an i always start on Wednesdays, Im just wondering what side effects have you all gotten when you've gotten off BC because id like to know what im in for, Im worried because ive been on the Patch for almost 3 yrs. it might cause alot of bleeding in between periods so any advice would be great thanks.

[NEgirl]

i was actually on the patch when i was 18 or so and now am 20 and liked it other then making me sick the first 3 months everytime i put it on i also think it is because i am 110 pounds and i had a lot of hormones rushing in me all at once. never had bleeding when i shouldn't. i got off of it when i found it was not good for your body but doctors tell me some people it works for. i would switch to BC and see how that goes.

[lexi]

I went from the patch to nuva ring and I recommend the ring over the patch. I had problems with it staying on and I had skin discoloration at the site of the patch. (I switched locations every week trying to avoid this but it never worked)
Now, I don't have any breakthrough bleeding unless I change the ring without having my period for over 4 months. (My doctor told me that I could do that with no problems)

But BC works differently for different people so check with your doc about it.

[Celeste]

I was on the patch for around 3 years as well. I started hearing more and more about it causing blood clots and strokes in otherwise healthy, thin girls, but kind of shrug it off because I am somewhat of a health freak and am fit and thin.

Well, I started getting migraines that altered my vision, and came to know it was caused by the patch and Birth control in general. I dealt with it, getting imitrex migraine medication.

Then, one morning maybe a year ago now, I woke up with a TERRIBLE, and I mean TERRIBLE migraine, my vision was distorted all to , my left hand was numb and so was the left side of my face. I wasn't thinking clearly, and wasn't even really thinking in words like we naturally do. I was really overheated, and walked outside and sat on some concrete to cool off and just held my head until I came to my senses.

When I did, I thought holy , did I just have a stroke? I took some headache pills and drank a lot of cool water. My feeling came back in my hand and face, but the headache persisted relentlessly and I still felt weird.

When my boyfriend got back from class and I told him about it, he freaked out and drove me to the emergency room. The cat scan came back normal, and they told me to get some high strength headache medicine and go home. I am not however convinced that I didn't have a mild stroke, what else would make me feel like that? I skeptically thought perhaps it was just a super terrible migraine and I was laying on my side weird to make it numb, but i have no explination for the confusion and overheated feeeling. It was really wild and not cool

When I changed health clinics here at college, they wouldn't even give out the patch, so i switched to the pill. They told me stories of women working AT the clinic who, otherwise healthy, were having blood clots and brain damage. I was just like, ok forget this patch.

Personally, I suggest you change BC methods when you decide to get back on it. The patch I think releases too much homrone in a too unregulated way. It also made me really sick the first two months. I never puked with any other kind of BC. Good luck though, and I wouldn't expect any ill effects while off the BC except some irregularity at first with breakthough bleeding. Good luck!

[alibaby]

I was on Ortho Evra for a year and a half. I had headaches and dizzyness and didn't think that it might be related. I went for an annual physical and my blood pressure was very high. My doctor took me off it immediately. Shortly after that, reports started coming out in the news about the high levels of estrogen and women having strokes and blood clots. There are many lawsuits against the manufacturer. If it works for someone, that's great. But if you do use it, as with any other type of birth control, pay close attention to any unusual symptoms.

[blanca]

Once you get off the ortho can i reccommend a product called Noriday, ive been using it since forever and never had any problems which you mentioned.

Noriday is an oral contraceptive, most commonly employed by women who are unable or unwilling to use other birth control methods. Scientists have not yet come to a conclusion regarding the exact mechanism this drug works on, but its effects are positive and satisfactory. Its main ingredient, Norethisterone, is a synthetic steroidal progestogen oral contraceptive, used in other medicines in the same class of drugs.

[EssJayVee]

I was on Ortho Evra for about 4 years and the only problem I had was I would sometimes have it start peeling off. Never had any health problems with it. I had to switch to the pill because of my health insurance coverage. If they would cover the patch I would have stayed on it. However, I've been off the patch for about a month now and I've been getting a lot of pimples on my hip area where I would place the patches. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, what did you do.