[Yvee]

I have heard lots of horror stories about the Pill and how it effects your hormones, sex drive , etc
I just wanted a little feed back from those who are on it
Does it help with mood swings?
Is it true that those who are on the pill are not able to enjoy sex as much as those who are not?
When does it start to work (how soon after you go on it)?
How is getting off it?

and anything else one should know

[grrrr]

I grew facial hair... JUST KIDDING!

I think that it's what you're taking..... Whiskers need not apply!

In all honestly, I think that you have to "listen" to your body. I don't use pills - I can't. I have a seizure disorder, and the hormones don't work for me, I use the "sponge" or the vaginal spermicide... way too much info... sorry.... but that works for me....

[Mes T]

It really ALL depends on your specific body. I'd visit an ob-gyn or planned parenthood clinic and ask for their advice on what might suit you the best.

Have you thought about non-hormonal methods at all? IUD, cervical cap, diaphragm?

[BasketCase]

I use pills and I can only tell you how they effect me personally.
1. Mood swing- Honestly the pills make me crazy. Im not kidding, if they make you deppressed then you might want to stop using them.
2.I enjoy sex the same as I did before birthcontrol. I have found no difference.
3. I think it depends on the brand or type but it takes about 2 weeks to take effect. Use comdoms for at least 3 weeks just to be safe.
4. Getting off of it is as easy as stop taking it. Your period will flow a lot heavier after you come off of it for a few months. But thats the only thing I noticed.

But in all honesty the deppression, and anxioty isn't worth it for some women. If you take it and you feel different. Stop taking it and try something else. Pills are not the only birth control out there.

Hope this answered all your questions. Message me on my page if you want to know more/;0

[LanaBear]

I was on the pill for 12 years. It was okay, if I was on a low dose pill. My sex drive did suffer. I took Nordette for most of the years and did try Seasonale. Seasonale made me completely crazy. It's the one you take for 3 months straight, then break for a week. It was like 3 months of PMS would explode and the world was coming to an end. But with Nordette, it was okay.

[Ashlee T.]

Well....I recently wrote a post "Women + Birthcontrol - Men = ?????" or something like that, venting my frustrations with birth control and the role society places on women. You can read alot of my experiences with the pill in that post. However, here's a few things:

1. I was on for almost 10 years, for the first several my sex drive did not suffer. But for the last several years I was on it, I struggled with decreased libido often

2. I lost alot of hair while on the pill. I've been off of it for 1 mth and am amazed at all the little new hairs growing out of my head. I used to have thick coarse hair, which over the years had turned into much thinner, finer hair. I'm now taking High potency Biotin every day to regain some growth.

3. The pill causes your body to think it's pregnant, therefore causing you not to ovulate, therefore causing you not to get pregnant (if taken properly). For me, I didn't gain ALOT of weight, but I gained weight in places like my sides (lovehandles), tops of my legs, and abdomen. No matter how hard I worked out, just couldn't seem to do anything about those areas. A month off the pill, miraculously that excess fat is going away.

4. The mood swings. I switched and switched and switched. One pill I'd feel emotionally good on, but physically awful. On another I'd feel physically good, but be an emotional wreck. Each new pill, the dr tells you to "try out" for 3 months and then if things still haven't leveled off, they'll switch your pill and then you try it out for another 3 months etc. Every time they'd switch me I'd get online and do some research on that particular pill, searching user reviews and almost always, my symptoms on that pill would mirror very closely to what others had experienced.

Now....the good parts, I had unprotected sex many MANY times while on the pill and never got pregnant. I also had shorter, lighter periods. But on another note, I've been off the pill for a month and have felt AMAZING. I just had my first regular period off the pill and yes, it was a bit heavier, and I cramped more.....but honestly, I can deal with one week of a little discomfort compared to an entire month of bad and almost unbearable side effects. There are no Planned Parenthoods in my area, but I'm going to talk with my doctor about non hormonal options like the cervical cap.

You'll hear from some who have never had a bad experience on the pill. They're the lucky ones. In the end, your experience may be quite different than mine and the decision has to be your own. I think it's great that you're trying to find out about it first though. I would highly recommend talking to your doctor about ALL your options, not just hormonal bc.

GOOD LUCK!!

[Ashlee T.]

By the way, Love love LOVE your profile pic.

[Goodgirl93]

I've been on the pill since i was 14.(health reasons) And It has never messed with my sex drive,in fact,im almost 17,but i have a seriously high sex drive that probably isnt normal. hahaha Im not using it for sex,BUT when using it for sex,you need to use either spermicide,or a condom until a week after you start taking the pill.Getting off the pill for me was easy,just certain kinds tear me up and make me dizzy and give me headaches and nausea.It depends on the kind of pill ur on,but overall they are a good idea.

[Yvee]

Have you thought about non-hormonal methods at all? IUD, cervical cap, diaphragm?

Thats actually what I would rather use. But to behonest I don't really know much about the alternatives!
I guess I should have answer about those too...

[Newmommy86]

I have heard lots of horror stories about the Pill and how it effects your hormones, sex drive , etc
I just wanted a little feed back from those who are on it
Does it help with mood swings?
Is it true that those who are on the pill are not able to enjoy sex as much as those who are not?
When does it start to work (how soon after you go on it)?
How is getting off it?

and anything else one should know

The pill was great. I was on the pill for 2 years before we started trying for our baby. I currently have the paragard IUD and I can't wait to get rid of it next week and go back on the pill. (Several reasons but won't go into that, I just absolutely hate it for physical and emotional reasons)

Does it help with mood swings: I didnt have any mood swings while on it other than what would be considered normal around period time.

Is it true that those who are on the pill are not able to enjoy sex as much as those who are not?:
It did not effect my sex drive. Right now my sex drive is like zero (sorry tmi) but that is because I don't trust the IUD so I'm almost scared to have sex. But no it did not effect mine but I know it does for some.


When does it start to work (how soon after you go on it)?:
A couple of weeks I guess. We used a back up method for the first 4 months I was on the pill. Didn't have any issues once on it.


How is getting off it?:

No big deal. It took about 2-3 months for my cycle to regulate after going off and it took 11 months after I stopped taking the pill to get pregnant.


Good luck with what you choose

I can't wait to get back on the pill, that is the best method for me. It may or may not be the best method for you you have options. The IUD wasn't right for me but talk to your doctor and weigh your options it might be right for you