[Winged_Muse]

So I am definately looking to switch birth controls. I am on a pill called Necon that was prescribed by one of my doctors. Since getting on the pill, i've switched doctors due to my dad's medical insurance thing switching and i've gained more weight than I ever have with just being on this pill for almost 3 years now.

I started out at 170 pounds when I got on the pill. Before that I could easily loose weight without a problem. Now, almost 3 years later I'm at about 195 pounds and i'm not happy. I've looked into other birth controls but haven't found any that really spark me. A family friend is on NuvaRing but I looked into that and that has more side effects than my pill does. I don't want the patch or the shot so what else is there? I'd mainly like to switch because of my weight but i've been dealing with other problems from these pills to. I've had more stomach aches than I've ever had, I've had more migraines when before I never used to get them, my sex drive has decreased quite a bit though there are times that I'm in the mood all day everyday for like 2 weeks straight and my energy levels have diminished.

Even with constant exercise and a good diet I haven't dropped a single pound and I still stay at about 192-195 (it varies between that). Any good suggestions? I just have a bad feeling that if I switch to another birth control that my weight is going to go more out of control than it already is and I'm tired of looking the way I am. My legs have gained the fat and my midsection isn't exactly pretty either. Soo yea i'm pretty stuck.

[sourpuss]

I'd suggest nonhormonal IUD.

[Winged_Muse]

I've thought of that but my mom doesn't think my doc will give it to me. My sister is on it but she's had a kid and I know it's more for women who've had kids than for ones who haven't had kids.

[sourpuss]

My doctor told me that whatever side effects I had on the pill, I was going to have on any birth control that was hormonal. She suggested the non-hormonal IUD and I asked about the not having had kids thing and she said that if a doctor is experienced in inserting them, it's not a problem. I think it's sort of a myth that those who don't have kids, can't get them. I think it may take a little more skill to insert it and that's why some doctors won't do it. But they last for years, so if you have to find a doctor that will because yours won't, then that's not that big of a deal.

[Winged_Muse]

Well I'm not sure if my doctor will or not. She's not a very good doctor. I've been in twice for pap tests and both times she wasn't able to get enough cells for the tests to come back to tell us whether I was okay or not. I really hate the place we go. It caters mostly to the elderly and i'm probably the youngest one there. Would a Gyno be better you think? She gave me the number to one near by to try out since she couldn't do my pap tests right.

And yea, I figure if I gained weight from one pill it's not going to be any better on another pill. Not to sure how I feel about having something inserted though. I've heard it's quite uncomfortable and painful and I don't deal with pain very well.

[jessie1234]

i think and iud would be better
i had very bad reactions to the pill - including a mild stroke when i was 18 from it
ive had a mirena iud ever since, and its been a god sent! no side effects and no periods
my only complaint is that after 5 years my dr could not see the strings (weird that it took them that long to go up inside) and i had to go under a general anestetic to get it removed and have a new one put in
plan on keeping this one in for a few years until we are going to have kids

[Winged_Muse]

Well, the side effects of my pill includes (mind you I took this off the site listing side effects for this pills):

Breast Tenderness Less Severe
Breast Fullness due to Milk Production Less Severe
Acne Less Severe
Dizzy Less Severe
Low Energy Less Severe
Visible Water Retention Less Severe
Feel Like Throwing Up Less Severe
Throwing Up Less Severe
Stomach Cramps Less Severe
Swelling of the Abdomen Less Severe
Feeling Weak Less Severe
Water Retention Less Severe


Infrequent side effects of Necon 1/35 (28) Oral:
Migraine Headache Severe
High Blood Pressure Severe
Frequent Headaches Severe
Yeast Infection of Vagina and Vulva Severe
Abnormal Test Result for the Body's Sugar Tolerance Severe
Sun-Sensitive Skin Less Severe
Hair Loss Less Severe
Excessive Hairiness Less Severe
Yellow-Brown Patches on Skin Less Severe
Weight Gain Less Severe
Weight Loss Less Severe
Altered Interest in Having Sexual Intercourse Less Severe


Rare side effects of Necon 1/35 (28) Oral:
Depression Severe
Sudden Blindness and Pain Upon Moving the Eye Severe
Pancreatitis Severe
Heart Attack Severe
Stroke Severe
Obstruction of a Blood Vessel by a Blood Clot Severe
Blood Clot Severe
Hepatitis Severe
Disease of the Gallbladder Severe
Inflammation or Infection of Vagina Severe
Absence of Menstrual Periods Severe
Irregular Periods Severe
Bleeding Not Related to Menstrual Period Severe
Benign Tumor of Liver Cells Severe
Liver Cancer Severe
Breast Tumor Severe
High Amount of Triglyceride in the Blood Severe
Cervical Discharge Less Severe
Focal Nodular Hyperplasia of Liver Less Severe
Change in Appetite Less Severe

Out of those side effects I have had breast tenderness, low energy, visible water retention, migraines, weight gain, altered interest in sex, inflammation of the vagina (which I originally thought was from bike riding but I'm figuring it was a mixture of both) and yea. Weight gain is my most prominent side effect of these pills.

Does the Mirena IUD have hormones or is it non hormonal?

[Winged_Muse]

So a non hormonal birth control would probably be my only option if I wanna start the weight loss and stuff then?

[Faerunner]

Sounds like for you a non-hormonal option would be best.

The IUD -can- be painful to insert but a skilled gyno (definitely give yours a call - don't rely on the one who botches pap smears! D: ) can do it quickly and with minimal poking around. They'll probably measure your uterus; for me that hurt worse than the actual insertion because they have to put a measuring device through your cervix and poke around from outside as well to determine the angle of your uterus (so they don't puncture when inserting) and its size (some women have a very small or oddly tilted uterus that makes insertion much more difficult or impossible).

My doctor recommended taking a couple of Midol the morning before the procedure. It also helps to be calm; when I went in I was told I was the calmest patient she'd ever seen (because I had been in 3 times previously to get it done and left without it each time... long story but I was basically just tired of being in the office at that point and totally relaxed). For me it felt like a very sharp pinching and then some super heavy cramps while she measured, another couple of nasty cramps when she inserted the IUD and the pain dulled pretty quickly after that, especially with the help of some more Midol! I've never had kids but there was no problem with getting it done and it wasn't rejected (a known problem especially with women who haven't had kids is that the IUD may be expelled during the first few months; you can have another one inserted if you lose the first).

The Mirena has hormones. The Paragard (copper) does not. I'm using Paragard and like it a lot. I haven't experienced much of the heavy bleeding or cramping that are supposedly common side effects, but then again I rarely cramped when I wasn't on birth control anyway... I'd say most women should prepare for cramping if they go this route! oh - and ask them to leave the strings long. Apparently nothing is more annoying than short strings 'disappearing' if the IUD shifts.

[Winged_Muse]

Well, I’ll look into it. After my past two pap smears, I get in a pretty bad mood when I have to go in for one since she can never do anything right and is one of the only female doctors there. There is maybe one other that my mom sees but I’ve never met her so I wouldn’t know how well she does. Like I said, that place deals mostly with the elderly and I’m the youngest there.

Here’s my problem. I don’t trust doctors, I never have and probably never will. I’m never relaxed when I go into a doctor’s office, regardless of it being this place or the place we used to go (Kaiser Permanente) even though I liked Kaiser a ton better. I don’t deal with pain well and I would actually end up using advil instead of midol since midol just puts me to sleep. I don’t know, I really need a change because this pill is just making me feel horrible. I don’t like the way I look or how much I weigh for that matter (which the scale read 200 pounds the other day, I’m staying away from it) so I need something. I hate people poking and prodding down there and the last two times, my paps have come back with no results and well, left me bleeding analy which probably isn’t to good.

When I go to my doc next time I will see what she has to say even though I’m sure it’s nothing I didn’t think of before.