[nikol373]

I recently came off of "Jolessa" (generic Seasonial) because my anxiety problems on that pill were out of control. As soon as I came off the BC, my anxiety ceased...but my energy levels, mood, motivation, PMS/cramping all increased. I feel happier and more stable on a birth control pill, but I feel the hormone levels in the Jolessa really messed with me. My current gyno. is a bit of a joke - I'm looking for a new one. But before I go, I'd like to educate myself on the difference between monophasic and triphasic BC pills, so I don't have to rely on and trust only the information the gyno. tells me. Given I have anxiety problems that I feel are hormone related, I want a pill that will possibly not have that negative effect on my body.
I am also extremely concerned about weight gain. After taking a combo. of Loestrin24Fe and Zoloft a few years back, I was 35 pounds larger than my normal weight. I managed to get 15lbs off since coming off both of those pills (it was 20, but the Jolessa put 5lbs back on...) but I would like to lose 20lbs more. Not like to - need to. My current weight makes me unhappy and self-concious, and I feel getting to my goal weight will play a large part in being a happier, more confident person. I'm hoping to find a pill that will not have a negative effect on my weight, and will still allow me to lose weight while taking it.
I'm just confused right now about these issues, but I feel like being on the pill helps with my hormone levels (which I'm going to get checked in 2 weeks...) and makes me a happier person - I just don't want to have to put all my trust into what the dr tells me.

Any and all input / help welcome! Thank You!

[kygirl]

I've not been on Ortho TriCyclen so someone else will have to answer that, but I have been on Yasmin for almost 9 years. I love it. I have had no issues, it didnt' take my body long to adjust. I think I originally put on like 4-5 lbs when I started it, but my weight tends to fluctuate some so who really knows if it was the pill or eating more I like the monophasic because you can "skip" a cycle if you *need* to for some event or trip but you don't have to. I would think taking 3 months of hormones without a break though would make anyone on edige. I tried to do that with Yasmin bc the gyno said it was okay and by halfway thru the last pack I knew I'd never try it again!

But the thing about BC is obviously they all affect us differently. You may have to just see what works best with your system.

[lizzardb63]

I've taken Ortho Try Cyclen Lo and also Yaz (very similar to Yasmin) and neither of them made me gain weight. I did notice that Yaz gave me fewer cravings because its the same hormone all month, where Ortho has 3 different levels of hormones in a month.