Any ladies that have been or on birth control please share you experiences.

I went on bc after my first son to help pms and I ended up getting very depressed! I didn't realize it was the bc for many months, and finally after some google-ing I found forums where women were saying bc caused feeling of depression. Of course as soon as I went off it I was fine.

I have been really wanting to go on a bc that stops your period and you only get it like 3-4x a year. But a friend of mine said she was one that and it made her crazy, with mood swings and feel emotionally out of control.


I cannot stand pms! I feel awful and I don't want to do this every month...

There quite a few birth control pills on the market and you probably are going to have to try a few out. And most likely you are getting the generic version of a pill and generic only has to be 80% similar to the original product and the rest are...I guess fillers is the best word.

Anyways, there is nothing wrong with generic I mean you could take the expensive original and still have the same issue. But I would talk with your doctor and explain in detail your issue and ask for a different pill. The doctor most likely will have a better idea of which pill is the best.

The original birth control pill made me break out like crazy! My doctor switched me to a different pill and gave me the generic because I was less likely to breakout on it.

I've only had my IUD since December, but I HIGHLY recommend it. First, with the changes in the health care laws (assuming you're in the US, I'm not sure which "sea" you are under lol), many insurance companies cover the full cost. You may need to call to find out for sure.

I've been on a variety of pills and I was on Nuvaring for 3 years. The IUD has me feeling more stable than on any of those other options. I have Mirena, so there's still hormones, but it's a much smaller amount. The real test will be this fall (I tend to get seasonal depression and I'm not sure how much was related to my bc and how much was just how I am!).

I'm gradually not getting periods anymore, which basically means no PMS. I do still ovulate, though. I've noticed a decrease in my hunger. And I have many, many friends who have IUDs who gave me a big thumbs up when I was polling them asking if I should take the plunge.

It's still worth talking to your gyno about your concerns to see what the best options are. I don't think there's any bc that can guarantee you won't have negative side effects like depression (I've heard horror stories about side effects from Mirena, too, but those were few and far between), but your gyno should be able to point you to the ones that will be least likely to affect you.

I tried several bc pills before I found the one I am now on. I experience mood swings, depression, irregular periods, skin issues, digestive problems, everything. It is so worth it to try heaps of them, and dont be scared to keep going back to your doctor to try another type of bc pill if the one you are currently taking doesnt suit you. Before I found the one I am on now, I persevered for the good part of 6 months with a pill that didnt suit me. Not only did it cause me to gain weight, it also triggered manic depression in me, something I had never experienced. Side effects for the bc pill are common so just keep trying new things until you find one that works for you, and if the pills arent working for you, ask your doctor to discuss other methods of contraception that may be viable for you. All the best!

You have to try different pills out. I had one pill (Levlen) that gave me horrible mood swings. Other pills have not done that.

BC effects vary wildly from person to person. It's kind of a crap chute. For any given method, you'll find 5 people saying "I gained 50 lbs and had horrible acne" and 5 saying "I experienced no side effects and my skin cleared up."

I have light periods in a state of nature and bad PMS only 3-4 times a year, so I choose not to mess with my delicate hormonal balance. When I was on BC pills I went insane (irritable beyond belief, mean, vindictive almost) and had no sex drive. I would consider that "doing its job TOO WELL," haha.

If you have mood swings, try a different kind of BC. I was on a monophasic type (1 dose for 21 days, 7 placebo) that made me the B***h from Hades and what was funny (looking back) is at the time I thought it was everyone else that had a problem. It was only after I switched that I realized how bad I had been. I switched to a low dose tri-phasic type (each week the dose changes, then 1 week placebo) and that worked much better for me.

Also be aware that PMS can be reduced with some supplementation. Fish oil or other type of Omega-3 supplement can help, as can magnesium. They both also help with cramps, if you have them.

OMG Nelie, Levelin did the same thing to me!

Thanks ladies. I called my endocrinologist and I'm waiting for a call back. After ok-ing it with him I will see my gyn. I don't know if I need a bc pill or I was thinking maybe asking about progesterone cream. I'm not quite old enough for perimenopause, but my symptoms are more in line with estrogen dominance, and I have confirmed low progesterone issues during my last attempt to conceive, I m/c 2x and labs showed low progesterone and I was put on progesterone to maintain my last pregnancy.. This balance would be helped by continued weight loss but well, I'm working on it...but for now this is awful. I spend nearly a who week barely leaving the couch, not leaving the house, eating everything in site, (and I'm supposed to lose weight!!) I feel foggy and miserable, tired, over sleeping and irritable. And bloated which could be water weight or the fact that I haven't stopped eating in like 3 days...this needs to end.

I never wanted to take it because I didn't like the idea of altering my hormones but ended up taking it after a series of bad periods which were weight related. I was on it for awhile and it almost destroyed my relationship because it gave me such bad anxiety and depression. I don't like it and I would never try it again. I do know some women who take it and love it and have no issues with it. I think it really varies person to person and there are so many brands out there.

If you're done having kids get the Mirena IUD. Bye bye periods, daily pills, and PMS. Otherwise try Ortho tricyclen-Lo. I'd have the Mirena in a second but hormone BC makes my hair fall out at an alarming rate so I was too scared to try because the Doc said there's a chance it could happen. I didn't feel like paying $800 only to have it taken out. I have the Paragard copper IUD and it's just okay.

I've been having hair loss with Mirena, something I never experienced on any other form of birth control (this is obviously new since my update in this thread in April). Sucks!

Omg, I'm sorry for you but glad you told me this because I was considering swapping them out when I get better ins next year. Let me know if it ever stops and comes back.

Oh I failed to see that this thread is older than dirt.

I had the opposite experience. My monophasic pill drastically curtailed my pms symptoms - cramps, craving, moodiness... Hubby stopped calling me werewolf. I lost over 100 lbs without much effort.

Then medicare stopped covering the monophasic and I had to switch to a tri-phasic and the werewolf has been creeping back. I've regained 40+ pounds, despite having to work much, much harder just to slow, but not stop the gaining.

Now, my gyn wants me totally off birthcontrol because of my age and risk factors. I'm terrified of being off bc, because I've only ever been able to lose weight or even just "avoid gaining" when I've been on bc.

If the "rabid hunger" I experienced before bc returns (not to mention the insane rages aimed at the nearest target, hubby) I'm not sure how hubby and I will survive the runaway rollercoaster.