Which Contraceptives do you use here? | ExpatWoman.com
 

Which Contraceptives do you use here?

175
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 June 2014 - 13:48

Hi Ladies,

I'm sure this has probably been asked a million times, but I just wanted to check what contraceptive pill you are using?
I was on yasmin for about 6 years and then my gynae told me its really bad & i should stop taking it. So now i'm on Marvelon (the doc actually wanted me to try mycrogynon but seems its not available here)

I'm really not getting on well with marvelon. I've been on it for nearly 6 months now so my body should be used to it. However, my skin has gone terrible, very oily and spotty and i get moody very very easily now.
Its a pity about Yasmin as i didn't have any issues, although i did get migraines but those weren't too often

Just wondered what other pills are out there that i can maybe try. I know everyone reacts differently so you need to check with your doc but i have no idea what other ones are even on the market here so i can go to my doc and ask about those ones specifically (after i've had a good google of them of course) :)

I would have tried celest but that's also off the market now! My doc suggested the mini pill Cerazette but i know it will cause havoc with my skin which for me is my biggest problem with the pill. Seems all the ones that are good for your skin are bad for you! :-P

Thanks alot!

5452
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 21:18
Is a tubal litigation laparoscopic or do they have to cut you open?
507
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 21:06
Hormones mess with your body sooo much. Unless there's a reason for you to be on something with added hormones, why not try the copper coil (not the mirena one) - hormone free, effective and you can then forget about it for about 5 years. I would totally totally go for the copper coil if I didn't suffer from the most extreme form of cramps you can get :( I've been too scared to go on anything hormonal since the disaster with microgynon when I was 18 but I'm now considering going on something for a year or so, then off, then on. It's not "natural" in a biological sense to be constantly having periods - really, originally, it's likely that we'd be pregnant or BF-ing most of the time. I'm so wary of hormones but PMDD takes over my brain for half the month an it's driving me insane to the point where I am considering going the hormonal route just so I can feel normal again The trouble is Mirena uses one of the most androgenic progestins - Levonorgestral - and could exacerbate the OP's trouble. Ah, I didn't know that, good info, thanks
5499
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 20:55
Yasmin worked well for me except that I have hypertension so hormonal contraceptives such as oral, depo or implants are out. Abstinence is reliable and has few side effects :D (As is getting him done...)
2584
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 17:38
Hormones mess with your body sooo much. Unless there's a reason for you to be on something with added hormones, why not try the copper coil (not the mirena one) - hormone free, effective and you can then forget about it for about 5 years.
51
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 17:14
The trouble is Mirena uses one of the most androgenic progestins - Levonorgestral - and could exacerbate the OP's trouble.
33
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 14:45
I tried Marvelon when I first arrived and hated it. I went to a gynecologist here and she said that there wasn't really any "good" birth control. She told me to get Mirena or bring back extra birth control from my home country and she would write me an Rx that I could use to get refilled while traveling. She also said Mirena would be cheaper to get implanted in my home country. I was going home in the next few week and consulted with my gynecologist there. I ended up having Nexplanon put in my arm. It's a rod that lasts for 3 years so I should be covered while here.
390
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 11:12
I'd stay away from microgynon. The hormone doses are quite high and it's pretty well known for bad side effects, especially mood swings, depression, loss of s*x drive etc I've got several GP friends and relatives in the UK and microgynon is the 'go to' for new users to the pill - because it's cheap. But a lot of women really don't get on with it at all. Don't really have much constructive to suggest except to consider maybe Mirena, as the hormone dose is lower Or, a combination of cycle tracking and plus an additional method in the fertile times - such as cap, or that spermicidal gel film stuff I agree, Microgynon did things to my body I thought were never possible. Jasmine was very good for my skin and also didn't have issues with body or mental health, took it for years. I do wonder what made your doctor say Yasmine is bad? What actual evidence did he or she base it on? I had very bad skin, etc before but it helped enormously...I am sure as we are all different we all react to it differently but why the scaremongering if you were happy with it?
804
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 09:06
Have you thought about having a coil? Mirena is pretty good ... well, it works for me. :)
507
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 June 2014 - 07:13
I'd stay away from microgynon. The hormone doses are quite high and it's pretty well known for bad side effects, especially mood swings, depression, loss of s*x drive etc I've got several GP friends and relatives in the UK and microgynon is the 'go to' for new users to the pill - because it's cheap. But a lot of women really don't get on with it at all. Don't really have much constructive to suggest except to consider maybe Mirena, as the hormone dose is lower Or, a combination of cycle tracking and plus an additional method in the fertile times - such as cap, or that spermicidal gel film stuff
51
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 June 2014 - 17:46
All pills aren't the same. The progestin causes different reactions, generally categorized as highly androgenic or less androgenic - and its the androgens that can affect your skin. The progestin in Yaz has very low androgenic activity and while I don't know specifically Marvelon, I'll bet it has very high activity. You might try Belara which also has low androgenic activity. However, you can also take a look at this chart and it will tell you about the more common ones. Belara isn't on there for some reason, but you can look it up separately. http://www.nhpri.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/NOTE_2_TABS_Contraceptive_Comparison_Chart_01_2012_2.pdf
 
 

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