Hi everyone!

I am cranky...and it is because of birth control! I have been on the pill for 8+ years and recently had to switch prescriptions because of stocking issues at the pharmacy. This new pill has me feeling horrible! Obviously I'm going to go to the doctor soon, and I was thinking about maybe changing my bc method in general.

The thing is...there are major downsides to every method! Condoms aren't as effective (not to mention my SO hates using them), pills and shots have side effects, IUDs are expensive and the stories about them moving around are frightening, and I am not ready to consider sterilization (and what are these stats about unsuccessful sterilizations?!?!).

What is a woman who (really really) does not want to get pregnant to do? I'm 99% sure that I don't want kids, but I'm not ready to have surgery to make that decision final. I'm not sure I am okay with filling my body with synthetic hormones that make me feel bad half of the time is a good enough solution.

I know there's no clear cut happy answer, but this is really weighing heavy on me, and it's killing my sex drive because I am so phobic about becoming pregnant accidentally.

What do you ladies do? Is there anyone else out there who is fed up with side effects or lack of certainty? Men are certainly welcome to pitch in, too, because of course the birth control issue affects them as well. Should I just be thankful that I have these options, even though they don't make me happy? Has anyone found a happy solution that can give me hope?

Any input is appreciated, I have a bit of time till my doctor appointment and would love to get my thoughts straight before I see her. Thank you, darlings! less

Yes, I am so fed up. I might have poly cystic ovarian syndrome because I started taking birth control when I was 14, which would mean that I can't take testosterone. Still got to have to check it out.

Condoms, anal sex, and having a partner who does not produce live sperm is helpful to prevent pregnancy for me. less

IUDs are expensive, but they last for years! There aren't nearly as many horror stories about them moving around as there are success stories. They are typically recommended for women who have already had a child, but I honestly think it would be a good option for you to look into. ParaGard is a copper IUD that contains no hormones, and lasts for up to 10 YEARS!!! Considering the amount of time it lasts, I would say that it ends up being less expensive than most birth control options when you look at how long it lasts. I have the Mirena IUD and I love it! I don't have to worry about remember to take something each day, or even visiting the doctor every few months. When the cost is broken down, it ends up being $100 a year which is a lot less expensive than other options out there. This one is hormonal though, and the only difference I've noticed is that I no longer have a period. I only have light spotting for about two days and that's it. I would look into the ParaGard, talk with your doctor about your options, and go from there! I hope you find something that works for you! less

It is unfortunate that meds such as the pill have the side effects. I fortunately never had that problem and actually it was quite beneficial for me when I did take them because it also stopped my monthly too! Eventually I was advised to try other alternatives because being on the pill with those effects for even 3 years was not healthy.

I tried the IUD believing that was the best alternative for the same reasons as you. Unfortunately at the time I was seeing a very adventurous man who loved to play too much. One day he played and it was with the IUD dislodging it, it moved, infected me and I immediately had to have it removed. And this was an older man too, you might think he would know better.

The only other alternative that really benefited me other than the pill was the diaphragm, and it had no side affects. You might want to try it and I found it easy to insert and remove. I don't know how well it would work however if you used internal toys such as ben-wa or kegal balls during sex. But it is a viable alternative away from the side affects of pills or shots. less

Thank you very much for you insight on this! I was sort of leaning towards IUD as the more preferable option, I will have to talk to the doctor about the mirena vs. copper. I have always wondered why the IUD is recommended for women who have already had a child, since it is reversible? huh.

There is a decent chance my insurance would cover it, too, it is surprisingly good about birth control and family planning issues. Though honestly, I would pay in whole if I needed to...it's worth it.

I am glad to hear you like it, I will definitely consider it! less

I brought this up to my boyfriend and he balked at the thought of not being able to produce sperm. Fucking hypocritical machismo!

I found a pill that works well with my body chemistry, but my sensitivity is at an all-time low, it's so frustrating. I wish men were taught to take more responsibility about this kind of thing. I heard they experimented with hormonal birth control for men as well but they complained about the side effects too much... which were the exact same as hbc for women.

I've been thinking about talking to my doctor about non-hormonal methods as well, but she gave me a luke-warm response the last time I asked her.

Can't wait to just get my tubes tied and be done with the whole thing.
By the way, female sterilization has a 0.5% chance of failing, and male sterilization has a 0.1% chance of failure. Most pregnancies that occur after female sterilization are ectopic and need to be removed. less

You say you were on the pill for 8 years... If you liked that kind isn't there any other way they can eventually get that same kind back in stock for you?

I was taking Aviane for 3 months but when I went in recently they put me on Lutera. It's the same dose and everything (are your pills the same, just different brand names?) She told me to use condoms for a week just to be careful during the switch and I shouldn't notice any difference at all.

I was considering an IUD for a while but I was scared too. So I decided to try a lower dose of pill because it's just as effective without causing so many side effects like the higher doses do. If for any reason I couldn't take pills anymore I'd choose an IUD, probably Mirena because it makes your period so light. less

I was told the reason why they'd prefer you to have already have children before an IUD is because your uterus have been stretched out and has enough room to hold it securely. Someone who's never have a baby before, the length of the uterus, it's all tight and it might not be large enough for an IUD and it's more likely to expel itself. BUT I have heard of a lot of women getting an IUD without ever having children... but it's difficult to find someone that will do it. I read so much stuff about this because I was considering getting one. I decided to go with a lower dose pill instead. I'll probably end up on an IUD eventually though because it's so effective. less

I used to us Sprintec (I took that for 3 years) then research came out connecting BC with estrogen to a higher rate of stroke in women who get visually distorting migraines...well...I fell into that category.
I spent a lot of time researching it and ended up getting Implanon (an inch long implant with the diameter close to the diameter of a piece of uncooked rice). I am really happy with it so far! I haven't noticed any mood swings really. The only big difference I noticed is that I get the typical PMS moodiness that I used to before I took Sprintec. My roommate got it after I did (she was AWFUL at remembering her pills) and she loves it too! I have noticed my period is a lot lighter than normal and still follows close to the same schedule as when I was on Sprintec. My roommate hasn't had her period since the month after she got it (no worries, she's not preggo, she checked. It's all Implanon's doing).

At first, the idea of having something put under my skin in my inner upper arm was terrifying! I'm absolutely horrified of needles when they're going to stick me! Want to see me run away asap, pull out a needle. BUT after looking into it I was fine with it. The procedure uses 2 different numbing types. I didn't feel a thing during the procedure and the implant site was only sore for a week and that was just due to bruising.

What I liked about Implanon was it doesn't have estrogen, it lasts for 3 years, it can be removed at any time and you can be fertile within a month (many reported being fertile as soon as the next week according to my research), after the 3 years are over you can get it removed and a new one put in in the same procedure, there is only a tiny (~3mm) scar that's not noticeable, you can't see the Implanon, and YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER TO TAKE SOMETHING EVERY DAY! I also have not noticed any weight gain since I got Implanon. There are varying affects upon women's periods but the majority reported their periods getting lighter (like mine) and many reported their periods actually stopping while it was in. The doctor told me the number one reason women decided to take it out was their periods either being too random or too heavy (if I remember correctly the percent of women during the testing process who had it removed for this was 2%...but don't quote me on that).

Lol! Sorry it turned into a rant. You should definitely speak to a Women's Health Doctor about all the options out there. Sorry you're having to look, looking for a new birth control is the WORST. I hope this was helpful I also have a phobia of getting pregnant right now, so I definitely understand how important getting the right BC ASAP is! less

yipes I did not know about the ectopic pregnancy issue with female sterilization!

Personally I wasn't planning on going the tubal ligation route....I mean, why should I have a moderately large surgery when the male version is a tiny office procedure? Lame.

Thanks for commiserating with me! less

I should mention that the chances of it happening are still percents of a percent, just that if in the small chance any eggs get fertilized they can't get to the uterus and might grow wherever they end up. IUDs have similar problems.

That's why male sterilization has a smaller rate of failure. It's safer to disarm a gunman than to shoot at a bulletproof vest, if you know what I mean. less