the pill destroys sex drive? causes depression?

Yes, my boyfriend and I have thought that we might have trouble having children later on when we are ready for them. We will have to deal with that if and when it happens. I have actually gone off the pill for a little while in the past, just to give my body a break. I don't think it is very good for the body to be full of the extra hormones, but then again, in a way, it is better for some of us than to be pregnant or raising a family right now.

 

It's reassuring to hear that a lot of women here haven't experienced a lower sex drive, as it was my main concern...ya know, apart from the fact that I'm putting synthetic hormones in my body...lol. And yeah, nightwriter, I think a lot of the side effects can be a mind over matter thing. I think I've actually lost a few pounds this week, whether it be because of or in spite of the pill. And it's true...I think as long as a couple has a good relationship, the sex drive will always be there. Sometimes it's too easy to blame something else for an underlying problem in a relationship.

Anyway...I really appreciate all of your responses. And as far as having a hard time conceiving after stopping the pill...I don't want children...so that's not a concern for me.

Thanks!

 

I took several brands of birth control pills for over 7 years, and they all killed my sex drive. I recently stopped the pill about a month ago due to some problems that developed last January (strangely right when I stopped taking antidepressants). I got all these symptoms mocking pregnancy even though I was not pregnant; it was scary. I gained about 20 lb. practically overnight, had water retention and painful swelling and bloating in my feet, ankles, knees, calves, hands, arms. The area of my belly over my uterus became hard and bulgy. I got a ravenous appetite; no amount of food satisfied me. I had a horrible feeling of all the cells of my body pushing outward. I became super moody and cried at least once a day over tiny things--like spilling a soda or my husband calling that he was working late.

After stopping the pill, most of these symptoms have gone away though I'm still quite swollen. Waiting on a period, have a feeling this will help with the water retention. I've already lost 7 lb. worth of water weight, my sex drive is returning, I have natural vaginal lubrication again, I am so glad to be off the pill! Condoms are a pain but hubby and I would rather use them and have sex than have me on the pill and never feeling like sex.

 

i'm on the shot and i've been fine no problems so far

 

One of my doctors put me on the pill once to regulate my periods -- instead, it made me bleed all the time for an entire month, and it made me more sick to my stomach than I have ever been. None of that stuff for me ...

 

The pill has always messed me up but good.

Weight gain, low libido, moodiness, bad skin, depression, uck.

You can use a non-hormone copper IUD called Paraguard. I did that for awhile before I had my last kid.

Since she was my last I had the Essure procedure done.

 

I have to pretty strongly disagree that it's a "head" thing.

I have been in enough "hot" relationships to know that regardless of how good it was, the hormones from the pill dried me right up and stole my desire.

Now it's quite possible that in some cases women simply weren't/aren't on the right combo of hormones and that's what contributes.

Right on to anyone who had no issues with it, but there are lots of women who are very sensitive to hormones and have negative responses to variations in them.

Hormones drive EVERY function of your body. If the balance is even a little bit off it messes up your whole self.

 

When I was on the pill (Ortho Tri-Cyclen) my sex drive was just fine. It didn't increase or decrease.
I didn't gain any weight.
I didn't get any extra hair that wasn't on my body before.
My acne cleared up.
My menstral cramps were easier to handle (But, they were still pretty bad....I had extremely bad ones before)
My menstral cycle slowed down....I went from going 9 days really heavy to 4 days kinda heavy.
I was diagnosed with depression before getting on the pill, and while on it, it didn't effect my depression. I never took pills for the depression, but, in my case, the bc pill didn't make anything worse.
But, I did get pregnant on the pill. (I was on it for a couple years)

 

^^^you had every benifit from it except for the most important one...
that's the one I'm on, though.....kinda worries me.....

 

One thing I learned from a nurse after being on the pill for years was that even a brief bout of tummy troubles (vomiting and/or diahrrea) requires a back up form of birth control for the rest of the month.

 

really? I've never heard of that before. I have real bad stomach problems and am always in the biffy (probably a little more info that you need to know, lol)...It never said anything about that on the info packs, and my doc has never said anything.

 

if your body is not digesting the food you eat, how can you expect it to absorb medication you swallow?

 

From: http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/femalehormone1.html


"How effective is the birth control pill against pregnancy?

The birth control pill is highly effective if you take the pill exactly as you are supposed to. You should be taking one pill each day, at the same time every day. You should also use some sort of back-up contraception such as condoms with the remainder of that cycle of pills when diarrhea or vomiting occur, or when you are taking some other medication that could change the effectiveness of the birth control pill."

there are lots of other sites on the web that finally are telling this info as well.

 

I've only understood that to be true if it happens within one hour of taken your pill.

ETA: I was wrong, it was two hours..

What if I vomit after taking my pill or have diarrhea?
If you vomit more than two hours after taking your pill, you should be fine. If you vomit sooner, take another active pill. If you're vomiting repeatedly and can't keep your pill down or have diarrhea for more than 24 hours, follow the instructions above for missed pills.

If you continue to be ill, call your caregiver for specific instructions. In the meantime, keep taking your pills. And if you have sex while you're ill or during the seven days afterward, use a backup method. While you were sick, your body might not have absorbed enough hormones from the Pill to prevent pregnancy.

Otherwise, it's absorbed enough.

As someone with Crohn's Disease, I can tell you I have had many bouts of tummy trouble and no pill issues.

 

Yes, I'm going to love her, though.
I guess I should have taken more precaution....I just put too much faith into my birth control.

 

oh, I know

re: the vomiting stuff: thanks for all the info....guess it makes sence. I should probably look at a different form of birth control, since I'm having these problems more than once a week...

uh, this seems a little wrong. I have always read that you should IMMIDIATELY stop taking birth conrtol if you suspect you're pregnant...

 

The pill gave me monthly yeast infections, increased bladder infections, made my period last over a week, made PMS symptoms worse (terrible cramping). I stopped using the pill about 2 years ago because I couldn't find one that wouldn't make me miserable.

It's obviously different for everyone, I just dont think my body responded well to the hormones or something. After my pregnancy I am going to look into non-hormonal forms of birth control.

 

I had no sex drive at all when I was on the pill!! I switched pills and i continued to haveno sex drive! I was in a depression and I freaked out on people easily. I was on the pill for 2.5 years. Then I developed a form of cervical cancer that my doctor said that women in their 50s are prone to getting. No more cancer, but damn it was scary! I would never never never go back on the pill!

 

Also, after I had my daughter I got the Mirena put in.

That thing did not work for me! I never got yeast infections, and with it I would get them it seemed like twice a month. It was gross. I had no sex drive, and I moody and depressed. It was in me for 5 months.



I think that I am just sensitive to hormones...

 

Basically the pill will "level out" your hormones, kind of flat line you, so if you're used to having intense emotions/sex drive, i wouldn't go on it. HOwever, for people who don't get that, the pill can raise their sex drive and emotions and w/e. Personally i didn't like it, got thrush like all the bloody time and other things. Condoms are fine so long as you are very careful and keep the morning after pill in your drawer or something for emergencies.