If someone could give this a read-through and then give me a suggestion, that would be very appreciated.
Since age 12, I've always had VERY HEAVY periods accompanied with excruciating cramps for seven days every period, and that's the main factor in my deciding to go on birth control. Eventually, actually controlling birth will come into play, but I'm not seeing anyone at the moment.
I don't follow any sort of schedule, so I knew right away I didn't want to go on the pill. I tried the patch for six months, with mixed results. Periods were still seven days long, but I at least had about three or four light days, and less cramps. But I still had pretty bad cramps, and dreamed of being one of those lucky ladies who has the elusive four day period with few cramps.
I recently went to planned parenthood for a yearly exam, and told the nurse and doctor this. Both of them suggested the ring, and both of them said it worked very well at relieving their cramps, and their periods were practically non-existant. Naturally I made the switch, but because I'm a virgin, I can CONSTANTLY feel the ring. All day long I'm aware of it. Also I'm a lot angrier lately, and I suspect it's because of the ring.
What I'm looking for here is some form of birth control that's easy to use, and will go a long ways towards eliminating periods. I have no interest in ever having children, so a long-term method like an IUD or the shot is fine. I just don't know much about either or their side effects. Has anyone had much success with either?
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I had similar symptoms when I was in high school. I have found the pill to be very effective. I have also had bad skin and recently switched pills to an Ortho Tri-Cyclen generic which has all but eliminated my acne! I no longer have a period.
The trick to the pill if you don't have a regular schedule is to put it right next to your toothbrush.
An easier trick is to set an alarm on your phone, watch, ipod, or whatever. Not everyone brushes their teeth at the same time every day. I just carry my pills around in my purse and if the alarm goes off when I'm out doing something, I reset it for an hour later and/or go to the bathroom to take the pill.
I don't think feeling the ring has much to do with being a virgin. It might not be seated right. Try going back to PP, explain the problem, and ask if they can help you seat it right.
My gyno strongly discouraged me from IUDs or any progesterone only form of BC because it is apparently bad for your bones. The patch leads to higher estrogen levels in the body than predicted, and most gynos are discouraging its use for that reason. I'm surprised PP gave it you in the first place.
I encourage you to give the ring more time. Heavy periods with heavy cramping are a symptom of possible endometriosis. You can't truly get a diagnosis for that without surgery, and you don't want that. One problem that can come up with endometriosis is endometrial cysts which can grow quite large. I had one the size of an avocado, and my doctor told me it was not the largest she had ever seen. Suppressing your periods with hormonal BC can prevent the growth of these cysts, and then you don't have to go into surgery to get them removed. The beauty of the ring is that you can leave it in for 4 weeks and start the new one right away. You don't need extra pills as you would if you were on the pill.
Your anger might be due to something else (frustration at meds not working as predicted? constantly feeling this thing inside you?) or it might resolve after more time on the ring. Try more time, try 3 more months to evaluate your emotions. The ring is really fantastic when it works.
You are repeating bad information. Mirena has not been shown to decrease bone density.
"Bone Density
Levonorgestrel-releasing implants are known to decrease bone density. Only one relevant study has been done on Mirena users; it did not find any reduction of bone density. This may or may not be be because the blood levels of levonorgestrel in Mirena users are approximately half those found in users of other levonorgestrel-releasing implants such as Norplant. "
http://www.medic8.com/medicines/Mirena.html
Here is a link to the study cited above: http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/21/5/1316
Have you heard about implanon? It's flexible stick of hormones about the same size as a match that they inject into your arm. It sounds kind of creepy, but you can honestly barely feel it.
Or the Mirena IUD. I have endometriosis and my obgyn said that most women who have difficult periods actually respond better to Mirena than most pills. I'm getting one sometime in the next month.
I have the Mirena, an IUD with a small amount of hormones that are absorbed directly into the uterus.
I really, really like mine. My periods have completely stopped. When I was off of birth control, I had severe cramps. Now, I don't even have to think of it. And it lasts five years.
Love it. However, a lot of people I know with IUDs really have to advocate for them. Many doctors and nurses and NPs feel that if you haven't had children, you can't have an IUD. This is NOT true. Insertion is no fun, but it's a few seconds of pain for 99.9% reliable birth control for 5 years. The failure rate for the Mirena is even smaller than tubal ligation. And no user error.
You should check out some IUD communities. I like the livejournal iud_divas, personally.
Just to add my experience with Mirena.
Inserted dec 2007. Painful but not unbearable.
Light spotting now and then.
Not having to worry about periods and birth control for 5 years - priceless (sorry, couldn't help myself)
To OP - investigate all your methods and go with what you think will suit you best.
If you choose IUD, don't let the docs tell you its only for women who have had kids. I am childfree. The reason they pull this is because for childless women it is supposedly *more* painful. YMMV as always.
You don't need to take the pill the same time everyday if you are *only* using it for its side effects; as long as you take a pill at some point in the day, your cramps will be covered. You would only need to take the pill on schedule if you are using it for its intended purpose- birth control. I had a pharmacist, nurse and doctor tell me this, and it works well for me.
I'm in the same boat, hun. I swear by Yaz, I've been on it for two years. It's not too overly effective for me when it comes to regulation, but it is the only thing that keeps things to a manageable level that Midol alone can handle. I started taking the pill when I was 16 purely for period symptoms. In a few years, if the difficulty I'm still having while on the pill continues (my period tends to want to go every two weeks, and can fight through even strong doses) I'll see what I can do with an IUD.
Good luck!
Liv
But I had a more serius problem, PUPPP with my first pregnancy and I am so glad I saw this article back then (3.5 years ago.) I am very glad to see it again b/c, for those of us 1% that have it, it's horrible. I was on the oral steroids for it about a month before I delivered and the rash didn't go away until about a month after I gave birth. I am now pregnant with my second and my dermatologist said that I AM likely to get PUPPP again although this article said you're not likely to get it with the second. With all of the information that might be misleading or wrong, at least there is an article on this. That is the only way I knew I might have something wrong. If you are itching, my advice, GET TO A DOCTOR NOW. Don't wait for something to possibly get worse. If there's nothing wrong, you're lucky, that's all. If there's something wrong, catch it early. I didn't catch it early and it was awful.
Thank you very much to everyone who posted! After a week, I seem to be doing better on the ring. The initial adjusting to its size seems to be over (for the last two days I've had to check and see if it was still there), and my mood swings have disappeared. I'm going to continue trying it, but at the end of three months (I currently have three rings as a trial) if I'm not satisfied, at least I have all of your advice to take with me to the gynecologist's.