Contraceptive Pill

LegacyUser

First off, let me say that I'm not looking for medical advice - I'm really just looking for personal experiences of taking the contraceptive pill. I am considering starting to take it but have heard so many scare-stories in the media and I'm really not sure whether it would be a good idea or not!

I do not have sex on a regular basis, and was therefore wondering if it is possible to take the pill for one month and not the next, and then resume taking it again after your next period a couple of months down the line? I just hate the thought of being on the pill needlessly when I may not be sexually active for months at a time!

For example, if I knew I was going away on holidays in June, could I just go on the pill for that month or so? Have any of you ever taken the pill in this way?

I don't know what to do! I feel like abstaining completely from sex rather than enduring the hassle of taking the pill!

carlow_guy

HI,

Ok this is my experiance of the pill with my wife. And of course it affects ppl differently. She was on the pill for about 3 years. with no problems . Regular periods and everything was ok. whenever she came off it it would take a couple of months to get regular. HOwever, when she moved from scotland to Ireland she was put on a different type of pill.. Yasmin i think. and that messed her up completly. She has only had 3 periods in the last 15 months. we are trying for a babay at the moment. and she is never fertile enough. and we are worried that the pill has messed it up. Again i want to stress the point that the pill does affect ppl in different ways. my suggestion is use a condom. can;t cause any damage (unless your allergic) We both know women that have been on the pill for 10 years and are fine. no problems at all. I suggest you talk to your doc. have a months trial and see how it affects you.

Cheers
Matt

Saruman

There are many forms of contraception and as carlow guy said.. they affect different people in different ways... My wife went on the depo shot.. its good for 6 months.. she had no set period but tended to bleed a little every day and gained a LOAD of weight... The pill was not much better soe we do not use it any more.

anyway go to family planning clinic.. such as the one in the square... they will explain it a lot better than faceless people on boards

If you go on a light pill, you should have no probs with taking it all the time.

carlow_guy

Totally agree with yo. The depo vera is it? caused huge weight gain on my ex... and totally messed up periods!

trishw78

I've never heard of anyone doing that taking the pill one month not the next.. TBH it kinda sounds irresponsible. If your pill is not working for you go back to your doctor and he/she will prescribe a different one there are hundreds out there with new ones on the market all the time. I was on yasmin for 3 months and didn't get any period which kinda freaked me out. I changed 'cause I had terrible mood swings like 1 minute I felt like throwing myself off the bridge the next I was as happy as larry.

The point is you do need to talk to someone professional in the medical field there are alternatives to the pill, if you don't want to take it.

Izzyone

You should speak to your doctor about getting the merina coil fitted, it lasts for five years and has no side affects apparently, no weight gain. Also if you are on antibiotics it stil works unike the pill. There are so many different pills and they all affect ppl differently, you need to be very careful and it could also take a very long time to find the one that suits you best.

unklefiction

I think you should just abstain completely

b3t4

Izzyone wrote:

You should speak to your doctor about getting the merina coil fitted

It is very rare for a doctor to fit a coil if you haven't had a child.

OP, I would advise you, as another has, to go to your local family planning clinic they should be able to give you all the advise you should need.

As far as taking the pill one month and not the other I highly doubt that this is possible.

A.

BC

As others have said the pill affects people in different ways. I have been on it for about 3 years with no problems.

However, its is extremely unlikely that you could come on and off it regularly. Firstly i'm sure its not a good idea health wise to be messing with your hormones so much but i'm sure your doc would have more info on that. On a more practial note, if you come off it after month 1, you have to wait until your next period to go on it again. It can take anything from 1 month to 1 year for periods to return to normal after being on the pill so chances are it wouldn't really work out.

Something the coil or diaphragm might be a better idea but again talk to your doctor as they will have the best advice. If you aren't having sex regularly would a condom on its own not suffice?

To b3t4 - the Mirena coil was developed for women who have not had children.

galah

Been on the pill for 12 years now (Oh my God...time flies...) and never had any problems. You can "move" your periods a little (if they're inconvenient, like on a holiday for example) by not taking a break between two packs, but anything else is highly irresponsible, you are messing around with your body too much, and you would not have the guarantee that the pill is safe. If the pill is suitable for you, it does not have a massive effect on your body, so taking it for longer periods of time should not be a problem. But you can't really take it on-off as you wish...

I would suggest condoms, it's the easiest way if you don't want to play with your hormones, and if you are not having sex on a regular basis with the same partner (!!!).

Nevyn

Gaaahhh

The Mirena is not a coil it is an interusterine system which is fitted like a coil.
Orginally it was only given for women who had already had a baby, a miscarriage , an abortion or had a D&C done. This was the policy for over 5 years.

Recently the IUS has been fitted in women who have not had children but who must under go a minor proceedure to dialate thier cerix.

http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/index.html

There are other contraceptive alteravites such as the Nuvoring or the contraceptive patch.

Girlygirly read all the info in the above link go back to your DR armed with info and sit with him/her and work out a contraceptive plan with them after stating what your contraceptive wants and needs are and look at all the options.
and no condoms on thier own won't do.

BaZmO*

Girlygirly wrote:

For example, if I knew I was going away on holidays in June, could I just go on the pill for that month or so? Have any of you ever taken the pill in this way?

I don't know if I'm reading this wrong, but are you suggesting that you would be using the pill just purely as a contraceptive and have unprotected sex while you are on holidays?

b3t4

Has the criteria changed with regard the coil in the last year or so? I was recounting what happened to a friend of mine. She went to have the coil fitted last May. She made the appointment with her doctor and then she got an appointment to have it fitted. When she arrived at the appointment to have the coil fitted she was told that she could not have it fitted as she had not had a child.

A.

hadook

I think it's dependant on the doctor. My doctor remarked that it's odd that some other doctors will fit it in women that have had a kid by c-section but not someone who's never had a kid.

Nevyn

Yes the criteria for the Minerva implant has changed.
The Minerva is NOT the coil.
It does depend on the Dr and the suitibily of the woman and if there can be an hospital appointment made for the dialating proceedure.

b3t4

Thaedydal wrote:

Yes the criteria for the Minerva implant has changed.
The Minerva is NOT the coil.

I can't find any information about the "Minerva implant", do you have a link to some information about it, please? Is the Minerva implant this http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/implant.html?? My friend choose to use the implant when she could not get the coil fitted.

According to this website http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/whealth/articles/0,,180650_185074,00.html IUCDs are also know as coils. Also this document from the wellwoman centre in Dublin refers the Mirena as a coil http://www.wellwomancentre.ie/docs/Intrauterine_Contraceptives(IUDs).pdf

A.

BC

I think Thaedydal may mean Mirena not minerva?
The details on the mirena are here:
http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/ius.html

Martly

the implant is called Implanon,and it goes into the arm. anyone can get it but i had it and had terrible side effects from it. it is a progesterone only device and most pills are progesterone and ethenystradiol (different hormones).
I had weight gain(about a stone),got really moody and had light bleeding almost constantly..So i went back to the pill
Ive been on the pill for 6 years never a problem,but i dont think anyone should take the pill one month and not the next..
If its to delay the period then it wont do any hnarm but it could damage your regular monthly cycle.

Attol

I was on the combined pill for a while. I got horrendously depressed.

I was on the injection for two years. Really screwed up periods and went from 9 stone to 11 and a half. Am now down to 10 but still struggling to get rid of the rest.

Using the pill just while on holiday isn't a good idea. It's not meant as a short term contraception. If you're that worried you could take the pill regularly for a while. You may enjoy the control over periods and you know you'll have that extra protection if something does go wrong with a condom.