The Pill and PMS

Faith

When I first went on the pill, I was under the impression that it completely got rid of PMS. Now, I know that that's not true (due to the day of cramps and headaches I still get). However, does anyone else notice their hormones being all over the place, PMS style? I've two more days left in my current Pill packet, and I'm in a foul mood for no reason. I just want to curl up in my bed and wait for the day to be over. I'm really irritable too. I've noticed this happening on several occasions before, as I approach the end of the 21 days. I'm just curious about whether this happens to others on the Pill, or whether I'm just a moody bítch!

Caryatnid

Hi Faith. This is not unusual.
It's a matter of finding a pill that suits you.
Unfortunately, they say it takes at least three months to figure out or not.

Once, I went on a pill, and had many bad side effects. The one that is relevant to mention right now, is they way it affected my mood. I found myself getting so angry (inside) whenever my boyfriend talked > he was the only person I felt I couldn't stand, and I knew I was being completely irrational. (He was being completely normal, and nice.) I tried to control my actions, but couldn't control the feelings at all. The wierd thing is that I never, ever get angry/bitchy with pms. I get more sensitive (if anything). So I came off that pill after about a week, and my mood went back to normal. If I had stayed like that for three months, I would've probably killed him.

Faith

No, the pill suits me just fine. I've been on this one for nearly a year at this stage with no problems.

I have perfectly normal moods for most of the month, but I still get PMS-like mood swings for a couple of days. I just want to know if anyone else notices this happening to them.

LegacyUser

Yep.. me too.. this month(second month on the pill again) i have had TWO woefull periods where I felt that if anyone was nice Iwould cry but if if anyone even breathed wrong in my company I would... well cry.... and they would then die... i hate the mood swings I get.. I feel like a complete nob.. i know they are TOTALLY irrational but i cant help it. This is the 4th day of my blood suckin SECOND period AND it happend like this next month..Im off it..

Ur normal... OR .... im a freak too..hahaha.. see... moods

Rogueish

I was the exact same on one of my last pill's. For the last 2-4days before I finished my 21-day pill packet, all I wanted to do was cry and anything could set me off.

My moods were all over the place and I was just not a nice person to be around. My poor boyfriend did not know what to do with me and it was just not nice. It just got to a stage where I just had to sit down with my doctor and try a new pill. Now we have no more mood swings and I'm a much nicer person to be around.

LegacyUser

Ok im not totally sober so sorry if this does not make perfect sense.

Years ago (cos im so old) when I first started on the pill I starting taking it a) to have a life where I was not constantly ill and b) cos I had just started going out with someone. Before I started taking it my only issue was getting really really sick every month (more so than is normal) however once I started taking it everything started to change. I was moody, emotional, irrational, got headaches for most of the month, not to mention the almost immediate doubling in size sigh. Anyway I stayed on it for years then (relationship) and during that time tried loads of different pills. Nothing made it any better. It got to the stage where I was pissing everyone around me off with my moods and eventually I just had to come off it. took months for it to settle down and for my moods to return to normal again, but they did eventually. Now years later im back on this bloody thing again for other health reasons. i was absolutely dreading it. i warned all my closest mates that I was going to turn into the bitch from hell etcetc but surprisingly so far so good. on it a few months now and everything seems to be going ok.

Ill stop rambling now... the point im attempting to make is that I was so scared before starting back on it this time, i really didnt wanna go on it. But my doctor advised me that I had to. i told him exactly how all the others made me feel and when it was worse and he came up with a new one to try and like i said it seems to be working. tried so many before i really thought nothing would work for me. if the moods bother you then talk to your GP tell him exactly whats going on and when.... there will be one that will work better for you. even if you think this one is working fine.

anyway best of luck... and while its perfectly normal to feel like this, you shouldnt have to!

Caryatnid

Faith wrote:

No, the pill suits me just fine. I've been on this one for nearly a year at this stage with no problems.

I have perfectly normal moods for most of the month, but I still get PMS-like mood swings for a couple of days. I just want to know if anyone else notices this happening to them.

What do you mean, "No"? I started off by answering telling you that your experience was normal. Then I told you about my experience.
If you are experiencing symptoms that you don't like, as you are describing, I repeat that it is a matter of finding the right pill for you.

440Hz

Caryatnid wrote:

What do you mean, "No"? I started off by answering telling you that your experience was normal. Then I told you about my experience.
If you are experiencing symptoms that you don't like, as you are describing, I repeat that it is a matter of finding the right pill for you.

just what I was thinking

ams

Unreg2 wrote:

Yep.. me too.. this month(second month on the pill again) i have had TWO woefull periods where I felt that if anyone was nice Iwould cry but if if anyone even breathed wrong in my company I would... well cry.... and they would then die... i hate the mood swings I get.. I feel like a complete nob.. i know they are TOTALLY irrational but i cant help it. This is the 4th day of my blood suckin SECOND period AND it happend like this next month..Im off it..

Ur normal... OR .... im a freak too..hahaha.. see... moods

I had this problem before. Go to your doc straight away and change the pill you're on. Theres no need to put up with that crap!

~Leanne~

Ive just changed over from a different pill. Was originally on Loygnon, i got awful weight gain, 1 1/2 stone in past year and my appetite shot through the roof!!! Awful oily skin and sleepy all the time.
Im starting Yasminelle next week, she told me this was only new on market, like Yasmin but with even less hormones. I s anyone here on it???

Victor

Does this only happen in your pre-menstrual period (Sorry!)?

Faith

Yeah, it's just like normal PMS. I was just under the impression that the Pill regulates your hormones, so you shouldn't suffer from PMS. Also, because the Pill effectively stops your menstrual cycle, can you really still be pre-menstrual...?

It's nothing big or serious or anything, I was simply wondering do other women on the Pill often experience this type of emotional PMS. It's in no way extreme enough to have to change the type of Pill I'm on.

scoot on

I'm on the pill about 4 years now and I definitely still suffer from PMS. I'm fairly lucky because I don't get bad periods but I still notice myself getting hormonal at that time of the months (or should I say my boyfriend does, poor fella!). I don't know what the scientific take is on it but I don't think the pill stops pms, from personal experience.


On a side not, in the last few months, from talking to a number of girl-friends, i've noticed that my friends that smoke tend to have more problems with the pill. I have no idea whether this is coincidence or not but this is what i've noticed from conversations on the subject. I don't smoke, i never have and i've been on the one pill since day one. Out my closest friends 3 of the smoke and three of them have had fierce problems trying to find a pill that suits them. We were only talking about it last night. Might be coincidence, but it's fairly wierd all the same.

John Mason

about two weeks into my pill - i turn into a very aggresive monster who cries a lot. my doctor told me not to so stupid, that it doesnt effect hormones, - i am glad i am not completely mad

Nevyn

irishbird wrote:

about two weeks into my pill - i turn into a very aggresive monster who cries a lot. my doctor told me not to so stupid, that it doesnt effect hormones, - i am glad i am not completely mad

I would consider changing dr if I was told that.

Also if you are going to be taking a pill every day for 3 weeks out of 4 then do some research into what it does, how it works and what are the possible side effects.

http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/med-uses-ocp.html

What are the side effects of the oral contraceptive pill?

Most women have no side effects when taking the oral contraceptive pill, but some women do experience irregular periods, nausea, headaches, or weight change. Each type of oral contraceptive pill can affect each woman differently.

Spotting between periods may occur while taking the first three weeks of hormone pills, but this is not serious. This usually occurs during the first two or three cycles. You should call your health care provider if the bleeding is heavier than a light flow or lasts more than a few days.

Some women have some nausea, but this usually goes away if the pill is taken with a meal or a snack at bedtime. Sometimes a pill with less estrogen is prescribed if the nausea doesn't go away.

Sometimes, women may experience headaches when they start taking oral contraceptive pills. Usually headaches occur because of stress or other reasons. If your health care provider thinks they are related to the pill, he/she may prescribe an oral contraceptive pill with a lower dose of estrogen or may sometimes take you off the oral contraceptive pill.

Mood changes can occur while taking the oral contraceptive pill. Exercise and a healthy diet may help, but if they don't, you may need to get a change in the type of pill you are taking.

Usually the pill helps cure acne, but a few women feel they get acne from the oral contraceptive pill. Your breasts may become tender or may get larger. Your appetite may increase, and a few teens feel bloated.

Some teens gain weight, some lose weight, but most teens stay exactly the same when they are taking the oral contraceptive pill. Many times a young woman thinks she has gained 5-10 pounds, but when her weight is actually measured, there is no change. If you think you may have gained weight due to the Pill, you should see your health care provider and get your weight measured. If you do gain weight, or you want to prevent gaining weight, you should make sure that you eat a healthy diet. You should eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and avoid fast foods. Also, get enough exercise! If these ideas don't help, talk to your health care provider.

Side effects usually go away in the first three to four cycles. If you do have side effects, you should talk to your health care provider. If the side effects are really bad or if they don't go away after three cycles, your health care provider may switch you to a different pill.

http://www.fpa.org.uk/guide/contracep/compill.htm


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraceptive_pill#Side-effects

Side-effects

When starting to take the Pill, the majority (about 60%) of women report no side effects at all, and the vast majority of those who do, have only minor effects.[2][3][4] Some women report slight weight gain, although most studies show that the incidences of this is about 50% and as many women experience slight weight loss. Some women also notice changes in the intensity of sexual desire, vaginal discharge and menstrual flow.

Other possible side effects are: breakthrough bleeding, unusual build-up of the uterine lining, nausea, headaches, depression, vaginitis, urinary tract infection, changes in the breasts, changes in blood pressure, skin problems, skin improvements, and gum inflammation. The insert included with each pill packet usually has a more extensive list of recognized side effects.
[edit]

Effects on sexuality

Some say the Pill may have a positive effect on a woman's sexuality. Because neither the woman (who uses the Pill) nor her partner need take any special action before or during intercourse, it makes birth control "invisible" and sex spontaneous, more natural, or both. When combined with the Pill’s high degree of effectiveness, this may enable the couple, and especially the woman, to relax more easily during sex. Masters and Johnson reported more than one woman who experienced her first orgasm during intercourse shortly after going on the Pill.[citation needed]

However, some also say the Pill can also have a negative effect on a woman's sexuality. One doctor (Dr. John Bancroft, a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University) estimates that one in four women on the pill experience some negative sexual effect. These effects may include a decreased frequency of sexual thoughts, increased difficulty in becoming aroused, or decreased lubrication, which can make sex painful. Recent research co-authored by Dr. Irwin Goldstein (a urologist in Boston) suggests such effects may continue for up to four months after a woman stops taking the Pill.[21]