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  1. #1
    weech is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default WWYD re: birth control?

    I'm frustrated and confused and could use some help... Before I was pregnant, I struggled with depression for many years. For a large portion of that time (5+ years) I had been on hormonal birth control. I went off of BC when pregnant with DS and once I recovered from the birth, was feeling fine. Then I went on the NuvaRing and got super emotional and felt like my hair was falling out. Stopped that. Waited a couple months (feeling great again, not depressed), and went on Yaz. Within three days of being on Yaz, I'm getting the same symptoms of depression I had pre-DS (I'm sad, angry, irritable, very pessimistic, sobbing for no real reason, etc).

    My question - should I give up on birth control and use barrier methods? Should I wait this out and see if the symptoms go away? I feel like I have post traumatic stress because I'm flipping out about becoming depressed again. This has been a long struggle and has impacted my marriage quite a bit. But if I go off of birth control, then I'm going to be paranoid about getting pregnant before I'm ready.

    Is this a no-win situation? Ideas? TIA!
    Rachel
    Momma to my sweet little bubba
    04/2010

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Default

    Have you talked to your OB about non-hormonal bc? There aren't a whole lot of options, but there are options. Depending on what your plans are for future children you could do something like Mirena (I am pretty sure that is hormone free). There are, or course, condoms, spermicide, diaphrams etc. I don't plan on returning to hormonal bc due to how it impacted me and those were the options my OB discussed with me.

  3. #3
    Melaine is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Default

    No form of birth control is 100% effective, so I would certainly take the risk of condoms v. the hormonal roller coaster you are currently going through. Condoms aren't fun, but neither is all of the side-effects of the pill or other BC. I found condoms to be the least disruptive to me.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Seattle
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    Default

    happy me = happy all in the house.

    Hormonal bc make me go crazy! I gave up on any bc and use barriers when needed. Might consider paraguard later if/when I need any bc. talk to your OB, but personal experience says no hormonal bc for me.
    DD 04/2008
    DS 06/2012

  5. #5
    JElaineB is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by BabyBearsMom View Post
    Have you talked to your OB about non-hormonal bc? There aren't a whole lot of options, but there are options. Depending on what your plans are for future children you could do something like Mirena (I am pretty sure that is hormone free). There are, or course, condoms, spermicide, diaphrams etc. I don't plan on returning to hormonal bc due to how it impacted me and those were the options my OB discussed with me.
    Mirena isn't hormone free, but the Paraguard IUD is.

    OP, it sounds to me that you should not be using hormonal birth control, so definitely talk to your health care provider.

  6. #6
    edurnemk is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default

    I could have written your post. I will never go back to hormonal BC, it's just not worth it for me. When DH and I got married I tried the patch but had terrible side effects, switched to the BCP and slowly suffered more and more side effects: migraine, lack of libido, low energy, felt sad and anxious, etc. I finally had it and went of the BCP and my life changed for the better, I was back to my old happy self. From then on I used FAM (fertility awareness methods), specifically this: www.ladycompUSA.com I used it for almost 2 years until I got pregnant with DS. On fertile days we used condoms and spermicide. I have several friends who have gone this route and none got pregnant when not planning it.

    After DS was born, DH was in FT business school, the worst of the crisis hit just before he graduated and he was unemployed for 6 months after graduation. So, even though lady comp is just as effective as any BCP, DH didn't feel as "safe" and asked me to go on BCP when I weaned DS at 13 months. I love him dearly, but never again will I make that sacrifice (and I was so down we never had sex anyway, so what's the point?). I think I may have also had some undiagnosed PPD, plus it coincided with difficult times, but the last year was so bad for me, much like what you describe. I went off the BCP again 3 months ago and I am feeling so much better.

    BTW, I saw baby bear's mom mentioned the Mirena, but I'm pretty sure it does have hormones and that the hormone-free one is the Paraguard. This one might be a good option for you, too.
    DS 1/08
    DD 7/2012

  7. #7
    Tondi G is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Default

    I would ditch the hormones! Your mental health is worth more than the security you feel while on the hormonal BC.

    I went for the paragard but had it removed after a year... just wasn't working for me. We are very careful as we do not want to be pregnant right now. While condoms aren't the most fun we use them and make it work. So far so good... no pregnancy. We tried out the SKYN (by lifestyles) brand of condoms and really like them (latex often irritated me so these are great). The are made of Polyisoprene.

    http://www.lifestyles.com/skyn.php

  8. #8
    MSWR0319 is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Yaz did me in big time. I was a freakin train wreck. Actually the whole 5 years before I went off the pill ( I was on Ortho-Tricyclyne and Yaz) with DS I was always very anxious, moody, etc. I tried to tell me doctor I thought it was my BC but she wouldn't listen. As soon as I went off, I felt just like you did, normal again! I was fine on the minipill when I was nursing, but I've gone back to the regular pill and am more emotional again. not quite as bad as I was before, but I'm on a different pill now. So maybe a different type would work better? The one I'm on now I get pretty moody the week before my period, but that's better than all of the time with the other pills I had tried.

  9. #9
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    I'd try a Paraguard IUD. I've got one and have had no issues other than my period is a little heavier and longer than it used to be. Kind of a pain, but would be worth it if hormones don't work for you. It's good for 10 years too!
    C
    DS1 (04)
    DS2 (07)

  10. #10
    Melaine is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tondi G View Post
    I would ditch the hormones! Your mental health is worth more than the security you feel while on the hormonal BC.

    I went for the paragard but had it removed after a year... just wasn't working for me. We are very careful as we do not want to be pregnant right now. While condoms aren't the most fun we use them and make it work. So far so good... no pregnancy. We tried out the SKYN (by lifestyles) brand of condoms and really like them (latex often irritated me so these are great). The are made of Polyisoprene.

    http://www.lifestyles.com/skyn.php
    Good point about Lifestyles condoms. I kind of had assumed that all condoms were irritating to me until I tried Lifestyles. Much better!

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