I am a 22-year-old college student living in the beautiful state of Oregon. I have been in a monogamous relationship going on 4 years (our anniversary is in November). I have been on birth control pills since the age of 18 and I'm thinking of switching it up.
When I started birth control, I was put on a pill called Lo-Ovral. This pill worked great for me for 3+ years, until I started spotting between periods. At first, it wasn't that big of a deal. I would spot about a week before I was supposed to start my period. It started out lighter, but it seemed every month I was on this bc pill, it would get heavier and heavier until it seemed I was on my period for 1-2 weeks (my normal periods were about 5 days long).
I talked to my OB/GYN and she said the hormones weren't having the same effect on my body anymore. She said since I had been on this bc pill since I was 18, my body had changed and it was time to try something different.
This last January, she put me on Desogen. I do not like this pill! I've gained weight (which I hadn't [besides going up a 1/2 cup size in the chest area] when I was on Lo-Ovral). I have been EXTREMELY moody lately. My boyfriend has definetly noticed, but he thought it was school related. I get extremely angry about ridiculous little things, and I hate it! My appitite has been through the roof! Sometimes, I won't even realize I'm hungry but once I start eating, I'll mow it down like I haven't eaten at all that day! I've been sooooo tired, I'll sleep for 10+ hours and still be extremely tired. On top of all that, it didn't help with my spotting problem!!! It's actually gotten worse! Before my last period, I spotted for approximately 4 days before my period. I had my period for 5 days, and I've been spotting ever since!! It's been almost 2 weeks! So it is definitely time for a change!
I have been thinking about getting either an implant (Impanon) or an IUD (Mirena or ParaGard) for a while now. I want a stress-free option of bc. Something I won't have to remember to take every day and (hopefully) something that will reduce the number of periods I have. I originally wanted Implanon, but I've been scared off with the number of bad reviews that have been posted about the product. Serious side effects like severe bleeding/clotting, and periods that last for more than 2 MONTHS!! NO THANK YOU!!
My next option was an IUD. Now, I'm a little nervous about putting a foreign object in my body, but I think this might be the best option for me. My boyfriend and I are seriously considering getting married within the next 2-3 years, so we definitely need a bc that is not permanent but that will last for a few years. Mirena lasts for up to 5 years, and ParaGard lasts up to 11 years. I would have preferred a bc that didn't have hormones (like ParaGard) but ParaGard causes heavy bleeding and intense cramping during periods, and I definitely wanted to get away from that! So I think I'm going with Mirena.
I'm really nervous about getting it put in because I've heard it hurts A LOT, but if the benefits are as great as I've heard, it would be worth a few minutes of pain.
I am going to call Planned Parenthood tomorrow to make an appointment to discuss my options. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with the Mirena IUD unless they say something to change my mind. I will definitely keep writing and I plan to post my experience every step of the way. I know this will probably never be read, but I think it'll help me get through the process. And who knows? Maybe someone will find this blog and it'll help them make a decision about whether to get Mirena or not...
Cheers!
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