Birth Control Patch

[magdalynaa]

A little history: I've been on some kind of hormonal birth control since I was 15 (almost 10 years now). I've tried Ortho TriCyclen, Desogen, Triphasil, OvCom, and now OrthoEvra. Eventually, I end up getting some kind of miserable side effect from each one of them... usually persistent spotting that just turns into one, drawn-out period. Okay, and I'm enough of a bitch as it is... can you imagine me with chronic PMS? Yeah. Not pretty.

The patch has been going well with the spotting and other side effects for the past two years, but I'm having this one problem. The first three or four days of a new patch (after my period), I'm nauseous all morning. Today, I couldn't even make it past my bathroom door for half an hour. It's getting worse, as well. When I first started using the patch, I would have maybe an hour of nausea for the first day, and now it's non-stop nausea for three or four days.

Anybody else have this problem? I realize that the patch gives you pretty much a megadose of hormones all at once when you first put it on, but DAYUM. Thoughts?

[Naggy]

Well, I don't know quite what you could do to help the first few days - but I can definitely sympathize with the hormanal bc misery! I've tried 6 different kinds - felt like crap on all of them...
I've given up... My doc fitted me for a diaphram (poor bf is getting sick of the condom thing - as am I) but I've been to 3 pharmacies and none of them have them in stock! I guess its an 'old school' method that no one uses anymore! (Though must admit - I"m a little paranoid its going to get stuck in me...) :blink:

Anyways, that's prob TMI about me :lol: but just wanted to send my best wishes to ya because I know how much it sucks!!!

[Sunshine]

I've heard about a lot of people having this issue with the patch. I've been on hormonal BC for 15 years-just switched from the pill to the Nuva Ring with is awesome. I can't do an IUD or I would have. Good luck!

[magdalynaa]

I'm gonna look into this Nuva Ring business. I've heard really good things about it.

[DAS]

I am also on the nuva ring and it has been the best thing every because you only have to think about it once a month! I highly reccomend it.

[Bravogrl27]

GET OFF THE PATCH. It almost ruined my life, seriously. I was ALWAYS naseated, fatigued, and just yucky on it. People at work constantly asked if I was pregnant because it made me go through early pregnancy like symptoms. (I'm talking about Ortho Evra specifically). I asked my doctor about other options on a couple different occassions but she was adament that this was the best option for me. Finally I got another doctor at the same clinic to write me another prescription because I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm not sure who was happier after the switch, my hubby or me. I have to say that switching birth control methods (to something without all the raging hormones in it) has just made all the difference . . . Those patches have been getting a bad rap too (causing blood clots and even death I heard) . . . something worth checking out anyway.

[Angelkae]

I only know 2 people who used the patch, both had problems with spotting, one had problems with nausea as well.

[DianeD]

Originally posted by Bravogrl27@May 22 2006, 12:23 AM
GET OFF THE PATCH. It almost ruined my life, seriously. I was ALWAYS naseated, fatigued, and just yucky on it. People at work constantly asked if I was pregnant because it made me go through early pregnancy like symptoms. (I'm talking about Ortho Evra specifically). I asked my doctor about other options on a couple different occassions but she was adament that this was the best option for me. Finally I got another doctor at the same clinic to write me another prescription because I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm not sure who was happier after the switch, my hubby or me. I have to say that switching birth control methods (to something without all the raging hormones in it) has just made all the difference . . . Those patches have been getting a bad rap too (causing blood clots and even death I heard) . . . something worth checking out anyway.
I had some major problems with Otho Evra. I was on it for 1.5 yrs and had to finally get off it because of unusual throbbing and pain in my knees (specifically, the back). A co-worker had to take me to the emergency room one day due to the severe pain. Come to find out there was a "baker's cyst" on the right knee. Specualtion was that it was caused from using the patch. I will never use it again. Apparently, there is some sort of class action law suit against the mfg - I made sure my name was on that list- bad stuff! :mad:

[PinkGlitter86]

I only know one person who used the patch, but she experienced severe nausea and the spotting.

[lawstudent]

Originally posted by DAS@May 18 2006, 06:35 PM
I am also on the nuva ring and it has been the best thing every because you only have to think about it once a month! I highly reccomend it.
Agreed. Either Nuva ring or Depo is the way to go.

[Chelsinator]

I didn't read this whole thread yet, but I just wanted to say that the patch destroyed my life for about 8 months...not even an exageration, it literally changed who I was and honestly could have killed me. I had the nausea thing you have been having, Val, and never wanted to eat. My workouts went down the shitter. I got SEVERE depression from it. To the point where if I had been on it for a month or 2 longer, I can guarantee I would no longer be here. Seriously. There were about 40 occasions where I had to FORCE myself not to ride my bike into oncoming traffic. I was shut off completely from everyone in my life. I wanted to be dead every single day. Then it caused me to get galstones and be rushed to the hospital with what I thought was a heart attack...I was in the worst pain of my LIFE and my heart rate dropped to 34 bpm at one point....

Yeah, the patch can F**K right off!!!

My roommate also got cysts in her ovaries from it and it caused her liver damage.

Awesome job, Ortho guys!! :clap: :dry: :finger: :curse:

[Blondell]

Do they still have Norplant? I loved that thing I a few years back.