Best birth control with little to no side effects? SERIOUS dilemma.

[calliebaby]

I would also find a new doctor. Sometimes it is as simple as prescribing low dose aspirin or progesterone to help sustain a pregnancy.

 

[Butterfly89]

I have a new doctor actually and my appointment is tomorrow morning to discuss it all in brief. It's a start for sure. I think its less hormonal and more mechanical because I have many symptoms of endo and IBS, so maybe blocked tubes because I DO ovulate normally and have a 14 day LP which usually means normal progesterone! Weird body!

And hmm, maybe... I have been to about 5 different counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, etc. but none of them really had anything to offer besides pills and "well just stop worrying" type responses. I blame the medical system here.

 

[cochy115]

I know you said no BCP, but I just wanted to share my experience with it. I got on the pill when I was 19 and all it did was make my period shorter and lighter... less cramps, which was a win. I changed brands when I got my first job and different health insurance. My husband and I abstained a year before marriage, so I got off the pill. I didn't feel any different. I started it up again a month before getting married. I noticed that the new BCPs have much lower hormones and my period barely changed from non-BCP to BCP. Meaning it was the same kind of flow and cramps vs. before, when it was way lighter. I guess it's more "natural."

Currently, I'm no Enpresse (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol). Zero side effects. Also, I lost 40 pounds in college and never once did the pill affect that or make me gain weight. I gained weight in high school and lost it easily in college with a workout plan and change in lifestyle.

Everyone is different.

 

[Butterfly89]

Hmm, I will look into that too. ^_^ Thank you for sharing your experience. Before, I worked out hours daily and ate extremely healthily (mainly vegan but the actual healthy protein way lol) but I didn't shed a pound. I only lost it because I got sick for a while and it stayed off, but its creeping back on already and I blame Spearmint Tea (but its worth it) because it raises estrogen.

So I think I might be sensitive to estrogen possibly. Working out and eating right honestly does NOT work for me. I even had a dietician try to help me and I was fatter than ever. It's really weird, but oh well! I blame hormones! So I don't want to take any risks with that... OH will not like it... :/

I'm going to wait and see.

 

[deafgal]

copper IUD is good, but if you never had any kids, doctor probably won't insert it. Or try cyclebeads https://www.yourtango.com/201199968/rhythm-method-has-95-percent-success-rate but it is only useful if you have 28 to 32 days cycle.

 

[cowboys angel]

My friend Becka has never had kids, and got the copper IUD put in shortly before she got married. It just depends on the doctor.

 

[Butterfly89]

I don't want to limit when we can BD, we're way too young for that. Basically that'd mean not BDing for half of every month... can't do that, OH would not stick around lol.

 

[Dimples81]

definate no on the diaphram?

 

[wanaBmummy]

I had no side effects from my merina coil. It was th ebest contraception i used!!! i had not bleeding after i had it put in and no heavy bleeding once it was taken out. I had my monthlys the same but a bit lighter and less cramps. Didn't get spotty or gain weight ...like i said it was fab xx

 

[deafgal]

just a reminder, some IUD have hormones which why I pointed out copper IUD such as ParaGard is good

 

[Butterfly89]

No diaphragm unfortunately. Have a retroverted/tilted uterus so nothing fits in there right (other than OH haha >_<). Nothing will stay in place... already looked into the FemCap and the sponge but they don't come in the right sizes for me and the doctor recommended not using those because they may be ineffective for some people with tilted uterus.

I have heard both good and bad about Mirena. But I already have symptoms of high progesterone levels, so I'm a bit wary that it could make it worse. Unless it takes over progesterone production like pills tend to do with estrogen? Not sure! I will have to do some more research on that!

 

[junemomma09]

Didn't want to read and run but just wanted to say I hope the drs can figure out what's going on. If it helps at all i have a tilted uterus and have sustained two pregnancies. I have two wonderful children now ages 8 and 2. Good luck Hun!

 

[Guppy051708]

Hi there, just wondering what you decided to do?
I read through this thread in hopes of figuring out what type of BC i want to do...i do not want to do anything hormonal. We dont want anymore babies for another 5 yrs or so...so its important, for me, to have something that is very effective, but also not perminant.
Anyways, if you did end up with the copper coil, how did that go for you? Or did you decide on something else? I am specifically curious how the insertion procedure was for you. I too have a tilted uterus...i was also told i have a very large uterus....does this mean i cant have the IUD?

 

[LockandKey]

Personally I would say Nuva Ring as it is mainly local, or an IUD like Mirena or the Copper Coil, fyi, they hurt A LOT when being inserted, but Mirena prevents pregnancy for up to 5 years, and the Copper Coil can go for as long as 10.

 

[lilyanne]

I have a new doctor actually and my appointment is tomorrow morning to discuss it all in brief. It's a start for sure. I think its less hormonal and more mechanical because I have many symptoms of endo and IBS, so maybe blocked tubes because I DO ovulate normally and have a 14 day LP which usually means normal progesterone! Weird body!

And hmm, maybe... I have been to about 5 different counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, etc. but none of them really had anything to offer besides pills and "well just stop worrying" type responses. I blame the medical system here.

I don't mean this in a negative or belittling way but are all of your medical conditions and assumptions doctor diagnosed or are they self-diagnosed? It seems like if all of this medical information with all of the testing was in your charts, they would have done something?
I think everyone, including me, has a tendency to google it, self-diagnose, and assume the worse case scenario.
For me, I had no side effects at all with the combination BCP. Most of them nowadays have much lower hormone levels as well.

 

[sequeena]

We just use condoms

 

[asdjkl12345]

Hey I won't be helpful for birth control since I'm always searching too, but wanted to tell you that I have been diagnosed with a bicornuate or septate uterus (need to do some more tests to figure it out). Basically everything is normal hormone wise, but your uterus is shaped differently. It's called a mullerian anomaly and there are a lot of different kinds. Usually if you have a mullerian anomaly then you have no problem getting pregnant, but will have difficulty sustaining a pregnancy. I had mine initially diagnosed with an ultrasound. I also have very painful periods, which I think you mentioned, and a lot of times mullerian anomalies are associated with endometriosis which causes pain during your period.
If you have a mullerian anomaly pregnancy isnt necessarily hopeless. I've read about women that have had miscarriages a few times and then suddenly had a very healthy pregnancy. A lot of times it has to do with where the baby implants.
Anyway, I would ask the doctor for an ultrasound to check for it. They're apparently pretty rare, but I'd say it's definitely worth a look.
Also times, many women with a mullerian anomaly can't use any type of IUD since it won't fit into their weirdly shaped uterus. In my case there would be tissue already growing where the IUD is supposed to be implanted.
Check out this website... it has a lot of information on the topic
https://mulleriananomalies.blogspot.com/
Good luck with everything!

 

[Aurora CHK]

Hi, I know that no method is 100% reliable, but just in case its helpful, the only person I know who tried the Nuvaring fell pregnant on it straightaway, and was using it properly - I don't know much about how reliable others have found it, have done no research, just thought I'd mention it as you said it was important to definitely not have any accident!

 

[Guppy051708]

I think we are going to go with the Lady-Comp fertility monitor. Its super effective at preventing pregnancy. I will mix that with fertility signs and barrier methods when im in the "no zone". Its pricy but a lot of insurances will cover it.