Sorry, this is long...
First off, I'll be the first to admit that I'm horrible at remembering to take my pills. This is my second month on birth control (after more than a year off of it) and I'm still trying to find a rhythm with it.
Secondly--don't judge me too harshly for this one--I realized this week I was taking the pills all wrong. Every other type of pill I've been on, the "off week"/sugar pills were white... so I assumed the white pills in this pack were the sugar pills. Found out last week they're actually the first week of hormonal pills. I always skip the sugar pills (instead opting not to take any pills that week)... so it turns out I've been "off" the birth control 2 out of 4 weeks instead of just 1.
But thirdly, I have PCOS and don't ovulate on my own. I've been pregnant once (when I was entirely too young) and miscarried, but my doctor explained that it's common for the hormone imbalances NOT to prevent ovulation until after a girl's had her period for multiple years (I started my period at 15, had regular periods every other month until 17--when I got pregnant--then it pretty much stopped and I haven't had a non-induced period since I was 18). I've read stories of women with PCOS conceiving shortly after getting off birth control, but as I said I only started taking it about 2 months ago. I've also heard of Metformin helping PCOSers ovulate, and I took that for about a month until about a week and a half ago (the side effects weren't worth the minimal changes in my blood sugar, which wasn't too bad to begin with).
This is my second day on the "off week pills" (the real ones!). I normally don't start my period for another 2-3 days, so I'm not terribly worried about that yet. But onto the symptoms, shall we?
For the last... week or so, I think, I've been exhausted. Like, accidentally-took-a-16-hour-nap exhausted. I've been getting adequate sleep but it just isn't enough. That's easily explained though--I'm stressed. Very, very stressed. Lots going on right now.
For the last 3-4 days, I think, I've been really gassy.
I don't think I've been eating much differently than usual, but sometimes that just happens so I'm not sure if it's really a "symptom" or not.
For the last two or three days, my breasts--especially the nipples--have been really sore, to the point it hurts to touch them. I haven't had that problem on this birth control so far.
And then today, I've had really bad "metal mouth." The inside of my mouth tastes like metal, and it only goes away while I'm eating.
Are these common side effects with birth control, in your experience? Have you ever experienced them the *second* month of a pill, and not the first? Could they be caused by my being, ahem, inconsistent with the pill?
Or... well, or.
I guess I'll find out in a few days when my period starts (or doesn't), but before then, I'd love some insight.
First off, I'll be the first to admit that I'm horrible at remembering to take my pills. This is my second month on birth control (after more than a year off of it) and I'm still trying to find a rhythm with it.
Secondly--don't judge me too harshly for this one--I realized this week I was taking the pills all wrong. Every other type of pill I've been on, the "off week"/sugar pills were white... so I assumed the white pills in this pack were the sugar pills. Found out last week they're actually the first week of hormonal pills. I always skip the sugar pills (instead opting not to take any pills that week)... so it turns out I've been "off" the birth control 2 out of 4 weeks instead of just 1.
But thirdly, I have PCOS and don't ovulate on my own. I've been pregnant once (when I was entirely too young) and miscarried, but my doctor explained that it's common for the hormone imbalances NOT to prevent ovulation until after a girl's had her period for multiple years (I started my period at 15, had regular periods every other month until 17--when I got pregnant--then it pretty much stopped and I haven't had a non-induced period since I was 18). I've read stories of women with PCOS conceiving shortly after getting off birth control, but as I said I only started taking it about 2 months ago. I've also heard of Metformin helping PCOSers ovulate, and I took that for about a month until about a week and a half ago (the side effects weren't worth the minimal changes in my blood sugar, which wasn't too bad to begin with).
This is my second day on the "off week pills" (the real ones!). I normally don't start my period for another 2-3 days, so I'm not terribly worried about that yet. But onto the symptoms, shall we?
For the last... week or so, I think, I've been exhausted. Like, accidentally-took-a-16-hour-nap exhausted. I've been getting adequate sleep but it just isn't enough. That's easily explained though--I'm stressed. Very, very stressed. Lots going on right now.
For the last 3-4 days, I think, I've been really gassy.
I don't think I've been eating much differently than usual, but sometimes that just happens so I'm not sure if it's really a "symptom" or not.For the last two or three days, my breasts--especially the nipples--have been really sore, to the point it hurts to touch them. I haven't had that problem on this birth control so far.
And then today, I've had really bad "metal mouth." The inside of my mouth tastes like metal, and it only goes away while I'm eating.
Are these common side effects with birth control, in your experience? Have you ever experienced them the *second* month of a pill, and not the first? Could they be caused by my being, ahem, inconsistent with the pill?
Or... well, or.
I guess I'll find out in a few days when my period starts (or doesn't), but before then, I'd love some insight.
