[blah__x]

your thoughts?

good or bad welcome..

im curious...

Hmm.. that's a pretty open ended question. I've taken the pill for years without any major problems. What type of information are you looking for?

[blah__x]

anything really.

any side affects?
was it worth it?

general stuff like that

[smiley1984]

side effects - seems to depend on each person. Some have no problems at all, some say they gain weight on it. there are many different ones, some women have problems with one but change to another and are fine.
there is an increased risk of dvt so your dr may ask you about other risk factors - obesity, family hx of clots, blood pressure, smoking. i think you aren't recommended to have it if you have family hx of breast cancer.

it is an effective birth control ?98/99% effective if you take it religiously and be careful if you have diarrhea.
you can also skip the sugar pills if you don't want a period every month.
if you decide it is time to have kids, you become fertile again within a short time, unlike some other methods that can take a long time.

can be helpful for acne and menstrual cramping if that is an issue

generally regarded as a good form of contraception for women in stable relationships. if you aren't in a stable relationship you must use condoms as the pill doesn't prevent the spread of STDs

[sunrise]

I tried to take birth control pills several times as a young adult, but was never successful. I think I tried 3 times and the longest I lasted was 7 months, but it was torture because of the mood changes. The hormones made me very depressed and sometimes manic too. Who knows how I would wake up. But mostly depressed. And very emotional, crying at the drop of a hat. But this was 25 years ago. Pills today have lower dose hormones and so may be easier to tolerate. I am currently taking BCPs again, first time since way back when. I just finished my second month. First month I was very emotional, crying, etc. Second month I was really quite fine. So I am adjusting and doing pretty well on these lower dose pills.

Oh, another thing I didn't like 25 years ago was that the pills lowered my sex drive. Just didn't crave it nearly as much. Maybe that was part of the birth control--to take away desire for sex.

[blah__x]

my grandmother had breast cancer so maybe i'd better not....

[AAAAA]

Gabriel,

The pill is something that you really have to discuss with your doctor. It is a very helpful medication, but it does have some side effects, rare, but some can be serious. With your family history you should discuss it with your doctor.

It might be old school, but a diaphram and condom used together are very effective. The pill does not help with diseases and that is still a major issue.

[blah__x]

thanks AAAAA.

i think i'd talk with a doc if i ever do decide to take something but for now i wont bother with anything (virgin).

[(JD)]

13% of women who take birth control pills develop fibroids... and yes, you might be one of them TC

[_Hope_]

I got really moody when I took them

[blah__x]

whats a fibroid???

[wickedwings]

i took the pill for years as well. but, 2 years ago at the age of 33, i had a stroke. so, i can't take any of that kind of hormones again, ever. there was nothing else wrong with me that would have contributed to my stroke, so the docs chalked it up to the pill i was taking. the stroke is a rare side effect for a healthy person like me, so it was a very unusual occurrence for me to have.

[magasanguis]

I just started taking them, like, a week ago. I'm wondering about the effects myself...

I'm taking them for PMDD treatment, and I'm a little worried because the last medication I took for that purpose was Zoloft. That did not sit well with me at ALL...

I'm not noticing anything suspicious yet. Even being on my period currently.

...Oh wait, that's sort of a lie. My breasts still hurt moderately, which is usually a PMS thing for me. Is that connected to the pill?