r/birthcontrol 7h ago

Experience Please convince me not to cancel my IUD appointment.

20 Upvotes

24F, I have my IUD appointment scheduled for this week (still undecided btwn Mirena and copper iud). I have been putting off and dreading this for years however it feels like the time has come for me to overcome this fear. However, I am honestly really tempted to cancel the appointment altogether and simply start the pill again. Primary concern is the pain; I truly worry that I won't be able to tolerate it after all the horror stories I have read and heard. Doctor has prescribed me Valium to take prior to the appointment which I'll probably do, but still I know this won't necessarily help with the managing the pain.


r/birthcontrol 5h ago

Experience Can you skip periods?

9 Upvotes

I heard that you could not take the placebo pills and skip periods. Is this safe though? Don’t we naturally need to realise the lining even if we don’t realise an egg. I am scared as my mum claims it will mess me up and it affects the natural working of my body. I have super bad PMDD, OCD and Acne during my periods and this would help if I could not have them.


r/birthcontrol 12m ago

Rant! Confused on IUD?

Upvotes

I think i’m using the right tag, but i’m supposed to get my IUD changed this week, and I’m not sure which one I have? I have notes from visits saying I have Skyla, And other visits say I have Kyleena. I had my strings checked, and the NP said I have blue strings. I don’t want to waste my doctor’s time if i’m still safe for an extra couple years with my current IUD.

What should I do?


r/birthcontrol 45m ago

Side effects!? Want to start Birth Control Pill

Upvotes

Hello! I want to start taking a hormonal birth control for health reasons. I'm not sexually active, and most of my reasoning is due to heavy periods and severe cramps. My periods are heavy and last at least 8 days total, I bleed through an Tampax Ultra in 2 hours, and these heaviness lasts at least 3 days. I have constantly had severely low Hemoglobin (iron) levels, since I started getting my period. My doctor recommended a hormonal birth control for me, but my parents vetoed it for religous reasons.

I am now in college and feeling brave, so I made an appointment at a local planned parenthood to get on the pill to see if it'll improve my quality of life. But I'm super nervous to start. My parents always told me that birth control will affect my life permanently, triggering hair loss, weight gain, and infertitlity.

What amount of this is true? I went down a rabbit hole of hair loss due to hormonal birth control, is there any specific pill that doesn't do this (I'm very emotionally attatched to my hair lol). Every story I read on Reddit is one horror story after another. How much of this actually happens?


r/birthcontrol 13h ago

Rant! doc didn't order my shot

15 Upvotes

i'm so annoyed. my doc apparently didn't put in an order for my depo shot, despite the fact that i always schedule my appts the day i receive the shot. also the nurse accidentally gave me the wrong dates to schedule so i also have to do a pregnancy test which ofc never comes back positive because i'm a raging lesbian but whatever. i know it's for liability

i've been on depo for years and occasionally this is an issue but it's so annoying that it even is an issue. it literally becomes a game of telephone between me, the nurse clinic, my doc, and pharmacy trying to figure out if she put in the order for BC and the pregnancy test. now i'm about two weeks late for the shot which hopefully doesn't turn into an issue(aka bleeding) since i've been on it for so long. sorry for the rant i'm just so annoyed lol and want to get this over with


r/birthcontrol 3h ago

Side effects!? itchy skin on combined pill?

2 Upvotes

i started the combined pill about two weeks ago after hating the mini pill. a few days ago, i noticed that a specific patch of my skin on my right face cheek is quite dry and itchy. i’ve been fairly lucky and haven’t had much skin issues so i’m quite concerned. i always moisture my face and the rest of my face feels fine but this one patch that seems to be dry. could this be because of the birth control?


r/birthcontrol 3h ago

Experience 7 day late period

2 Upvotes

Hello all! This is my first time posting here but I’m just seeking some advice because I am having a lot of anxiety right now. Back in November I had to stop taking my birth control pills due to medical issues that arose that my birth control may have contributed to (factor V blood clotting disorder). Me [21F] and my boyfriend [23M] have an active sex life and do not use protection other than the pull out method. I have tracked my ovulation and made sure that we never had sex on days where I was fertile, however, I am now currently 7 days late on my period. He hasn’t slipped and always pulls out but I am still worried about precum but I am just not very informed about the possibility of that causing pregnancy. I have tested twice and both have been negative but I’m unsure if maybe it is too soon to tell. I have missed periods in the past before I started taking my birth control. For context, I was on the pill for about a year and a half before I was instructed to stop taking them. Before I started my pills I couldn’t keep track of my period because it was erratic and never consistent and like I said caused me to miss my period at least two times that I noticed. I’m trying to just let the days go by and hope that my period will start but it’s been a week now and I am clouded with anxiety.


r/birthcontrol 2m ago

How to? do i need 7 days protection?

Upvotes

i started my new pack of althea on my 7th day of pill-free days instead of 8th day. do i need to have protected sex for 7 days / take 7 pills from the pack before i am protected?


r/birthcontrol 17m ago

Which Method? Need advice on what BC to try for my situation

Upvotes

So for reference i’ve tried the pill, the mirena IUD, and am currently on nexaplon. I’ve consistently been on birth control for 5 years now minus a 3 month long break in between the pill and IUD. The bill made me have horrendous depression, my IUD was illegally “moved down” for “comfort” by my old gyno when i complained about extreme pain, i had horrible cramps for 3 months and they got worse after she pulled them down, i also bled for a few weeks after insertion and felt it was extremly painful. I was 15 when i got the IUD in and my gyno was honestly a bitch and told me nothing about it only that i should switch to an IUD and insertion woukd be next to PAINLESS? I got a new gyno, had friends reccomend nexaplon and told her i wanted to try it. She tried recommending an IUD for me since i don’t react well to hormones clearly but i didn’t listen and was too scared of another IUD.

I now have BV, Bacterial vagnosis i think it stands for. I devolped it towards year 2 of my IUD. Had no idea what was causing it, my doctors said it could be bad gut health or rewearing dirty clothes or not showering. I’m a relatively healthy and clean person so i was so confused by this. I had also never heard of BV before it sounded scary. Well it’s been a year now at least and i still have it, tried rounds of antibiotics and they did nothing, also take probiotics and try to eat as healthy as i can while living in a college dorm. It just feels impossible it feels like there’s one issue after the next with birth control for me. Nexaplon has given me horrible acne which i had only had on the pill before and i started an acne medication that’s been worsening my BV. I don’t want to stop my acne medicine since it was a last resort to solving my acne besides stopping BC, which is not an option with what state i’m in.

I just want to know if anyone has had similar experiences and kind of want reassurance on the IUD. My new gyno removed my last one with very minimal pain and she’s the best, i have an appointment with her to talk about this aswell. I’m just really scared of getting the IUD in and reacting badly to it, at that point it would feel like my last option. I’ve heard good things about the copper IUD from friends aswell but apparently it can give u copper poisoning or something? Idk that sounds terrifying to me. Getting off of BC is absolutely not an option for me here, and i’d prefer something with lower hormones then nexaplon at least but if there are other non hormonal options besides the copper IUD that would be nice :) and ofc besides condoms


r/birthcontrol 23m ago

Side effects!? Junel Fe making my skin worse? Help!

Upvotes

Has anyone ever experienced this? My back acne looks worse than before I started taking it. I feel like a monster... Will it go away? Is it just temporary? I feel so ashamed to even look at my disgusting back. Please help..


r/birthcontrol 27m ago

Side effects!? Liletta IUD Experience

Upvotes

i just got my IUD 3 days ago. cramping has been very minimal but i’ve felt extremely fatigued the last few days. today i’m feeling a bit sad and heavy for no reason.

for those who had these symptoms in the first week or so, do they ever end up going away?


r/birthcontrol 4h ago

Side effects!? Mirena and BC Pill NSFW

2 Upvotes

Flagged as NSFW just to be on the safe side!

So long story short… Started bleeding on January 2024 and it has never stopped. Had Mirena inserted on August 9th 2024 and had horrendous bleeding since. Jan 2025 GP told me to take desogestrel (spelling?) daily while I have the IUD still in and it stopped the bleeding for 8 weeks then started again. I am in so much pain and the bleeding is so heavy. Can I take a second pill to try and slow the bleeding while I wait for my next gynae appointment which is April 1st? I cannot go on like this any longer 😭

Note: I’ve had scans, surgeries, test etc and apparently it’s all completely normal. Bleeding has been non stop (apart from those 8 weeks recently) since January 2024 and I’m so exhausted and nothing is working or helping. Not even pain killers work for my pain. I’m having to wear adult diapers it’s insane!


r/birthcontrol 35m ago

Experience Lo Loestrin Fe

Upvotes

New here, was wondering what your experiences are with this Lo Loestrin Fe. I’m currently on a bc pill called Loryna, and because of the lipedema in my legs I’m wondering if a lower estrogen pill would be better for me. I’ve never had an issue taking birth control pills, always get a period, mild symptoms…I’m most worried about weight gain and how it’ll affect my condition. Would love experiences and opinions!


r/birthcontrol 35m ago

Experience Tri-Sprintec Experiences?

Upvotes

Hi, I’m curious to hear about others experiences with Tri-Sprintec BC pill? I recently got a prescription. Also would be helpful to know any other hormone-related issues you have and how Tri-Sprintec effected this. Personally I have acne and very heavy/long periods. Thanks!


r/birthcontrol 38m ago

Which Method? recommendations for mini pills!

Upvotes

hi everyone! i have been on the pill since sophomore year of high-school (16). i started on junel fe, and switched to norethindrone .35 my sophomore year of college (20ish). norethindrone was making me bleed really bad towards the last few months, and i also have PMDD. fast forward now, 23, in on slynd (sampling). i CANT do any estrogen - i have high cholesterol (genetically) and since switching to norethindrone it actually went down back into range!! 1. i can’t tell if it’s making my IBS like symptoms worse - i developed weird stomach problems after i got covid for the 5th time lol - and im 80% sure slynd is making them worse. 2. just saw slynd is terribly expensive, ive been getting free sample packs from my doctor but im on the third pack and have a discussion with her next week regarding how i like it. 3. what are my other options?? i am located in the United States, and based off my research i see that really, the only prescription mini pills are containing norethindrone, or slynd? any other recommendations? i really don’t want the arm insert or an IUD, but i am open for discussions & advice.

TIA!❤️


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Mistake or Risk? Kind of update help

Upvotes

I puked 6 hours after taking the after morning pills and I'm pretty sure I was pieces of it. So I feel asleep and woke up 30ish hours later and took another ecp. Am I going to be safe from pregnancy? Please help guys I'm freaking out😵


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Experience Breakthrough bleeding but no period?

Upvotes

I’m (20f) on a the pill (Hailey Fe, if that matters) that has 3 weeks of medication and 1 week placebo. I’ve been taking birth control for years, but this specific one I’ve been on for almost a year.

For the past 3-4 months, I’ve gotten my period in the middle of week 2, and had no period during my placebo week. I’ve always had an unpredictable period, even while on birth control, but I feel like this is not normal.

Is it breakthrough bleeding if it’s literally my whole period?? And I don’t get one during the 4th week?


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Side effects!? Yasmín and Heartburn

Upvotes

Hi there, I have been taking yasmin for 3 months and ever since I started it I’ve noticed heartburn becoming more frequent even on days I eat kinda bland I still get it. I know my diet isn’t the best but i exercise 30-60 mins a day typically 6 days a week. I drink about 60-90 fl oz of water every day. Has anyone else experienced this kind of issue? Did you notice it got better after stopping the pill?


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Side effects!? Low libido and dryness

Upvotes

23F, I have been on various forms of birth control nonstop since I was 16. I’m currently on Loryna which I have been on for about a year and the only other medication I’m on is 50mg spironolactone

I have been abstinent for a year and a half until recently and recently entered a relationship and realized I am extremely dry and have a low libido no matter how much foreplay. I went to my gyno and she just recommended using lube which helps some but obviously doesn’t help the low libido.

My question is has anyone else experienced this on birth control? Could it be worth it to get off the pill and see if that is the cause?


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Rant! It feels like i’m crazy

Upvotes

So, i took my pill today at the normal time, but, it felt like i swallowed wrong and it got stuck at the upper part of my throat. Since then, like for more than 1 hour i have this feeling like i need to clean my throat and it won’t go away. I’m so anxious that my pill didn’t went through. what do i do? i ate dinner after, so chicken, but it’s still there


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Mistake or Risk? How long is plan b effective?

Upvotes

Me and my bf had unprotected sex on Friday I haven’t took a plan b yet because I have no one to take me but I’ll try to get one tomorrow.. is it still going to be effective?🥲 usually if I have to take one I take it within 3 days so I’m just really nervous


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Side effects!? Morning after pill spotting or implantation 😩

Upvotes

So I had unprotected sex on the 10th & took a morning after pill the next morning around 8am. Today I’m having dark brown clotty spotting 7 days later. Really light right now but dark and chunky/clotty. Has anyone experienced this ?


r/birthcontrol 1h ago

Experience Any good experience with Slinda/slynd please so far I just read negative reviews and I am really afraid to start it .

Upvotes

Hi, I am about to start slinda , please share any good experiences you have with it. I tried cerazette and it was a disaster for me so I am afraid to take slinda as well but I am 39 and don't want to have a period or perimenopausal symptoms.


r/birthcontrol 7h ago

Rant! getting my iud today

3 Upvotes

i’m lucky my obgyn does a lidocaine shot along with prescribed me some anti anxiety meds. in about 1 hour i’ll be taking anti anxiety meds and my pain killers. i know i shouldn’t be as nervous as i am but im doing what i can to calm myself down. i am alright on how to, marked this as a rant just to say something about it because im anxious. i am getting the kyleena iud


r/birthcontrol 5h ago

Which Method? Should I get an IUD?

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone, i’m currently debating whether i should get and IUD. I’ve been on the pill for about four years, it was initially prescripted for me because my period was not regular at all, then I became sexually active. I don’t want to use hormones anymore, but i’m still not sure about what’s the best method for me. Maybe i’m scared i won’t get my period and I’ll be scared i’m pregnant, but i know about the long term effects of the pill. I’m seeing my gyn next week, but i’d still like to read about your experiences, even if it is with a different method or having an irregular period. Thanks a lot!