r/Birthcontroltalk

Hello, around December I was diagnosed with adenomyosis and my doctor recommended me to start the pill it’s called Optimizette gé.

Its been around two months since I’ve been taking it everyday in the evening and I’ve missed like once or twice.

It was fine until last week my period started and it hasn’t stopped, it’s not like my usual period it’s not heavy and there is little to no pain but its been going for longer than my normal period.

The problem is I’m going back to my family’s place for the summer and my mom doesn’t know I’m taking the pill because she dosent want me to but I’m 20 now and I decided for myself, I don’t want to tell her because I don’t want more problems.

But now I’m scared my period won’t stop and I won’t be able to get help without telling her until September when I start uni again and I’m alone.

Hi, I’m freshly 18F & me and my boyfriend are getting more sexually active. As this progresses, I want to be as safe as possible. Growing up, I was always taught that its better to be safe than sorry (being safe and not getting knocked up.)

I’m thinking of going on a form of birth control but am unsure of which one. And there is a little bit of backstory:

When I was 13, I went on the pill for acne purposes only. My family doctor suggested trying it after we came to her with concerns about my severe(ish) acne, and she thought that the pill would help lessen it. Bottom line, that didn’t work. If anything it made my acne worse and many other effects followed it including:
- Severe mood changes (fluctuations** and I was a raging B.I.T.C.H)
- Weight gain (I used to be flat all around but once on birth control, I gained a lot of weight on my mid section that I have never been able to lose since)
- Lengthened periods (my regular periods before (and now after) the pill were 5 days, but once on the pill, I was having periods that lasted 10-15 days)
- Depression (I had already had mental health issues, and still continue to, but being on birth control made my mental health take a huge plummet. I had suicidal thoughts, was incredibly irrational and irritated, not wanting to ever do anything. The simplest of tasks were almost impossible)

My friend has the patch, and I’m open to any ideas or suggestions, but after my horrible experience with the pill, I don’t think I’d ever want to take it again. I need a safe, and secure (safe and sound) option that won’t drive me off the wall with weight gain and depression.

Anything helps, thanks!

Hi!

I put in my Mirena 20mg/day about a week ago to help with painful periods and heavy bleeding. The process was not very painful and I have been getting on just fine the first days managing it with over the counter painkillers. I have also stopped my bleeding (i put it in during my period). However, I have noticed extreme anxiety. I am prone to anxiety and depression, and the last three days my anxiety has been skyhigh and manifesting with physical symptoms, such as heart palpations, globus sensations, and shakiness throughout the body. I also have some nausea.

Did anyone else react with this strong anxiety right after putting it in? Did it pass or should I get it removed instantly? In how many weeks did it settle down if you also noticed extreme anxiety?

Please help me ease my mind, I would love to keep it in since copper iud does not seem to be a great idea since I already get period cramps making me faint.

Hi, hope this gets approved. I’m 32/F and a FTM, gusto ko lang sana magtanong kung anong contraceptive ang gamit niyo. Ayoko na kasing magbuntis dahil sobrang selan ko at hindi din ako makapagrisk sa pills dahil sa possible risk ng blood clot since diagnosed ako noong buntis na may blood clot sa lungs.

If you can share the contraceptive you use and the side effects you felt, I just really want to weigh my options. Thank you so much po.

my bf and i had unprotected intercourse and pinutok nya sa loob instead of pulling out because he thought i was already good to go since i started taking pills. the pills were inconsistent and wala pang isang month, aside from that we had protected intercourse last june 11 and 16 and i am not 5 days delayed (idk if its because of stress or the pills i started taking). i took a pregnancy test 2 days ago and it came out negative.

im aware of the yuzpe method but im not quite sure how to do it properly, i was hoping i could get advice here on what to do to ensure i wont get pregnant. maybe you guys have better methods or advice on what to do rn huhu, i have a major exam next monday and im afraid doing the yuzpe method will destroy my focus. please give me ideas on what to do or instruct me on what i can do, everything will be taken with an open heart n mind. im more than desperate, im also wondering if me getting my period in 1-2 days means im 100% pregnancy scare free.

I’m (29F) and have been on the oral bc pill for 14 years pretty much straight through (small 4 month gap while dating a girl)
I mostly got on it because my periods were horrendous and of course I started having regular intercourse with my bf at the time
I have been on M A N Y different brands, some I loved that they stopped making (??) some I absolutely hated that made me feel psychotic
I’m on one now that’s actually alright

I love the freedom of being able to skip a period because of travel or an event or simply because I want to
I also do not want kids so this is just an ease of mind
I have been in a serious relationship for 5 years and within that time I have had my bc brand change 3-4x
And my sex drive has simply disappeared in the last year / year half
Not only towards my partner but by myself or even in thought it just doesnt seem to be a priority which is very unlike me

I’m thinking about getting off bc just to see my “natural state” and give myself a break
I think it’s messing up my brain chemistry for real
But I am terrified because I have become to dependent on it physically and mentally in terms of scheduling my periods and having the ease of mind of not getting pregnant
I have gone to so many doctors for hormone panels and blood tests and they all say “everything looks great” well I don’t feel great and I don’t know why or how but I just FEEL like it’s hormonal.

Has anyone else been through anything similar?
Any advice? Any words or encouragement?
I just feel kind of alone and need community right now 💕

I have been on hormonal bc for about 5 years and feel like my body needs a break from the synthetic hormones. I am a 20 y/o F and when I have my period week, I experience a very intense mental reaction from the drop in hormones. If I skip my period week, it works for a couple months and then my period will push through the bc on month 3. My doctor's only suggestion was to switch to another hormonal OCP which is what I do not want to do. I am currently in between getting a copper IUD or switching to barrier method alongside using the Oura Ring and Natural Cycles app as an added layer of protection/peace of mind. Has anyone had experiences with the Oura Ring and/or Natural Cycles app for their cycle and how have you felt about it? I have heard the side effects from getting a copper iud are pretty brutal for the first few months, is it worth it?

So I’ve been on the same birth control pill for YEARS. Like, since freshman year of high school and I’m 24 now. Over the past year or year and a half, my pills have changed a lot. Almost every time I get them, there’s either new packaging or new pill colors or the pill size is bigger/smaller.

I also SWEAR the side effect paper has gotten larger. I remember showing my bf it around a year ago and saying, “oh it’s not as big as I thought it was.” Now it’s twice the size.

Before a year ago, nothing EVER changed with them, besides once. The one time they changed, the pharmacy put a sticker on them saying they were the same but just look different. Once they changed that one time, they never changed again. Now, they just keep changing and the pharmacy doesn’t even put the sticker on them.

I guess I just want to know - is anyone else having this happen to them? Should I be concerned, considering the pharmacy doesn’t even sticker them?

I need helllpppp - Admins sorry if this goes against the rules, this is my first time posting

In May I switched to the mini pill - Cerazette,

I had previously been on a combined birth control pill before that since September 2025 but I lost my lobido completely, experienced decent weight gain, and it ramped up my anxiety disorder to levels it has not been in many years, and brought my migraines from maybe one every two months to fortnightly.

Since switching to the mini pill - so far I’ve absolutely loved it. I have my energy back, I feel more affectionate towards my partner again and my mood has done a 360

Unfortunately, I’m experiencing one of the more common side effects and I’ve been bleeding now for three weeks straight, it started off light but has now been a medium consistency for at least the last week and a half.

Has anyone had any luck at stopping their bleeding on the mini pill? Or did it really even out after 3 months?

My partners been really supportive but I can tell he’s getting slightly frustrated/disappointed as a big component of switching was hoping to bring energy back into bedroom life that we had before starting the Pill, and now this (😭😭😭)

Thank you so much in advance

I started my period when i was 9 and i never really had pain, but it was only until i was 13 when i started to get really painful periods. Last year I started to throw up on my periods and it’s been really consistent on my 1st days. It’s always super heavy, painful, makes me feel weak, sick, nauseous, etc. I’ve gone to the doctors and they ran an anemia test on me and the results came out fine, the only option that i have is to get on birth control. I’m a little intimidated by it because like i said i’ve never been on birth control and im terrified of the side effects. I’ve read so many reddits and tiktok comments about birth control and i’ve seen people saying they’ve had a good experience with Junel Fe. I heard that it boosted people’s appetite which is something that would help me because i’ve never had a big appetite which is a bit of a problem. Also that it makes their periods lighter, less painful, and regular which is also something that i’m looking for because i never know when i get my period (i do get it once a month tho). But i want to hear other experiences. Did it make anyone’s period feel lighter, less painful and more regular? Also, what side effects did you get and did they ever go away after a few months? And, how effective is it for the actual pregnancy prevention?

So I took a Plan B on May 30th, my period came around it’s normal time June 14-18th. My period was normal, it wasn’t as severe as it typically was, but I was still cramping and bleeding heavy. Today, June 29 I experienced some light cramping and thought okay maybe I just have to poop. I did poop, but when I wiped there was light spotting like light pink. This is the first time it’s happened since I took the Plan B and since getting my period. I have taken Plan B’s before and usually my period was late and that’s it, but now I am scared. Is this implantation bleeding or is this like idk residual affects of the Plan B?

I have painful and heavy periods so i got recommended to go onto birth control but i’m not sure if i should or not, does anyone have any bad or good experiences with the pill?? is it worth it?? Another option is the implant on the arm but im not sure about that either. if anyone has advice it would be useful, thanks

Hello, so I (18) recently started considering trying birth control for the first time because i've begun to be sexually active again after being single for 3 years, but theres some questions I have and want to get answered before i book with an obgyn. 1. I was wondering what's the best birth control/suggested if I'm an athlete (I do high level showjumping and ammy runner) and im concerned about weight gain? 2. Also, i have hormonal acne and i get these small bumps w no head all over my back and my face and when I have my period I get really bad giant cystic acne, will birth control help or worsen it?

Hi guys! I’ve had the nexplanon since August of 2025, and I’m not sure if it’s normal to feel more symptoms this far in. For example I’ve had my “period” every month it could last 3 days or 20 days with some brown discharge and spotting after. But recently I’ve been feeling more cramps and lower back pain along with headaches, I’m not sure if this is all normal to happen 10 months in, I’ve also been feeling more cold and tired, it also increased my anxiety about pregnancy ( I know it’s a very effective birth control method) and I test every month or if I feel anxious for reassurance. But just wondering how peoples bodies reacted this far in and if it’s all normal or if I should get checked!

Thanks all!

Hi!
I’m 19F and have had the mirena for just over 2 months. Since then i’ve had a lot of issues and would appreciate hearing if anyone else has had similar experiences.

CRAMPING -
Okay so to start, when i got the mirena inserted I had INSANE cramps like literally pain worse than anything ive ever felt (and i have endo) and was throwing up heaps and no meds helped at all.
Within a few days the cramps got a bit better but were definitely still there and almost as bad as my usual period cramps. I had this for over a month. Went back to my gyno to have it all checked out and was told there was nothing wrong and it would settle. Now, 2 months in, I don’t have daily cramps but when I get my period (which i’ve had 4 times since insertion) I get an intense stabbing cramp that stays constant for a day or 2 like it doesn’t come and go in waves like my usual period cramps would.

BRAIN FOG/DIZZINESS-
Sooo i waited and yes the daily cramps went away but almost as soon as they did I started getting a whole heap of new issues. Starting off I suddenly woke up one day with the WORST brain fog ever and like almost foggy vision i suppose. I originally thought I was maybe just tired or needed to eat something but this has still not gone away. I also would get a feeling that I was going to faint or black out and would immediately be sent into a panic from this.

ANXIETY/PANIC -
I have had anxiety for years but it’s always been something I can control like I would get hit with a little wave of it and use my own methods to calm myself and then everything would be okay and I could move on with my day. Now with the mirena tho, i have been in a CONSTANT state of severe anxiety that i cannot get rid of. I always have a feeling that something is wrong and im scared to leave my house or drive anywhere ‘incase something happens to me’. Another thing is the panic attacks, i’ve had them before the mirena and always managed to calm myself through them. However now I get them so much worse and almost daily and they literally make my heart race so badly.

FATIGUE -
I’ve been so extremely fatigued but also unable to sleep properly. I feel constantly so tired and i try to nap but can’t and i always wake up through the night. It’s so draining because I want to be able to go out with my friends and live my life but I literally can’t function past like 3pm.

Also i’ve had 0 appetite since having the mirena which is something i’ve never experienced on any pills or anything i’ve tried before.

Soo basically I just want to know if anyone else has experienced anything like this? And if you got your mirena removed, did these symptoms go away? And how quickly did they go away?

ALSO does anyone recommend going straight back onto birth control pills after removing it? I was on different pills for 7 years before getting the mirena and never had any of these problems on any of them.

Any good experiences on the Errin mini pill? Nervous to try bc there are many negative reviews, but I’m hoping some good ones are out there too. Wanting to lessen the extreme cramps/bleeding during periods and protect against pregnancy. I don’t want the estrogen type of pill. Thx!

I got my kyleena iud today and I have been told by the doctor that i can immediately stop taking the mini pill because I was taking it perfectly

But before that another doctor has said that I need to take it for 7 days

So i’m not sure what to do

Hello! This would be my first time posting in this sub!

I had an appointment with my OBGYN and we concluded that my body can't tolerate birthcontrol pills (i think most people don't anyways.. they are terrible) and its been making my life miserable. So she gave me option of the implant (which she didnt recommend) or IUD

I chose IUD, but i have heard horror stories about it regarding pain... it's not the copper one, its one of the known hormone ones, i think its Mirena?

I do not wish to get pregnant, and she said it won't bring my periods back but it will protect my uterus and its more effective than BC. so I feel like it's the best option for me!

She mentioned the pain is like a really bad cramp (which I have had before) , she said I could tought it out or she can send me a high dosis of Ibuprofen, a medication to dialate a little, and narcotics if I really wanted to use them, which I accepted. I appreciate her consideration so much, knowing already how many people have said it's painful!

Should I just take the high dosis ibuprofen? Or is it so painful it would be better with narcotics? I know pain tolerance is different from each, but I still would love to know your experiences and advices!

Edit: recently diagnosed with PMOS and I'm 25 years old!