His and Her Health

Hello,<BR>Right now I am on the birth control patch, Ortho Evra. The first 5 months I was on it I was pretty messed up. What I mean is...evey month after having my period and then re-starting the BC, I would get sick. I would throw up the following day and sometimes have diarrhea. I also developed a lot of food aversions to foods I used to like. Well, after being on it for 6 months these symptoms went away. I have been on it for a year and 2 months now. I don't get sick anymore, however when I change my patch I usually get a bad headache the next day, and sometimes my stomach will bother me a little. Another thing that I think the patch has caused (which has not gone away)is a low sex drive. My husband and I have only been married for 1 year now and we only have sex maybe once a week. I feel like at our age and having a young marriade we should be having sex at least every other day. Anyway...my point is this:<P>I went to my gyn to have my annual pap the other day and I talked to him about my BC. He gave me some samples of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo to try if I wanted to. He said it is a new pill Ortho came out with that has a lower dosage od hormones than regular Ortho Tri-Cyclen. Has anyone here used this BC pill? I kind of want to try it but I am scared that I will go through the same thing I went through the first 6 months with the patch. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I was wondering if maybe my body is used to these hormones and won't be affected the same way again. I don't know. Has anyone been on the patch and then switched to the pill? If so, what was it like? Thank you for any advice.<P><P>------------------<BR>~Holly~

Oral BC is more likely to cause low libido problems, vs. transdermal. (This is partly speculation, but likely to be true, given the SHBG changes etc. If you like, I can explain these changes in more detail if you like.)<P>Sometimes, changing hormonal BC methods will help, so the switch to TC may help.<P>I've offered this advice several times over the last few days, and at the risk of seeming like a schill for Nuvaring, perhaps you might try it first. (It is, however, a bit more expensive than Evra or other OC's.) Transdermal methods such as Evra and NR appear to have some advantages to oral OC's so I'd try those two first.<P>It's not likely you'll have the symptoms again by switching products. Once you get used to the hormones, the symptoms ususally go away and don't come back. That isn't a guarantee for *you* however, just what usually happens - what's average.<P>Best wishes,<BR>Greg<P>Also note, I am *not* a doctor, and this is not intended as medical advice - Please talk to your doctor about your concerns.<BR><p>[Note: This message has been edited by NEWSHE Moderator]

Ok I don't know what the deal is with my username but I am the same person as "OllysHolly." Anyway...I've heard about the NuvaRing. Has anyone here tried it? How did you like it? The only thing I'm uncertain about is having to insert it. Not too fun. Anyway...still hoping for some feedback on this. Thanks Greg.<P>------------------<BR>~Holly~

I used the NuvaRing for about two cycles! It's totally convenient (insert, check it a few times, and forget it!), covered by many insurance providers (call to make sure first, because sometimes there are qualifications), and my hubby didn't feel it during intercourse!<P>Inserting is easy. You just kind of fold it together (making something like a figure and push it in with one or two fingers. Get it so that it sits back a little and you can't even feel it! It *can* slide out during a bowel movement (if you have to strain really hard - gross I know, but necessary information), so you have to check. Then, when your 21 days are up, you just stick a finger in, hook it, and slide it out. You're not supposed to flush them, so make sure to wrap it up and put it in the trash. The good thing about inserting is that the company says that proper placement is not essential. Just get it up there, make it stay, and it'll work about as good as oral contraceptives.<P>Due to an insurance company screwup (hate them!!!!!!), I couldn't get it in time this month, so I'm just chilling with an insertable contraceptive gel. I realized the other day that my libido had increased significantly (due to hormones...I don't know...) and I've decided to go off hormones all together.<P>If I had to buy it at Walgreens with no insurance coverage, it would cost about $45/month.<P>Hope this helps!!<P>Tracie<P><BR>[This message has been edited by t_mccray (edited 07 August 2003).]<p>[This message has been edited by t_mccray (edited 07 August 2003).]