I honestly think I'm going to just give up trying to find a birth control that works for me. I WANT to be on birth control, I'm absolutely terrified to get pregnant, but I just don't think birth control is for me. I was on Lo loestrin fe for about 10 months , stopped taking it july 2025. It completely ruined me and I wished I would've stopped it sooner. I swear it even took a full 6 months to feel like I did before taking it. I haven't been on anything since.

I have a family history of blood clots at a young age, so my PCP was very hesitant to put me on anything besides the Lo loestrin fe. So I want to avoid anything with a lot of hormones, especially estrogen. I also don't think I should do an IUD because I'm prone to infections and there's increasing evidence that they can cause reoccurring/more frequent infections. I'm really bad at taking pills at the same time every day, so mini-pills are a bad fit for me too. I'm scared to get the implant because its not easy to take out, incase I have a bad experience with it like several of my friends have. I'm really just frustrated and feel like there's nothing I can use besides condoms. I just got married so I'd like the extra protection, but it seems like every birth control isn't a right fit for me for one reason or another. I hate how trial and error birth control is, I shouldn't have to suffer for a couple years while finding one that doesn't make me want to kill myself and hate my husband.

Helloooo, this is my first time posting and im kinda scared lmao so for context, 23 year old, female, got on the pill off and on multiple times in the span of 3 years. Because i have really bad period pain the doctors kept changing the type of pill until I thought i found the best one in September 2025. I was 63kg for most of my adult years since I turned 18 i have stayed at that weight pretty consistently, i did struggle with an eating disorder 15-18 years old but I don’t anymore (or at least its not that bad anymore) anyways, got on the combined pill sep last year and got off it in july this year because I gained 13kg. My clothes got so tighy, im bloated every single day, and I am struggling so much with going out in public because I am so uncomfortable in my body. I also have started going to the gym regularly and lifting weights to feel stronger. I am noticing that i am subconsciously undereating due to the thought of being this weight (nothing wrong with people who are) and I feel like nothing I do is working my weight is not changing at all, hate the way I look in my clothes that I used to love, i feel so so so depressed. I don’t really know what to do about it because I eat fine somedays and other days I starve myself. I don’t think i am eating more than 1200 calories a day as well.

Omg this post is sooo unorganised but i would just love some support if you are going through something similar or anything I can do to stop the plateau.

Thanks a lot ~_~

Hello, i have been on the evra patch for 6 months now and i’ve been liking it, my bf and i also use a condom bc i’m very paranoid, however i have started considering ditching the condoms all together and trusting the patch or
switching to a more permanent method like an iud. which iud would you reccomend for effectiveness? is it really so painful to get it placed?

I got my first mirena in 2022 while under general anesthesia. We were already doing a laparoscopic removal of cysts and endo so it was just a two birds one stone thing. Fast forward to yesterday - it was positioned far too low and i had to get it removed. I opted to put a new one in having no idea what it was going to be like. I wasn’t even expecting to have it done. I’ll be honest, it’s the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. I got to my car and just immediately cried. I don’t remember how it affected me in 2022 because i was on oxy for the first week due to my surgery.

But within the past 24 hours I’ve had
-heavy bleeding for the first maybe 5/6 hours
-still bleeding just light
-nonstop crying
-general exhaustion
-and pain localized on like my right hip/thigh?

The pain is managed with OTC painkillers but comes back 3-4 hours on the dot. It woke me up multiple times last night and I’ve had to take the day off work. Is this all normal? Am I just a wimp? I don’t have any friends with a hormonal IUD so I’m turning here.

you can take your combo pills different times right? I've been drinking it 2:00 since I started it but I've take it 11am the past 2 days because I was on a trip. is it possible to feel nauseous because of time change? and kinda lower backaches

what’s my chances on getting pregnant

Me and my bf had sex, he wore a condom and pulled out before he came, we did the water trick on the condom to test if there were any leaks and there wasn’t. but then i realised there was a white thick-ish substance near my legs and on my vagina, what could this be and what are my chances of getting pregnant, btw i didn’t finish. My bf also only produced a small amount of cum, and it may be a possibility that the white substance on me was discharge because i have had some discharge in the last few days. pls help

I'm 16 to start. We've been trying me on different hormone treatments for acne, migranes, and suspected endo. The acne is the cystic acne that is painful to the touch all over my back and chest. I've tried doxycycline, monocycline, spironolactone and slynd, amoung other things, but those were the ones I had particularly awful reactions to, and I can't have estrogen because of the migraines. I had really bad reactions to the previously mentioned medications. We put me on Jencycla, and I was warned about weight gain.

However in the time I've been taking it, my weight has been going down. ​Not a lot but consistently enough I wanted to ask about it. I haven't had any other effects. It even stopped my periods, so no more joint pain, no more (enter everyother symptom I have that has made my doctor and I suspect endo) and I really want to stay on it.

I really want this to keep working. Because I know if it doesn't, my doctor said my only other option was depo.

I’m mentally exhausted to try hard to convince someone stubborn who never educate himself about these things making me doubting my doctor first we‘ve decided not to have babies in the first two years of our marriage because we both wanna learn about each other , grow up , get more skills and being healthy also so when I decided to check doctor for this and also to control my period cramps which were super hard each month he gave me birth control and when I told my husband about this he argued with me telling me you aiming not to have baby with me and you definitely talking to someone else and got super paranoid

I want someone advice from woman who used to take pills and nothing happened to her after decided to have baby

I AM ASKING IF THE MIRENA IUD HAS THE CAPABILITY to STOP MENSTRUAL PSYCHOSIS. NOT PMDD OR PMD. NOT IF IT FOR SURE WILL. JUST IF IT HAS THE CAPABILITY TO. DO NOT COMMENT WITH ANYTHING ELSE. I KNOW EVERYONES EXPERIENCE ISNT THE SAME.

Every time I get my period (besides the previous 5 months after I had just gotten off birth control and my hormone levels were going back to normal) I get menstrual psychosis and the period flu. I did not realise this until this cycle because A. I didn’t start remembering day to day life until I was around mid to late 14 yo (this was due to dissociation), so I didn’t remember much except for when I had my first period at 13 and B. by the time I started remembering day to day life I was chronically ill, anaemic, vitamin deficient, and had absolutely atrocious mental health from around a decade of abuse.

Everyone always complained about feeling horrible and “moody” or some shit while on their periods so I naturally assumed that what I was going through was normal. I even thought I got lucky with how “good” I got it because everyone around me always outright told me their was “so much worse” and I “got it so easy”.

Now I’m currently 20, I’m taking multiple vitamin supplements, my health is a whole lot better, I’m in therapy, and I’m taking medication for me mental health (though I’m still in the same household unfortunately).

So when I got started getting my period I was weirded out by the first like day or something where I felt absolutely awful. Like I was actually sick. Then, the next day was a lot worse. I had severe flu symptoms and could barely get out of bed. Yesterday was when the psychosis definitively started. It started at around 3-4 pm when I was in my college class. I don’t want to go into it but I was very much manic, had self injurious thoughts, was angry, and absolutely had violent thoughts. I was worried about driving home but I ended up having to anyways and there were several points where I got so angry that I wanted to ram into people with my car.

So I want to not have to deal with this anymore. I asked my OBGYN for a hormonal IUD specifically as it does not distribute progesterone throughout my whole body which I do not want due to me being trans and having gender dysphoria and the idea of taking any hormones but testosterone really stresses me out (especially with my experience of being forced on estrogen + progesterone birth control by my mom and at the time OBGYN).

So I wanted to see if anyone knew if the Mirena IUD stopped menstrual psychosis, if not I might have to get hormonal birth control that goes through my whole body but at this point it’s kind of whatever because I cannot deal with having really bad psychosis and still keep up with my parents expectations.

What do you guys recommend for the pain? This is genuinely the worst pain I’ve ever been in

Hello all. Today me and my bff had an accident. I got a prescription for Ella because I’m over the weight limit for plan b. I am scared though because everything I read everyone has had bad experiences. Literally some saying side effects last for months. I am so scared. I have never taken a plan b before let alone Ella which I heard is stronger than plan b. Any good experiences? Honestly debating on whether I Should I just say fuck it and take my chances….thank you all for your input.

I’ve been on a combo pill (blisovi, junel, hailey) for about 14-15 years with no issues. I most recently switched to Slynd in February due to migraines but that started messing with my liver so now I’m moving onto Jencycla.

Just looking for experiences. I know everyone reacts differently but looking for (hopefully) positive experiences!

I went in to check my IUD yesterday and they couldn't find it, going for an ultrasound today, anyone have experience having an IUD move??? I'm terrified!

hey! i just started using the patch for the first time, and i was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to clean around it? i’ve only had it on for about 12 hours (overnight) and there’s a ring of gray lint/fuzz around the patch.
but i also don’t wanna touch it too much because i know the hormones are in the adhesive.

anything would be helpful!! thanks!!

Im on rigevidon purely for my extreme period cramps and the fact i have a somewhat heavy flow. I just finished one box of it and so far I feel no difference. I don't know if I should stick around on this pill or ask for a higher dosage. It's annoying having to take a pill everyday knowing it doesn't work for you. On the other hand I feel like i should wait it out and maybe get through one more box to see if there is a difference. idk please help mee

hey everyone! my boyfriend and I had sex for the first time a month after getting my iud. about 12 hours later, I checked for the strings but cannot feel them. should I be worried, or should I wait a little while longer and make an appointment? this is my first iud and also my first time having sex

I’ve been taking the generic nuvaring for about 8 months now and have gained noticeable weight as well as had more breakouts on my face that dont go away.
I want to stop taking it because it’s ruining my self esteem and making me feel physically uncomfortable.
Has anyone had any experience with this and did it get better after going off? I’m in the middle of my cycle but I don’t know if I should wait until this one ends before stopping completely.

okay so i took my pill (mirvala) at 8pm. its 11pm now and i threw up a few minutes ago (because of a reason unrelated to my birth control lol)

do i count it as a missed pill? do i need to take another one? im especially concerned bc i had sex last night, no condom but he didn't come inside me

i know its a 3-4 hour window i think but im not sure

Hey all, I'm 31f and been taking Alysena since I was 16. I've been having some issues lately that make me concerned I could be in early perimenopause or some other hormonal issue. On average, I only have my period every other month. When I do get my period, its much heavier than it used to be. The longest I went without having a period was 4 months. I've also been dealing with night sweats, waking up in the middle of the night, and some vaginal discomfort.

My doctor has suggested that I stop birth control to see how I feel and how my cycles react. My thyroid levels are normal. I've had a transvaginal ultrasound and regular ultrasound which show no signs of cysts.

Im not sexually active right now so I dont have concerns about pregnancy prevention. However, I'm worried how stopping BC could affect me after being on it for so long. My life has been pretty chaotic these days with employment. Got laid off and recently got another job that isn't very secure in terms of sick leave, so dealing with harsh symptoms from medication change isn't ideal.

For those who were on BC long term, how were the side effects when you stopped?

Did anyone stop due to concerns regarding hormonal issues? If yes, did you discover you did in fact have a hormonal issue or were going through peri once you stopped?

Are some of my issues like missed periods just normal for being on BC long term? I hear mixed things about this.

I know 31 is pretty early for perimenopause but I do deal with autoimmune disease (ankylosing spondylitis) which puts me at a slight increased risk. I would appreciate hearing about others who've had similar concerns or experiences.

SLINDA SIDE EFFECTS
My whole body is itching and I’m going insane.
Hi everyone,
I really hope someone can help me. I’m taking Slinda and started taking it at the same time as isotretinoin because of severe acne.
About 4 weeks ago, my legs and arms suddenly started itching like crazy. I went to my doctor and was told to stop taking isotretinoin, which I did. But the itching is still there. It’s spreading and it looks like razor bumps.
It itches everywhere, and I scratch so much that I feel like I’m going to scratch my skin off. Both my dermatologist and my doctor have ruled out various skin conditions and blame the isotretinoin.
I can’t take this anymore!!! Please help. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Could it be caused by Slinda?

Hello everyone i hope ur doing great i need some help me and my partner made sex on 31 of the last month her period started on the 17th and ended on 22 of the last month and we did 4-5 rounds i never came inside her i washt it afer i came and i urinated 1-2 times not sure cuz of the stres and she took this pill 25h max after we made LEVONORGESTREL 1.5MG can anyone please tell me how much likely its to happen a pregnancy or somthing please. Thank you very much

Hi all,
I’ve been taking hailey fe 24, recently switched to junel fe 24. I’ve been on it since october 2024 so almost 2 years. I got on it due to heavy and painful periods. we ended up finding out in november 2025 i had under 5cm cysts in both ovaries. now in august my left ovary is clear and the right has some small cysts. i am due for an ultrasound again in november. I am stopping the pill in order to see what happens with my cysts and natural period cycle. What should i expect stopping the birth control? i am on the 3rd week of my pack. Thanks for all the insight and advice.

I stopped my birth control recently due to supply chain issues and not being able to get a resupply. I was off of it a for month before getting a refill and now I’m ready to start it back up. However, I have yet to start my period back up and have been waiting on that, as the directions say you’re supposed to start directly after one.

I read online that it’s often delayed after stopping birth control, up to 3 months. Should I wait to start until I eventually have a natural period, or should I go ahead and restart my birth control now that it’s been a month since my last?

Hi everyone! The title pretty much explains it. I (29F) was on the depo injection from the time I was 17-28, and after I got married last year I switched to the mini pill (jencycla). I stopped taking it about a week ago, as we are finally ready to start trying for a baby. However, I have not had a regular period in 12 years. My gynecologist is very optimistic that my period will come back within a few weeks, and that I will not have trouble getting pregnant, but just looking for other success stories from similar situations since I have been pretty anxious about the whole thing!

Hi all!
Apologies if this is the wrong place to ask -
I was on a variety of birth control methods for the past 15 years or so (with a couple of breaks in between while trying to find the right method). I was most recently on Yaz for ~5 years, and went off completely 4 months ago. I bought an Oura ring around the same time I stopped the pill & synced it to Natural Cycles so I can start tracking/learning about my cycle, and according to the NC app, every cycle has been anovulatory. I’m trying not to freak out and I’m hoping my body is still adjusting to life without hormonal BC, but has anyone experienced a delay in ovulation after stopping the pill? I’m going in for bloodwork tomorrow to test my hormones, but I figured I’d ask here too in case anyone can ease my mild a little or offer insight. My husband and I are hoping to start TTC in a year or two, so I have time to figure things out, but it’s hard to not stress about it now 😅 FWIW, my body has taken quite a beating with BC withdrawal and has not bounced back to baseline yet, so it could be that I’m slower to reacclimatize, but it’s so hard not knowing what’s going on in your body. Sorry for the rant! Sending love to all who are struggling with any BC related changes. It is so hard!!