Mini-pill for 16YO DD

[NeitherKilnerNorMason]

Hi. I took DD to the GP a few months ago because she suffers from heavy painful long periods. She's often sick, close to fainting, you can see she looks white as a sheet, loses 2 or 3 days of school every time and she's just miserable the whole way through.

We have tried Mefenamic acid but its efficacy hasn't made a huge difference.

Her GP has suggested we research on the different contraceptive options, so that's what I'm doing, and I would be very grateful to those of you whose teen DDs may experience similar and have gone on the pill.

Thanks!

DD 15 went on the pill for exactly this and it worked

I went on the pill when I was 17. It was the mini pill, I’m 25 now so starting to look to come off it. It worked great for me, no periods and no cramp pains!

Yes my DD started on the pill at 15 for the same reason, we did this because I already knew this was the best option as I had to do the same at 14 after really struggling, as did my Sister.

Thank you so much. Are there any cons I should also consider?

DD tried the (combined) pill for similar reasons but it really affected her mental health and she had to stop. So just something to keep an eye on but I know it works really well for lots of girls.

One of mine went in the pill at 13 (not the mini pill) it was a game changer for her.

My DD recently went on the pill for similar reasons and unfortunately it was a massive fail. While she stopped vomiting on the first day of her period she became extremely moody, angry, depressed, and I started to really worry about her. I know a known side effect is low mood but this was way beyond that. It also didn't kick in until she'd already been on it for a few months so it took a bit of time to link the issue with the pill. I gather mental health issues are a more frequent side effect in girls under 19, because their brains are developing and hormones of course have an impact. This is not a pill bashing post- I was on it for years for really painful periods and it helped me. But please watch your DD closely, especially from a few months in.

To add- the good news is that when she stopped taking it her terribly mood reversed almost instantly.

Similar to a couple of other posters DD was put on (combined) pill at 13 due to heavy frequent and painful periods since starting at 11. It impacted very negatively on her mental health leading to years of consequence. However very quickly we realised what was happening and she stopped taking it. She moved to the mini-pill soon after and while she still bleeds irregularly it is no longer as heavy or painful and thankfully seems to have no impact on her mental health. Unfortunately she is now tiring of the irregular bleeding and wants to try something else which fills me with dread as the only options are a different combined pill or a mirena.

My DD (16) went on combined pill for the same reasons.

She stopped it after 6 months. She put weight on, her breasts were huge, she was bloated and had break through bleeding all the time.

Luckily her periods have been OK since she stopped, but this could change.

Was she on microgynon when she had the issues? Just wondering whether the mini pill might be an option for my DD...

Yes it was microgynon.

Is there a reason you’re thinking mini pill rather than combined?

Combined pill has been a lifesaver for my DD- periods much less painful and the ability to run back to back if she eg has exams.

Worth trying- she can always come
off it if it doesn’t help. Also consider different types if one doesn’t suit.

My dd (17) is using the contraceptive patch. She loves it, only has to remember to change it once a week, has had no problems with it, and her periods are lighter and less painful.

Oh i haven't heard of that. Is it oestrogen and progesterone or just progesterone?

I had really bad periods, pain, heaviness, 11 day long bleeding. I was miserable and dreaded it every month. The pill was a godsend, minimal cramps and much lighter bleeding. The GP even told me I didn’t need the pill free break so for 15 years I had no period at all. I could do things again, go out with friends, go on holiday, start relationships as I got a bit older without pain in and heavy bleeding being in the way . I also liked the security it gave me when I started having sex combined with condoms as I had a couple break. It was already ‘in place’ so to speak. It’s worth trying it and seeing what happens. If it works fantastic, if not then there are a lot of options.

Thank you all.
So does the combined pill stop periods altogether but has a higher risk of affecting mental health, weight, etc, whilst the mini-pill might have less side effects but makes periods lighter & irregular rather than stop them altogether? Did I get this right?

Mini pill tends to stop them altogether, combined pill makes them lighter (in my experience). Haven’t had a period in 15 years on the mini pill

Thanks. Right now I am veering towards the patch.

The patch is also a combined contraceptive. My dd uses the combined pill to control her periods. Mini pill can cause irregular bleeding or can stop periods and you don't know which effects it will have until you try it

Well it's your DD body and choice so there's nothing for you to consider at all

You need to understand that

Well it's your DD body and choice so there's nothing for you to consider at all

You need to understand that

Very unhelpful @EverlastingStar, why would you even bother to comment on a thread just for the sake of being obnoxious? I am not saying that I will force my DD to take whatever I feel like without any consideration for her wishes. I am just trying to educate myself so that I have an understanding of the pros and cons. Fear not, I will also encourage my DD to educate herself, but chances are she will not be in the slightest bothered to do proper research and will be happy to go on something, whatever will alleviate her periods. So I feel it's my job as her mother to gain as much info as possible so that she can make an informed decision. Or do you wash your hands off your 16 year old children and let them take decisions that could potentially harm them? FFS

I went on the pill at 17, and I should have been allowed to do it sooner.

I think went on the injection which was even better, I got nothing, no period, no pain, no vomiting.

I went on the combined pill at 17 for exceptionally heavy, painful periods and it was very successful. I continued taking it for almost 20 years until I was ready to TTC.

DD unfortunately also had very painful periods but was even worse than me and would be vomiting from pain. She went on the combined pill at 16 and it worked very well on the period pain. Her breasts grew but she didn’t gain weight anywhere else and her skin was amazing. I did have some concerns about her emotional health but at the time it was difficult to unpack how much was the pill and how much was usual 16 yo stuff.

After a year of taking it she had her first (and only) migraine with aura. We don’t know if the pill caused it however you cannot take oestrogen once you’ve had an aura migraine due to the risk of blood clots. So she switched to progesterone only. This is working very well for the pain however 6 mths in her periods are still a bit unpredictable. GP wants her to give it a bit more time to settle. Her skin isn’t as good as it was and her breasts are smaller however she’s calm, happy and sleeping well despite being in her final year of school so that’s been fantastic. If this pill doesn’t suit her next option is something like a mirena which she’s not keen on.

Thank you so much.
There's a part of me that wonders if DD is going to start taking hormones, would it make sense to stop periods altogether?