AIBU to think Dr rather fobbed me off and was somewhat unprofessional.

[GingerDoodle]

Ok this is my first AIBU so please be gentle.

History: I've had most forms of hormonal forms of contraception over the years which all had effects to one degree or another (hair loss / no sex drive / boils / issues with weight / mood swings / extended bleeding). I have never felt better than for the 18 months when we were trying for a baby /pregnant! Normal minor pms but nothing major (i.e feel a tad hacked off - consult the diary - ah yes period due - attempt to be more pleasant!)

I had the merina coil after a hideous stint with the implant after dd was born which worked ok till i had it out (me & DH were discussing sterilisation and I decided to have it out to see if I felt differently - I didn't and we agreed to no more children).

Since having it out 2.5 months ago i've had all the symptoms which are consistent with what coined as the coil crash (bloating / weight gain / mood swings and bizarrely a real sensitivity to wine).

As I'm not a fan of condoms, sterilisation is not available in my area on the nhs and in a bid to curtail some of the symptoms I got myself prescribed the pill (yasmin). I've been on the pill for just over a week now and dear god the mood swings. Im at home with a 2.5 year old and am really feeling it.

I went to the Dr this morning and explained all of this. The lady Dr basically said I was overweight so the pill was not the best for me (I am probably but not majorly so and I did know this - she didn't weight me or anything). She continue that 'people like to find a reason for symptoms when there is not one' in regards to my current wellbeing - dismissing its connection to hormonal contraception entirely. She then promptly prescribed me antidepressants for pms saying I should 'enjoy my life' even after I explained that I had not had the mood swings when not on hormonal contraceptives.

AIBU to feel fobbed off and medicated rather than treating the root of the problem?

She did a swab in case I wanted the copper coil (which I'm looking in to) which she also did not explain what it was for (I know its for STD's but only because I have one before).

AIBU to think she should have least explained what it was for?

And lastly as I left she handed me a patient satisfaction questionnaire and said 'the least you can do is complete this for me and hand it in - do not take it home which i felt was charming.

Fully prepared to be flamed for being over sensitive but feeling the need to vent and writing everything down has made me somewhat calmer.

YANBU at all. Your experience sounds terrible. I use NFP and I'm very happy with it - I cannot tolerate the thought of medication without having an illness, or worse, having things implanted in me. I don't normally go about promoting it, but have you ever considered it?

In my experience doctors really dont like you not liking hormonal contraception. They seem really affronted that you dont like it. The side affects are known but IMO dismissed by GP's.

I would go for the copper coil. If you have no issues (heavy bleeding) when in a non fake hormonal state then it should work for you

I've found GPs can be dismissive of period pains and other symptoms and hormonal contraception problems - not all obviously but enough over the years.

I actually found my labour pains less painful than the monthly pain I had prior to DC - I was told low pain threshold then had 3 DC with minimal or no pain relief and was fine with it. Thankfully babies and prolonged bf seems to have sorted them out.

Does sound like copper coil is a possible for you - but YANBU.

I avoided the perfectly nice but pretty clueless gps when dd couldn't tolerate the pill. They just didn't seem to belive her symptoms were real and not in her head.

The brook have been amazingly supportive and she's still trying different combinations.

Yours sounds awful op. I would fill out that satisfaction form with your views on her conduct.

YABNU.
And with regard to the contraceptive pill Yasmin please read here

I took it in 2001 and lost most of my sight in one eye within a few months due to leaking blood vessels. It was noted at the time that a number of young women taking oral contraception suffered from this condition (and I stopped taking it when I read this) but was only made public in the last year or so.

GPs have targets for getting people on long acting reversible contraceptives. They loose money from NHS if people don't keep them in.
I would locate your local sexual health clinic and speak to them instead.
Is vasectomy an option for your partner?
Could you try female condoms rather than male ones?
Would you consider using another barrier method such as a cap or diaphragm?
You don't have to put up with these side effects and you deserve to be listened to and respected.
That all said you may have to consider non-hormonal methods.

My doctors are the same. However they will also change your pill regardless of your thoughts if they have been told to push another brand. They must be on commission or something that even female doctors dismiss worries.

YANBU

One thing I appreciated about the US health system (massive flaws and all) when we lived there was that children saw paediatricians and women saw gynaecologists for reproductive matters.

Specialists really do make a difference and I wish there were some way the NHS could incorporate that into the GP system so that all surgeries had those (non-consultant) specialists as a matter of course.

If you are truly dissatisfied perhaps you could ask for a referral or a second opinion. But please do express your dissatisfaction as I believe a good GP's surgery will take it on board. They are always striving to improve (or should be).

If you felt badly treated then put it on the form she gave you? Although if you are feeling hormonal then you might be very sensitive? I haven't heard of AD's being prescribed for PMS though.

I would try the copper coil, I hated Yasmin.

Why did you have your coil out if it was ok?
I'm guessing you are in the UK.

YANBU. I was shocked and fairly disgusted when my cousins gp refused to remove her implant and instead prescribed anti d's to try and offset the low mood, tearfulness, anxiety, hopelessness, thoughts of self harm 'side effects'- and two months later upped the dose when it was clear they were not working. It took my cousin nearly a year before her practice would remove the damn implant! Her mental health improved massively within weeks.

I had it out as we were considering wether having the coil out would change my feelings on having another (neither were keen but we wanted to be sure either way as the time would be 'now' if we were to have another). It didn't and ideally now i'd like to be sterilised but can't run to the private fees just now.

Im glad it wasn't just me. My current problem they have taken the swab but I'm away next week and then theres not appointments until mid July. Trying to find somewhere in London who could, potentially, just put one this week.

YANBU. I've also found that GPs aren't very sympathetic to women who complain of side effects from hormonal contraceptives. My GP actually offered me the Pill recently, even though I'm a middle-aged overweight smoker! I was rather surprised.

What I can't quite understand is why you've continued to take hormonal contraceptives when you have such life-altering side effects. I'm not a big fan of condoms either, but I definitely find them preferable to mood swings and loss of libido. Each to her own, I suppose.

I've tried almost every kind of contraception out there, and the only one I really couldn't get to grips with was the femidom. The diaphragm was quite convenient in all sorts of ways, and I had a copper coil for a while, although it did make my periods heavier.

If you haven't tried all these other things, it's worth giving them a go.

And I hope you indicated on the form that you felt fobbed off!

I am (literally) sectionable when on long-term hormonal contraception. I was on the depo injection for 9 years, during which time I got a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder.

I came off the injections because I was single (long term) and wanted to give my body a rest. Within a year I was off my anti-psychotic medication.

I am hideously sensitive to all kinds of synthetic progesterone, though - took the MAP when I'd been with DH for about a month and we had a condom split, then went onto the mini pill. Within ten days my mood was ultra-rapid cycling and I was wanting to harm myself. Came off it and looked into long-term non-hormonal contraception. Fortunately, they've changed the rules saying that coils can be given to people who haven't had babies (not sure why they couldn't before, if someone had offered me one at 17, I'd've jumped at the chance)

I am now 7 years on, no mental health crises of the level I was regularly having before, have a copper coil (coming out soon so DH and I can TTC). Day 2 of my period is a bit heavier than I would like but nothing that a mooncup and pad-backup can't cope with.

Gosh, I hope you DID fill it in there and then, in a spirit of righteous indignation!

Dreadful treatment you got from her, YANBU.

"However they will also change your pill regardless of your thoughts if they have been told to push another brand. They must be on commission or something"

What a load of tripe. GPs aren't on commission but they are regularly audited by the prescribing authorities and advised to prescribe generic brands of most medications, including contraceptives.

So if company 1 make a pill and it costs £5 per month to prescribe, then company 2 start to make the same pill for £3 per month, the GP will be advised to prescribe Company 2's pills.

I hate that gps are being forced to prescribe cheaper brands!
Iv just been given a cheaper brand of my contraceptive even though i do not respond well to brand changes at all.
Iv also only just gotten better from a blood clot caused by the pill!
The brand they've given me i looked up only last month as i was researching other contraceptions and it was one i did not want to go anywhere near ( bad side effects for me).
Doc didn't even tell me just picked up my prescription and they'd changed them.

Kali - slightly off topic, but are you on a progesterone only pill now? And have you been checked for thrombophilia?

They must be on commission or something that even female doctors dismiss worries.

FWIW, I have had more problems with female GPs when trying toa ddress long term gynae issues than with male GPs. Not always the case, obviously, but the gender of the GP doesn't automatically mean they'll be better / worse.

Well if people were more amenable to the idea of paying more taxes to fund the NHS they want, they could have branded medication. Or they could pay for their contraception that they currently get for free.

In the meantime you get whatever's cheapest. I'm not saying that's right, but that's how it is. Technically the ingredients are the same, such as Cerazette (desogestrel 75 mcg) or Cerelle (desogestrel 75 mcg). It's that Cerelle is a third cheaper than Cerazette hence the brand switch.

YANBU!

When I had horrific mood swings on the pill the GP prescribed anti-d rather than a change of contraception. He actually said 'we would prefer you to be depressed than pregnant', no discussion on what I would prefer! I tore the prescription up, got a copper coil. Had it in for five years only taking it out this year to get pregnant. As soon as it was removed my mood improves and I have had no problems since. Insist on seeing a different doc until you find one who will listen.

I had my copper IUD inserted on a same day appointment at the local sexual health clinic. Probably worth googling SH clinics in your area, or Marie stopes put them in for a fee.

Just checked and it's £106 for IUD fitting at Marie Stopes.

Another recommending the IUD, had mine for best part of 9 years .

YANBU