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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be so scared about having started the pill for the first time?

54 replies

Nicebucket · 10/12/2015 17:03

I'm 26 and have never been on any hormonal birth control until now.

Recently I was put on it for health reasons. My GP and OB have been asking me to take it since I was 15, but I've resisted due to the side effects.

I have PCOS which has caused acne, severe mood swings and excessive hair growth for many years now.

My periods are a nightmare and recently they've started to interfere with my ability to do my job. The excessive bleeding has caused severe anaemia and some deficiencies, which in turn are causing various other problems with my health and skin.

So it reached a point where my doctor basically said it was time to stop resisting the pill and frankly I am also fed up with periods and th acne.

I've been taking the pill Yaz for a week now. So far I haven't noticed any side effects, but I read online that this pill can actually cause some horrendous issues!! Apparently there have been deaths, blood clots and blindness Shock and also issues such as weight gain and depressions etc.

I'm really, genuinely scared that I'm going to get a blood clot or go blind Blush or at the very least put on masses of weight.

AIBU? Did I make the right decision by giving the pill a try? Anyone want to share their pill experiences with me?

OP posts:
Sidge · 10/12/2015 19:34

I'm not aware that Yasmin has been withdrawn in the UK. As far as I know it is still prescribable, but as it is expensive many CASH clinics and GPs are reluctant to issue it.

All medication carries a risk of side effects and no one medication will suit everybody. What one woman loves in terms of contraception, another will hate. When choosing to prescribe the HCP has to weigh up the risks vs the benefits, and also consider local prescribing guidelines as well as licensing issues and contraindications.

Millions of women use hormonal contraception with no problems. Some will use it and experience problems - and some will have significant side effects including a possibility of a blood clot in the leg or chest. The HCP should always advise in terms of what to do should you experience any side effects.

Flossieflower01 · 10/12/2015 19:39

I'm on Yasmin, the only contraceptive pill that I've got on with! Finally don't have spots for the first time since I was at primary school, no breakthrough bleeding. I'm on it for horrendous pain the week after my period (not during in like everyone else!) so I take two or three packets back to back to reduce the number of periods that i have.

Original poster
Nicebucket · 10/12/2015 19:58

Well, apparently Yasmin has not been withdrawn from the UK and YAZ (exactly the same as Yasmin, but with a lower dose of hormones) is available online for people who have used it before, on Lloyds pharmacy.

I guess GP's in the UK don't use it as a first choice because of the higher risk of blot clots.

I was told by my doctors however, that this particular pill is apparently most suited for my symptoms of acne, hair growth and particularly the heavy, painful periods and anaemia.

I can't switch to another pill mid cycle because is one is a 24 day pill instead of a 21 day course.

Would it be reasonable for me to continue with this brand for about three months and see how I get on?

OP posts:
Runwayqueen · 10/12/2015 20:01

I'm on the generic version of Yasmin, having been taking proper Yasmin for the last few years. I've lost 6st on it (although I've slowly put 2 back on). It's far the best pill I've taken. The only thing I will say is I feel tired on it and took a break from it earlier in the year to see how I felt. I definitely had more energy off it, however I'm much better day to day for being on it. The tiredness is a small price to pay for light periods, minimal pain and very clear skin

banff82 · 10/12/2015 20:28

I think your worries are a little extreme, millions of women take the pill with few or no side effects. I'm 33 and have been on the pill more or less continually since I was 17 and have never had any problems at all. I'm a size 8, never had depression, fly a lot and no clotting problems; ok I have crap eyesight but it's just short sightedness, nothing to do with the pill! Your PCOS/period symptoms sound awful - far worse than anything the pill is likely to do. I really hope it helps you with all that and do try to stop worrying about it Flowers

pookamoo · 10/12/2015 20:45

I guess GP's in the UK don't use it as a first choice because of the higher risk of blot clots.

No. It's because it is more expensive than other options.

woodwaj · 10/12/2015 21:14

I went on mircogynon at 18 and came off it at 26 to conceive. (Took almost 2 years) I actually found out I had pcos at 27 the pill had covered the symptoms completely. Personally I won't go back on the pill as i want to feel in control of my body but my pcos symptoms aren't that bad really. Little extra hair occasional spots. I did find I couldn't shift those few extra pounds on the pill so I'd keep an eye on that. Sounds like it's exactly what you need!

Original poster
Nicebucket · 10/12/2015 21:20

Aahhhhh, it's because it's more expensive!!! I can totally see the NHS avoiding prescribing it as a first option then!

OP posts:
Original poster
Nicebucket · 10/12/2015 21:48

I'm still very anxious, and I agining worst case scenarios in my head.

I recently read a study that indicates an increased risk of blindness in women who take the pill and I've already got terrible eyesight.

Ugh.

Anyway, I'm sick of painful periods, spots and excess hair. I'm also sick of anaemia and deficiencies from excessive blood loss. So I'm still thinking of giving this at least 3 months before I shoot it down

OP posts:
Original poster
Nicebucket · 10/12/2015 21:49

That was "imagining worst case scenarios in my head"

Sorry, autocorrect.

OP posts:
ImportantSpanielBusiness · 10/12/2015 21:57

Honestly, you'll be grand. I've been on the pill for half my life (started it initially for hell periods) and for years I've been taking it without the unnessecery 7 day break to avoid periods completely. Bliss!! The 'period' on the pill is actually caused by hormone withdrawl and was only started because the man who invented the pill thought women would go insane without a bleed Hmm because the womb lining is not building up when you're on the pill, it doesn't accumulate. I'm on femodene. I blamed a brief stint on microgynon for getting moody, but it was probably other circumstances!

saura · 10/12/2015 21:58

My skin reacted very badly to every pill apart from Dianette which improved it.. the problem is you are only allowed to use that pill for 6 months

Original poster
Nicebucket · 10/12/2015 22:26

Yes, I was prescribed Dianette for six months a few years back when hints had started to go wrong. However, I didn't take it because I was warned that I could only be on it for 6 months and when I stopped taking it, the acne etc would return (and possibly be worse)

OP posts:
Original poster
Nicebucket · 10/12/2015 22:27

Hints had started to go wrong?! THINGS had started to go wrong.

Ooof, sorry about the autocorrect.

OP posts:
lilyb84 · 10/12/2015 22:45

OP as others have said, stop worrying and Googling! You'll find horror stories for any type of medication if you go looking. I've been on microgynon (made me really moody), Yasmin (GP took me off due to recurrence of migraines) and for the last few years Cerazette, which I bloody love - no periods, no side effects (except lack of periods!) and I got pregnant less than 3 months after coming off and ttc.

Of course it's good to be aware that there CAN be side effects but the odds of them being as extreme as those you've found are miniscule. Do stay on it for three months to see how it works for you - and if you're not happy, ask your GP for a different brand.

Good luck!

Lovelydiscusfish · 10/12/2015 23:13

Nicebucket, are you normally so stressed? I only ask because I found that taking Yasmin, for only a very short period of time, induced massive feeling of anxiety and crashingly low mood in me. I saw my GP in floods of tears about a week in, and she advised me to stop taking it immediately. She said she thinks I have a massive sensitivity to oestrogen? Now have non-hormonal coil, which is great. I was on Cerazette for years without problems- it was the only pill I ever used which didn't seem to drastically effect my mood - but even that had a few side effects after I had dd.
Maybe speak to your GP about how you are feeling? Hope you are ok.

geekymommy · 11/12/2015 01:11

There is a risk of some scary side effects with the Pill. It's not a very high risk. Some people who are opposed to contraception make a big deal of these risks. Always check when you're Googling about the Pill that your information isn't coming from a pro-life or other anti-contraception group.

Lots of women use the Pill. If the serious side effects were common, you'd know someone who had experienced them. If you don't, that tells you something.

Baconyum · 11/12/2015 01:25

Almost 200 million women are on the pill. All medications have side effects but honestly the risk is usually minimal and usually one of the main reasons for it being mentioned in the leaflet is to cover the drug companies arses!

Are you by chance googling 'worst side effects of the pill' or similar? Plus all sources of information have a bias.

I have endo and was one the pill for 20+ years including Yasmin. My only problem was after a while whatever brand I was on would lose effect on my symptoms. I'm not on it now as I'm too old apparently (for sex? Confused).

I went on it at 14 and if my daughter needs it I'd have no problem with her being on it.

You also need to remember that blood loss and anaemia could cause you far more problems than the more likely mild and rare side effects of the pill.

birb · 11/12/2015 02:30

I went through the same paranoia as you when I started on yasmin (not in the UK) and I have a history of migraines and headaches. Switched to Brenda after one course because yasmin was too expensive. I googled and freaked out and I convinced myself I had a pulmonary embolism when I started getting bad chest pain, went back to GP, had scans and it was ruled out and my GP told me in her almost forty years of practice she's never had a patient with any life-threatening side effects. Both my Uk and non-UK GP said the same thing. It's really, really rare and the more you google, the more worried you'll be and start to convince yourself something is going wrong or will go wrong.

KittyWindbag · 11/12/2015 04:58

OP I went on the pill for similar reasons when I was 18 and I have never looked back. It honestly changed my life. The acne I used to have made me SO depressed, the pill didn't at all. I'm now off the pill and seem to have outgrown the acne, thank goodness.

Everyone is different. You might experience some, all or none of those side effects. Try it for a while and see how you feel. You will have to come off it eventually because it does increase risk of blood clots long-term, but blindness is very extreme and I have never heard of anyone going blind on it.

Regarding weight gain, my own doctor said to me at the time that the pill itself doesn't really make you gain weight but can increase your appetite so just be mindful of that.

rageagainsttheBIL · 11/12/2015 05:31

I was on Dianette for about 6 YEARS. clearly started before they realised it wasn't ideal to take long term (my new GP was horrified)! Got on fine with it throughout.

I took Yasmin for a while but like another poster it certainly exacerbated /triggered anxiety, so came off it after 6 months. No other side effects though. As Yaz is lower dose I would think that is better anyway.

I wouldn't take the pill now, but that's because I like feeling the ups and downs of my own hormones and my acne settled with age (after 25 years of spots!). Some of them are brilliant for bad skin and heavy periods though.

kali110 · 11/12/2015 05:51

Op you will be fine.
Docs like you to be on dianette for 6 months but you are safe to take it longer.
I was on it for over a year the first time no problems.
The risks of clots are higher with dianette.
I was unlucky to get a clot on it( though also had other problems so may have given me a higher rate to get one) the second time i went on it. I was just unlucky.
You will know if you have one and it's easily treated. I was only in hospital 2 days ( would have been 1 but tests were slow) and i was home in between.
Given medication, simple.
The risks with the pill are small.
I have health problems and i still carry on taking it ( only cerezzette as i've had a clot) even though there's a miniscule risk the benefits to me are so high they outweigh the risk.
Yasmin is still available, i asked about it years ago but changed my mind when i realised i'd have to have a break.
It's expensive, it's why it's not commonly prescribed.

kali110 · 11/12/2015 05:52

Not as longer as raging though! Wow.

HariboFrenzy · 11/12/2015 06:55

Runwayqueen so interesting to hear you say that about yasmin as it was also my experience! I came off it to ttc and got pg the following month - I only realised how bad the tiredness was when I didn't feel any more tired in the first trimester! For this reason I don't want to take hormonal contraception again if possible.

OP, I actually chose yasmin after researching online. At the time, it wasvsaid to most closely mimic natural hormones and was especially good for clear skin, less reported weight gain and less affect on libido. The downsides were, as a pp has stated, increased risk of severe anxiety and/or depression. I asked my loved ones to keep a close eye on me and luckily didn't experience those side effects.

Try it for a few weeks and see how you get on. If it doesn't suit you there are plenty of others to try. Good luck

Original poster
Nicebucket · 11/12/2015 08:15

Thank you all!!

I've suffered from severe anxiety and depression in the past, so I'll definitely be asking my friends to keep on eye on me and tell me if I start getting more anxious while on the pill.

My best mate just put things into perspective by telling me that essentially pregnancy is more risky than any BC pill.

OP posts: