Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the pill is quite safe for most women to take?

53 replies

Fairylea · 01/12/2016 06:59

Or am I being massively naive?

I'm 36, don't smoke, don't drink, no family history of blood clots. Reasonably healthy except for underactive thyroid and low blood pressure.

I've been on the pill (Yasmin) on and off since I was 15 (went on it initially for heavy periods). I've had two breaks for two children, both of which took a long while to conceive, youngest child is 4 so I've been on it continually again for the last 4 years.

I keep seeing scare stories being posted about at the moment saying that the risk of a serious blood clot is much higher than people thought and people should stop taking these pills.

I know there is a small risk but given my own health etc I assumed it was very low risk. Its now really frightened me and I'm wondering if other people would be worried too or whether I'm being over anxious.

I really don't want to have an implant or coil- especially when the pill suits me so well otherwise. Sterilisation is an option but it just seems too final at this point. Not a big fan of condoms but this would be the only thing I could switch to really, if taking the pill is a real issue.

I was surprised talking amongst my friends that I was pretty much alone in taking the pill! I assumed it would be the "go to" contraception for most women. It used to be when I was younger.

Confused! Confused

OP posts:
BitchQueen90 · 01/12/2016 09:56

I take the mini pill and have done since DS was born 3.5 years ago. I love it, I don't have any periods and I know I'm protected. I don't want any more kids anyway. The coil sounds absolutely horrendous to me and I don't fancy the implant either, the pill has never caused me any issues so my view is if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Heirhelp · 01/12/2016 10:00

The contraceptive pill does slightly increase your risk of blood clots but this increase it way less than the increase risk of blood clots during pregnancy.

kali110 · 01/12/2016 10:00

ghosty omg that's why i take it!

hackmum · 01/12/2016 10:03

TheSparrowhawk: "I can't see how taking a daily dose of hormones could possibly be ok health wise."

Why not?

I think you'd have to look closely at the research, OP. The trouble is, it's still really hard to weigh up risk and what's acceptable - would you accept a one in 1000 chance of having a blood cot? One in 100? And then you have to weigh it up against the risk of not taking the pill, which is probably an increased risk of pregnancy plus heavier periods (and possibly increased PMS, depending on your individual circumstances).

UnoriginalNN · 01/12/2016 14:54

Thank you Vivienne - off to research!

ghostyslovesheets · 01/12/2016 14:58

kali it's the only thing that's worked - I have some endo as well that flairs up when I ovulate - I'm in agony without the pill
Did they try and make u have the coil? I had to battle the convince them I didn't want it

specialsubject · 01/12/2016 15:21

it is not 100% safe because nothing is. We are all suffering from a terminal illness called life.

Statistically the pill is a lot safer than pregnancy. There are risk factors which make it unacceptably unsafe for some women - family history, health issues, obesity, age, smoking.

get the information, make an informed choice, keep an eye on your health, know what to look out for.

Soubriquet · 01/12/2016 15:25

I think the thing about the pill at the moment is there is one specific pill that's had to be withdrawn because of severe side affects

A friend of mine had a massive fit whilst taking it. Never had a fit before in her life

Kohi36 · 01/12/2016 15:31

I'm hypothyroid too but I take natural dessicated thyroid. I stopped taking the pill in my 20's. It has a negative effect on the endocrine system. I'm oestrogen dominant. A lot of people with hypothyroidism are oestrogen dominant so taking the pill will make this worse as it can deplete progesterone stores.

sycamore54321 · 01/12/2016 15:54

You are right in your title, it is indeed quite safe for most women. But the question that matters to each of us is not that one, it is whether it is safe for me. The only thing to do is to discuss the risks and benefits of all your options with a doctor who knows your specific medical history. What was safe for you at 25 isn't necessarily as safe at 36. Blood clots are not something to mess with. Unfortunately biology isn't always as utterly predictable as we'd like - hence the wildly varying experience of side effects by women on the same contraceptive - and it is a question of balancing the risks and benefits to you of any particular choice. And keeping this under review as circumstances change, including the very relevant effect of time passing and ageing.

user1480182169 · 01/12/2016 15:57

"I can't see how taking a daily dose of hormones could possibly be ok health wise

Why wouldn't it be? And on what basis have you come to such a conclusion? Vague opinion?

Funnyface1 · 01/12/2016 16:43

I don't take any of this type of birth control, I've read too many scary stories and hate the idea of putting so much of something in my body.

When my sister was being treated for breast cancer two years ago at a fairly young age we saw many different doctors/consultants and the first question they always asked was "which pill have you been on/how many years?" I heard this so many times it told me all I need to know.

Revenant · 01/12/2016 17:06

Hmm, I've been on the combined pill for decades and am still on it aged 44 no issues. I might go Google some stats now though.

Original poster
Fairylea · 01/12/2016 18:58

Thank you for all your replies. Plenty of food for thought!

I am going to make an appointment to see my GP and chat through it all I think.

It's been really interesting reading others perspectives.

OP posts:
blahblahnow · 01/12/2016 20:37

I had to stop combined pill (after 10yrs) due to new medication but the doctor actually suggested it was a good idea anyway as I'd been on it so long. Couldn't therefore have had injection/implant for medication, but GP ssid there could be issues with fertility being slow to return with long-term contraception - and actually suggested (when I said, at 32, kids not ruled out) I just go without and see what happens (!).

Switched to progesterone only which for me worked great (only stopped it to have a baby...).

MissVictoria · 01/12/2016 20:50

I got rushed to hospital with a suspected blood clot in my chest a week after i first started the pill. In the end the blood test and ECG were ok, but they never figured out the source of my extreme chest pains, and they continued for several hours a day every day for 11months. I also found even a 4 hours late pill would make me start a period that wouldn't stop till i stopped and had a week break then re started. Never again, i love my implant, have pcos and gone from really heavy painful, wake me up and stop me sleeping barely able to move with cramps periods, to nothing.

TheQuestingVole · 01/12/2016 21:03

I take Yasmin. If you don't smoke and have low blood pressure, no family history of blood clots then it is safer than pregnancy and way safer than the weeks immediately after giving birth.

The risk of a blood clot also drops after the first year of being on a combined pill or switching to a new one.

havingabadhairday · 01/12/2016 23:31

"I felt like a veil had been lifted when I came off of it."

badg3r that's exactly how I felt. I'm very reluctant to go on hormonal contraception again because it wasn't until I stopped taking the pill that realised how miserable it was actually making me. As I have a history of depression I think that's potentially dangerous.

BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:49

I've been told it's not safe for me

Sceptimum · 02/12/2016 03:46

I think it's generally safe, but it's important to evaluate any long term meds carefully in relation to your own reaction over time. Every varient of the pill I have tried has contributed to low mood and depression - I lasted 4 weeks on Yazmin before my workplace took me aside to suggest counselling! So it's no hormonal contraception for me.
I take thyroxine daily, so not adverse to the idea, just that the pill doesn't seem to work with my body for some reason.

BusyBeez99 · 02/12/2016 05:09

Progesterone only pill taker here. Had to switch from combined pill as now over 40 and safer. Much better. No periods. The combined poll was giving me dreadful sleep
Patterns. I can stay on this one til menopause

Took combined 18-32 age and then break for a baby and then had the implant then back to combined and been on progesterone only for 18 months now.

kali110 · 02/12/2016 19:36

ghosty im only allowed one coil but my gp was happy when i said i didn't want to risk it as i need it to make i don't have periods.
I have a good gp though who understands!

kali110 · 02/12/2016 19:49

miss certain pills you have to take at the same time, the mini pill only has a 3 hour window which may have been why you started your cycle, as you were taking it late.

kali110 · 02/12/2016 19:50

*some mini pills have a 3 hour window.

user1471463681 · 02/12/2016 20:05

Taken the pill (Marvelon) for 10yrs now. Used to suffer with low mood but a nutritionist told me all women on the pill should take high B vitamin supplements to counteract its effects on mood- I do this now.