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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask you about your mini pill experiences good or bad please.

46 replies

Ilovechocolatetoomuch · 02/10/2019 14:25

Hi
I’m nearing 40 and my periods where getting stupidly long. My gp suggested the mini pill, certazine.

So far I have had the heaviest period of my life lasting over a week showing no signs of stopping.

Does anybody have any experience of this? I’m only on it to try to make my periods lighter so far it’s been a disaster. Oh and I’m covered in spots I haven’t had for 10 years 😓

OP posts:

iwashappyonce · 02/10/2019 14:26

I took it and it stopped my periods altogether - great! But it made my hair fall out - not so great.

Sexnotgender · 02/10/2019 14:27

I’m taking it as I’m breastfeeding. It’s been fine so far. Been on it about 4 months and only had one short period at the start.
I’m 37 and 7 months post partum.

ColaFreezePop · 02/10/2019 14:34

I had the same experience as @iwashappyonce

The GPs and nurse acted like it was a freak occurrence.

I then looked up the side effects online to check again, and noticed they had changed since I had taken it. Your side effect of bleeding had changed from being rare to being a commonly recognised one.

mencken · 02/10/2019 15:28

apparently 50/50 no bleeding ever again or lots of bleeding. Unfortunately you are in the wrong half of this.

go back and ask for something different. Other people's body chemistry is irrelevant, it doesn't suit you and that is all that matters.

athenagoddessofwar · 02/10/2019 16:14

I'm 2.5 months in on cerelle. I'm 38. Started mid cycle, first period was almost non existent. Ended up spotting a couple of weeks later, which lasted for almost a month. By all accounts, common. Skin got very greasy at same time and got a few spots. Last couple of weeks, hardly any spotting and skin back to normal, so hopefully settling down.

FlurkenSchnit · 02/10/2019 16:18

I was on Cerelle (I think) for a couple of months - I had constant brown spotting, normal periods, developed huge painful boils all over my scalp and starting having mood swings which were scary to behold. DH begged me to stop taking it and I ended up getting a copper coil instead (as I was too scared to have more hormonal contraception then).

FizzyIce · 02/10/2019 16:20

Hated it , made my hair greasy and my skin spotty so my mood crashed too

rosegoldfever · 02/10/2019 16:23

Stopped my periods , if I ever have them it's light and for about 3 days. No other side effects I'm aware of. Having no periods stopped my anaemia too

Fairylea · 02/10/2019 16:23

I am on cezarette and I love it, I have no periods.

However something no one mentions is that it doesn’t contain any oestrogen- if you start having menopausal symptoms it may be that your own oestrogen is low. The combined pill will mask this as it contains oestrogen (and is often given as a method of hrt in itself).

At 38 I am going through early menopause due to autoimmune conditions so I take something for my oestrogen levels alongside taking the mini pill.

Thirtyrock39 · 02/10/2019 16:33

I never had periods on it but it made me really depressed - even suicidal at times. I went back to the gp about this and they were very dismissive and said 'just keep going for a few more months and that'll settle down'- looking back I'm quite shocked they didn't suggest stopping.

incognito76 · 02/10/2019 17:08

I'm on Cerelle and have been for about eight years now. It completely stopped my periods almost as soon as I started taking it, but I was warned that this isn't the case for all women and some women have irregular bleeding for a while at first.

I've only had two negative side effects from it, both skin-related. It gave me quite bad acne for several months, which I eventually cleared up with a course of benzoyl peroxide cream (over the counter stuff) and I also have melasma, which means I have an uneven skin tone with darker patches on my forehead and cheeks - it's not hugely bad and isn't really visible when I have makeup on, but it is slightly noticeable when I'm bare-faced.

User5000 · 02/10/2019 17:15

I'm on cerazette and I like it apart from making my hair fall out! When I first started taking it I had a really heavy period that lasted about 3 weeks, but now just get some occasional spotting

Shayisgreat · 02/10/2019 17:33

Would you consider the implant? It's similar to the mini pill in that there's no oestrogen in it. I got it 3 months after having a baby last year and haven't had a period since before I was pregnant! It's great and I don't get pms anymore either. I'm going to be nervous about what I'll be like when I take it out to try for another baby!

Disfordarkchocolate · 02/10/2019 17:35

As contraception not good (eldest baby), apart from that no side effects.

kittykarate · 02/10/2019 17:38

I was on Cerazette, but been sneakily moved by the GP to the cheaper Cerelle.

After the first few months my periods pretty much stopped, with just some spotting every couple of months. I can't tell if it is my age or the pill but my libido has really gone down.

Flightsoffancy · 02/10/2019 17:50

I took it when breastfeeding and had light bleeding for weeks. I gave up in the end. I'm 43 and begged the GP to put me back on the normal pill (they're skittish about it after 40) as I was suffering horrible hormonal anxiety. She did, and I feel fantastic!

DanielRicciardosSmile · 02/10/2019 17:54

I've been on Cerelle for about 2 years now and get a period about once or twice a year. The only bad side effect I got was breast pain about 6-9 months but that has stopped now.

DanielRicciardosSmile · 02/10/2019 17:54

About 6-9 months after starting it that should say.

Kanga83 · 02/10/2019 17:55

Really bad for me, flooding for three weeks, clotting, pain mimicking a cyst, horrendous mood, migraines, skin was awful. Dr took me off it. Am now without options but at least I'm not bleeding constantly.

Tryingtogetitright · 02/10/2019 17:59

I went on it when I was breastfeeding. Bled for 8 months, felt incredibly low and angry, terrible mood swings, spotty, tired... Drs said it wouldn't be caused by the mini pill and prescribed me sertraline. I was scared of taking that so came off the pill instead. Felt back to my usual self within a week. DH having the snip instead!

WillYouDoTheFandango · 02/10/2019 18:02

I’ve been on cerazette on and off for 18 years. I love it. When I restarted after DS, I bled for a month. The doctor gave me a second mini pill to take alongside cerazette and that sorted it all out. No periods for 4 years now.

Elieza · 02/10/2019 18:05

I was on cerelle and it was fine. Only had a few light periods or a bit of spotting. My hair didn’t fall out!

However I came off it when I split with my boyfriend because I felt I didn’t want hormones put in my body if I wasn’t having sex and needed protection. A few years later I note I have definitely aged, wrinkles, bad skin, hair falling out etc and I had to get acupuncture to regulate my periods which had gotten too long, too heavy and too frequent.

The acupuncture worked for me, my periods are only three days and my hair no longer falls out if I continue to go regularly for treatment. It’s dear as it’s private though.

MamaGee09 · 02/10/2019 18:07

I tried the pill many moons ago and would have ended up divorced if I had stayed on it, I became a hormonal, horrible person. My mood swings were so erratic and I was making myself and everyone else in the house miserable, I can’t remember what pill it was.

LtJudyHopps · 02/10/2019 18:11

I took it for nearly a year. I gained weight, got spots and my hair got greasier.
When I started I also had a 4 week long period. It may have been longer and I’ve repressed the memory! It wasn’t constant but it was there. Then I didn’t bleed the rest of the time I was on it.
This was cerazette.

BertieBotts · 02/10/2019 18:14

It made me bleed for weeks. Thank god I tried it before going on the implant. It's the same hormones apparently.

That said different mini pills use different combinations so it's worth trying another one.

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