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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for people's experiences of the mini pill

42 replies

janicegarvey · 17/11/2023 08:08

I am 43 and started the progesterone only mini pill 2 months ago to help with heavy painful periods

Started taking it a week after I'd finished a period then had a period for approx 5 days. It was lighter than my usual ones and not painful which was great. Then I did not have another one for 5 weeks. Again, nice and light and only for 5 days which was so much better than when I wasn't on the pill . So I was hoping this would be the pattern or that they might even eventually tail off as have heard this can happen

But now I am bleeding again (again, lightly) only 12 days after the first day of my last one 😩😩

Is this normal ? And does it usually settle down ? I have health anxiety so trying not to freak out.

OP posts:
Nomorecoconutboosts · 17/11/2023 08:12

It suited me - longer cycle (but not regular) light bleeding
however my GP did say lots of women get spotting etc. It’s a known side effect so if it’s going to trigger more anxiety maybe not for you?
also I wonder as you potentially approach peri menopause if your usual cycle i.e. if not on the pill - would be changing anyway?

HappyHolidai · 17/11/2023 08:13

For me it's totally wonderful. No periods, no PMT, just wish I'd gone on it years before.

I didn't have the experience you had at the start, though: mine just stopped. Definitely worth persevering for a while as if it works out it really is life-changing.

HappyHolidai · 17/11/2023 08:13

(I went on at 41 and now 47)

Original poster
janicegarvey · 17/11/2023 08:16

Nomorecoconutboosts · 17/11/2023 08:12

It suited me - longer cycle (but not regular) light bleeding
however my GP did say lots of women get spotting etc. It’s a known side effect so if it’s going to trigger more anxiety maybe not for you?
also I wonder as you potentially approach peri menopause if your usual cycle i.e. if not on the pill - would be changing anyway?

I'm actually okay with it if it's normal although the unpredictability is annoying .

It is worth being on it to not have period pain anymore and I also used to get ovulation pain so don't get that now either

Thank you for sharing your experience

OP posts:
Pigeonqueen · 17/11/2023 08:17

I have been on it for about 10 years and I absolutely love it, I now take it as part of my HRT and have no bleeding at all. But it does take a while for the spotting / bleeding to settle for many women - 2 months is no time at all. I’m on a busy menopause forum and lots of women love it but have said it’s taken a good 6 months or so for it to settle.

mondaytosunday · 17/11/2023 08:18

I took it after the birth of my first child. It was fantastic - no periods at all! I then came off it in order to ttc for my second and conceived after four months. Went back on it til I ran out. I was already in my mid 40s so didn't bother after that.
But I have always been regular with I guess normal bleeds. Menopause was a breeze for me too - one thing in life I was lucky with (that and I have great hair 😉).

Pigeonqueen · 17/11/2023 08:18

Worth also mentioning that I’m 43 as well and your period issues may also be peri menopause related so you may actually need the oestrogen as well to balance things out - I’m on the mini pill, oestrogel and utrogestan. Oestrogen generally starts declining around 42ish.

redalex261 · 17/11/2023 08:19

I used mini pill from age 19 to 48. Fantastic. No side effects. Very light period, approx five to six week cycle. Think was a bit erratic at first and did sometimes get mid cycle spotting but it settled. Give it a bit of time.

IDontLikePinaColadas · 17/11/2023 08:20

I went on it about four years ago, and it did take a bit of settling down - like you, I had unpredictable periods but now I hardly ever have one, and if I do it’s for about 2 days and really light. Wish I had started taking it years ago.

Uncooperativefingers · 17/11/2023 08:20

Sounds normal, I was like this for the first 6 or so months. Then no more periods. It's fantastic

EatYourVegetables · 17/11/2023 08:21

Fucking hated it.

Lighter period but still in pain. Made me depressed, anxious, irritable. Completely uninterested in sex, so I suppose it was good contraception 🙄

There needs to be more talk of these side effects. I would have thought that giving the pill to someone with anxiety like yours (or in my case depressive tendencies) would be highly irresponsible.

Knackeredhamster · 17/11/2023 08:24

Definitely worth being on.

I've been on it ten years now. Early 50's.
No PMT, no nothing!

It took a few months to settle.

I do remember about 4 years ago I started a bleed that lasted a few weeks and thought oh god this stuff is rubbish I understand now why alot of people get frustrated.
For me though I stopped bleeding and haven't since.

🙏

Ginmonkeyagain · 17/11/2023 08:39

I moved from the combined pill to the mini pill at 42 (age/weight just tipped the risk balance towards my Dr deciding to stop prescribing the combined pill). I am now 45.

It has been fine for me. The moderate breakthrough bleeds I got on the combined pill stopped completely and I have found there are no other symptoms. Occasionally I will get a day of very very mild spotting but nothing more.

My only issue is knowing when I will need to stop taking it. I've not had a "real" period since 2006 so no idea what sort of stage my natural cycle is in.

Diorama1 · 17/11/2023 08:39

EatYourVegetables · 17/11/2023 08:21

Fucking hated it.

Lighter period but still in pain. Made me depressed, anxious, irritable. Completely uninterested in sex, so I suppose it was good contraception 🙄

There needs to be more talk of these side effects. I would have thought that giving the pill to someone with anxiety like yours (or in my case depressive tendencies) would be highly irresponsible.

I suffer with anxiety and the mini pill got rid of it! When I was on the combined pill it increased my anxiety hugely, though it took years for me to realise.

OP its been a life saver for me. My peri symptoms were increasingly heavy and painful periods, increasing anxiety, headaches, and generally feeling awful. Within a few days on the mini pill most of those symptoms were gone.

I am on it 4 months now and still get a bit of spotting. It settled down after about 2 months but I still get it every few weeks. Its like a very light period.
No ovulation pains either.

I find when I get the bleeding, I have other symptoms also for a few days so I know its hormonal.

Stick with it for another couple of months.

Original poster
janicegarvey · 17/11/2023 11:39

mondaytosunday · 17/11/2023 08:18

I took it after the birth of my first child. It was fantastic - no periods at all! I then came off it in order to ttc for my second and conceived after four months. Went back on it til I ran out. I was already in my mid 40s so didn't bother after that.
But I have always been regular with I guess normal bleeds. Menopause was a breeze for me too - one thing in life I was lucky with (that and I have great hair 😉).

Jealous of both the breezy menopause and great hair 😩😩😩 😆

OP posts:
Original poster
janicegarvey · 17/11/2023 11:39

EatYourVegetables · 17/11/2023 08:21

Fucking hated it.

Lighter period but still in pain. Made me depressed, anxious, irritable. Completely uninterested in sex, so I suppose it was good contraception 🙄

There needs to be more talk of these side effects. I would have thought that giving the pill to someone with anxiety like yours (or in my case depressive tendencies) would be highly irresponsible.

Aww I'm sorry you had a bad time on it 😔 x

OP posts:
Imposter1212 · 17/11/2023 14:37

I take cerazette. I got crippling ovulation pain on my right side so spent many a night on the surgical ward because they needed to rule out appendicitis. I'm over 35 and a family history of blood clots so combined wasn't suitable for me.

I was referred to gynae and they prescribed cerazette. It's completely stopped my period. I haven't had one for in 18 months which is blissful.

When I first started I spotted for weeks. Spoke to gynae and he advised to take 2 pills a day for 14 days and then reduce to a 2nd pill every day for 10 days and then back to one.

Taking 2 pills a day immediately stopped the spotting. I've had no issue with it. I do get sore boobs every 28 days for a day or two like clockwork but no bleeding.

Original poster
janicegarvey · 17/11/2023 17:51

Imposter1212 · 17/11/2023 14:37

I take cerazette. I got crippling ovulation pain on my right side so spent many a night on the surgical ward because they needed to rule out appendicitis. I'm over 35 and a family history of blood clots so combined wasn't suitable for me.

I was referred to gynae and they prescribed cerazette. It's completely stopped my period. I haven't had one for in 18 months which is blissful.

When I first started I spotted for weeks. Spoke to gynae and he advised to take 2 pills a day for 14 days and then reduce to a 2nd pill every day for 10 days and then back to one.

Taking 2 pills a day immediately stopped the spotting. I've had no issue with it. I do get sore boobs every 28 days for a day or two like clockwork but no bleeding.

Yes my ovulation pain was like that as well. Honestly it felt like something was ripping / bursting inside and I think I felt the egg bursting out (had an unrelated womb scan recently and ovaries looked normal btw) sometimes I'd have to breathe through it 😩 it only started happening in my early / mid 30s

Well I'm going to see how I get on. if it's not settled in six months I'll maybe look at other options

OP posts:
watchyourfriends · 17/11/2023 17:54

I was on it for a year when I was about 16. I constantly had spotting so came off it. DM had the same issues but after about 6 months it evened itself out and she’s been on it for 10 years with no trouble.

Whu · 17/11/2023 17:56

It’s been a life saver for me. After a few weeks of light spotting I’ve had no bleeding for a year now.
Prior to the mini pill I had ridiculously heavy periods leaving me very anaemic and feeling utterly unwell annd unable to do what I wanted every 1 in 3 weeks.
I feel like a twenty something now - full of energy.

SecretVictoria · 17/11/2023 17:58

I used take Cerazette and it was great, no periods. I was then switched to Cerelle as it’s cheaper. I started having breakthrough bleeds all the time. I ordered Cerazette privately but it was like the damage had been done and I kept having bleeds.

Gave up in the end. There are lots of forums saying the same about people who’ve been moved from Cerazette to Cerelle.

Mamato29192 · 17/11/2023 18:12

Awful. Had all the side effects. Made me go batshit and had panic attacks

Original poster
janicegarvey · 18/11/2023 22:37

Mamato29192 · 17/11/2023 18:12

Awful. Had all the side effects. Made me go batshit and had panic attacks

I get anxiety anyway but it has honestly been fucking awful for weeks, through the roof and I'd say it started 2-4 weeks after starting . batshit is a good word to describe me atm ...never thought it could be the pill 😞

OP posts:
Original poster
janicegarvey · 18/11/2023 22:37

Im on degostrel I think it's called

OP posts:
TokyoSushi · 18/11/2023 22:43

I take Cerelle, it's great! It took about 4/6 months to settle down originally but now I have about 3/4 periods per year which are really 'heavy spotting' at most, been on about 4 years, works well for me!