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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed and think it's conpletely crap that my GP won't prescribe the contraceptive pill that suits me

28 replies

electra · 10/04/2010 20:59

I've tried quite a few and they all have side effects. I've been on Yasmin for some time and initially I found it made my skin bad, but not as bad as the others, and my skin is now absolutely fine. The crucial thing is that this pill causes zero water retention and no weight gain - great for me because I suffer with this on every pill.

But my GP refuses to prescribe this for me and is adamant I need Dianette (at my FP clinic they advised this pill is very strong and it should only be taken if you have severe acne to start with). So I have to pay £30 to get a 3 month supply from Lloyds online pharmacy.

Surely women should be able to choose contraceptive pills that suit our lifestyles? Btw I have tried many other contraceptives and this is the only one I haven't got pg on!

OP posts:

Original poster

electra · 10/04/2010 21:01

Sorry, obviously typo should read 'completely' in title.

OP posts:

pigletmania · 10/04/2010 21:02

YANBU how stupid is that!

June2009 · 10/04/2010 21:08

Did he tell you why he wouldn't prescribe it for you? If I understand correctly he wants you to change from Yasmin to Dianette, why?

I've been on both Dianette and Yasmin (to help with bad skin as well) and prefer Yasmin (less side effects for me).
I was told by my the nurse - after having been on Dianette for 7 years - that you're not supposed to be on Dianette for more than 5 years. (something to do with not enough research in long term side effects).
Now I can't take either because I am too fat according to my GP. I put on too much weight during my pregnancy and still need to loose 2 to 3 stone.

I think YANBU, unless there is a high risk of something that he explained to you then you should be able to choose, did you insist?

CheekyVimtoGal · 10/04/2010 21:16

I dont understand why they are charging you £30 for it? Contraceptives are meant to be free arnt they?

Original poster

electra · 10/04/2010 21:22

June - I only tried it because my friend had a packet which she gave me to try - bad I know and certainly not something I should have done really. But I had heard that the side effects for this pill were generally better all round and I wanted to try it. And I've had loads - microgynon, trinovum, cileste and a few others.

I am not high risk at all - my blood pressure is low and the online pharmacy allows me to get 6 month supplies.....(I have to provide blood pressure readings)

The GP implied it was a cost issue.

OP posts:

ellesapelle · 10/04/2010 21:23

I don't understand why the doctor would let you have Dianette but not Yasmin. Yasmin is supposed to be safer than Dianette and carries less side effects.

I know that Yasmin is considerably more costly for the NHS than many other contraceptive pills though so maybe that's why. Was this the same doctor who initially let you have Yasmin?

snowmash · 10/04/2010 21:24

There was a trend towards monthly prescriptions for free prescriptions in general to try to prevent waste, don't know if that is true now.

oldraver · 10/04/2010 21:32

My son has been on a medication for four years now and we can still only get a month at a time grr

gingernutlover · 10/04/2010 21:42

Can you not get it at the FP clinic instead then? They give out the pill don't they? I know mine does.

YANBU to be annoyed, though. Other thing to try is seeing another GP at your surgery maybe?

ArthurPewty · 10/04/2010 21:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

JaneS · 10/04/2010 21:58

You need to check exactly why he won't prescribe it. A GP prescribed me one kind (microgynon?), which another GP later told me is very dangerous if you get migraines/fainting fits as it can cause death.

I was kind of ok with him not prescribing it after that! But if s/he can't give you a valid reason, then I'd say go for another GP.

benotafraid · 10/04/2010 22:24

I was prescribed microgynon when I first went on the pill, I took 1 at 8 am and at aruond 12 I was sick outside a cinema which was really embarrasing let me tell you! But I didn't know it was dangerous if you have migraines LittleRedDragon - my doctor knew I suffered from them regularly

I went back and was given Yasmin and had no trouble at all for the 4 years I took it.

JaneS · 10/04/2010 22:27

That is scary, benotafraid. I guess it's possible it was only something they found out recently - I took it for a couple of years and it was sooo much better than the one I changed to.

Really, if you are being sick I think your doctor should be giving you more options. It can't be healthy to be in that state.

ScaredOne · 10/04/2010 22:29

I started with microgynon too and gained over a stone in 4 weeks. The doctor tried to tell me it's not the pill but was nice enough to let me change after I said I had also become pretty depressed (was on it for 3 month but cried every day).

I think if you found a contraception that suits you it is unreasonable of your doctor to not give it to you. Unless, of course there is a reason. Did he say anything about your blood pressure or something?

I got a 6 months supply for my pill the other day by the way, so you can get more than 1 month

FlyingFig · 10/04/2010 22:46

YANBU - my GP made me come off Dianette after over 7 years and put me on Ovranette - I was back at his desk within 6 weeks, having turned into a complete PMT loon, begging him to switch me back. Poor DP slept with one eye open.

He refused, so I saw another GP from the practice who quickly prescribed me my trusty Dianette, no hassle.

I'd ask for a second opinion.

iamaLeafontheWind · 10/04/2010 22:55

I was on Yasmin for 2 years after being on Mycroginon, it was a relvelation - I lost weight and was much less paranoid. I had o trot out the thrombosis line to get it though because of the cost.

BertieBotts · 10/04/2010 23:02

Littlereddragon, I did not know that about microgynon - interesting actually as since I was on it (not on it any more for other reasons) I have started to have blackouts if I am dehydrated or my blood sugar is low - I never connected the two before. Very worrying. Does anyone have any information about different types of pill at all? I am thinking of going back on one, but not sure which to ask to avoid!

Original poster

electra · 10/04/2010 23:07

The GP kept saying that Yasmin would not help my skin but dianette would keep it clear - he had no other reasoning. I know that there are a number of health concerns associated with long term use of dianette. So apparently he's more concerned about saving money than my actual well being.

The comments about microgynon sound familiar - when I was on that I gained a stone too and also cried frequently and had dreadful skin. My skin is normally spot free, it is just being on the pill that upsets it.

My blood pressure is always about 105/60 - so low......and I am slim. I don't have any 'red flags' (I have to fill in a health questionnaire to get it from DrThom which is a Lloyds pharmacy service).

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JaneS · 10/04/2010 23:10

Bertie, I did put a question mark in the original as I can't swear that was the name of it. Please don't take my word for it, I am not a GP or in any way medically trained.

Sorry ... I meant simply to suggest that sometimes GPs do have good reason for suggesting an alternative form of contraception as mine was clearly very concerned despite that pill (whatever its name was) having worked well for me previously.

The GP certainly did not suggest that the pill I was on induced fainting. He said that I shouldn't be on it as it has been known to cause possibly fatal problems with people who have migraine/epilepsy/fainting and fitting type issues, not that it caused those issues.

BertieBotts · 10/04/2010 23:15

Ah OK, it might be unrelated anyway - I won't go back on it anyway because I think it made me depressed!

Where would you say is the best place to get advice on different kinds of pills? Every time I go to the family planning clinic I feel patronised by them. They were desparate to get me on the implant, so I tried the pill with the same hormones in, it made me bleed for a month, went back and they just said "Oh it'll settle down" saw my GP who was horrified and said stop taking it at once! Then when I got PG at 19 they told me I was stupid and "I thought you were a sensible girl" and kept suggesting an abortion multiple times when I had already said I wanted to keep the baby. I am NOT going back there! Well maybe for the free condoms, I bet they would practically throw them at me if I go in with DS

Original poster

electra · 10/04/2010 23:19

Your FPC sounds awful Bertie - I'm not surprised you don't want to go back there.

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JaneS · 10/04/2010 23:20

Sorry, BB, I've no idea. That GP pretty much scared me off the pill, and I've not been using birth control for the last couple of years.

So sorry for your experiences with GPs - sounds very similar to mine. I was pregnant at 18 and the GP told me that 'girls like me' didn't have babies before university - but that it was fine for 'some girls' who had 'always half expected to fall pregnant'.

You can imagine I didn't go back there, either.

What is it with some of these people?

liath · 11/04/2010 08:08

In the area I work we are not supposed to prescribe yasmin because of the cost. Causes a lot of problems - pisses the patients off and v annoying when you think it might really suit someone.

wolfnipplechips · 11/04/2010 08:41

If you went in saying you wanted a pill to keep your skin clear then your gp is right in that dianette is normally the pill for this. At my practice we no longer prescribe Dianette because that brand name is the most expensive. Have you tried the Dianette? Yasmin can cause water retention and weight gain it all depends on the person thats why you have to have pill checks.

Original poster

electra · 11/04/2010 10:25

I haven't tried Dianette but at my FPC I was told that it's only prescribed for people who already have quite severe acne which is not induced by the pill itself but pre-existing. I don't have acne but tend to have problems with my skin when I start a pill.

For me, Yasmin does not cause water retention. To start with I got a few headaches. I get side effects on all the brands but on Yasmin they seem to be fewer and certainly more tolerable.

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