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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

coming off dianette

13 replies

MrsPigeon · 20/05/2009 16:51

Hello all,

I'm a newbie with a question which probably has been answered 50 times already, so apologies if so...

I'm on Dianette at the mo, been on it a few years and some form of combined pill for over a decade. I was put on it because my former pill was causing really nasty spots, and Dianette did clear them up. Some doctors say you're not supposed to be on it for long but I'm low risk in terms of DVT and so on so my new GP recommended staying put as it suits me.

I'm now thinking of trying for a baby in a few months' time and have heard horror stories about Dianette and also that it can take ages to clear from your system. Haven't talked to the GP about this yet but he had to look it up in a book last time so I think he doesn't know all the ins and outs anyway.

I'd really appreciate any thoughts or experiences of this - if it often takes months to get your normal periods back then I'd like to know, or put my mind at rest if I'm panicking about nothing.

Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
Tigresswoods · 20/05/2009 18:28

Hello!!! I can only speak from personal experience but I came off Dianette (on it due to PCOS symptoms) and didn't have a proper period for almost a year. However, that may have been due to my PCOS (now confirmed) so not sure if it was that or not.

Some people seem to have no probs at all so its hard to say but my experience may or may not have been linked. As soon as I have had a DC (when when!!?!?!) I will go straight back on it for my PCOS sympoms which it did wonders for.

I hope that helps a little???

DawnAS · 20/05/2009 19:12

Hi there,

I can also speak from personal experience of Dianette and had the same worries as you!!

I was on Dianette for 10 years and got married in April last year so decided to come off of the pill at that time. Previous to Dianette I'd been on other pills since the age of 18 - 6 years.

My periods came back straight away and so we started trying in June and amazingly I fell PG straight away. Unfortunately we did MC that baby, but 6 weeks later I was PG again. I'm now 37 weeks PG!!

So please try not to panic. It could be that we were particularly fertile (but bear in mind that age was also against me as I'm 35 this year...), or we were just lucky.

But don't give up hope!!

xxx

PatTheHammer · 20/05/2009 20:49

Good luck! I was on Dianette for 3 years after about 5 years on some type of pill. I came off in July 2005 and concieved my DD in the September. I was a bit as I had also heard the stories about it being difficult. I had initially thought about 6m to 1yr, especially as DH had had testicular cancer when younger. But I guess it can happen MUCH quicker than you think!

All the best x

Original poster
MrsPigeon · 21/05/2009 06:21

Thanks for your replies, it's good to hear some real stories about it and you've really put my mind at rest - I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed!

Mostly I just really want to come off the pill and find out what my body is really like left to its own devices...

xx

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsPigeon · 21/05/2009 06:22

PS congratulations Dawn!

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alfiemama · 22/05/2009 12:01

Hi

I have just come off Dianette. Did anyone else get bigger boobs and very prominant veins? I just seem to have so many early pregnancy symptons, I thought possibly the pill and hormones. I took a test but only 12dpo and negative (well not sure in some lights a very faint line, but very very faint)
Would be interested to know what you experienced when you came off it, thanks

Cosmosis · 22/05/2009 12:41

I was on microgynon not dianette, but I had lots of pg symptoms the first month off it - nausea, wind, going off alcohol, bigger boobs. Was not PG though sadly.

Definitley test again ina few days, but it might just be your bod playing tricks on you I'm afraid.

alfiemama · 22/05/2009 13:56

Thanks Cosmosis. I did think that. Will try again in another day. Just got a weird feeling though, who knows though.

Medee · 22/05/2009 14:24

Similar story to you, ALfie. I moved to Dianette three years ago, due to bad skin. The last time I was there the doctor said there was no reason it would affect my fertility. At my age, anything up to a year to conceive would be normal. My only fear is the underlying reason I moved to Dianette is something that would affect my fertility, but I won't know until I am off it.

Dawn- how come you were allowed to be on it for 10 years? Every GP I saw said 2 years max, and I managed to get another 6 months just as I said I was definitely coming off when I finished the last course.

blondieminx · 25/05/2009 12:54

MrsPigeon I was on Dianette for 13 years (went on it due to bad skin, tried other pills but skin got worse and I got migraines so kept going back to it).

It did take AGES for my periods to come back but this turned out not to be due to the pill at all, but because of an underactive thyroid which it took months and months to diagnose.

So, if your periods aren't back after 6 months (obviously hopefully they will come back sooner, like in Dawn's case!) then insist your GP tests both your thyroid and thyroid antibodies and compares the levels. I have a BMI of 20 and the GP was amazed at the results and he just kept shaking his head saying "but you don't look like you have underactive thyoid" before writing out a scrip for Levothyroxine!

2 weeks on the thyroid pills and my cycle came back, we concieved on the 5th attempt but sadly mc'd that baby at 5 weeks 2 days - but I am now 7 weeks pregnant and bursting to tell everyone IRL .

Original poster
MrsPigeon · 25/05/2009 16:43

Hi blondiemix - thanks very much for that - I hadn't thought about thyroid problems but that sounds like something to watch out for. And congratulations on being pg! It must be impossible waiting to tell people. Could I ask, was your skin OK again after coming off the pill in the end?

I asked my GP about potential problems but he probably thinks I'm worrying about nothing (hopefully I am) as he doesn't think of dianette as being different to any other pill. Anyway I'll have to wait and see (not something I'm very good at unfortunately ).

thanks again all.

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blondieminx · 27/05/2009 22:51

hehe - ah patience isn't my strong point either!

Skin was very oily compared to what it was like on Dianette and have also been prone to breakouts. Doctor prescribed Dalacin T which was quite good but you can't use it in pregnancy but apparently you can have something called Duac instead which I'm going to have to ask for. But everyone is different and you may find that your skin has settled down.

Good luck - oh and if you're finding your doctor is dismissive of your concerns then find a new one

Original poster
MrsPigeon · 28/05/2009 08:39

thanks for that and apologies for getting your name wrong before!

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