Do you use (or have you ever used) hormonal contraception, like the Pill, IUD or implant? Fancy telling us what you think about it?

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

The team at the Telegraph's Wonder Women pages are interested in hearing about women's experiences with hormonal contraception - and, specifically, the emotional and libido-related side-effects it can have for some women.

MNers have occasionally told us that they're frustrated with the current range of available contraception, and that some of you feel reluctant to take contraception that works hormonally. Of course, lots of you also seem perfectly happy with hormonal contraception, and appreciate its reliability.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare states that 'women can be advised that combined hormonal contraception may be associated with mood changes, but there is no evidence that it causes depression'. The Wonder Women journalists are interested in whether any of you have experienced mood changes, or emotional effects, or effects on libido.

So: have you used, or do you currently use, the pill, a hormonal coil or implant? How did you find it? Did you notice any effects on your mood or libido, or did you find it unproblematic? And even if you did find it a bit problematic, did you think that it was worth it for the peace of mind?

Of course, maybe you find the hormonal contraception completely fantastic and have taken it without any trouble for years. Would be really interesting to hear all views and experiences.

Thanks
MNHQ

Had the could which gave me excruciating pains.
The pill that made me depressed ever since dc1 birth. Depressed as thinking everyone around me would/was dying!
No contraception for me. DH had the snip instead!

I do know a lot if women who have struggled to get pregnant after stopping the pill. No Periods or very irregular etc. if I was a 20yo again and looking for contraception, I'm not sure hormonal contraception would be my choice tbh.

I was put on the pill (several different types over the years) from age 18 - 25 I was miserable on all of them, I had acne, low libido and my 'periods' were still heavy and painful, when I decided to come off it my periods returned to normal after 3 maths. Would never go back on it.

I finally got refered to a gynaecologist who suggested I try a mirena coil, best thing I ever did, no more agonising periods, no passing out from blood loss and it didn't affect my libido at all. Initially I bled lightly for a couple of weeks but that was it. I actually cried when I had it removed so we could ttc as I knew my periods would return, they did after 4 weeks.

I'm 39 weeks pregnant and will be having the mirena put back in ASAP.

Re reading the OP.
Do there is no evidence that the pill can make depressed? Well you'll have to tell my body and mind because they clearly didn't read the leaflet!
Depression started when I started the pill and stopped as soon as I stopped it. (3 months in between as this was to control pain from endometriosis). My GP also thought that it could have made my PND much worse ....,
But there is no 'evidence'. OK

Have you used, or do you currently use, the pill, a hormonal coil or implant? How did you find it? Did you notice any effects on your mood or libido, or did you find it unproblematic? And even if you did find it a bit problematic, did you think that it was worth it for the peace of mind?

I've taken in the past the combined pill (can't remember brand names, but started at the age of 18 with tricyclic one, changed brand a few times), no problems taking them.

Then had a Mirena coil for a while until I suffered an ectopic pregnancy, when I had it removed during emergency surgery. Whilst I had the Mirena I had no problems, my periods stopped completely and I had it for a year before the ectopic pregnancy.

I then took the mini pill for a while (couldn't take combined pill due to migraines), which I found annoying, due to continued bleeding, very sensitive breasts with cheap brand of Cerazette, Micronor was slightly better but still continued with continuous bleeding. I'm fairly sure it affected my libido.

Thank goodness dh has had the snip and I don't need to use anything now! But at the time it was worth the inconvenience for the peace of mind.

I stayed away from the injection and implants, as I knew quite a few people who had problems feeling depressed, putting on lots of weight, lots of spots.

I've used various combined pills over the years and I had a Mirena.
I can't say I noticed any negative mood changes with any of them - the pill was actually positive in reducing my PMS moodswings. The last one I took was Yasmin which was great until I developed migraines with aura last year, I was having them 3 weekly and 2 months after stopping the pill they've gone completely.
I hated the coil though - I bled almost every day until I decided enough was enough after 9 months and had it removed. It also went AWOL briefly and I had to have a scan to 'find' it. I don't think it affected my mood however.

TheLastMan, I'm also wondering how on earth there could be no evidence it causes depression. Is it to do with how they define depression, so most of the cases are defined as 'mood changes' which they admit happen (though the term conceals how violent and dangerous these can be)?

I'm quite startled by just how common similar (and worse) experiences to mine seem to be. I mean, I know it's a self-selecting sample, but you would think even if it's a small proportion of the total and there is a large silent majority who have never had any problems at all, these are severe enough to be taken seriously?

Or not, because it's women's health?

Oh and I developed horrific acne whilst I had the coil over my face and back. I practically danced out of the surgery the day it was removed

I have the implant definitely have lost libido but that could be more to do with 2 kids!
Mine was great at first no periods or anything till it had been in around 16 months, then I started having pregnancy symptoms - proper symptoms, nausea, strong smells making me feel sick, boobs leaking, went off tea and poultry, headaches the lot, lasted for around 3 months (2 x pregnancy tests taken to check) now has eased off but still get dizzy spells and nausea, as well as some food smells making me feel sick. I also started bleeding every 2 weeks weeks like a light period, so far had 3 weeks no bleeds and waiting to get it removed as I hate it!

Guyropes take a read of the thread i linked in here "Seriously ill DP out on the piss"

An Mner who had a pulmonary embolism due to taking Zelleta

I went on Loestrin 30 at the age of 18 and used it for several years. It seemed OK but during that time I had recurrent thrush infections which made sex unpleasant. Looking back I think that it did suppress my libido. In my mid 20s I split from my partner and stopped taking the pill.

Around the same time, I read a book about the Billings method of natural family planning and realised how easy it was to spot when I was ovulating. When I got together with now DH we used the method. I feel a bit cheated that no one had explained before how easy it is to recognise the signs of the fertile days. It was almost as easy as being able to tell that its raining. On fertile days we didn't have PV sex but natural methods didn't disrupt our sex life. I'm more likely to orgasm from oral any way.

I had 3 children and I got pregnant only when we wanted to. I have gone through the menopause now.

Yasmin. Excellent but then stopped taking it because of migraines. No pregnancies and lovely skin.

Went off it got spotty four months later I got pregnant, had a miscarriage, got pregnant again six months later, ruptured ectopic. Six weeks later pregnant again - had DS, 6 months later pregnant with DD. Ropey skin and low libido.

Stopped breast feeding three months ago and went back on Yasmin despite the GP's warning about risk of stroke, great skin, no perceptible weight gain. Love it but not very good at taking it these days.

I took Microgynon from the age of 18 to 32. I have PCOS. I loved having normal periods!

Apart from a bit of acne & weight gain when I first started on the Pill, I didn't notice any adverse effects. I did, however notice big differences after coming off it. At the time, I said I felt I had been 'unwrapped' - the hormones had given me some sense of woolly detachment from life, which disappeared with a vengeance on stopping them.

I preferred feeling all my feelings. I became more focused & dynamic - this was the point when my career really took off, though I can't say whether the two developments were connected.

I also became a lot more voracious sexually The endocrinologist I later consulted for my PCOS told me that this is a fairly common feature of the syndrome, being linked with higher androgen levels.

In the same vein - though not contraceptive - he put me on spironolactone for two years, to see what differences I observed with less free testosterone. There were differences: very subtle, but also important. I felt "nicer" - softer, somehow, although not the same blanketed feeling as when I was on the Pill. Also, men were much kinder to me! Neither the consultant nor I had expected this; it was a real effect. Might the drug have altered my pheromones? I was sorry to have to come off the spiro.

Menopause started on my 50th birthday and I've been on HRT ever since. I've no intention of stopping it! PCOS doesn't leave when the ovaries do, and I've had enough bloody trouble with my natural hormones

i started taking the pill at 15 due to extremely heavy painful periods which lasted 10-14 days and would go through a super plus tampon in an hour. caught pregnant twice whilst on pill, ds's now 16 and 13. started the depo injection when ds2 was a month old, but developed awful migraines where i couldnt see, and threw up if i moved. came off that at 22 due to consultant telling me i was at risk of a stroke. went back on pill. for 2 years then came off it to ttc. had 2 dd's within a year of each other, then had implant put in day after dd2 was born. have just had my 4th one put in a couple of weeks ago. have gained weight (gone from size 10 to a 14) but that could be lifestyle and food related. libido dropped for ages, but new dp helped with that. periods are stopped at moment, but expected to come back in about 2 years like they did with the last implant. love it. so easy and not got pregnant on it so far.

I was on the pill from when I was 16 until I tried to conceive my first child. The only good thing about it is that you can run two packets together to skip a period. Something I did all the time because my periods were heavy and painful and my pmt was crazy. After I gave birth I was persuaded to have the implant which sent me crazy and caused me to bleed non stop for 3 months until I got them to take it out again. I then went back on the pill until we tried to conceive my second child. After I gave birth they were plugging the mirena which I said no to as bit squeamish about something being inside me. I'm. Now considering getting sterilised so I never have to use hormonal contraception again.

I was a late developer and started the combined pill from the age of 19. At about the age of 25 I tried the implant but bled constantly, had no libido and it unfortunately caused problems with my relationship. I was then put on the mini-pill because I gained a lot of weight and was at risk of DVT. Then I came off it and had my daughter. After she was born and I was back on form :-) I went back on the mini-pill but I had some side effects. I came off it again and we employed the natural withdrawel method but I didn't want to risk another pregnancy (condoms were not for us, and my first pregnancy was fudging AWFUL which put me off for life) so went back on the mini-pill. I wanted a copper coil, but the doctor at the sexual health centre couldn't "get it in". There is no perfect contraception with me. I still have side effects such as dryness and lack of libido but its the best of a bad lot.

GuyRopes - yes. I had about 3 months bleeding with the Mirena, then regular periods which lessened each month until I got it removed. With Implanon I had nearly 6 months bleeding, then occasional irregular bleeding which did eventually stop. I have to say, aside from the fertility issues I experienced after having the Implanon, I had less issues with this than anything else. No nasty moods, very little weight change, negligible effect on my skin.

In contrast, the copper coil, billed as hormone-free & therefore less disruptive, has been one of the worst for me. I forgot to mention in my previous post - I've just started ADs for the first time in several years, have got several really nasty spots at present (skin not usually too bad these days). Oh yes and it's not guaranteed - I got pregnant last Autumn & mc'd. I have to say though, my periods haven't been any more painful, although they have been longer, since I had it in.

DH had promised he will get a vasectomy when our family is complete - until then we are going back to condoms. I will probably get an Implanon when our family is complete, until DH gets snipped.

Cerazette from 16-18/19. No periods, no weight gain, really helped my eczema.
Had the implant fitted in 2009 at 18/19yr old. Horribly heavy periods, they came every 2 weeks for a week at a time, sometimes longer. I also put loads of weight on. Persevered for 2 or 3 years before going back to cerazette. Was on this another year or two with random periods every 4 or so months. I started a course of amitriptyline for medical reasons and had the mirena put in to avoid unwanted pregnancy early 2013. Had this in for over 2 years, no periods, not even a spot, no weight gain, never "felt it" until recently and now me and my partner can feel it every time we have intercourse. It is coming out next week as we are TTC.
For ease of use and period wise the mirena has been the best.
Implant was awful, and the minipill fits nicely in between.

I am almost 39, had my 3rd nexplanon implant in last week. No bleeding at all, still quite spotty once a month though.
No libido whatsoever

I took Cerazette for 2 years when I was 18. A few years later I had the injection.
Both gave me incredibly long light periods and I felt tense all the time like PMT. I have an anxiety disorder and it definitely didn't help.
I can't take the combined pill as I have migraines so I'm limited in choice. I'm perfectly happy using condoms but they are expensive, I know you can get them free at clinics but that is a hassle.
I don't know lots about it but I wish in the UK we had ormeloxifene which they have in India and is a drug but is non hormonal that you take once a week. It looks good. I'm not sure why it's only in India.
Also male contraception! I don't wanna take drugs, he can!

None of the combined Pills I ever tried controlled my cyclical bleeding plus the stress of trying to remember to take it. Deepo - gained huge amount of weight and it didn't control my bleeding. Mirena didn't control my bleeding and the threads irritated my vagina - after 20 months I had it out as couldn't stand it anymore.

Ended up being sterilised.

The IUD isn't hormonal. It's the IUS that is.

Maybe you should change the thread title?

I went on the Pill aged 14 and was fine until 18 when I became exceptionally anxious. Obviously I did not associate this with the Pill as I had been on it without problems for so long. However, the anxiety got worse and nothing helped until I came off the Pill for other reasons and immediately felt happier and calmer. I hoped it was a coincidence as in other respects the Pill was great for me not least because it cured my acne; so I tried to go back on it again a few years later. The anxiety retuned with a vengeance. I've tried various brands but it always happens and now I've given up trying and accepted I cannot tolerate the Pill.

I used various combined pills from being a teenager with no problems. After birth of my son I had the implant. I had no periods to speak of and seemed fine for a while then started getting headaches and migraines more and more frequently. After this went on for a few months I started getting dizzy and nausea spells so bad I struggled to be active at times for more than a short period. My partner said I was emotional too. Researched if these were side effects and found they can be so had it removed and was fine after a week! Never again!!!!! I now have the copper coil and fingers crossed no problems.

I will never use a hormonal contraceptive again.
I used the pill in my teens and early twenties and depo provera after that.
With both I put on a lot of weight, had terrible skin, couldn't get lubricated or orgasm during sex and had terrible mood swings.
I tried several different pills, including microgynon, cilest and Yasmin but they were all awful.
Now I am no longer on any hormonal contraception, I am 'normal' in mood, slim and can enjoy sex.

Great contraception because no one would want to sleep with you and you don't enjoy sex so don't bother!

I went on the pill (microgynon) when I was 15 and came off it just before Christmas, I'm now 26. I didn't have any problems being on it.