contraception

[fruitcake]

Hi. Does anyone know of a hormonal contraceptive which doesn't cause weight gain (water retention, increased appetite) and breast swelling/tenderness? Other than Mirena or the patch, which I've already tried... Thanks!

microgynon 30 was good for me, everything stayed the same really, no weight gain etc... no pains, AF was regular as clock work, But my friend also on Microgynon she lost weight on it, then when she cam eoff she put a load on so I think it depends on what works for u.

Thanks, jingleballs.

Gosh - I piled on weight on microgynon as was hungry all the time (bit like being up the duff!!). Changed to marvelon and lost it all. I guess it's finding one that suits but I work in family planning & a lot of women complain of weight gain on microgynon.

Used to work in this area! Different women will have different reactions on different pills/hormonal contraception. Most side effects on the combined pill are due to the Ethinyl oestradiol, but people do react to the synthetic progesterones as well. There is more variety in the progesterone used, they have different chemical structures (slightly ) and therefore can vary in the side effects produced. It is all a case of finding which one suits you, as each womans responsce will be slightly different.

nik, I heard that and all the other horror storys of microgynon once I came off of it after 6 years, as I say thou I had absolutly no problems with it from 16-22.

Ask dp to have a vasectomy?

CP, I did ask dh to have the snip. He's thinking about it. (!) I don't want to have my "tubes tied", so fair enough.

HMB, I realise that reactions & side-effects vary according to the woman but was hoping that there is a super-super mini pill that would do the trick?

Otherwise, it's back to the IUD (sigh!) as am allergic to latex & Avanti slips off (just had a miscarriage because of this). Also get cystitis v. easily. Not many options!

Thanks, all!

Was just thinking that contraception should be a mumsnet topic... anyone agree?

I've been having the contraceptive injection (Deprovera?). You have it every three months. Took about 6 months to settle down but now works really well and I don't have periods ! But I think you need to have completed your family as it can take a while for your fertility to come back after you stop. Would thoroughly recommend it.

Santa, reading conception as contraception, eh? What would Freud et al. think of that?

fruitcake - what don't you like about the Mirena?