Contraception dilemma - Cerazette <shudder> or coil? Any experience anyone?

[DorrisMcWenceslas]

I'm having a contraception problem!
Basic facts are:

Overactive Thyroid
yet overweight (typical!)
loads of contraception therefore ruled out by GP due to side effects of weight gain.

I've been offered cerazette which I knew nothing about until I saw a thread on here this evening that struck me with the living fear of god! I have the prescription for this in my bag but now I'm not at all sure.

My only other option is the coil (not the mirena one, just the normal one).

So, what are the pros and cons of each? The GP is extremely keen for me to be on something (just been using condoms up to now) as getting pregnant whilst on my thyroid meds is apparently a very, very bad thing.

Bummer.

yeah, you need to be 100% certain before taking the option I'm looking at.

I don't like the idea of the copper coil for me - heavier periods and PMT not for me.

At least if you try cerazette and don't like it, you can stop it and have it out of your system quickly. A bit more of a faff with a coil.

I have a past history of depression, and have been fine from that point of view with cerazette too.

If you did get on OK with cerazette, that would pave the way for you to possibly go for an implant later down the line if you want something longer-term but not final.

Yes, that puts me off too but it seems to be that or evil banshee or possible pregnancy whilst on carbimazole (huge no no).
I suppose I could always try to lose around 5 stone very quickly.

Thank You Emma
I am soooo undecided here!
It is definitely the definition of being between a rock and a hard place.

I have tried cerazette on two separate occassions, for 3 months each time. Really didn't get on well with it- bled almost constantly, sometimes quite lightly, sometimes really heavily- which didn't seem to settle even after 3 months. I too am a bit prone to mood swings/depression, even though have never been formally diagnosed, and found I felt a lot worse while on cerazette (confirmed by DH!). I've decided not to try it ever again! However I did then try micronor (another progesterone only pill) which was much better- bleeding pretty much stopped altogether, wasn't too moody etc.- but you have to remember to take it on time every day (you only get a 3hr window each day) which sometimes I was crap at!
We are TTC at the moment but after this I plan to try the non-hormonal coil. My Mum has used a coil since she had us and it's been brilliant for her. Blood pressure & clotting probs mean I shouldn't go near oestrogen when not pregnant!

Good luck deciding, it's very tough to know what'll work best as it seems people react so differently.

I am now trying micronor too, and so far so good!

I'm probably slightly biased (seeing as I started the other thread warning people about Cerazette...)
But as I posted there I was unbelievably depressed on this pill. So much so that I kept thinking about ways to kill myself and my children.

Obviously not everyone reacts that way, so if your Dh is set to "crazy alert monitor" then it could be worth a go.

I did deteriorate very rapidly, but started to perk up within days of stopping taking it.

Thank you all again! Right, I have made a decision!
I don't think I can pump any more meds into my body at the moment (the carbimazole is taking it's toll as it is!)without driving myself slowly crazy.
Sooooo, it's the coil for me - not desperately impressed, but, as I said before, short of losing 5 stone ish in the next month, I have little choice!
Thanks for all your advice (and RF thanks for your thread too, the GP didn't explain any of the possible side effects to me at all )

DorrisMcW - Sorry, haven't looked at thread since last night. Wasn't prone to moods before (I don't think, at least) and didn't notice any change from previous pills I'd taken (microgynon, marvelon, French one called varnoline). But you have to take your own decision.

Thank you jkk
Yes, I feel happier with my decision now it's made iyswim!
I'm, supposed to take the cerazette on the first day of my period (which is today - sorry tmi!) and I haven't even collected my prescription yet so I'm just going to leave it and not collect it.
The non-hormonal part of the coil appeals to me. I'm bad with hormones!!

I used a cap for some time many years ago - no hormones, nothing permanent and, although a bit messy to start with, no problems, no side-effects and you're in control. So poss worth thinking about before coil insertion.

Yes, I hadn't though of the cap, shall research! Thank you

I was on cerazette, I didn't have a period for months which was great but after a few months I started to notice the mood swings.

As I have endometriosis and painful periods I had to way up which I wanted, no periods and mood swings or periods and normality.

I stopped taking cerazette to see how I would go. So far so good

Just thought I would add my own experience. I'm a try it and see kind of person, well with most things anyway

You might be pleasantly surprised if you go for the copper coil. It's the best contraceptive I've tried. Really don't know it's there and my periods are pretty much back to normal. (And I've tried the cap, BTW. Really is too much effort IMO.)

If you can be bothered to chart your cycles (take temps etc) then you can know when you are fertile and when you're not. Obviously since you're on a nasty drug you'd want to be v. careful, but you could for instance use one method (eg cap or diaphragm) all the time and combine it with condoms/spermicide etc for added care when you know you are or could be fertile. This would be a very safe combination and would avoid all the hormones and also the coil.

If you are prone to moodiness/depression, I've also found charting v. helpful from that point of view - made it much more obvious which elements were hormonal and made me feel much more in control in general. It's all quite interesting too. There's a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" that explains it if you're interested. I don't plan ever to take hormonal contraception after learning about it - it seems so unnecessary, especially as I have long cycles and am definitely not fertile for the best part of 3 weeks each cycle.

I'm on cerazette, history of SAD/depression. Bit of spotting for 2 weeks, and moods absolutely fine - I'm taking a lower dose of ADs than usual this year.

Hello ladies, thank you so much for all the great advice on this thread it has really helped me to make up my mind about which direction to head in (still planning on trying the coil and avoiding hormonal contraception if i can!)
Arionater, I like the idea of all that, I think my moods are very hormone related and it would be really interesting to see by how much iyswim.
x

Could you not just carry on with condoms - or is the MAP contraindicated with your meds?

The Gp has said that becoming pregnant on the carbimazole is a huge no no as it very often leads to nasty birth defects or miscarriage.
She says I could continue with the condoms but as mistakes can be made (splits etc I presume!) she'd rather I was on something a bit more 'permanent'.

Hi i have a over active thriod and on 10mg carbimazole and i have just had a baby she is a healthy one month old ... from my understanding if you are having radio iodine treatment then yes it is a big no no to fall pregnant but whilst i was pregnant i took my carbimazole through out and my baby girl is perfectly healthy and so am i.. the only risks to my knowledge is if you stop taking carbimazole when pregnant as it can lead t6o baby having a thyriod problem..
as for the cerazette i too have been prescribed this and i am not going to take it i am holding to to get the copper coil as i do not want to go through the mood swings that i had when on the mirena coil .. i also have poly cystic ovary syndrome and prone to depression.
so just thought i would put your mind at ease on the whole pregnancy/thyriod subject !