DD and birth control- WWYD?

[DancingQueen12]

DD16 has been on birth control pills for just over a year now for her periods (she’s not sexually active). She was on rigevidon for a year and is now finishing three months on gederal. They’ve stopped her throwing up (thankfully) and she’s able to attend to school but she says she is still in awful pain. She’s become very moody over time but I’m not sure if that’s because of the pill or just a coincidence. She’s been complaining of breast pain when she’s on (which is unusual for her) and stomach cramps, diarrhoea and bloating over the last few months even when she’s not due, so she wants to change birth control pills, especially since they haven’t helped her periods much. The last couple of appointments she’s had have been over the phone due to Covid and I imagine this next one will be too. So my question is, would you encourage her to keep swapping birth control or would you encourage her to stick it out for another three months?

Has she considered a marina coil?

She looked into it but doesn’t like the idea of ‘something going up inside her’, is how she put it. I think she’s heard mixed opinions about it (and so have I) and I think she’s a bit worried about it hurting and such.

Would she consider birth control which would stop her periods?

I suffered as a teenager with horrendous period pain and went on the combined pill but as I get migraines I got swapped on to Cerazette, it completely changed my life! No periods and no monthly migraines. Could she ask about this? Or the implant?

Honestly, I think she’d quite like that! She’s not very assertive and kind of goes with whatever the nurse says, even if it’s not what she wants, which is how she ended up on rigevidon for so long- because the nurse kept suggesting she took it for a bit longer. I can’t really help her out when it’s phone appointments, so it’s really up to her

The coil can be painful on fitting but I had horrendous periods all my life until it was fitted. It took 6 months to settle but I haven't had one since. It isn't pleasant but that short time period of pain and embarrassment verses the long term benefit from no periods is well worth it.

@KatherineJaneway I’m glad that it helped you. I think it could help her and I’ll talk to her about it but I don’t want to force her into something she doesn’t want.

I'll be having quite in-depth conversations with my girls about this. I will encourage them to go for the marina coil and go with them etc if need be.

@DancingQueen12

I get that completely. I didn't know about the coil until decades after I was 16. I just wish someone had told me much earlier about this option. The bliss of no periods cannot be communicated adequately once you have suffered badly from them.

@rhowton I’d happily go with her to get it fitted if that’s what she wants but she’s a bit squeamish with things like that and won’t even use a tampon.
@KatherineJaneway I was lucky in the fact that my periods didn’t get too bad until I was in my twenties and seeing my now-husband and my problems were quickly solved with a combination pill that I still take twenty years on!

It is definitely worth exploring other options, at her age I was the same and just went with what was suggested. As I’ve got older I have found a brilliant doctor who has prescribed something that really changed my life. I have come off it now as we are hoping to TTC next year

I had bad breast pain and cramps as a teen (late starter at 18 and on pill). Primrose oil made a significant difference within a couple of months, and I noticed the pain came back if I stopped taking too. Stopped taking in my early 20s when everything had settled down.

Cerazette doesn't always stop periods; some women get erratic or constant bleeding with it. Mirena was ok for me while I had it but they can migrate and if the strings go missing they can be hard to remove. Mine needed removing under general anaesthetic.

@Glitterb She’s only been seeing a nurse practitioner (instead of a doctor) who at first suggested waiting and seeing if things settled down (despite DD throwing up each month and missing three to four days of school each period) and has since tried to convince DD to continue taking each medicine she prescribed, despite DD not wanting to. I wondering about seeking a ‘second opinion’ but it’s difficult when she’s been seeing the same person for a while and they’re the one who does her phone appointments.
@WeAllHaveWings I’ve heard of that and DD takes vitamins with it in, but we’re not sure what the dosage is in the vitamins and also how much she should take (of the primrose oil) to help.

I would say definitely try other options and hopefully she will find something that helps her more.

I went on the pill when I was 16. The doctor prescribed me rigevidon. It was okay and caused me no problems, and I didn't know any different), and I just stuck with it for 5 years until dh and I decided to ttc so I came off it.

After I had my baby I went back on it. I asked to go back on the same pill as it was all I knew. Anyway I had so many problems trying to take it, it made me feel so sick I struggled to take it, I had stomach cramps, heavy bleeding, bleeding mid pack (it was worse than when I wasn't on it when we were ttc).

So I went back to the doctors and explained and I switched to microgynon 30. It was the best thing I did. No problems at all, my withdrawal bleeds were lighter and shorter than when I was originally on rigevidon.

I just wish I hadn't just gone with what I was given when I was 16, and had tried a different pill instead as my current one is much better for me.

So based on that I'd say don't just put up with it when there's so many more options available.

@dementedpixie That sounds awful! I think stories like that is what puts my DD off so much.

100% seek a specialist opinion if you can . Female Gynae DR if you can .

My friends a nurse practitioner. She said there is so many pill options and keep trying until you find one. My teenage daughter stopped the pill as they were making her really down and moody. She tried the patch which was good but shes decided to get the implant as she can get it in and forget about it for a few years. Theres also the jag she could try. I'd defo encourage her to try various pills or other options till she finds something that suits her.

No, don't stick to one that's not working. There are so many and people react differently. She needs a MUCH better medical practitioner. Don't be afraid to ask for someone else.

@DancingQueen12 could you try a GUM clinic instead? They are usually brilliant in advice for contraception

Yes, she should keep trying different options. Also she should be open to trying other medications in a combined approach because birth control can’t alleviate all period side effects.

On a side note sugar free fizzy drinks have a chemical in them that can boost inflammation...for me they causes breast pain during my ovulation days. So sometimes it’s a combination of diet plus hormones causing things.

You really have to play detective and help her try different approaches. 3 months on any one approach is enough to tell if a difference. Going a entire year is ridiculous can’t believe a nurse suggested that!

@anonacatchat I think that’s where we’re heading but I think we need a referral for that?
@Scbchl DD has mentioned the patch a couple of times because she thinks it might reduce the stomach upset she’s being experiencing but it’s never been mentioned to us by the nurse.
@MJMG2015 I plan to do so but with Covid it has become difficult since we can’t choose who rings DD for her phone appointments.
@Glitterb What is a GUM clinic? I will google it in a minute though.
@PlanDeRaccordement I think she is open to other medications, it’s just we’ve been told that birth control will help her best. She tried tranexamic acid in the past which didn’t help and she’s already taking 400mg ibuprofen and co-codamol to control the pain as well. What other medications do you know of that could help? I didn’t know that and it’s quite possible since DD prefers sugar free fizzy drinks (but she’ll only have a couple of glasses over the weekend and none during the week). At the time I didn’t think so because it was the same pill I am on and thought she was overreacting a bit but clearly it wasn’t working for her.

@happymummy12345 I’m sorry you had a horrible experience with rigevidon. She thankfully never had breakthrough bleeding but experienced similar affects as to you, but maybe not as severe. She is getting better at asking for what she wants and letting the nurse know what she knows about what’s going on with her own body.

You can self refer if you can afford to go private usually but I think this nurse shouldn’t be asking her to stick something making her so unwell!

I wouldn’t fancy the coil either !

Keep trying different versions of the pill.
I wouldn't go for a coil in someone so young - for starters, the insertion could be very tricky in her situation (no births) and the mirena doesn't suit a significant proportion of people who have it (me included - I had mine removed after four horrific months).

@anonacatchat Going private is something we’ve looked at but I don’t think we could afford it right now. She’s due another appointment in the next couple of weeks so hopefully she’ll be able to speak to someone else.
@mineofuselessinformation I’ve heard that the coil is better suited for people who have had children and I’d hate for her to through a painful insertion only to have it removed a couple of months later. She seems happy to continue taking tablets so I think we’ll stick with them for now unless she wants to try something new, like the patch which doesn’t need inserting.