Birth Control Side Effects?

[batman5808]

Hello Everybody,

I'm glad I found this site! Let me start off by saying that I am a 24 year old woman in a committed relationship. I recently started using birth control pills (Levora). My first pack was in September and the only side effect I experienced was sore breasts. I was not sexually active that month. During the second pack I was sexually active (with a condom of course) and again the only side effect I experienced was sore breasts.

I had protected sex again on the second day of my active pills while on the third pack. I was actually intimate on the day right after my period ended. I am currently on my last week of active pills before the week of placebo pills starts. For about a little over a week, I have experienced: sore breasts, nausea, mild and short abdominal cramps in the lower and upper abdomen, and bloatedness. I doubt I am pregnant because of the fact that I have never missed a pill and the fact that I haven't done anything else that could have affected the efficacy of it i.e. thrown up, diarrhea, or taken other medications. I have also taken 2 pregnancy tests and they have come out to be negative, although maybe it is too soon to test. We also used a condom, and my boyfriend also did not ejaculate. Am I safe to assume this is not the case?

My main concern here is: are these all symptoms of the birth control I am taking? Why am I experiencing these symptoms after almost three months of taking them, without experiencing many symptoms before? Is this normal? Thank you for your time.

[Mo]

It's possible that part or all of what you're experiencing is related to side effects of the pill, but it isn't really possible to prove that either way. Side effects can pop up after a little while; they won't always show up right away (althoguh that tends to be more common). Keep in mind, too, that digestive symptoms such as nausea, abdominal cramps, etc. are extremely common for many people! They can be related to stress, diet, or other illnesses.

We always recommend that any time someone's worried about pregnancy, they go ahead and test, which you did already - so that's great! If you followed the instructions on the test package, in terms of when to test, then you can be sure you didn't do it too early.

[batman5808]

Ok so it is normal to experience side effects randomly? Or to have them appear in some months, but not others? Thank you by the way.

[Mo]

It is! And you're quite welcome.
Also, any time you're worried about side effects from a medication you're taking, you can call the doctor who prescribed it and ask them about your situation. I don't think there's a need to do that now! But I wanted to mention it, because I know some folks don't realize that's an option.

[batman5808]

I've contacted my ob/gyn already, I am just waiting for a response. So again, because personally I like to ingrain information in my head by hearing it over and over again, having lots of side effects one month and hardly any in another month is perfectly normal right?

Sorry! I apologize!

[Heather]

It's our policy not to do engage in that way about pregnancy fears, so what you can do if you like to read us saying the same thing again and again is read it again and again, or read other answers like yours on the boards.

For reference about that, the policy about pregnancy scares you will often see restated here on the boards looks like so:
We will not answer ANY questions about pregnancy fear or anxiety in our direct services from users who are not pregnant or who are not or have not otherwise been directly involved with an actual pregnancy.

Please do not post this kind of question. If you are seeing this text, and your thread is locked, it is because you have posted this kind of question.

We CAN and WILL talk about things like:
• choosing and using a method or methods of contraception for any future sexual activity
• creating your own sexual limits and boundaries based on your needs and/or presenting them to any partners
• making sexual choices that suit your own needs, abilities and limitations, including your own readiness for certain possible risks
• help locating or using emergency contraception if and when you have had a pregnancy risk
• discussing options with a real, existing pregnancy, and help finding and accessing those options, such as abortion services and pre-natal care, or discussing feelings or concerns about a past pregnancy
• help with anxiety like locating mental health services, sound self-help or asking for support from friends or family

For help dealing with a scare (including what poses a risk and your next steps based on your unique situation), you may use our tool on site built for this purpose: The Pregnancy Panic Companion.
For help with anxiety, click here.
For related help and information at Scarleteen, click here.
If you would like more information about this policy, click here.