Questions on contraceptive pill

[Berry124]

Ok thankyou the doctor didnt say anything at all, they frustrate me alot as they dont tell me much and im only 17. I will ring up tomorrow mornimg and as for the doctor to ring me sometime during theday to help me and will write notes plus arrange an appointment to talk about how I am getting on including the anxiety, which still lingers in the back of my head. I definately want to have councelling for my anxiety as my body doesnt generally respond well to medications,probably why I am getting pms also.

[Heather]

Well, sometimes we have to ask doctors for what we want. For instance, not every patient will need more instruction than their patient information with medication provides. Others want that. So, you have to ask for what you need and want.

And again, with basic instructions to take medications, that's information you can always walk into a pharmacy and ask a pharmacist for, as that's part of their job.

As well, once more, take a look at the patient information leaflet that came with your pill, and note the common side effects. From the sounds of things, you're not having anything unusual, but instead, having what's very common for new pill users. So, I don't see any reason to suspect your body is not responding to this medication or that you are having anything happen that isn't common for many pill users.

[Berry124]

Yeah I need to remember everything, which I did last time so the anxiety etc which was good as I felt some weight go off my shoulders but by the time I went to bed the same day I realised I didn't ask questions. I read the leaflet and remember seeing symptoms like breast tenderness which is due to progesterone isn't it and the pill contains that but it's reassuring as you said about by what I'm saying it sounds pretty normal plus my period was just a week ago and I started the pills near the end so that would allow it to work better or more easily wouldn't it? With anxiety in general, I find it gets worse when I am feeling a bit off and need something to distract myself, do you have any suggestions of what I could do whilst waiting for my appointment(I am a pretty impatient person half the time) which will be next year.

[Berry124]

Can I also say I find it kind of cool that I have learnt so much about the body in the areas that the site focuses on, but also seen alot of interesting content about other things such as relationships and sexuality etc. I am kind of in love with this site in terms of there being reliable information and services out there for teens or adults to access without judgement that you would get if say you were to ask a friend or parent.

[Heather]

Sorry that wait is so long!

Because we have so many users lately with anxiety, I've been burying myself in reading about managing it for the last year. One of the clearest strategies I keep seeing, like a lot, and is something everyone can do on their own goes like this in a very simplified form:

1) You identify what seemed to get anxiety going (whenever it happens).
2) You go ahead and kind of ride it for a little bit, just experiencing it, and then also going ahead and observing the anxiety-fueled thoughts you have.
3) When you feel like you've gone ahead and let yourself make all those observations, you then interrupt the anxiety with something you use to calm yourself down, be that a session of yoga or deep breathing, a walk outside, talking to someone, journaling, listing to your favorite songs, whatever.
4) Then you check back in with yourself, looking back at those anxiety-thoughts and notice, now that you have calmed yourself down, that they aren't sound, and now observe your thoughts with anxiety dialed down.

Make sense? How about giving that a try the next few times anxiety starts up for you, and see how that goes for you?

And I'm always happy when anyone who comes here finds they just really enjoy geeking out here. Obviously, given how many years I've been doing this work, I find it all pretty fascinating, too!

[Berry124]

Yeah I have to wait two weeks to see a doctor as it is. That makes sense, I will try that because when I am in a calm happy state, I find I always say to myself "you're fine, you just worry there's no reason to get paranoid" or something along the lines but when I am feeling down or ill and tired, ill be like "I can't cope oh my gosh what if......" or "what if this is a sign that something is different or wrong?..". Like with my past fears/anxieties, I always got worse when I wasn't happy but when I felt happy and fine, I would say to myself "look this doesn't cause what your thinking of because a).... b)... and c).... so stop thinking about it" and even sometimes with past fears/anxiety, like pregnancy ones from things that don't have a risk of pregnancy, I would be like "I know it's not possible and know I'm not, so stop".

Yeah I do tend to go a bit geeky if there's something I am interested in, as I literally like to know everything, to the point of me being the one to answer peoples questions on something, like biology(fave subject and am studying at higher level) haha

[Berry124]

I looked at the leaflet that came with the pills and all the things that you tend to get when using the pill are pretty much like pms apart from the fact that I need to urinate more like I do before a period, do you know why this is, is it because of the progesterone or something? I don't have a UTI as I was tested but I find I need to urinate more before a period and this isn't listed on the leaflet, is that a sign that there's something wrong? It's been a week exactly since first starting the pill(not worried about pregnancy, I haven't done anything that can lead to pregnancy plus I had a period that was average for four days anyway).

A bit of an update with tackling anxiety, I said to my boyfriend that I wasn't able to participate with some sexual things that I have anxiety over as it doesn't help me in any way to non stop freak out about it as I still get that annoying voice saying what ifs in the back of my head and he fully understood

[Mo]

There's really no way for us to know what might be causing you to urinate more often. You know it isn't a UTI since you were tested for it, and unless you're having pain with urination or other significant pain/health issues, I don't see it as cause for concern. If you are really worrying about it, though, then the thing to do would be to call your doctor. We just can't diagnose anything like that here.

[Berry124]

ok will do, think it's just I drank lot haha. I just wondered if people tend to urinate more when before a period (and I don't mean pregnant people) because my mum said she used to.

Also, with the pill, does it keep your body in the Secretory stage(sorry if it's spelt wrong). I was looking into understanding my pills just out of general curiosity and the pill seems to me to create the conditions/phases that happen during this stage of menstruation when progesterone is higher and does things like causes PMS and dries up cervical fluid so it looks dryer and is lighter. Thx

[Berry124]

Hi, I've just been put on antibiotics for something and was told by the doctor that contraceptives will be affected in term of their effectiveness. Now I know by this he means if I were to take part in unprotected sexual activities while taking the pill and antibiotics, then I would have a risk of pregnancy. This isn't my worry as I haven't taken part in any activity that has risk of pregnancy and don't plan to, but what I wanted to ask is do I still keep taking the pills when on antibiotics? Thankyou.

[Sam W]

Hi Berry,

Yes, you keep taking your birth control pills as normal. The only consideration is if you do have sex, to make sure you use a barrier (like a condom) to make up for the potential decrease in effectiveness from your pill

[Berry124]

Hi, Ok that's fine then, got it Yeah my doctor said that if the contraceptive pill was for birth control to use a barrier method but I don't take part in things that cause risk of pregnancy nor plan to any time soon so no worries there, thank you

[Berry124]

By sex do you mean intercourse or direct genital contact which would lead to fluid sharing? I never do any of this but I just get paranoid.

[Berry124]

Is it normal to get pms symptoms when you have nearly finished one pack, I have four more pills left to take out of the pack and noticed my chest started to hurt and I have more spots coming up. Would me taking antibiotics affect me and the pill and create these pms symptoms. Its been 20days since the start of my last period and I started taking the pill on the third may of my period.

[Snorkmaiden]

Hi Berry,
I've been on the pill for a long time, so I can try to answer that:
Yes, it's normal to get those symptoms at that time, because your period is getting closer. Just like it would be normal to get them if you weren't taking the pill. After all, the pill does not overwrite your normal cycle completely.

[Berry124]

Oh okthats useful to answer my question then so its normal to experience and do you still get pms signs near your period that you would get when not on the pill when you are on the pill then no matter how long you have been on it? I was wondering what if my period didnt happen in the pill free week, is it normal for someone first starting the pill. If it did happen to me, despite my anxiety I get (having fear of pregnancy from things that dont have pregnancy risk) I know I would NOT be pregnant so wondered if the pill would be a cause for it.

[Snorkmaiden]

Most people who menstruate skip a period every once in a while. That is normal all by itself. And sure, starting to use the pill can shake things up for a while, so yes, that makes it even less of a concern if that happens.

The pill does not overwrite your normal cycle completely, so PMS symptoms can happen when you're taking it. That stays the same no matter how long you've been on the pill.

[Berry124]

Ok thanks just wanted to know because knowing me I would panic thinking things and that I did something wrong when taking the pill.

Oh ok I see so the increased discharge around the second week of my cycle and pms following it, the pill doesn't stop that, ok got it Thanks

[Berry124]

I feel like my body is trying to ovulate or that it has already ovulated, as there is increased discharge and pms started after my chest felt heavy like it does when I'm ovulating/near ovulation/have ovulated. I think this as I went to the toilet and sorry if this sounds gross but there was a lot of discharge and I have also been feeling more discharge on my underwear for the past three days now I also went to the toilet and think I saw a bit of pink in discharge that was dried on my underwear? It was a tiny speck. I thought the pill was supposed to stop you from ovuating and thicken discharge??

[Berry124]

I am still confused with the pill, I had increased discharge again today yet the information on the pill states that it is designed to thicken the cervical mucus because this pill is a contraceptive on so it does it to stop sperm, however I have had a slight increase. Plus, I have had thicker dryer discharge for nearly the whole length of the pack, then I get pms and it gets heavier, is my body just not properly adjusted to it yet or? I started the pills on the third day of my period (as that's when I got them) and so it has now been three weeks so 22 days since my last period. Is this happening because my normal cycle would be near the end as I generally range between 21-26 days and I have two pills left to take before my next period on the pill. Is my 'normal' cycle(the one I would have without the pill) trying to happen it's own way or is it adjusting to the pill. It seemed to be working because the discharge stayed the same throughout the month like it would after a period/before where it's all dry and less.

[Berry124]

It seemed like I spotted yesterday and i am worried that the pill is causing problems or something, that and it don't help that I am always paranoia.

[Berry124]

Is it normal to have less of the lining come out during my withdrawel bleed after taking it for a month? Only smaller amounts are coming out and I just wondered as my withdrawel bleed is still going on the sixth day and my normal periods for two months before I started the pill where alot heavier onsecond day and lasted for four days.

[Karyn]

The pill can cause all of those changes, yep. Although it may not be that you're seeing less of the lining, but that it's just more liquid this time. Just like when you are not on the pill, the length and amount of flow of your withdrawal bleeds on the pill can vary, and many people find that their withdrawal bleeds are slightly different from the periods they had before starting the pill. Something else to keep in mind is that your body may still be adjusting to the pill, and it can take a few months before your withdrawal bleeds settle into a pattern and you figure out what your normal is.

[Berry124]

Ok thankyou for replying. I am seeing alot more fluid yeah and had cramps on off throughout the pill free week and during my bleed. Its the seventh day and has gone to brown discharge, does that mean that bleeding is still going and would I count it as still bleeding? Im trying to record my bleeds and wondered also if the number of days I am bleeding for includes half the day of light bleeding or spotting?
Thx

[Redskies]

Yep, you would count that as having some bleeding on that day. If you're wanting to keep detailed records, you can of course note whether you're having heavy or light flow on each day