HajaMy first two thoughts after receiving the invite to Bon Prix on the Rocks were something along the lines of 'OH MY GOD AN EVENT IN THE NORTH' and 'party time'! It's not often I get to doll myself up a little and go out (I'm in uni, I know it should be a regular occasion but clubs aren't my cup of tea) so I was super excited to choose my dress and get my best heels on.
My first two thoughts after receiving the invite to Bon Prix on the Rocks were something along the lines of 'OH MY GOD AN EVENT IN THE NORTH' and 'party time'! It's not often I get to doll myself up a little and go out (I'm in uni, I know it should be a regular occasion but clubs aren't my cup of tea) so I was super excited to choose my dress and get my best heels on.
Charlotte Greene
Charlotte Green @ForgedOpulence
When I was fifteen, I had gone to my primary care physician because my menstrual cycle was getting progressively more painful over the course of the 2.5 years that I had been having it; painful to the point where I was fainting in the middle of my school day because I just couldn't handle the way my body was reacting to menstruation.
After making my doctor aware of the symptoms (which included fainting spells, crippling pain, excessively heavy flow, and unpredictable cycles), she diagnosed me with Dysmenorrhea, or "painful periods," and I was subsequently prescribed oestrogen based birth control pills. I was taking them regularly without any change, and about 5 months after my start, my doctor decided to switch my prescription to a progesterone based birth control pill after diagnosing me with PCOS.
At 15 years old. I was on these for about a year without much change. The only thing I remember clearly was that the pain associated with my menstrual cycle was a little more dull, but nothing else had changed.
At this point, I was 16 going on 17, and I was prescribed Nortrel 1/35, which is another progesterone based birth control pill. Within two months of me taking it, I noticed a world of changes. My cycles regulated to exactly 28 days long, my periods were "normal" and only three days long, my breasts were growing very quickly (in hindsight, maybe too quickly), my skin looked like porcelain, my weight was well controlled, and the pain was completely gone. Being that I never felt any adverse side effects and everything seemed to be in proper working order, I stayed on this medication until I was 21 years old because I had been noticing that my emotions were a little out-of-whack. It wasn't just normal PMS, which I had never experienced until I was older, it was rage. I felt angry on a consistent basis, and nothing seemed to be helping. I'd snap if someone breathed in my direction the wrong way, and I constantly justified it as just being part of my jaded, adult personality; but I was wrong.. something was wrong, and I knew that.
I made the decision to slowly wean myself off of Nortrel under the advisement of my doctor, of course. She wasn't happy about it for whatever reason, but I noticed a drastic difference in my moods immediately. I finally felt like myself, which I hadn't for a few years at that point. But that being said, that was about the only benefit I experienced after stopping my birth control. Within a month, my skin was being ravaged by cystic acne (which I had never experienced before), I gained almost ten pounds, and my period refused to make an appearance.
I'm now a month away from turning 23 and my menstrual cycle still isn't regular and no one can figure out why, I've gained a whopping 40 pounds (which looks like 200 on my petite 5'2'' frame), my skin is still a wreck, and I can't get pregnant. I've tried tracking my basal body temperature, cervical mucus, cycle lengths, I've tried taking OTC ovulation tests once every 48 hours and I never get a positive reading, and I've been struggling with being constantly disappointed when my period decides to show up, whether that be weeks late or weeks early.
I'm now a month away from turning 23 and my menstrual cycle still isn't regular and no one can figure out why, I've gained a whopping 40 pounds (which looks like 200 on my petite 5'2'' frame), my skin is still a wreck, and I can't get pregnant. I've tried tracking my basal body temperature, cervical mucus, cycle lengths, I've tried taking OTC ovulation tests once every 48 hours and I never get a positive reading, and I've been struggling with being constantly disappointed when my period decides to show up, whether that be weeks late or weeks early.
By the way, the PCOS I mentioned earlier? I magically no longer have it after stopping my use of hormone based birth controls; this has been confirmed by my new PCP and two ovarian ultrasounds to date.
I've done my reading and I've consulted a few physicians I know and no one seems to acknowledge that there are women who are getting married and trying to have children, but cant - and the one thing most of them have in common is that they've been taking hormonal birth control pills for years, often starting right after they began menstruating.
Madeleine Fenner
Madeleine Fenner @ramblingmads
At 14 I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), it was a fairly horrific time and it's an incurable condition. The main way of controlling it is with the Pill.
I was put on a variety called Dianette - it's a heavy dose of oestrogen, and mixed with teenage hormones - it was a disaster. I recently discovered it's no longer prescribed for PCOS. Then came my ten year struggle to find the right version of the Pill for me.
For a while I didn't take anything and the nasty side effects of my condition worsened - do not do this, always treat any medical conditions. I tried the progesterone only pill for a bit - you take it continuously - no break bleed, and it works really well for some. However I had nearly permanent thrush which was awful, so changed my prescription.
Next I tried Microgynon - my best friend swore by it and I needed something that would work for me. Sadly this wasn't it. I had period pains so terrible I couldn't stand and spent days in tears.
Finally, my very nice doctor suggested Yasmin - which I'm still taking. The side effects are minimal, it controls the cyst growth on my ovaries, and also works as a contraceptive.
No hormonal contraception is perfect, they can affect your weight, skin, and it can take a while to find the right one for you, you need a good doctor who is willing to work with you to find the contraception that works best for you.
Chloe Gawklik
Chloe Gawlik @chloegaw
So I chose the combined pill as my first time on contraception and I had the worst experience of my life. In the first few days I was passing out and felt really sick, then in the next week it settled and I was on it for a year after this and it was perfect.
Then after a year, my leg swelled up and I went to hospital with a DVT due to the pill. This type of contraception with oestrogen definitely needs looking into more. Then 6 months after this, I tried the progesterone only pill, Cerelle. I chose this because it was the only non invasive type of contraception I could take after my DVT.
The first week was great but then I came on my period and I was still bleeding for 3 weeks after this which is when I decided to stop taking it as I began feeling very weak and tired due to all the blood loss. If you can handle the blood loss then this is probably a very good pill to take as it doesn't have the side affects of stroke and DVT that oestrogen containing contraception uses.
Sarah Rose
www.sarahrose.org
None of the pills had worked, so I gave it a go. It worked in that it stopped me from having periods and I've never been pregnant. It also gave me back the ability to get out of bed around that time of the month. Unfortunately, I've developed a condition with my nervous system which means it no longer works for me.
The biggest downside is that because I've been on it for so long, my bone density is lower than when I started. It's definitely a good option especially if you're too forgetful to take a pill (I am!), however not long-term if you care about your bones! I also didn't gain any weight as a result of the injection.
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