Hi, my girlfiend is condsidering taking birth control pills but she is really wary of the side effects. She doesn't want to gain weight, and she's heard taht it can give you black spots and really screw up your period if you get the shot. So I was just wondering if any of you ladies have had good results with no side effects, and with what brand of birth control pill or shot. thanks

Well she needs to talk to her doctor becuase he doctor will be able ot help her find the brand that might be best for her. It may take a few tries to find the right one.
The Depo Provera shot I would stay as far away as possible. You can do a search of the boards and find many,many posts that talk about women's experiences with Depo Provera.
They do have a shot Lunella that is one a month and is basically the pill in shot form. She can ask her doctor about that. Also there is the patch she can talk to him/her about.
But again talking to her doctor is her best bet becuase what one experiences with one brand another may have other experiences.

I've had wonderful luck taking Alesse.

Just because you MIGHT gain weight doesn't mean you WILL gain weight, either.

Kind of like just because there's a teeny risk of deep vein thrombosis doesn't mean you're GONNA have your leg rot off if you take the stuff.

Her doctor should put her onto the right pill for her depending on her current weight etc.. If she finds she doesn't like it, eg: headaches, weight she can go back to her doctor. Most of the time the get it right first time. I agree, stay away from the shot, females can get very depressed on it, and in some people it is worse for weight gain than the pill.
Good luck

I agree that it varies greatly from person to person, but I've tried a handful of birth control pills and the best by far was DESOGEN (same thing as Alesse). NO weight gain or strange bleeding and minimal side effects. A number of gyn's I've talked to also recommend it highly.

Another option she could look into -- if she wants to avoid hormones -- is the IUD (intra-uterine device). EXTREMELY effective and quite safe. I'm getting one myself in a few weeks.

Best of luck.

[This message has been edited by fairnymph (edited 02-17-2003).]

I myself am taking a brand called Yasmin. So far, so good - and I'm notorious for gaining weight while on the pill.

As far as IUD's go.......the are supposed to be intended for people in monogomous relationships only who have HAD children. I highly recommend that if a young woman is not in a monogomous relationship (married) and doesn't have any children but someday wants some - do not go on the copper type of IUD.

I had this type and after 2 years on it, I went through an ectopic pregnancy in which I lost the baby, lost my left fallopian tube and my left ovary. It is very rare for this to occur, but women need to be aware that it can indeed happen to them.

I'm engaged, and I definitely plan on having children (though I have not had any yet). I can't tolerate any hormones though, and I'm extremely fertile, so I MUST use an effective form of non-hormonal birth control. Thus my reasons for wanting an IUD.

Although complications CAN occur, the IUD is generally safe to use for women who haven't had children. But, I agree that it is important for the woman to be STD-free and in a monogamous relationship.

I've never heard of BC pills causing black spots (??).
You mean it makes you see black spots (like vision changes?), or do you mean black spots on your skin?

I take Estrostep FE, and I never gained weight. I actually LOST weight the first month because of the nausea it gave me. If she does go on the pill and decides she wants to stop for whatever reason, please tell her to talk to a doctor first! I had terrible mood swings when I tried to go off the Estrostep. It may take a few tries before she finds the right pill or other method for her.

In terms of birth control pills, there is no pill that does not cause any side effects in everyone who takes it (otherwise we would all be on it!). Every woman will react to different pills well, differently. The best way to go about this is to have her go to the doctor and the doctor will decide what is best to start off with.

Basically it's best to have the lowest dosage of the progesterone and estrogen, the two hormones found in the pills, that will still effectively control her cycle. Two (of many) reasons for the lowest possible dose? Lower the risk for weight gain and better for overall health - you never want to add too much of something that is not natural to your body if your body doesn't need that much. However, if it's too low she can have other side-effects such as bleeding in the middle of her cycle, when she doesn't want or expect it. Once she starts her pills, and if she has side effects (and these may be normal for the first 3 months), then the doctor can help her switch to something she likes better. The doctor will have lots of choices to make depending on the side-effects she is having: the type of progesterone, the dosages for both hormones, whether or not the hormones are maintained at a constant levels throughout an entire cycle or not, etc.

The risks for more dangerous side effects are very low, and all the pills have those risks. The small side effects are also possible, but these vary from person to person. So, if she would like to go on the pill or consider any other form of birth control, have her go to her doctor, who can help chose the one that is best for her as well as be there to deal with any side-effects that arise. Good luck!

Oh, btw, Alesse and Desogen are not the same pill.

LeeLee, the pill can cause what is called "melasma," a spotty darkening of the skin, primarily in the face. It also can cause visual disturbance.

^^^
You're right, I got confused with Apri which IS the same as desogen. Thanks for the correction! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Originally posted by barefoot_gal:
Oh, btw, Alesse and Desogen are not the same pill.

LeeLee, the pill can cause what is called "melasma," a spotty darkening of the skin, primarily in the face. It also can cause visual disturbance.

Thanks! Wow, luckily I haven't experienced that with my pill.

The reason they say women who've already had kids should be the ones using IUDs is that it makes it easier and less uncomfortable to insert if you've already had a kid once.

Doesn't prohibit the rest of us from getting one -- just makes things a little tougher on us.