I've been on Ortho tricyclen-lo for a little over a year now, and for a while now my sex drive has been quite pathetic. My boyfriend & I used to have sex pretty frequently (say 6-7 times a week), but now we're lucky if I'm in the mood for it maybe once a month. I still want to have sex, mentally anyways, I mean I'm only 21 years old so this shouldn't be happening to me, right? But I can't get physically aroused AT ALL. And by the off chance that I do, it takes forever.
I am considering going off the pill for a while to see how my body readjusts. We still use condoms every time, so it shouldn't be any different. The only thing I'm worried about is my severe cramping that I get with my periods. Before I went on the pill, my periods lasted about 8 days on average (sometimes longer), and I had terrible cramps for days. Now that I'm on the pill my period lasts maybe 5 days and I have no cramps at all. That's my only concern. But I think it's worth dealing with if it means I'll get my sex drive back. I'm sure I can find other ways to deal with my periods (pain relievers, etc.), that won't kill my libido.
Are there other pills that don't reduce sex drive? Such as a different combination of hormones? Ortho tricyclen lo is the only pill I've ever been on and it has not been a pleasant experience. Before I was on it, I had some acne on my face, which cleared up within a couple months of going on it, but lately it's been returning, and not only that but during the third week of my pill cycle I also get nasty pimples all over my neck. I feel like it's toxifying my body and I want to go off it and see if there's any improvement. Anyone else have similar experiences with this pill? Advice? Any information you could offer would be appreciated.
I have never been on Ortho but I have been on some different pills I was on Diane35 which helped with my acne alot. I don't remember it ever effecting my sex drive. I believe it was designed to help with acne though. I'm not sure but it's worth looking into. Good luck with it.
i was on ortho tricyclen lo for 3 months. and after the first month my sex drive went to nothing. sounds like you're going thru what i went thru - i *wanted to* but physically, i wasnt there. really dry and it hurt, no orgasms.. i complained to my gyno and she switched me to mircette. i love it. after 2 months on mircette, i am completely back to normal!!! it about 2 or 3 weeks to notice any change. but im so happy i switched!!! you should talk to your Dr about switching too, because there are pills that can be better for you.
Thanks so much for the info - I run out of my prescription of lo at the end of September so when it's time to get it refilled I'll make an appointment with my doctor to see if I can switch to something different. Are there other side effects with Mircette? I really would have no problem with going completely off the pill if it weren't for the fact that my periods are so painful without it. And it's good to have that extra peace of mind, because even though we still use condoms there's always that remote chance of getting pregnant. And I'm definitely not ready for that yet. Right now the pill is keeping me from getting pregnant, but it's doing it by making me not want to have sex...and that's not what I want to happen!
I'll see if I can get in and explore other options...there's like a million different kinds so I should try to find one that works! Thanks again!
I was on 3 different ortho pills, and they all KILLED my sex-drive. I switched to Ovcon-35 (I'm on my 3rd pack) and I ALWAYS want to have sex again! haha!
Thanks so much for the info - I run out of my prescription of lo at the end of September so when it's time to get it refilled I'll make an appointment with my doctor to see if I can switch to something different. Are there other side effects with Mircette? I really would have no problem with going completely off the pill if it weren't for the fact that my periods are so painful without it. And it's good to have that extra peace of mind, because even though we still use condoms there's always that remote chance of getting pregnant. And I'm definitely not ready for that yet. Right now the pill is keeping me from getting pregnant, but it's doing it by making me not want to have sex...and that's not what I want to happen!
I'll see if I can get in and explore other options...there's like a million different kinds so I should try to find one that works! Thanks again!
i havent noticed any significant side effects on Mircette. on ortho tricyclen lo, i would eat like a pig in the 3rd week. i hated it. i dont get that way with mircette.. if anything, i have a smaller appetite. and the last 5 placebo pills have a little bit of estrogen, and i think that helps with the hormone drop of the inactive week... and i like that its monophasic, because i dont get moody from the hormone changes.
