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1. 

   maloney baloney
   August 8th, 2010 - 09:31

   let me start off by saying i’ve been on birth control for 8 years (age 12 to now, i’m 20) for hormone therapy, so i’ve got a lot of experience dealing with the pill, lol.

   first of all, i can understand where you’re coming from when you say you’re kind of worried about putting chemicals into your body. and yes, birth control pills do stop your period from occurring as long as you’re taking them, which could be considered ‘unnatural.’

   but when you think about it, what your body’s currently doing is what’s unnatural – if you’re regularly out of commission simply because it’s that time of the month, your body is out of balance and needs to be corrected, which is what birth control pills will do.

   you’re correct about the different dosages – the pills you get in monthly packages are a higher dose, simply because you only take them for one month at a time, and the dosage needs to be higher in order to regulate your hormones in a shorter period of time.

   those in the 3-month packages like seasonale are of a smaller dosage, because you’re spreading the hormones out over a period of three months instead of one. this tends to cause more problems for a lot of people, including breakthrough bleeding and a less noticeable reduction of symptoms like those you mentioned.

   i would definitely recommend doing the monthly packages until your body is adjusted to the new hormones, at least for 6 months. i took the monthly brand called Zovia up until 3 months ago, when i switched to an off-brand version of Seasonale called Quasense, which comes in a 3-month package.

   because i’ve been on the pill for so long, the transition was very easy, but from what other people have said, they have a lot of problems on the 3-month version, and not as many as the monthly package.

   remember, you’re taking the pill to help your body achieve balance, not hurt it. the worst side effects tend to be a slight weight gain or a difference in appetite and mood. the effects tend to be worse when you start out because your body’s adjusting, but don’t let this deter you from continuing the regimen. once everything evens out, you’ll be glad you made the decision to take them.

   good luck! hope i could help!
2. 

   semi-wise young lady
   August 8th, 2010 - 09:31

   I’ve been on it for quite some time, even though I go through long (like 6 months) without intercourse.
   I like the lighter periods. I’m on Seasonique, so I only have a cycle 4 times a year! Yay!
   The week I do have my cycle, I have REALLY bad headaches. My gyno says it’s from hormone withdrawal (i don’t know how heroin addicts do it!). So, she suggested, and I do start taking Midol about 2 days into it, before the headaches start. It’s still worth it, even with 3 days of headaches.
   Exercise helps. I know I will eat a lot, trying to rid the headaches, so I make sure I make it to the gym that week, no matter how I’m feeling. no need to gain pounds on top of the water weight/bloating that i get.

   These are teh only 2 pills I take. I hate taking any pills, too.
3. 

   rileyismyname
   August 8th, 2010 - 09:31

   I’m the same age as you, about to enter my sophomore year of college. I too wanted to go on the pill before freshman year, but put it off because I didn’t like swallowing pills and putting things into my body. We’re in the same boat.

   I’m in my third week of my first pack of pills, and everything seems to be going smoothly. I did get my period in my third week as opposed to my fourth week (when, in theory, it should be coming) but this is apparently normal due to the fact that the pills can’t instantly stop your body from doing what it is used to doing on its own.

   I haven’t noticed a change in my personality, but it does depend on the hormone dosage. My friend went on a type of pill and she was very, very moody for awhile, then switched pills and was her normal self again. There are a few changes in your body–weight gain (only a few pounds at most), increase in breast size, and clearer skin. I haven’t noticed any weight gain, but I have experienced the breast size increase. My skin wasn’t too bad to begin with, but hopefully this will decrease the pre-period break out. If you experience severe changes in mood / personality, you might have to switch pills until you find the pill that’s right for you. There are so many different kinds out there–each one to help with different things, and therefore having different hormone dosages. Some are made specifically to lighten periods or help with acne. Your doctor will ask you questions at your appointment to find the pill that is right for your body.

   There won’t be any surprises. You might spot throughout the first few (2-4) months that you start the pill. Your period might be irregular, but it’s just because the pill is getting used to your body. You can’t expect to put a foreign pill into your body and expect it to instantly change things around. So most things that you might consider odd or abnormal are probably completely normal until about the fourth or fifth month that you are on the pill, assuming that you’re taking it consistently and correctly.

   I don’t think the ones with less hormones are less effective against side effects–I actually thing that the majority of pills out on the market now ARE low hormone, so they are less funky with your body’s natural system. Your best bet would be to go over your concerns of putting this into your body, and also bring up that you want a pill with lower hormones, asking how that will affect the period symptoms and whatnot.

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