Contraception pill

[misscleo]

Hey ladies i just need a bit of advice please. I have been on the pill for about 3 years with no problem at all, but yesterday when i went to see the nurse for a check up she said that my blood pressure was pretty high. A few months ago my dad was diagnosed with cancer and i have been in bits ever since so i reckon the high blood pressure is stress rather than pill related. Any way the doctor called me today and they want me to come in next week to talk about the dangers of the pill, and i guess i want to ask if you think its safe to do this job and just use condoms and stop taking the pill. Many thanks.

[Anika Mae]

The pill is an extremely effective method of contraception, condoms not quite so much. They're what, 98% effective with perfect use? That means that if 100 women use condoms perfectly for a year, two will get pregnant. You're probably having more sex than the average woman and you may not be using condoms perfectly (for example going from covered oral to PIV with the same condom, extended fucking without putting on a new one), so your chance of getting pregnant in a year of working with condoms only will be a few percent. It's up to you how you feel about that risk. You do have the morning after pill as a backup if a condom splits, and termination as an option if you end up pregnant.

There are various other hormonal contraceptives that you might be able to take if you're advised to go off the pill, plus some non-hormonal options. You can say that you're very concerned about getting pregnant and discuss what you can do about it. I would be wary of spermicides though, as there's some evidence that they can increase transmission rates for STIs. If you're ok with taking some time off every month, fertility awareness could be a useful backup, though still not as effective as the super pill-condom combo.

It probably is more to do with stress though. If you can get there 20 minutes early or so next time so you can have a good sit down and get a true resting reading it might look ok anyway.

[Steele]

When I first started I had a copper only IUD as well as obviously using condoms, but that was causing me very heavy and painful periods and a few of my clients (and my fiance) complained about being able to feel the strings so I had it removed. I'm using condoms only at the moment but the lady at the GUM clinic who removed my IUD was very concerned when I told her that I was going to be using condoms only as they really aren't perfect.

I have had an accidental pregnancy before when I was using condoms and I wasn't aware of one splitting or coming off and I'm genuinely not sure how it happened so I know that they are not at all guaranteed. The only reason I'm doing it for now is that literally every other form of contraception I have tried has not worked well for me (bad reactions to several different types of pill means I don't want to touch hormones, and I did not get on well with the IUD at all). I have the morning after pill in my handbag at all times so that I can take it right away if I have to, and as I never want kids I plan on getting sterilized by the end of the year - but it costs ?1300 and I've got to pay for my wedding first. 

[xw5]

Given that some clients try to make a point of imperfect condom use, I am not sure I would rely just on condoms for contraception without being OK about the consequences should there be a failure.

'What Anika Mae said', including about the issues with spermicides.

It might be worth getting your own blood pressure kit (they can be very cheap - see Amazon for some well-reviewed ones) so you can keep track of any trends.

[sammy s]

Definitely get your own blood pressure machine so you can check it on your own at home.

The same thing happened to me - I was on the pill for about 3 years and a couple of stressful personal things had happened in my life. My blood pressure was high everytime the doctor tested it (even if I felt calm and relaxed at the doctors surgery).

Anyway, I decided to buy one of the machines to keep an eye on it but ive never had a single high reading when i check it at home. It must be because im completely at ease. There is something called white coat syndrome which means people can have high blood pressure readings whenever they get checked by a doctor or at the hospital due to subconsciously feeling a bit nervous.

Good luck xxx

[strawberry]

I think I should post about my recent very scary issues with the pill. Firstly I had been having a lot of problems with migraines earlier this year ,although previously was only having quite rare attacks.  I was prescribed the combined pill as a result of some problems I'd been having regards periods or lack of when training hard.  At the time I hadn't had a migraine for a long time and by the time they started again I did not remember it is something that's warned about.......this year I started to have attacks more frequently and was sometimes having two a day. I happened to mention it on a routine visit to my GP regards something else and she told me I must switch to the mini-pill at once. Apparently the estrogen in the combined version can cause increase in blood pressure, as well as tendency for blood clots etc. Migraine with 'aura' along with this means there is a definite risk of stroke. Add to the fact I'm now just 35 you have all the factors apart from being a non-smoker for something severe to occur. The scariest thing was that I'd been feeling really not well for some time and of course the Migraine aura is  pretty much the same as the intial stages of a stroke (visual disturbance, pins & needles, numbness down one side).

I stopped the combined pill that day and started the POP. Guess what?I have not had a migraine since and that is some months ago.

Scary story or what?I've been recommended the progesterone implant over a coil as GPs are now considering these methods to be more reliable than the pill, and I've heard the coil can still be felt by sexual partners. Just waiting for my surgery to get back to me with an appointment!

[SnakeLady]

I stopped the combined pill that day and started the POP. Guess what?I have not had a migraine since and that is some months ago.

Scary story or what?

Scary indeed, Strawberry. Thanks for sharing this.

I've been recommended the progesterone implant over a coil as GPs are now considering these methods to be more reliable than the pill, and I've heard the coil can still be felt by sexual partners. Just waiting for my surgery to get back to me with an appointment!

I would warn the ladies here of depovera, as I've personally met a woman who ended up pregnant on it. She only found out once she was about to deliver!   Yes, she was a bit overweight but the point was since Depo stops your periods and she didn't experience any other symptoms (until weeks before delivery) it never occurred to her to even check. This was despite the fact she already had another child.

In my case Mirena coil has worked best (so far...). I've had the copper IUD ages ago but it would give me 2 weeks of heavy periods - impossible with this job. It has been painful to insert (I haven't had children, so maybe it's easier for those whose canal between uterus and vagina is a little more widened). But you only need to do it every 5 years. As for strings, I could feel them with the first one, but for my second Mirena the nurse trimmed them very short.

That freaked me out initially, as checking the threads now and again has been my reassurance that it hasn't fallen off or gone elsewhere. However I was told by another nurse that I would most certainly notice if Mirena was ever to come out, plus she discovered a way for me to feel the very tips of those threads too.

Personally I don't give a toss if men complain about the threads or not. If they want to have sex with women then it should be their priority to protect us and themselves from unwanted pregnancies. I don't understand why most of them don't campaign, lobby and try to develop more choices for male contraceptives - apart from condoms and vasectomy.

However, if the Mirena threads are getting-in-the-way noticeable then you can always go back to the nurse and get them trimmed. What you can't do is to make them any longer.

[Anika Mae]

I would warn the ladies here of depovera, as I've personally met a woman who ended up pregnant on it. She only found out once she was about to deliver!   Yes, she was a bit overweight but the point was since Depo stops your periods and she didn't experience any other symptoms (until weeks before delivery) it never occurred to her to even check. This was despite the fact she already had another child.

I don't think this is a good reason to avoid the jab if it ticks all your boxes. Like the pill, it's an extremely effective form of contraception, and your friend was really unlucky to get pregnant and even moreso to have no symptoms. It's also possible to get pregnant on the pill and have periods all the way through (though presumably that's even less likely), so you can never completely avoid things like that. If anyone's worried about it, it's quite a simple matter to get some pregnancy tests in bulk and take one every month. (I suggest these, as they're very cheap and more sensitive than most of the branded ones.)

[strawberry]

When I'm training a lot my periods stop anyway so I'm used to carrying out pregnancy tests every so often. Every guy I've spoken to says you can feel the coil so I'm not convinced and is it worth the risk of client complaints?or a split condom?

I'm going to try the implant not the injection.

[Annabelle]

I'm on the mini pill as I've suffered from aural migraines for over half my life (still do but life sucks, huh? Also something to do with me having high blood pressure as well, I've been told); initially I was on the injection but was warned by my FPC nurse that recent studies are heavily suggesting if you've been on the injection for over 3 years (I think) your risk of oeseto-arthritis increases. Not the best news I ever received seeing as that's already something I was warned I may develop in time. Also, my best friend gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, despite being on the injection herself.

My nurse is fantastic though; after a lengthy discussion about my contraceptive options (not only do I not want children, but my periods were so traumatically painful, I asked my GP for a hysterectomy at 16 so I wanted at least a compromise on that score), we agreed that every 3 months (instead of 6), I would get a repeat prescription and get my blood pressure checked there and then. I've been doing this for over 2 years and although it's a bit of a chore, to me it's worth spending 10 mins every few months at the FPC just to get the pill and peace of mind. I also have a pregnancy test whilst I'm there as I don't have any signs of menstruation (including PMS - oh, the relief...).

Condoms should be a given anyway (pills will never protect you from a STD/STI) but there are so many options these days about contraception and it's worth having a proper chat with a GP or nurse to find the best one for you. Just make sure you don't feel pushed in one direction as my GP tried to do (hence the change of scenery for this purpose).

And I'm really sorry to hear about your dad; sounds awful and if you weren't affected by the stress of it all in any way, I think a few people would be very surprised. X

[Miss Bond ;)]

I'd really recommend the Nuvaring (google it)
as it has much lower levels of all the hormones. You can take it out for 4 hours at a time. The Evra patch also has lower hormones. I'd highly recommend both.

Good luck sweetie, I'm really sorry about your dad  . I'll light a candle for him in church tomorrow 


xxx

[Anika Mae]

Oh, is that available here now? The low dose thing sounds pretty good but last I heard it hadn't made it to the UK.

[Miss Bond ;)]

Oh, is that available here now? The low dose thing sounds pretty good but last I heard it hadn't made it to the UK.

Yup it is indeed, I was one of the people that Evra was trialled on in 2006-2007

I also was one of the first people that tried the Nuvaring. I would suggest harassing your doctor for it. It's great, you only have to change it every 3 weeks (you can keep it in the fridge if you want to use it sporadically) but of course it is expensive for the NHS. They give it to me freely because I have had slipups in the past, and can barely remember to take my daily multivitamin, let alone the pill.

My mother is a contraceptive nurse, so I felt I should add as much info to this thread as possible. (Like for example if you urgently need the morning after pill and everywhere is closed you simply take as many normal pills as is the micogram equivalent. I am proud to say my great-grandfather discovered this, and subsequently helped develop levonelle!!)

I really recommend the Mirena IUS (coil+ hormones). It has stopped my periods completely which is great because they interfere with work and they made me anaemic. And it was blatantly invented by a man hence why it's called MENstruation  .


Pill info:
Cilest is a good pill, microgynon is the pill equivalent of Tesco Value. You shouldn't be on Dianette for more than 6 months unless you have pcos.

I'll keep you all up to date if they invent anything else that is any good. In the meantime, I am carrying on being a contraceptive guinea pig!! 

xxx

[stevie]

I think the depo is brilliant! ive been on loads off different pills and found this was the best no problems, when i was on microgynon i got pregnant twice and that was using condoms aswell  and i took it properly as my mum made me. i think you have to try quite afew to find one that suits your body. i was takin one cant remember what it was called began with a c, but my blood pressure increased slightly but with the depo my blood pressure is normal and it protects me lol and i have no periods which is great. hope your dad gets better, stevie x x x

[misscleo]

Thank you all so much for your advice and kind wishes for my dad. You've given me a lot to think about. I'm seeing my doctor on Tuesday and she is very nice so i'll see what she says. Im on Dianette, just for the record. Again, thanks xx