Alright, first an update an update on Nexplanon:
My spotting and bleeding from the mini pill has completely stopped!
I had a scary looking bruise the next day, but it was nothing I wasn't expecting.
They put the rod slightly higher in my arm this time. Before, I would have to look in a mirror to see the poking edge, but now I can see and feel it without any adjustments. Strange how much different it after only 5 years!
Second is some possibly helpful info for anyone taking the Mini Pill:
For the past 2 to 3 months, I've been having pain during sex. Right near the opening and sometimes on the left side of my vaginal wall. At first, I thought it might be a lack of foreplay. My boyfriend and I have been together for almost 2 years and sometimes we just wanna bang without all the teasing and such, which I think is totally normal. Usually, I have no problem with this, but lately it's been painful and I'll be sore after.
So, I told my boyfriend about it and we did some legit foreplay, but still, there was pain, especially during missionary. It seems to be less painful/not at all painful when I'm on top though. I finally wised up and thought maybe this was something to tell my doctor. The answer surprised me and yet, also made me feel better. At first I thought for sure I had an infection, but my pap came back clear. This is the outline of what he said:
The Mini Pill (PCPs) can cause painful sex because it thins the lining of the vaginal mucosa. He said this would most likely go away now that I have Nexplanon because the hormones are so much lower. Generally what they suggest is rubbing coconut oil around the opening to help heal the area, as well as using it before sex. If that doesn't help, then I'll have to come back in 2 to 3 months to rule out any infection.
Crazy, right?!?! Also, I had no idea that BC could cause painful sex! That would have been good to know. Luckily there are solutions and I've already fixed the possible cause. I also thought putting any kind of oil near or in your vagina was not good vagina care. I guess coconut oil really is the miracle that Pinterest says it is. If that isn't enough, my favorite sex guru endorses it, so that seals the deal for me.
Speaking of my favorite sex guru, Emily Nagoski, I am going to shamelessly plug her awesome book, Come As You Are!! This book will change your life and completely shake up everything you know about women's sexual desire. If you aren't sure about committing to a book ( highly recommend the audio book), you can watch her Ted Talk, listen to her Podcast, listen to her on Sex Nerd Sandra's podcast (Sex Nerd Sandra is another favorite of mine), or check out her blog, The Dirty Normal
I'm more than a little obsessed with her..... Her work made me realize that I should have gone to grad school for sex research instead of Library and Information Science! But, I don't want to go back to school, so maybe in another life.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Full circle, confusion, and hope
I can't believe I'm typing this, but I just got Nexplanon. Yes, my birth control journey has all come full circle.
Why? Well, I started spotting and cramping a lot on the mini pill. I'd get PMS and spotting every week or so and I knew something was up.
I went to the gyno, and along with some more conflicting information, I got some very valuable information:
1. On the mini pill, sometimes the lining of your uterus gets too thin and you start spotting because of that. This can be resolved by taking a break for 3 to 7 days from the pill and then starting it again.
2. Lamictal and the mini pill do not interact AT ALL!!! Neither one lowers the effectiveness of the other. This completely conflicts with what I was told at this same doctor's office but with a different doctor! I was told the mini pill was dangerous because lamictal could make me metabolize it faster, making it even less effective than it already is.
NOT TRUE according to this doctor!!
Another reason why is that I found out I have Hashimoto Thyroiditis, which makes it real hard to lose weight! Maybe birth control does make it harder to lose weight, but you should still be able to lose a pound or two. I haven't been able to lose one pound, even through Whole30, Weight Watchers, and regular interval exercise.
Since the reason I got it out in the first place was weight gain, I figured well I'm not losing weight now either so maybe it wasn't the birth control.
Let me also say that insertion was a FUCKING BREEZE!!!! It took no time at all and the stinging for the numbing shot was way more tolerable. I was so impressed. My arm is barely tender, I keep forgetting I even got it today.
Anyway, I keep hoping for the day they release Vasagel, the male birth control. I won't have to worry anymore. Until then, I have a plastic rod in my arm that will last for 5 years and a new hope for weight loss once I get my thyroid medication.
It's the small victories! Also, so many people now have the rod that I don't know if this blog is even that needed anymore. But it's therapeutic to me and also, it's for those ladies out there taking Lamictal and feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting info. I hope this blog helps!
Monday, August 3, 2015
The Mini Pill
I gotta say, I am enjoying the mini pill so far. I wasn't happy to see that I have a full blown period today, but if I consider when the start of my last normal period and not the fact that I bled for 10 days after that, this is actually right on time.
I did have some pretty extreme moods swings last week. It was rough! Feeling more even keeled now but I have some fierce cramps :/ Oy, one day it will get better...
Sunday, July 19, 2015
More Mixed Info and Indescsion and Starting the Mini Pill
My birth control saga is still an ongoing battle...
When Skyla expelled, I had the plan to get one again. After all, this one didn't expell because of my uterus, it expelled due to the menstrual cup (uncomfirmed, but that is my theory and it has been come what confirmed by one OBGYN). So, I made another appointment to get another IUD. However, I was dreading the pain. A lot.
As I was sitting in the waiting room, hoping that 4 Motrin would do the trick for the pain this time, I started to second guess another IUD. As I sat there, I debated my other alternative .... The arm implant! I tried really hard to remember all my issues with it and really tried to remember if it lowered my sex drive or was it my circumstances? Was I just not being diligent enough about losing weight when I had it? As I recall, I got it removed because I couldn't lose weight. But what if I tried harder this time around?
I told the nurse that I wanted to talk with the doctor before doing the IUD, because I couldn't really say for certain that this was what I wanted anymore. Since the office was a bit behind, I saw an attending doctor, who was really awesome.
Here is a fun list of things we discussed:
1. Another IUD probably wasn't the way to go
2. The menstrual cup probably didn't cause the expulsion
3. With careful monitoring, I could do a regular pill form of birth control
4. The arm implant is a good choice for me
5. They will do another IUD, but they don't recommend it because each insertion carries more and more risks
6. I should think about which option I wanted and come back in a month do discuss it again
7. For now, she recommended the mini pill
She was one of the nicest doctors I'd ever talked to who really listened what I had to say and how I felt emotionally about my experiences. I was about to commit to the implant, but she said I should wait before I make a decision.
She suggested I at least see the doctor I had an appointment with, if nothing else just to be introduced. So I waited a bit more and then heard some discussion about Lamictal just outside the door.
The doctor and the attending came in, fulling admitting they were arguing over my case.
Here is another fun list of what this doctor told me:
1. She HAS seen cases where menstrual cups pull out IUDs!!!!
2. She said that after 2 expulsions, normally they don't recommend IUDs anymore (and she was shocked i wanted another one)
3. The best options for me, in terms of effectivness are: IUD, Depo, Implant, Mini Pill. Obviously, the IUD was off the table, but she said the Depo shot was my next best option, however since I am sensitive about weight gain, then I probably wouldn't want to do that.
4. Progestrone only birth control lowers the brains threshold to tell when you are full, so many women over eat which causes weight gain. If you are aware of that, you can modify your diet to accommodate for the change.
5. My seizure meds causes any form of bc to be metabolized faster than normal, which is a problem for something like the mini pill because it has to be taken at the same time everyday even for normal people. Making the mini pill a bit of a risky form for me to take.
I can't really say they pushed one form over the other (unlike everyone pushing Mirena over Skyla to the point of worry), but they did emphasize that I think about all my options.
Later, I stewed over the info about Lamictal metabolizing BC faster than normal and I came to an interesting thought.
For those who have read through my posts, you know that my first time with Skyla was fine until about 10 months in, and then I started getting periods every 2 weeks. And when I got it checked out, they said my IUD was in place and that the strings were on the short side. Then, after another round of heavy bleeding, I got a second opinion and an ultra sound, only to find out the IUD had become slight dislodged. It was about 3 weeks between the two appointments, and I was bleeding both times. It's also known that explusion rates are higher when you are on your period, heavy bleeding can dislodge the IUD. When I got my ultra sound, it showed that just one edge was slightly out of place. Otherwise, it was normal. So that really wouldn't explain why I was bleeding so much and so often. But I do know that the heavy bleeding happens when the hormones leave your body and you get an imbalance. It happened to an extreme after I got Skyla removed and Mirena. Those hormones leaving my body causes crazy heavy bleeding. So, my thought was that Lamictal metabolized the Skyla hormones so fast that it lowered the hormones to the point to cause that kind of heavy bleeding. It would also explain why I still had periods on Mirena, when most women don't get periods after 6 months of having it in!
This is just a thought, of course. Can't really confirm that but maybe I will bring it up at my next appointment.
Gotta say, I am leaning towards the implant this time. Or, possibly, if I really wanted it and I could get prescription pain meds for the procedure, I would do Paraguard. But I really don't know.... Right now, I'm starting the mini pill...
When Skyla expelled, I had the plan to get one again. After all, this one didn't expell because of my uterus, it expelled due to the menstrual cup (uncomfirmed, but that is my theory and it has been come what confirmed by one OBGYN). So, I made another appointment to get another IUD. However, I was dreading the pain. A lot.
As I was sitting in the waiting room, hoping that 4 Motrin would do the trick for the pain this time, I started to second guess another IUD. As I sat there, I debated my other alternative .... The arm implant! I tried really hard to remember all my issues with it and really tried to remember if it lowered my sex drive or was it my circumstances? Was I just not being diligent enough about losing weight when I had it? As I recall, I got it removed because I couldn't lose weight. But what if I tried harder this time around?
I told the nurse that I wanted to talk with the doctor before doing the IUD, because I couldn't really say for certain that this was what I wanted anymore. Since the office was a bit behind, I saw an attending doctor, who was really awesome.
Here is a fun list of things we discussed:
1. Another IUD probably wasn't the way to go
2. The menstrual cup probably didn't cause the expulsion
3. With careful monitoring, I could do a regular pill form of birth control
4. The arm implant is a good choice for me
5. They will do another IUD, but they don't recommend it because each insertion carries more and more risks
6. I should think about which option I wanted and come back in a month do discuss it again
7. For now, she recommended the mini pill
She was one of the nicest doctors I'd ever talked to who really listened what I had to say and how I felt emotionally about my experiences. I was about to commit to the implant, but she said I should wait before I make a decision.
She suggested I at least see the doctor I had an appointment with, if nothing else just to be introduced. So I waited a bit more and then heard some discussion about Lamictal just outside the door.
The doctor and the attending came in, fulling admitting they were arguing over my case.
Here is another fun list of what this doctor told me:
1. She HAS seen cases where menstrual cups pull out IUDs!!!!
2. She said that after 2 expulsions, normally they don't recommend IUDs anymore (and she was shocked i wanted another one)
3. The best options for me, in terms of effectivness are: IUD, Depo, Implant, Mini Pill. Obviously, the IUD was off the table, but she said the Depo shot was my next best option, however since I am sensitive about weight gain, then I probably wouldn't want to do that.
4. Progestrone only birth control lowers the brains threshold to tell when you are full, so many women over eat which causes weight gain. If you are aware of that, you can modify your diet to accommodate for the change.
5. My seizure meds causes any form of bc to be metabolized faster than normal, which is a problem for something like the mini pill because it has to be taken at the same time everyday even for normal people. Making the mini pill a bit of a risky form for me to take.
I can't really say they pushed one form over the other (unlike everyone pushing Mirena over Skyla to the point of worry), but they did emphasize that I think about all my options.
Later, I stewed over the info about Lamictal metabolizing BC faster than normal and I came to an interesting thought.
For those who have read through my posts, you know that my first time with Skyla was fine until about 10 months in, and then I started getting periods every 2 weeks. And when I got it checked out, they said my IUD was in place and that the strings were on the short side. Then, after another round of heavy bleeding, I got a second opinion and an ultra sound, only to find out the IUD had become slight dislodged. It was about 3 weeks between the two appointments, and I was bleeding both times. It's also known that explusion rates are higher when you are on your period, heavy bleeding can dislodge the IUD. When I got my ultra sound, it showed that just one edge was slightly out of place. Otherwise, it was normal. So that really wouldn't explain why I was bleeding so much and so often. But I do know that the heavy bleeding happens when the hormones leave your body and you get an imbalance. It happened to an extreme after I got Skyla removed and Mirena. Those hormones leaving my body causes crazy heavy bleeding. So, my thought was that Lamictal metabolized the Skyla hormones so fast that it lowered the hormones to the point to cause that kind of heavy bleeding. It would also explain why I still had periods on Mirena, when most women don't get periods after 6 months of having it in!
This is just a thought, of course. Can't really confirm that but maybe I will bring it up at my next appointment.
Gotta say, I am leaning towards the implant this time. Or, possibly, if I really wanted it and I could get prescription pain meds for the procedure, I would do Paraguard. But I really don't know.... Right now, I'm starting the mini pill...
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Well.... Fuck
So, I am on my 7th day of bleeding. Which is fine because I expect it and it's light.
This is, until it isn't :/ I had a tampon in, and while out and about, I noticed I was bleeding a bit heavier than I would expect at this point in my cycle. So, when I got home, I changed my tampon and there it was, my IUD sitting on top of the tampon.
It didn't hurt whenever it pushed out, maybe felt a few minor cramps but otherwise, it was nothing.
And now I am annoyed, defeated, hopeless and bleeding...
What next?
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
One week update
A few minor updates:
On Sunday, I had horrible cramps for about an hour to an 1 1/2. Awful, had to stop what I was doing and live with the pain type cramps. Then, while wearing some white shorts, I got my period a few hours later! Luckily I was at home, so it was an easy clean up.
I also had unprotected sex that morning with no pain! Another win!
Today was interesting though. I had asked my doctor about using a menstrual cup with an IUD and she said it should be fine; I just had to watch the strings when I took it out. Well, today I learned that her advice was well founded. As I took out my menstrual cup, I had some of the worst pain I've felt since I expelled Mirena. Needless to say, I panicked thinking that I pulled the IUD down. The pain didn't go away for a while either, it was debilitating for a time. I called my doctor and got in later in the day. They did an ultra sound and luckily, my IUD was still perfectly placed. Phew!
Haven't had any pain since! It actually feels totally normal down there, like I don't even have an IUD! Maybe a weird tug is all it needed to be placed right. Who the hell knows.
Anyway, other than that, everything is going swimmingly!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Skyla Round 2, IUD #3
As of today, I have a brand spanking new Skyla resting in my picky uterus.
The pain of insertion wasnt't fun, but it was SO MUCH LESS PAINFUL than Mirena. Makes me think I'll never get the copper one! Yikes.
Anyway, I breathed through the pain and didn't let out a yelp, so I feel that is a win in and of itself!
The post-insertion cramps are super manageable too. They are just really mild period cramps not even worth taking pain killers. Maybe each IUD gets easier :D
My gyno told me I have to check my strings more often, and come into the office for a check up every three months. And I am totally keeping up on that this time, because before, I was really bad about that. Also about checking my strings.
One thing I totally forgot to ask about was how soon I could have unprotected sex. I was on my period when I got the first one in (and I like, wasn't having sex with anyone). When I got the second one, I was taking the pill 4 times a day to stop the bleeding right up until that thing was inserted. Well, I wasn't on my period (but I KNOW I am pretty damn close. If not from the handy app I use to track them but also because my body likes to let me know). I'm thinking I'll either wait 7 days or for my period to come.
It's rather sad but my boyfriend and I haven't had sex since our last discussion :/ I just felt so unsexy for different reasons and I figured we could just wait until I got the IUD.... so..... yeah.
The pain of insertion wasnt't fun, but it was SO MUCH LESS PAINFUL than Mirena. Makes me think I'll never get the copper one! Yikes.
Anyway, I breathed through the pain and didn't let out a yelp, so I feel that is a win in and of itself!
The post-insertion cramps are super manageable too. They are just really mild period cramps not even worth taking pain killers. Maybe each IUD gets easier :D
My gyno told me I have to check my strings more often, and come into the office for a check up every three months. And I am totally keeping up on that this time, because before, I was really bad about that. Also about checking my strings.
One thing I totally forgot to ask about was how soon I could have unprotected sex. I was on my period when I got the first one in (and I like, wasn't having sex with anyone). When I got the second one, I was taking the pill 4 times a day to stop the bleeding right up until that thing was inserted. Well, I wasn't on my period (but I KNOW I am pretty damn close. If not from the handy app I use to track them but also because my body likes to let me know). I'm thinking I'll either wait 7 days or for my period to come.
It's rather sad but my boyfriend and I haven't had sex since our last discussion :/ I just felt so unsexy for different reasons and I figured we could just wait until I got the IUD.... so..... yeah.
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