Question
Birth control; you can't live with it, but you can't live without it. So, I'm in a monogamous relationship with the guy of my dreams. We don't use condoms, because, honestly, they're uncomfortable, and unenjoyable. However, I am on the pill, which has been working for me for the past year...
Except that I have totally lost my sex drive. I used to be horny all the time. I used to masturbate fairly often (I was not really sexually active before I got on birth control), and even the thought of sex turned me on. I'm sorry if this is too much information, but I want to express that I wasn't lacking in libido beforehand. But now, I don't even understand the point of having sex. It's... enjoyable, but it doesn't do anything for me. I'm never in the mood. And worst of all, it's really impacting my relationship. My boyfriend thinks I'm not turned on by him, which is true... but not because I wouldn't be under normal circumstances.
The pills I take all have equal doses, and I usually tri-cycle (meaning I have three periods a year). This could be a reason for lower libido, but I have tried several times to go back to a normal period, and the issue has not been resolved.
I want to know a good solution to this problem. What sorts of birth control should I look into? Is there anything that I can potentially skip my period with? Can I ever get the best of both worlds?
Please help. My relationship is seriously suffering from this.
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The same thing happened to me and I went to my doctor and had to try different types of pills. I finally wound up with Yasmin and I've been on it ever since.
But until I found the right pill we would just have a lot of foreplay and because I knew that it wasn't related to him but that it was my hormones -- most of the time I was able to enjoy it with him. I will say that I'm very lucky to be with my boyfriend because it was definitely a very trying time for us. But hope isn't lost... so definitely talk to your doctor. Hope this helps :)
before my hubby and I got married and my insurance coverage changes I was on loestrin 24. I LOVED IT!! My sex drive was still high and our sex life was great. You still get a monthly period but its only 4 days since you take 24 hormone pills instead of the typical 21. I am no longer on loestrin 24 because the military base I live on doesn't have it on base but I have already told my husband that after my pregnancy I want loestrin 24 back and I will be paying for it!!
only the IUD as far as i know. its got no hormones whatsoever, and its nigh impossible to get preggo when you have one. the best part... NO PERIOD EVER! no impact on sex either, and girl, i know how important that is believe me, i couldn't do that. i dont take my depression meds anymore largely because they killed my libido. i have two kids and hardly any time for sex anyways, i don't need another reason not to have it... definately look into the Mirena, thats what i had, before i got it taken out to conceive my son, who is now a month old. at my 6 week apt, i'm getting another one put back in :)
Not all Intra Uterine Devices have no hormones, there are IUD's with hormones (progesterones) and there are the ones with copper. Mirena DOES have hormones! (levonorgestrel= progesterone) But if you're interested in this, I'm sure your physician will tell you this. ;-)
nope not on the sex drive. I did lose weight though...
i was 140lbs now im 120 lbs... I still want to have sex all the time and no my moods are the same...
becareful though i never miss a pill but (we never use condoms either) i recently missed my period and now im worried :(
ps-ask your doctor for a better pill
You need to talk to your Ob/Gyn and discuss these libido issues. There are many different types of birth control pills with varying levels of hormones. Changing types may be the key. As far as IUD's go, the Mirena does have hormones but after your body adjusts to it, will have little to no period, and lasts for 5 years. It does not affect your ability to get pregnant in the future. Other IUD's that last 10 years but have no hormones actually can cause heavier than normal periods.
I've never been on the pill, but I had the same problem when I was on the depo shot. I lost my sex drive, when I did try to have sex, it was painful, I gained 20+ pounds, I had the worst headaches of my life and I was only on it for about 18 months. I've been on the Ortho Evra patch for about a year now, my drive has increased (but it's not the same as it used to be), sex isn't painful, I think I've only gained maybe 10 pounds, and my headaches have improved. You don't mention whether or not you've given birth to any children, only women who have can get an IUD. There is an arm implant you can get (can't remember the name), maybe the Ortho Evra patch would work for you, Nuva Ring, what works for you may not work for others and vice-versa, so talk with your doctor.
One of the arm implants is called 'IMPLANON'. Nuvaring is something you have to change every 3 weeks and then you have to wait a week to have your period, so that's not a very good solution if you want to avoid having your period. Evra is a patch that you have to apply each week for 3 weeks, and then you have to have an interval of 1 week. So that's not an optimal solution either, for avoiding your period. Could help with the libido though. There are many alternatives available, so you definitely shouldn't stick with one type if it doesn't work for you. It's worth going to the physician and exploring other options. Good luck! :-)
You don't have to wear the patch for 3 weeks then skip one, my doctor has told me I only need to skip a week every 3 months or so. I think it's the same way with the Nuvaring.
You really need to talk to your OBGYN about these problems and she will help you fix them. Different birth control pills affect everyone differently, and it could be you are on one that is just not right for you. I dont recomment going on Yazmin, or Yaz, because 1)they are the same thing. n 2) they have some serious side affects to them, and there is a lawsuit going on agaisnt this company for several deaths of people who were using it. I was on Yazmin for a while, and when I went off of it for my period....well, lets just say it was the worst ever. But I highly recommend going n talking to your OBGYN.
I am on Tricyclin lo, and I have always had an incredibly high sex drive.. This makes it almost more so for me. I only get my period for 3-4 days every month, it's light, and I have no symptoms. It also really cleared up any acne I had. On top of that.. My breasts got bigger. By a full cup size.
I'm currently on tricyclin lo, the 28 day pack.
And I'm with you on the condom thing, only with me, it's worse because I seem to get an allergic reaction to every type of condom out there(including latex free!) =(
The side effects (including change in libido) are different for every individual I think. :S You're really lucky it increased your libido, but I don't think it will do that for every other person that takes it.
Each for of birth control effects everyone else differently. I take Lo'orveral (sp. I have NO idea how to spell it. Lol), and I haven't noticed any difference with mood swings, weight gain, anything. Only thing it affects is my period, and it just makes it so I know exactly when I'm going to have it every month. But realisticly, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. They know way more about any of this stuff than I could say, or anyone else. But it's just a matter of hit and miss. And, although I haven't changed mine yet, I was told by my doctor to switch it up. So if you like the period every 3 months or so, mention that to your doctor, and there may be something else that does the same thing, but restores your sex drive. I wish you the best of luck, and hopefully you find something that works for you! :)
Ah well I take hormones for other reasons but I guess it can affect it, I mean they change a lot of things in your body :D going to the doctor is the best choice
Yeah, it's definitely a possible side effect of the pill. So maybe another type of pill will reduce this ennoying side effect. To avoid your period, you could use other birth control methods than the pill. There are for example implantable devices (they plant it under the skin), this works for 3 years continuously.
Hey, OP here.
Don't worry about the whole doctor thing. I had my pap smear a few weeks ago and discussed it with her. I had planned to beforehand, anyway. I tried posting this before I went in to get some opinion before I went in, but I guess GGT is a little slow on that lately.
I would say that more foreplay would help, but trust me; a majority of my boyfriend's and my sexy-time is foreplay. He's way more into foreplay than most girls I know. So that's not so much of an issue. It's more of an issue of feeling sexy or turned on before or even during sex. It's so hard to turn me on, but it's so easy to turn me off.
When I talked to my gyno about my libido problems, she just told me that it could easily be something else. That sort of irked me, because I've known many people who have lost their libido due to the pill, and I know that it's the cause of my problems. (I feel like my doctor should trust my understanding of my body a little more than they do. I am an educated person, and know what's going on, generally.) However, she did say she would be happy to make a change. She suggested Mirena, Paragard or Implanon, and gave me the benefits of each.
I've decided to go with the Mirena. I know one of you said that you had to have had children before you can get an IUD, but that's simply not true. My sister-in-law has one, and has had no children, and no abortions. My mother had one before she had children. It's heavily used outside the U.S. by all ages. It has a very low dosage of hormones, which is nice. I chose it over the Paragard because of the whole heavy bleeding thing. I decided not to go with Implanon because it isn't on-site (aka, in my hoo-ha), and only lasts two years... and is something sticking in my arm. Eugh. Also, Mirena lasts five years, works very well, and my insurance covers most of it.
Anyway, guys, thanks for the advice, and I'll probably post something about how the results go.