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the pill

okay, i saw the doctor and have been put on the pill. i cant start taking it till my next period in march sometime. but im getting kinda scared. just reading the leaflet on side affects...risks etc of it.

are the risks really that great? or is it just a warning, like that have to give with all types of medication. .......it only increases risks..not neccessarily mean all these things are going to happen

hmm im guess im jsut scared, its a big step for me and even though im 19 im scared of my mum finding out ive gone on it. she has always said i hope youd dicuss that kind of thing with me. but then when it comes down to it, i dont want to. and she prob would disaprove of knowing i have a sex life.

sorry im just very paranoid lol

Reply 1

Freckles

12

Uhm, basically, with any mediaction, if you read its leaflet, it's gonna make you not want to take it because they list all the risks remotely possible. I wouldn't worry too much, I used to be on the pill and it didn't work for me because it increased my migraines, but it works for nearly every other girl I know who's on it :smile:

And about your mom, just don't discuss it with her if it makes you uncomfortable :wink:

My mom knows nothing about my sex life at all. We get on well and everything, but that's just not the sort of relationship we have. I love her, but I won't tell her things like that. I suppose that's okay, everyone's relationship with their parents is different :wink:

Reply 2

Anonymous #2

I have also been on the pill a couple of years ago and was also worried bout side-effects etc, but i can honestly say the biggest problem i had was that i put on a bit of weight (luckily a lot on my boobs which was definitely a positive!) but all the "increased risks of..." are really REALLY rare, so don't worry. also, it can actually reduce the chances of some cancers, and clears up skin and so on, so the benefits outweight the risks so much. trust me.
and about telling your mum. i know its really difficult. you dont have to tell her if you feel uncomfortable or that she wouldnt be understanding, cos it is your own life after all. she just wants you to feel that you can if u want.

Reply 3

bonnie

don't worry so much nothing MAJOR can happen. On the contrary it can have positive effects. Like help making periods less heavy and painfull and also reduce acne. My doctor even told me that some actually make you lose a bit of weight.
And if it doesn't work for you you can just get off it.

I've been on the pill for four years and it's worked fine with me. I don't like talking about that kind of stuff with my mum either though. That stuff is very intimate afterall so it's just natural. You're allowed your own space.

Reply 4

Mrs_F

15

You should just talk to your mam about it. At the end of the day she will be pleased that you are being responsible and I'm sure she would rather you be on the pill than be risking getting pregnant.
And you have said she wants you to talk to her about that sort of stuff - take the opportunity!

You could always tell her you are going on it for your periods - to make them regular. Then she doesn't need to know about the sex side of it.

Anyway back to your question. I don't think the side effects are common. I put on a bit weight when I first went on the pill, but that was it.
After about 2 years of being on the pill I started to get really bad headaches and high blood pressure, but the doctor just changed my pill and now I have no side effects from this new pill that I'm on (so far). But you have regular check ups from the nurse so if you were to have any side effects then they could just change the type of pill for you.

I really wouldn't worry about it too much - and talk to your mam - that's what she is there for - she will appreciate the fact that you feel able to talk to her!

Reply 5

Helenia

20

The minor side effects happen to quite a few people but you just change around pill brands until you find one that you get on with. The major "increased risk" ones are more of a concern for later in life - and you can reduce those risks (CV disease, certain cancers etc) by leading a healthy lifestyle - not smoking, healthy diet, exercise etc.

Reply 6

username47781

20

some brands make you not want sex and also causes mood swings.

Reply 7

Talon

18

I know you are always advised to read the medication leaflets but you really need to pay a little less attention to the side affects. If the bad side effects were actually commonplace for the drug then they wouldnt give it to you would they?

Reply 8

Valleygirl84

Pharmaceutical companies have to list anything that has ever happened to anyone when they take a medication (even if its only one person!). They do this to cover themselves and also so that people can make an informed decision about what they are taking.

Side effects are listed in order (eg most common side effects are listed first, with the least common last) so you can get a better idea if what is most likely to occur if you do get any side effects.

Reply 9

Kate.

15

Also, you can start taking it whenever you want - you don't need to start on the first day of your period. I didn't.

Reply 10

Valleygirl84

Kate.

Also, you can start taking it whenever you want - you don't need to start on the first day of your period. I didn't.

You shouldn't give advice like this as there are many types of pill available; Combined Oral Contraceptive, of which there are monophasic, biphasic and triphasic (depending on how many hormones are present) and progesterone only. Each can have different starting routines so take it as your doctor/pharmacist has instructed you to.

Reply 11

camilla16

1

bonnie

don't worry so much nothing MAJOR can happen. On the contrary it can have positive effects. Like help making periods less heavy and painfull and also reduce acne. My doctor even told me that some actually make you lose a bit of weight.
And if it doesn't work for you you can just get off it.

I've been on the pill for four years and it's worked fine with me. I don't like talking about that kind of stuff with my mum either though. That stuff is very intimate afterall so it's just natural. You're allowed your own space.

some major things can happen - like thrombosis or something like that (check the leaflet), if not your mum i would advise you to tell someone important. it only happens to a really small percentage of women but it can be really serious.
as for minor side effects, everyone I have spoken to seems to agree that they haven't experienced any noticable ones.

Reply 12

Bexxxx

14

The only change i notice, is being a little more emotional. :smile:

Reply 13

username47781

20

I'm not sure i'm gonna go there, One of my ex's went on the pill and i swear she was never the same after.

Reply 14

carhel16

none. but get one that suits u. basically iv been on it for about 2 years but been having break through bleeds so told doctor he gave another went on it 4 a week then stopped taking it as felt so bad. but now iv been off it 4 a week and am longing 4 a period 2 just get bk on it cause i feel so low and down. so used 2 being on it wann aget bk on it. i does mess with hormones but ull be okay after a while. plus is safe and theorefre worth it

Reply 15

~*Sar*~

1

you can get pills with different degrees of side effects too. there's 2 major types - the older pills (ovranette an microgynal -nt sure if thats spelt right!) and newer ones like yasmin, cilest etc.
The first one i went on (ovranette) made me moody, emotional and all round just crap.
But now im on the newer type and it's fine, you just have to try one, and if that doesn't suit you there's always hundreds more you can try! lol

just don't worry.

Reply 16

eleri

5

Kate.

Also, you can start taking it whenever you want - you don't need to start on the first day of your period. I didn't.

With something as important as this, why take any risks? If the leaflet says to do things a certain way, it's incredibly risky to do things any other way. And the fact that it worked out for you might just mean you were very lucky, as far as you know.

Reply 17

Kate.

15

eleri

With something as important as this, why take any risks? If the leaflet says to do things a certain way, it's incredibly risky to do things any other way. And the fact that it worked out for you might just mean you were very lucky, as far as you know.

Everything I have ever been told says that you can start taking the majority of pills whenever you want. If you start taking them on the first day of your period, you're instantly protected. Otherwise, you're advised to wait 1-2 weeks (or more, depending on whatever your doctor says) before having sex without extra protection.
That's what my doctor told me and I'm pretty sure that's what my leaflet says, too.