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Ash

A few months back, my gyno and I decided that I needed an extra bout of estrogen to combat some rather disturbing side effects I experienced due to the pill I have to use (no change possible) and to my hormonal predisposition.
I was put on estrogen patches (as usually prescribed to menopausal women) to be taken during my pill break. Sounded funny at first, and I was eager to try out patches, because we had discussed the contraceptive patch before and I wondered whether patches would stick.

My doc prescribed patches that would only have to be changed once a week, the latest kind of transdermal patch tech, apparently, and I'd guess it would be pretty similar to the birth control patch.
But, Oh, if only a patch had actually lasted a whole week!

I don't know what I did wrong (and neiher did my gyno, when I told him of my plight), but even though I followed the instructions to the point, the things didn't want to stay where they were supposed to stay. One day, despite cleaning the area well with soap and water and drying it off carefully and not using any body lotion on that part before attaching it, three patches basically fell off me - no showers or sports involved. THREE PATCHES. Three months worth of my supply!

If you get the damn thing to stick (my skin quite obviously didn't want any patches), the most difficult bit about all this is apparently finding a place on your bod where the patch isn't subjected to movement or rubbing of underwear at all times -and that is rather shockingly difficult. You can put it anywhere but your breasts and I tell ya, I tried all areas the makers of the patch suggested - mainly various locations on the fleshy part of my lower back (above the bum), and hell, either my pants, or my undies put pressure on the patch. The stomach isn't an option either if you do sports, the hips have the same problem as the lower back and your bum is (at least in my case) to ...soft.

In any way, I am fed up with patches, compeltely. I remember standing in my bathroom, on a weekend, screaming after the third patch of the day had fell off me, with the last of my patches in hand screaming at the damn thing to please stay on because otherwise I wouldn't be able to get hold of any within the next days and be back in estrogen-less hell.

I am taking estrogen via pills now.

I personally found stressing about the patch (will it stay on? aaaaaaaaaargh, the edges have rolled up again it'll fall off later! is it delivering enough hormones?) far more hassling than taking a pill. all this while I didn't even have to depend on this for contraception.

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Caro
~Scarleteen Sexpert~

"Through repetition the magic will be forced to rise."
Alchemical Precept

my friend who works at Planned Parenthood says they come in a tres cute poweder blue makeup bag.

Any reported allergic reactions to the adhesive? I was wondering if the OrthoEvra adhesive was latex-free as well.

Me, I can't wear band-aids for an extended period of time because the adhesive causes welts on my skin. Was owndering if OrthoEvra could do the same to me or ppl like me.

Apparently, Oprah Winfrey's magazine had a sample of them in an issue recently? I'm assuming it didn't actually HAVE the hormones in it, but was a placebo, but I don't know for sure.

Lunelle, though, which has been on the market for a while now, Chelle, has done grat in tests and has a higher effectiveness rating than the pill thus far.

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Heather Corinna
Editor and Founder, Scarleteen

But if you know you can't remember to take pills every day, that's something to tell your doctor when talking about methods for you. If you can't remember to take pills each day (or change patches each week, for that matter) than yes, that method wouldn't likely work for you.

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Heather Corinna
Editor and Founder, Scarleteen

Medical

Most hormonal birth control requires a gynecological exam, and then regular check-ups (usually on hormonal birth control, they'll want to see you after three months to check your blood pressure). Since getting sexual health care is part of keeping yourself healthy, this isn't going to be anything additional, but it is something that needs to be considered.

Additionally, you and your doctor will need to talk about your health and how various medications affect you. Which method(s) of birth control would be the best choice, given your overall health, your family history, and your personal preferences?

For example, I take the pill because I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and they've found that low-dose birth control pills combined with other medications are the best course of action there. However, for other women, the patch, the ring, or the shot might work better. For me, certain birth control pill formulations make me very ill -- and I didn't know that until I tried one and got sick, and then we had to experiment to find a brand that worked for me. So you'll need to keep an eye on yourself for side effects, and to get them checked out.

Financial

Birth control, especially hormonal birth control, costs money. Medical exams and check-ups cost money, too. Most of the time, insurance won't cover prescription birth control unless there's a valid medical reason -- and even then, it's a fight. There are plenty of sources for lower cost birth control and exams, but finances are important here. What birth control can you afford? How can you afford it in the long term? (Remember, too, that financial readiness is a big part of sexual readiness.)

For example, I get my exams through Student Health here, which means they're covered by my health insurance, and Purdue offers clinic packs of birth control pills for $9 a month. Without that subsidy, I'd be paying $27/month for birth control pills.

Logistical

And then there's logistics. You need to be able to schedule doctor's appointments and checkups, and have a way of getting to them. You need to be able to find a pharmacy that will fill your prescriptions, get to that, and pick up your prescriptions. You need to be able to arrange for refills and annual renewals.

And then, you need to remember to use your chosen method, and to follow the directions carefully. Even if you have to remember to use your birth control method less often, you still have to remember to use it (getting another shot, changing your patch, putting in a new ring, taking a pill). So, while remembering less often is certainly a benefit, it's still going to require some remembering on your part.

If you're using hormonal birth control, you'll also need to protect yourself against STDs -- this will mean using condoms, and getting regular STD testing. So that's another logistical thing to remember.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that choosing a method of birth control requires considering medical, financial, and logistical factors, and making a decision based on your health history, what you can afford, and what's easiest for you to use and continue to use for the long or the short term. We're extraordinarily fortunate that there's so many options out there -- but it does mean that we need to make careful, considered choices.

more about the "Nuva ring" can be found right there:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/cchoices4.html#RING

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Caro
~Scarleteen Sexpert~

The best person to help you choose birth control is your doctor. S/he can explain your options, and discuss which method would be best for you based on your health history and personal preferences.

It's important to also consider combining two forms of birth control, as well as always including protection against STDs in your plans. This means that if one method fails, or is found to not be reliable, you have another method working for you.

The December issue of Cosmopolitan magazine (and probably other womanly magazines too, but I haven't checked) has a free sample of the patch. It doesn't have the active ingredients, but it seems like a good idea for anyone who wants to try and get a feel for it.

i'll go to gyn soon to discusso what bc method would suit me best, and just by reading about them, my 1st choices would be the patch or the 3-month injection... although i'm not completely sure the injection is available where i live, since i haven't heard from anyone who's on it. i consider the pill as an alternative, but not the 1st choice if i was able to choose.

so if you're using or have used the patch, are you happy with it? has it proven to stick on rather than slip off or move? what place do you apply it on?

I had understood the perfect use failure rate for the patches were comparable to OCP, Depo being the closest to permanent means (ie very low failure rates)

For OrthoEvra patch trials with 4500+ women had actual use failure rates of about 1 in 100 patient years which is about the same as OCP. There was a trend to higher failure rates in women that were very heavy ie more than 90kg.

I have had good feedback with users of the NuvaRing. It has very low dose estrogen, it is acceptable for the most part in terms of how it is dosed, there seems to be good cycle control, some college age clients have liked them alot.

Other NuvaRing sites:
www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/handouts/ho-nuva.pdf
www.nuvaring.com this one has pictures

My take is what ever you can use consistently, works with your life style, does not give you side effects and is affordable for you to use consistently is a good choice.

Addendum: I justed notted how old this thread was, sorry hope it helps ursinha

quote:

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Originally posted by Barbarosa:
I called my womens health NP friend and her take is the biggest problem is sticking on with swimming, so swim team, regular water immersion is problematic. No matter what the rep says.

I had understood the perfect use failure rate for the patches were comparable to OCP, Depo being the closest to permanent means (ie very low failure rates)

For OrthoEvra patch trials with 4500+ women had actual use failure rates of about 1 in 100 patient years which is about the same as OCP. There was a trend to higher failure rates in women that were very heavy ie more than 90kg.

I have had good feedback with users of the NuvaRing. It has very low dose estrogen, it is acceptable for the most part in terms of how it is dosed, there seems to be good cycle control, some college age clients have liked them alot.

Other NuvaRing sites:
www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/handouts/ho-nuva.pdf
www.nuvaring.com this one has pictures

My take is what ever you can use consistently, works with your life style, does not give you side effects and is affordable for you to use consistently is a good choice.

Addendum: I justed notted how old this thread was, sorry hope it helps ursinha

[This message has been edited by Barbarosa (edited 09-14-2004).]

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thanks! more and accurate information always helps

i'll read more on the ring... although i think it's not such a common option over here (i'm in portugal).

also, hopefully the cost of the method i'll choose will be none, usually State medical centers provide patients with the pill and patch (that i know), other methods i'm not sure, but we don't have to pay a lot, if we have at all... that means cost isn't an issue in my choice.

i was exploring the orthoevra site and i liked the fact it's much smaller than i thought...

i'll make an appointment sometime next week, hopefully they will give me good advice on what should be best for my case... because i know if i take some medication it might not be advisable to take the pill, for example, as i read the instructions for a brand my sister had here