Birth Control

Does anybody else take Loestrin 24e? Low-dose, 28 days on, 4 days off each month?

I've been on it for 5 months now, and overall it seems okay. I'm a little moodier than usual but I've had a lot of stress, so I can't say it's all from the pill. I try to take it within the same hour timeframe at night, every night, etc. Nothing unusual.

So what the heck? First 3 months, no period at all. I spotted ONCE. For like, 3 hours. Then a month later, right after our honeymoon (thankfully!) I woke up feeling awful... stuffy nose, fever, icky all over, stomach is all messed up, and 3 hours later I've got the period from hell. Lasted for over a full week - and this started in the middle of a pill pack. What on earth is up with that?!

Now, just starting my 6th pack of pills... first pill was last night. Got another period from hell yesterday, but I felt like crap for a good 2 full days BEFORE it started. Horrific back pain, cramps, emotional, icky all over, etc.

I was on depo for several years due to cervical cysts (caused by that awful BC patch). My OB-GYN had me do the shot because it eliminated bleeding altogether and we were hopeful that it would "reset" my body to release me from the prison of huge blood clots, pain so severe I needed percoset for a week each month, etc. Now what I deal with is called PMDD, of course, but back then it had no name. =)

So what the hell is up with the periods from hell on Loestrin? I need to be on low-dose due to stomach issues (I have severe IBS) - if I go on the regular pill, I get very sick to my stomach and my IBS symptoms worsen. I refuse to use any sort of insert-required thing, and that includes IUD things. Maybe it seems irrational, but I've had enough issues and NOTHING is going up there, lol!

Any suggestions? Advice? Anything?

Thanks, Amy! =) I have spoken to him since he switched me over from Yaz - that was a good 3 months of hell - and he said it's probably just my body still adjusting.

I've been on the pill now for 8 months, going on 9. I'd think that it wouldn't take this long for my body to readjust, sheesh.

He wants me on the low-dose pills, and I agree - otherwise it's a constant battle for me to not throw up all day long, and the IBS issues that the regular level pills dredge up... well, let's just say I want a life outside of a bathroom. Hah!

Everybody keeps telling me to just get an IUD, and I keep saying no... seems like that's the only option left after the pills.

Just kind of sucks to be newly married and be out of commission every 2 weeks, know what I mean? =)