Thank you to everyone that reads my reviews. I will always try and return a rate. If you read me but...
Thank you to everyone that reads my reviews. I will always try and return a rate. If you read me but I seem to be missing your reviews then please do drop me a note in my private guestbook xxx
Member since:08.09.2004
Reviews:244
Members who trust:351
When I am hormonal I am the most vile and moody person on the planet and I often find that my entire family are suddenly out of the house and keeping their distance!! Well, this is actually no longer the case due to this pill!
Approximately three years agoI was fed up with agonizing period pains, horrendous mood swings and getting lots of nasty spots and greasy hair every month. On top of this I had concerns about getting pregnant and although I was always using condoms, the idea of having a back upsafety net seemed like a good one!!
I went to the doctors and explained my dilemmas and asked if I could go on 'the pill'. He explained that he was happy to prescribe me a pill called Microgynon 30. This is an oral contraceptive pill.
******************************* What it is and what it does. *******************************
The pills are small and yellow coloured and are taken daily for 21 days in a row, then stopped for 7 days in which time you get your period. They come in blister packs of 21 pills which are covered in green foil and have the days of the week written on the foil to help you keep track of your pill taking!!
The pills contain synthetic versions of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. The pill basically overrides the female menstrual
cycle by making your body think that ovulation has happened when it hasn't. So your body thinks it is doing what its meant to be doing but in reality no egg is being prepared and released each month. This pill also thickens the mucus at the neck of the womb so that those cheeky little sperms will struggle to get anywhere near the egg area!! On top of this the pill also makes the lining of the womb a bit dodgy in its make up so that in the worst case scenario where sperms did manage to get to an egg and fertilise it, the egg would not be able to implant there anyway.
******************************* Getting it from the doctor *******************************
Micrognon 30 is only available by prescription and with any medication, it will not be suitable for everyone. When I asked my doctor for it he asked me a few questions before prescribing it and also took my blood pressure. Taking this pill increases your risk of developing a blood clot so if you are a smoker, overweight, over 35 or have any history of blood clots, heart disease or stroke in your family the doctor may decide that the pill will not be suitable for you. There are various other conditions in which you should not take this pill for example if you have diabetes or liver disease etc. Lists of these conditions can be found elsewhere in the internet but ultimately your doctor will take all off your health and lifestyle factors into consideration and decided whether this pill is appropriate.
******************************* Taking it for the first time *******************************
When you take this pill for the first time you have to wait till the first day of your period before you can begin taking it (a bit of a pain when you want to begin it right away!!!) I found that the first month that I took it I didn't really notice any different although my period was a bit shorter than normal I suppose. As mentioned above, you then take it for 21 days (so you have completed one blister pack), then you have 7 days without taking the pill and during this time you have what is called 'withdrawal bleeding' but it basically simulates your period
******************************* The Positive Effects. *******************************
The main effect that should be expected from microgynon 30 is that you wont get pregnant as long as you take it properly. However it also has lots of other nice little bonuses. In my own personal experience I have found that my periods are a lot lighter and I now only get the most minor of stomach cramps which is pure heaven considering I used to end up curled up in tears due to the immensity of the period pains I got before taking the pill! I very very rarely get spots now where I used to always get lots during my period. And as my family would argue as the most important point - I no longer have a week and a bit of vile mood swings each month!!!
Another advantage that I have discovered is being able to manipulate the time that you get your period, for example; when going on holiday if it was going to coincide with my pill-free (period) week then I just move straight onto the next packet rather than having the hassle of a period during my holiday! In the same way it also has advantages if you normally get irregular and unpredictable periods as when on the pill you will always know when you are going to come on!
There is also evidence that taking the pill can reduce your risks of getting cancer of the ovaries or womb.
******************************* The Negative Effects. *******************************
Luckily I have had no major negative effects from taking this pill. The only one that is occasionally a problem is that I tend to get migraines during my pill free week. I spoke to my doctor about this and he said to take two packets in a row and then have a pill free week. So now I spend two lots of 21 days on the pill and then have a week off, in which I have my period and so obviously there is less of a timeframe for the migraines to occur but I have also found that my body seems to cope better with this hormone level change and I get far less migraines that I used to (and have the added bonus of getting one period every two months!!) My doctor insisted that this is perfectly ok and wont do me any harm but obviously if this is something you want to consider then you should check with your doctor first!
Other possible negative effects can include the following: Increased risk of blood clots Slight increased risk of developing breast cancer (possibly outweighed by the minimised risks of developing certain other cancers) Weight gain Nausea and vomiting (I did have this a little bit for the first month before my body got used to the hormone changes.) Headaches and migraines (as mentioned above) Water retention (no more that I got during my periods before.) Decreased sex drive (have had no problem with this thankfully!) Changes in menstrual bleeding (although obviously this can be a positive to!) Gallstones Liver problems Breast tenderness (again, I have found this has been no more, possibly less than I had before taking the pill.) Depression (I suffer from depression as a separate entity and I do not feel that taking the pill has had any detrimental effect on this although I guess I wouldn't know!!)
******************************* Other Issues *******************************
It is obviously very important to be aware that whilst taking this pill will help protect you from getting pregnant, it will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases as the only method that can do so is a barrier method such as a condom!
The doctor can only prescribe you up to six months at a time and you must go back to see your doc to get another prescription so he/she can check everything is ok and that further prescriptions would be safe.
If you forget to take a pill, vomit within two hours of taking a pill or have diarrhoea for 24 hours or more then you will most likely not be protected by the pill and so it would be rather wise to use an additional method of contraception for 7 days!
It is recommended that you take the pill at the same time everyday, although this is mainly to help you get into a pattern of remembering to take it! (this is where I fail!)
If you do forget a pill then you should take it as soon as you remember (If you are not using the pill as your only method of contraception then obviously this is not going to be as much of an issue!!) Contrary to popular belief, it is not the end of the world if you take two in one day by accident! I seem to do this every now and again as I can never remember if I have taken it (yes I know the days are labelled but I don't take them in order…..stupid I know!)
******************************* A Summary of my personal experience. *******************************
I have now been on the pill for about three years. My parents feel that it should be compulsory for me due to my mood swings if I am not on it!!! The advantages I get from taking the pill are at the moment more beneficial to me that the potential risks.
I do every now and again try and have a few months break from taking the pill to give my body the chance to work totally naturally but usually end up returning to the pill after just one month because of the severity of my period pains.
The pill works well for me and I am aware that it doesn't for everyone (my mum took it and developed a blood clot in her leg - she was ok but has been advised against taking it again.) but I am very grateful to it and will be taking it for as long as I can safely do so (and until I start procreating of course!!)
In terms of looking at it as a product, I do recommend it if you want an alternative or additional method of contraception as well as if you want to try and find a solution to PMS!! Just make sure you are aware of all of the risks.
Thanks for reading. Em xx
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Glad this works for you, I had some terrible side effects
redeyes22 03.01.2009 16:16
great review aggy
christinat 16.12.2008 19:06
I used to take this medication but i coudnt give up the fags so had to change pill, the risks of clood clots are high but as you stated your GP should prescribe you the right ones, make sure you say everything you know about your family history etc as it really does matter. Fantastic review Emma. Christina.
Advantages: Reduced physical pain and reduced duration of period Disadvantages: Emotionally out of control, angry, anxious, depressed and even suicidal. It's inescapable mind trap.
Apr 15th, 2007
exceptional by (11%):
very helpful by (88%):
helpful by (1%):
