Birth control blues

November 5, 2007 11:00 PM

I am in my foruth month of Microgestin pills. I started taking the pills to help control my blackheads but just this month I started breaking out with really bad cystic acne. I tend to get deprresed easily and have always had severe cramps. I was wondering if anyone with matching ailments has any advice on birth control. I have taken several and quit early on due to spotting or worsening cramps. I am thinking of switching to Yasmin because of its reputation with acne sufferers. Any suggestions?
posted by madmamasmith to health (5 comments total)

- Why are you using a BCP to deal with acne?
- Do you need BCP?

The most depressive, anxious, angry, and useless times of my life have coincided with BCP usage; regardless, Yasmin was the most tolerable of them all.
posted by bonobo at 11:48 PM on November 5, 2007

just to offer a differing opinion, birth control pills have been a godsend to me. i used to have menstrual migraines and ovulation pain, and terrible pms. if it hadn't been for birth control, i probably would have gotten a hysterectomy.

i just started yaz and am finding good success with it. give it a try--if a pill is still giving you problems after 4 months, it's not the right pill for you.
posted by thinkingwoman at 4:09 AM on November 6, 2007

Hey! I have horrible cramps, depression, and bad acne. I take Yasmin, and I'm pretty happy with it.

It seems to be no better or worse than other BCPs I've tried in terms of moodiness and sexual side effects, but it has done GREAT things for my skin and my cramps. I still get menstrual pain, but it's the kind that responds well to a couple of Aleve. I haven't had need-to-go-to-the-ER-because-I-think-my-uterus-is-falling-out cramps since I switched to Yasmin.

A slightly unusual side effect is that is lowers blood pressure a bit, so it may make you feel dizzy for a while. This has always gone away for me by the second month.
posted by miagaille at 5:39 AM on November 6, 2007

I'm taking Cryselle right now to control acne and it's worked tremendously well. Like, godsend-well. It's also helped with cramps, although mine haven't ever been particularly severe with or without BC. I'm also susceptible to depression and it hasn't had much effect as far as I can tell. I don't have any experience with Yasmin.
posted by tatiana wishbone at 7:08 AM on November 6, 2007

Desogen made my acne worse - as in, my face was perfect because I'd taken Accutane and Desogen went in and undid years of progress.

Nuva Ring hasn't cured me, but it definitely has created a noticeable improvement. It also has not made me quite as depressed and gradually I feel some of my sex drive coming back.

Obviously, so so obviously, your mileage may vary considerably.
posted by crinklebat at 8:15 AM on November 6, 2007