Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with period

DOG PERIOD BLOOD IN BED. CAN I JUST SLEEP IN IT?

defmute — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:15:08 -0800

my dog bled on my blanket (i think mine's called a com-fort-or). can i still sleep in my bed? my dog's been on her period for a while and we always kick it pretty good in bed and i thought her period was over but i guess not and i've actually been sleeping in bed with a few half dollar siezed dogperiodblood spots on the pillows, com-four-door, sheets and mattress. am i okay? do i need to disinfect my sleeping arrangements?

Why am I having the longest period ever?

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:14:32 -0800

This is going to be gross: I'm a 25 year old female. Until now I have had extremely regular periods which last 6 days with a 12-18 hour gap on day 5 (no idea why). I am not on any kind of birth control and have not been on any kind of birth control for over a year. This month's period began on the standard day, except now I'm going on my 14th straight day of bleeding. The bleeding tapered to very light and brown around day 9. Since then it has been bright red with tissue. I worked out Saturday morning and noticed it was extremely heavy and ... tissue-ier afterwards, but that could be coincidence. I'm having standard, low-level cramps type pain recently. I had sex on Friday (condoms) and noticed no ladypart related pain at the time but the condom was bright red afterward. It was really unnerving.

I have already scheduled a doctor's appointment. I'm just trying to figure out what this could be in the interim. Please help.

How was print produced and distributed during the early Medieval period?

slowcat — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:28:33 -0800

How was print produced and distributed during the early Medieval period? I've been doing a lot of reading lately on early Christian thinkers, and I was wondering how much influence their writings could have on the general Christian public if this were before say, movable type. For example, Origen's writings are listed as being highly controversial in his lifetime, but how many people really had access to them? Was it really only the academic elite? Did they have to be manually copied?

I feel like I can't truly appreciate the ideas without understanding the context.
Thanks!

Two Weeks Later...Not You Again!

fantine — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:05:07 -0800

Is there a way to lengthen my annoyingly short menstrual cycle? Discussion of menstruation and good times after the jump! OK, I'm a female college student, in good health, etc. Historically, my menstrual cycle is a solid 28 days, give or take (it's very predictable). However, whenever I come back to school, it drastically shortens to 19-21 days, which is hellaciously irritating. I don't have particularly awful periods, unlike some women I know, but it's a nuisance to have a 3-week instead of 4-week cycle.

Is there any way to regain a normal-length cycle? I have a good idea that it might be stress-related, but that might be just an inclination without medical merit. It's not just a beginning-of-the-semester thing where living on a hall with other women makes the hormones go nuts; this lasts for as long as I'm at school.

I'm not interested in taking birth control to artificially regulate it for a variety of reasons. But does anyone have other solutions or advice to go back to a 28-day cycle? My uterus will thank you.

period sex tips, please.

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:08:32 -0800

your tips for sex during a woman's period, please. we use towels to minimize staining, but I'm wondering if there's some better solution. Plus, does anyone have a trick for minimizing blood during the act? Neither of us has a problem with it, exactly, but it's not super sexy and sometimes the extra slickness is unwelcome.

Weird period

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:48:02 -0800

Weird period. What's up? Needless to say, if you find this stuff icky, read no further. I'm a forty year old woman who's been using Yasmin for about 10 years with no problems at all. My periods are generally very regular and start around the third day after the last active pill. A little cramping, a little moodiness, but nothing major.

So, this last period started early, maybe a day and a half after the last active pill. I had no cramping at all. The flow was very light, but the blood was very dark brown and has remained that way. A few clots. I'm accustomed to dark blood at the end of my period, but not at the beginning.

Also, in the last year I've noticed that it's become more painful to insert a tampon, and the last time I had sex, it was a little painful as well. If it matters, I'm kind of on a dry streak, so sex is infrequent. However, I seem to produce as much lubrication as usual.

I see my gynecologist twice a year for check-ups. Last one was a couple of months ago, and everything was normal. He did say that I have a few small fibroids, but nothing serious. I did a little googling, but I can't come up with anything that quite fits. I have no other symptoms, so I don't think it's endometriosis.

I'll make an appointment if necessary, but I'm hoping there's an explanation for this that won't keep me up at night. Thanks for your help. Are you my doctor? No, you're not.

How are menstruating comatose women cared for?

amicamentis — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:04:47 -0800

What happens when comatose women menstruate? For pre-menopausal women, how does the hospital staff deal with menstruation? Do they use maxi pads or tampons? It seems that laying down in bed would create a mess on the sheets even with maxi pads. Do they wash the women often?

Are there any cases where comatose women were put on some sort of hormonal drugs so that menstruation was arrested? Is the period lessened at all by the coma?

How would you explain menstruation to little kids?

widdershins — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:58:59 -0800

Please help me find an age-appropriate way to explain menstruation to my young kids. (This question is obviously not for anyone squicked out by female things.) I have 3 kids - 2 girls who are 3 1/2 and a boy 2 years younger. With kids this young there really isn't any such thing as bathrooom privacy, which isn't a problem for us. However, occasionally they will see blood in the toilet bowl as I'm flushing it or a blood stain on underwear. One of my daughters once asked me if I'd pooped my pants and I really didn't know how to respond...

So I'm trying to come up with a good age-appropriate way to explain menstruation to them. We are very open about our bodies and all that, so there's no embarrassment factor, but I don't want to freak them out by explaining that I'm bleeding from my vagina. To them, blood = injury. I'm also conscious that whatever we teach them will immediately get repeated at daycare. Again, totally fine, but I want to keep it as low-key and non-sensationalist as possible.

Another factor is that my wife and I are two women (who somehow are not on the same schedule), so there's a greater-than-average chance that someone in the house is having their period at any given time...

So. How did you handle this with your kids?

Make it stop

amethysts — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:33:22 -0800

I'm on Ocella birth control (generic Yasmin) and I've been having a really painful, heavy period for almost 5 weeks now and I'm getting pret-teee sick of it. It's probably my fault, as when the pack was over I skipped one yellow pill then immediately went into a new pack, instead of doing the 7-day sugar pill thing. I used to do that on Yasmin and it was no problem. Oh well. That was 5 weeks ago. The last few days it's been stopping briefly then starting up again. ARG. I can't stand these cramps any more.

You are not my doctor, but even though I have insurance I can't afford to see her unless I know there's something she can do for me. Am I going to get something other than a shrug and a lecture? Cause I really don't have enough money to spend on that. Can she give me some kind of magic pill that will make it stop?

Firsthand information about endometrial ablation

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:19:23 -0800

Please tell me what you know about endometrial ablation as a means of lessening or hopefully stopping my bleeding. (This is a female-parts question.) I'm looking for firsthand information on this procedure, if possible. I have only seen it mentioned a few times in a couple of threads from several years ago. I have Googled and gotten a pretty good idea of the mechanics of the procedure and how it's performed; what I'm looking for is personal experiences, info on whether I'd even be considered a candidate for it, that sort of thing.

I'm a single woman in my mid-thirties, live in the southern United States, casually sexually active, with no children and no desire for them, ever. I have had two abortions in the past. I only reveal this to really drive the point home that I do not want kids and will not be changing my mind.

Ever since I got my first period, my menstrual cycles were unpredictable, prolonged, heavy, and incredibly painful. When I was about 21, my doctor told me about Depo-Provera and I started using it (this was several years before the bone-loss issues were widely known). I was on Depo off and on for about ten years or so (got pregnant and had my second abortion during one of the "off" years). I absolutely loved the complete lack of bleeding while I was on Depo.

Unfortunately, last year I had a bone scan and was diagnosed with severe osteopenia (just shy of having actual osteoporosis), so my GYN insisted that I get off the Depo immediately and she put me on Sprintec birth control pills, to be taken continuously. I was aware that I probably wouldn't be completely bleed-free anymore, but I only expected occasional "spotting." After six months on the Sprintec (presumably the Depo had finally worn off) I started bleeding and didn't stop for a month and a half. Then I took a week off the pills (the "placebo" week, the way BC pills are normally taken, and on the recommendation of the GYN), stopped bleeding briefly, and then started bleeding again. Not monsoon-strength bleeding, but just enough to inconvenience me and constantly make me highly uncomfortable. I was pretty freaked out and expressed my concerns to the GYN, wondering if something might be wrong with me.

Without having me come in to see her, the GYN then switched my prescription to the lower-dose Lessina birth control pills, which I've been on for four months now. For the first three months there was just a little spotting, but now once again I'm bleeding constantly, with all the attendant discomforts (cramping, irritability, etc.) of a real period. I tried taking a week off, again, and the bleeding briefly stopped, but as soon as I got back on the pills I again started bleeding just enough to need tampons. To be clear, the bleeding is not what I think most people would consider "heavy," i.e., needing to change my tampon every hour, but it is constant (not stopping). I am taking the pills as directed, faithfully at at the same time every morning.

The last time I spoke to my GYN about all this, she told me dismissively that "every woman has to deal with some bleeding" and pretty much told me I should get over myself. I won't be going back to her. I'm not a moron and I don't want a doctor who only tells me what I want to hear, but I expect my doctors to be a little kinder when I'm freaking out about my body acting up.

When I find a new GYN, I will of course tell them everything and agree to any tests they might want to run. But I'd like to bring up the subject of endometrial ablation, which I didn't know about until recently and which I've been Googling and reading about, but I don't know anyone in real life who has undergone the procedure. Can any of you provide firsthand information? Will any doctor just refuse me outright if I ask about it? I am still relatively young and have no kids, and I keep reading stories about how doctors won't agree to sterilization procedures on younger people with no kids unless there's a serious enough medical condition to warrant it, and are always assuming a woman will inevitably change her mind later about wanting babies (about which, see above; I really won't).

I also have never been diagnosed with endometriosis, fibroids, cysts, or anything serious like that. My last few PAP tests have been completely normal, though I have not yet had one since going off the Depo last year. There is a history of breast cancer in my immediate family so I'm probably at a higher risk there. Would my current condition be considered "not bad enough" to justify a procedure like this?

Other things I've considered: The Mirena IUD, which was mentioned by my last GYN as an option (but not at the top of her list, since she said I need the estrogen in BC pills to help build my bones back up), but I really don't want to use an IUD. I have read up a lot on those, including many comments here on AskMe, and I know they're now considered very safe and effective, but for personal reasons that's not an option for me. I've also, in desperation, thought about begging to go back on the Depo and take some sort of calcium-building supplement at the same time, but I'm almost certain no doctor would agree to that, knowing what terrible shape my bones are already in.

I will follow up via the mods if necessary, but just to be clear, what I'm really looking for here is firsthand information about endometrial ablation, like, "I/my sister/my friend had the procedure and it was [a big help/a disaster/whatever]," or "I work at a GYN office and you [would/wouldn't] be considered a candidate because [whatever]. You would have to [ask nicely/get off the pills/bleed harder/have a baby/wait a year/whatever] before they would perform this on you."

I know that there is no guarantee it would completely stop my bleeding.

P.S., Any idea how much it would cost, assuming no insurance?

The condition of my condition

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:28:06 -0800

Oh, my god. I've had a nearly month-long period after a Mirena insertion. I've been to the doctor and everything is seemingly fine - but I would like recommendations on how to deal. In theory, I love the Mirena. The blood-free week immediately after insertion was fantastic. Sadly, it's a distant memory at this point - I quickly moved on to a period-like flow for nearly three weeks, and then my actual period came on schedule complete with crummy side issues. I've always had somewhat heavy, but relatively comfortable periods, so I have no idea how to handle this new stuff - cramping, moodiness, backache, stomach upset.

So - what works for you to make your period more bearable? OTC medications, hot water bottles, baths, a yoga position - I'll try anything. Have you figured out a way to avoid doing laundry every goddamn day? What gets blood stains out best? How do you deal with raging mood swings? You'd think that I'd have figured this stuff out over the last, oh, twelve years, but it turns out that I need Monthlies 101.

Any and all recommendations are helpful, whether an IUD lives in your uterus or not. If you DO have a Mirena...did you go through anything similar? How long did it take to balance out? Looking around for women with similar experiences got me a host of horror stories, which were pretty unhelpful. Relevant details: I'm 26, nulliparous, smallish but not too-small uterus, normal paps. I use a menstrual cup. I didn't do well on oral HBC, but my doctor and I decided that the super-low-dose Mirena would be a good option.

I've been assured that this is within the "range of normal" and to just wait, but the waiting is becoming a serious inconvenience. Halp!

coping with new symptoms of PMS

Aleatoire — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:10:14 -0800

Seeking advice from someone who underwent a hormonal shift that suddenly had them struggling with the psychological symptoms of PMS when, in the past, a pain reliever and warm compress had been sufficient to keep their period under control. Can this shift from a purely physical to a fiercely mental experience of PMS be, in any way, reversed? [If you have the time to read it, what follows expands on the question above. I apologize for the length. I am aware that, in all likelihood, YANAD, and that I should see one. I will.]

Several months before turning twenty, my period went missing for the first time in my life; though slightly worrying, it was perhaps also a blessing, as it eliminated the intense cramping and fatigue that had always accompanied it. It remained missing until, twelve months later, a nurse practitioner prescribed me ten days of progesterone to (in her words) "get the motor back up and running", countering my hesitations towards the pills with the claim that I should not have waited as long as I did and that my reproductive capacities were at stake.

However, by the third day of the progesterone, it was evident that something was wrong. I entered into an debilitatingly unstable emotional period (others know me as a strong person of a stoic temperament) which began with a cavernous sadness that intermittently surfaced as inconsolable bursts of tears and steadily deepened into compulsive feelings of death (akin to the visceral panic and vertigo felt if one were to accidentally fall from a very high place or onto something dangerous, a downward motion, (mis)recognition of impending doom, fighting against gravity and the weight of one's own body). Physically, half of fingers on my left hand became painful and swelled to twice their normal size and, by the sixth day, had broken the surrounding skin.

Observing the warnings on the enclosed instructions, I stopped at the sixth dosage and my period returned, soon after. When the university health center re-opened for the spring semester (this took place during the winter break all when services were suspended) and I conferred with the nurse, the treatment was taken as a success, despite the anomalous reaction. I was given a steroid cream for my hand (water retention, she said) which returned to its normal size.

It's been seven months. Though my cycles have, since then, been restored, they have returned unlike any that I have experienced. The somatic symptoms that had in in the past accompanied my period are dwarfed by the emotional state that anticipates it. The period before my period (which, if I am late, can last more than a few weeks with a palpable peak in intensity immediately preceding it), I am prone to enter into--and lose myself in--a state of intense depersonalization and depression (dysphoria is the more appropriate word). What's immensely frustrating is that it is precisely when I am selected for a scholarship to study and write on what I love that functions as a point of entry into graduate studies (my greatest desire) that I am swept up into this emotional vertigo whose source is not circumstantial but internal. When I am in it, I am too wound up to be able to focus and I am deeply afraid that the consequence of this change in hormones has changed who I am as a person -- or, at the very least, has created a difficult obstruction for who I want to be.

Is this something that will remain with me throughout my life or is there a possibility of returning to that prior state where a period was just bad cramping and heavy bleeding? If so, what does it take? If it is permanent, what can I do to cope with this increasingly emerging aspect of PMS and what helps to mitigate its effects (giving up sugar, wheat, and dairy, on top of being a vegetarian)? How tightly related are the intensity of the symptoms and diet?

With my psychologist's encouragement, I have made an appointment with another nurse practitioner but am unsure what to do if I am prescribed another series of hormone pills (as some form of birth control), now knowing the some of the possible repercussions. Would suppressing my period be the best solution, in the long run, or is PMS still prone to occur when menstruation is synthetically inhibited?

Thank you, tremendously.

Dear Dr. AskMe, I know you are not my doctor.

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:12:53 -0800

I have a lady problem. Removing my uterus and storing it in my closet until I next need it isn't an option. Please help me find a lady solution. More (TMI) inside. Excuse my explicit description, but I feel stupid dancing around the issue. When I get my period, the first day tends to incapacitate me. I frequently experience extreme pain for several hours which makes it impossible for me to do more than lie in bed moaning, writhing, and feeling very sorry for myself. This is accompanied by painful diarrhea and, less frequently, the feeling that I am about to pass out (to the point of things starting to go black) which I have so far always been able to head off via immediate lying down.

Living like this is less and less acceptable to me. It's one thing when you're a student and you might have to miss class, but I am entering the legal profession and the hours are long and inflexible. I am worried that I will have a trial at the wrong time of month and not sure how I would cope. It's also making it difficult for me to enjoy my life. I planned a trip around my period, but my cycle was a bit irregular this summer and now my trip date coincides with when I should next be punched in the gut by nature. I am very, very stressed about this. I understand that this is an overreaction, but I am picturing myself strapped into the window seat during a 12 hour flight, unconscious, and covered in blood and poo. I’m trying to be funny, but I’m near tears.

So, the obvious solution is the pill. But I am very, very afraid of the pill. Forgive me, I know it's irrational, but my fear is clearly real enough to have prevented my even trying the pill out despite spending more time than I care to calculate weeping with pain and crawling back and forth between my bed and the toilet.

I am afraid of the pill because it's unnatural (irrational), because of the side effects (more rational, though one of the side effects I most fear is weight gain, which is kind of shameful), because you have to remember to take it every day at the same time and I worry that I wouldn't, and because I hate taking pills in general.

I don’t “have” a doctor, though I have health insurance. My two abortive attempts to talk about this with obgyns in the past were as follows: one doctor told me she wouldn’t give me prescription-strength pain medication because it didn’t happen every time and that was the end of our conversation; one doctor shoved a random pack of pills at me and told me “you WILL get fat,” then asked me to leave because she had another appointment. I am shy about talking about this stuff in person anyway.

Is there any way that I can handle this without taking the pill (or getting an IUD, worse, or the shot, worse)? I have little hope that there is an answer to this question that is not “no.”

More realistically, given that I probably have to take the pill if I want to control this issue, how can I get more comfortable with that idea?

I am very grateful for your help and advice (but, please, don’t tell me to suck it up). I can be reached at lamezilla[at]gmail.

Why is my period so weird?

Anonymous — Sun, 17 May 2009 12:17:22 -0800

Question about menstruation after an abortion. I had an abortion a few months ago and, when I restarted my period, my period was/is very different than it was before. I now have these big blobs of blood, which never happened before when I had my periods before the abortion. The first time I had my period, I freaked out and called the nurse practitioner all panicked and she said that my period would be different now because I had been pregnant. I don't understand why, though and I stupidly didn't ask. I've been googling endlessly and only come up with forums where someone asks a similar question and is berated for having had an abortion in the first place.

So, why is my period so different now than it used to be? Is it normal? Will it stop being blobs and return to what it used to be like?

Is there a scientific reason for a menstruating woman not to use a hot tub?

dahliachewswell — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:22:55 -0800

Is there some scientific or medical reason why a menstruating woman would be banned from a public/shared hot tub or pool? (I'm talking actual findings, not just general cultural ickiness.) I've come across this women's health spa in my area that claims it will not admit women to its facilities (soaking tubs and saunas, etc.) if they are having their period.

Does anyone know if there is science to back this up (transmission of diseases in hot tubs, etc.)?

Obviously, you don't want large amounts of blood contaminating a semi-sanitary environment but menstruation is not equivalent to hemorrhaging. Likewise, menstruation is not equivalent to having a contagious infection or skin condition. It seems like if a woman had showered and is using a tampon or menstrual cup it would be a non-issue. The ban mostly seems like a continuation of a taboo or cultural distaste for menses, "eww, women on their period are unclean" sort of thing. Am I missing some hard facts?

Where is my period?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:54:34 -0800

Where is my period? After more than 10 years on the pill (on and off over the last 15 years; I am 33) I recently stopped taking birth control (I was on Yasmin) in order to try and conceive later this year. Although previously I had never messed around with the pack to time my period, I stopped mid-pack (in order to avoid a period while traveling overseas). I took 11 active pills with the last pill taken on March 11. I had a light period from March 14 - 16 and since then no bleeding. By my calculation I am now on day 39 of my 'cycle' and have had unprotected sex 5 or 6 times. I have taken a couple of a pregnancy tests (one a week ago and one today) and they both came back negative. I know that the test may not be accurate in the early days of pregnancy but I don't know when my period is due.

I have a doctor's appointment later this week and will explain all of this then but would like to know your experience...

My question is: where is my period? could I be pregnant? how long did it take your cycle to return to 'normal' following a long time on the pill?

I want to add my wife who has serious pre-existing conditions to my health insurance plan at work. How do we make sure her condition will be covered?

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:24:47 -0800

I want to add my wife who has serious pre-existing conditions to my health insurance plan at work. How do we make sure her condition will be covered? My wife needs orthognathic surgery but her insurance (HMO) will only cover a portion of it under a doctor she does not trust and will not address all symptoms involved. I have a much better plan at my work, but have noticed that when adding someone to the plan, there is a waiting period of 6 months for anyone with pre-existing conditions before they will start to cover them.

My wife is in constant pain everyday and doesn't think she can wait any longer, nor do the doctors she would like to be treated by, as her condition gets worse everyday. My first question then, is there anything that can be done to shorten the waiting period?

If we must wait the 6 months before she can get the surgery, so be it. It's too costly to even attempt to pay it out of pocket right now, but we absolutely can't have her go without medication and physical therapy to help relieve the everyday pain. But on the new plan, would these treatments be considered part of the "pre existing" condition?
Is it possible for her to keep her current plan just for these things WHILE she is on the waiting period for my plan?

Also, in terms of other things that would not be covered due to the pre-existing mess, would these things also include consultations with surgeons? MRI's? any testing she would need for the eventual treatment she would receive after the 6 months is up?
Or are these "tests" going to be excluded as well even though they are just tests and not actual treatment?

How to replace the broken period key with a shortcut

omnigut — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:19:20 -0800

I've lost two keys, one of which is the period button. So far, for four months, I've simply been copying that are lying around, and pasting them into web browsers, word documents etc etc. The thought just struck me; is there a global shortcut for entering a period? Like, say, ctrl+opt+command+p ? And if not, can someone tell me how to do it in Firefox, excel, and word? Thanks!

What is the real definition of a "business day"?

Sonic_Molson — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:25:47 -0800

Has my cheque gone through it's 5 business day holding period yet? I'm wanting to make an RSP contribution to my ING Direct bank account from my Royal Bank of Canada savings account before the deadline in < 4 hours.

The problem is that the money I wish to use was deposited into my Royal Bank account on February 25th, and they have a "5 business day" holding period.

It's been barely more than 5 days, but has it been 5 business days?
The bank is open on the weekend, but something tells me that isn't their definition of a business day. Is it?

Bitter little pill

t0astie — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:01:13 -0800

I want to take birth control pills again. But in the past I've had lots of problems with the three different pills I've tried. I know you are not a doctor, or my doctor, and I will see my doctor. But your experiences with birth control might help me make my choice when I do see the doc. So please, tell me, have you ever taken a birth control pill WITHOUT loss of libido, mood swings, madness, weight gain and skin issues? If so, what pill did you take? Background
I've tried Diane-35, Triphasil and Marvelon at various times, all with devastating and completely unacceptable side effects. I stopped about nine years ago, after a particularly terrible six months on Marvelon. On all of them, I had mood swings, depression, weight gain, nausea, tearfulness and zero libido.

On Marvelon I felt possibly the worst I have ever felt in my life, ever.

I am not prepared to kiss my sex drive goodbye, be transformed into a raving unstable psycho, have my face covered in zits or stack on a stone to take the pill.

But. My period is agony, I am miserable and PMS-y for a fortnight each month, then exhausted and crampy and faint and sick for three days out of the seven I bleed for.

Have tried everything else I can think of to fix the period issues: acupuncture, lifestyle changes (exercise, cut down caffeine, increased whole foods, fruit, veggies, minimal processed food, a range of supplements including evening primrose); acupuncture; massage; anti-inflammatories; various prescription and non prescription painkillers. All of these have helped, but have not fixed the problem. Also, yes, I have been checked out, I don't have endometriosis, cysts, fibroids, or any other problem like that. At this point, it's so terrible and debilitating, the pill is finally starting to look like something I'd consider again.

When I go and see the doctor, I'm thinking of asking about new low-dose pills and giving those ago, maybe having my period six monthly, or quarterly.

I've read through a stack of birth control questions, and anecdotally, it looks like Tri-cyclen in all its forms cause depression and anxiety symptoms, as do Microgynon, Alesse, Loestrin and Desogen.

Yasmin, Yaz and low estrogen pills seem to show up in the ''it worked for me'' responses, with less mood swing madness. But they also seem to cause loss of libido. This is a deal breaker.

I looked at this table, but it doesn't cover loss of libido (a real deal breaker) and also lists Triphasil as good for s moodiness and depression. Which. No.

So: Does anyone have any recommendations for side-effect minimal birth control pills that might let me keep the lovin' feeling, stay a normal weight, and not go stark raving mad?

Yep, I know, in the end, it will just come down to me and my unique reaction. But your annecdata will help me decide what to try first.

I am NOT interested in: and IUD, a diaphragm, patches, nuva ring or implants.

Dealing with breast tenderness?

meerkatty — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:56:27 -0800

Dealing with breast tenderness? Oh dear god for the past few months I have had painfully tender breasts just after ovulation and until my period arrives. I've spoken to my doctor who advises that, as I suspected, it's due to big hormonal fluctuations and my age (early 30s). He recommended lowering my fat and salt intake as well as eliminating as much caffeine and alcohol as possible. No problem.

Have you found that anything else has worked for you? Fabulous naturopathic remedies? Supplements? Other dietary or exercise changes? My breasts thanks you in advance.

Period Piece Movie Help

camdan — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:45:35 -0800

I'm looking for a movie from my childhood. It was most likely released in the late 80's / early 90's, and is a period piece taking place in turn of the century Europe. There fairies or magic of some fashion, a crystal ball figures into it, perhaps, and maybe a locket. My most vivid images of it are: someone falls through an ice sheet early on, and at the end the lead is hanged, but he wants death because he misses his love. That's about it.

New relationship

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:39:13 -0800

New relationship filter - ex-semi-drama queen here, how do i keep this going, slow and steady and not rush in? I've known this guy for about 5 years. Realized I may have feelings for him about 1.5 years ago. Never said anything to him because we were developing a good friendship and did not want to screw anything up.

Some specifics: he's had one night stands, but never a real relationship. admits to not being very emotional, is a pretty stoic individual. our friendship was very healthy, talk on the phone once/week, hang out 1-2 times a month. both have our own sets of friends and lives going on.

me: i think he is extremely attractive and so smart. i have had 2 semi-relationships in the past (last one being 2 years ago) that were both filled with rushing in too fast, high drama, the works. a lot of it was my fault -- i was a late bloomer and didn't have any relationships till my 20s and when i was semi-in-one, i thought that the high hi's (crazy butterflies, infatuation) and the low low's (dramatic heartbreak) = passion = romance - tru luv.

i have grown up a lot since then, become less insecure and more confident, developed a life of my own, and now know that the drama queen crap is not attractive and serves a relationship no purpose. (like, for instance, if i asked my guy if he found so-and-so attractive and he did, i would sulk and be jealous-- clearly this was entirely dumb of me b/c he's just being truthful and i was totally being insecure, but at the time i would just be hurt and offended)

So, presently: i really dig this guy a lot. how do i not mess this up? esp. since he's never been in a relationship, but has indicated to me that he wants to be in one with me..... sometimes he won't be as emotional as i want him to be in his words, but i have kept my mouth shut, b/c i know it is hard for him and i know he is showing me his feelings through his actions (i.e. he so wouldn't be hanging with me right now if he wasn't in to me -- he's the kinda guy that just likes hanging out with the guys).

Tips for keeping a relationship simple? what i like about him is he is really about no drama, and will run the other way if i break out my old habits. i just feel so warm and comfortable around him. i just feel like there is potential for me to get frustrated since he may not know how to "act" in a relationship (although, not that my actions in the past were necessarily oscar-worthy)... and if i do get frustrated, how do i deal without being dramatic and high strung again--even though i may or am hurt?

sorry for the rambling.

dental insurance with no waiting period?

ac — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:34:26 -0800

I need to have a root canal, build-up and crown done on a molar - almost $2,000 worth of work. I have no dental insurance. Is there any private dental insurance I can buy, either in Idaho or New Jersey, that doesn't have a waiting period for this kind of work? I realize that it probably will cover only a fraction of the work, but I really need to have the work done and am trying to minimize the financial pain (will need to take a loan, in any case). I spend time in both Idaho and New Jersey and can have it done either place. I am self-employed. Thank you all very much in advance!

To pill or not to pill?

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:58:55 -0800

After almost 13 years, I'm thinking about getting off the pill. Should I and what can I expect to happen to my body? I've been on it from 18-31 with no stopping. I always felt that stopping just messed with your hormones more so it was best to stay on. I have not been sexually active for about 4 years and not regularly active for more like 10, but I figured I'd just stay on for a number of reasons:

> I like the regularness of my period, knowing the exact day I will get it
> I like not having any cramps/PMS symptoms
> I like having either no period at all or a light 3-day period
> When I travel I go 4 months straight with no period
> Possibly better skin

I'm running out of the pills I have stockpiled and I have no health insurance. I have not gotten insurance since I am self-employed and have been denied previously for a pre-existing condition which was minor and shocking to get denied for. I need to get insurance in the near future but I'm scared of getting denied again. Last year I qualified for government aid for "family planning" so I got my checkup and pills for free. I'm making too much money now to qualify, but I am by no means well off. I'm sure I could manage the cost but I'm not sure the benefits are worth it right now.

The reasons I'm thinking of going off are money (the pill I love is $65/month, another that's okay is $35/month generic), curiosity of what my body will function like and a total lack of sex drive. I didn't really realize I had no sex drive because I was busy working and traveling and didn't really have the opportunity to date. Now I do and I realize what's been going on. I also have a rare vulvar skin condition that causes dryness and narrowing which makes sex more difficult. I'm treating it but who knows if I can even have sex, it's been so long! Not having my period and having light ones means less blood to irritate that condition which is great, although some people with the conditions are anti-pill because it lowers something or other (it's thought to be auto-immune but no one knows). I see a lot of people who are anti-pill because they think it's "unnatural." I don't believe that so much, I'm more in the camp of at 31 I shouldn't have been bleeding so much, if nature had it's way I would have had 5 babies by now (I've had none), so the pill is more natural in that respect.

When I was a teenager it was more or less regular, at least within one week, but nothing like it is on the pill. I remember having more PMS/cramps etc. but nothing horrible where I would regularly need to curl up in the fetal position or anything. It used to be 5-7 days regular flow, which would kind of suck after not having it at all or only 3 days of so light I could almost just wear a pantyliner.

My questions are:
> Is there any good reason to stay on/go off the pill?
> What happens when I go off? Did you experience any benefits/drawbacks?
> How long did it take your body to 'normalize'? I know everyone reacts differently, but I'm looking for personal anecdotes, which Google doesn't help with.

I know you're not my doctor. I've asked my doctor in the past and she always thinks it's best to stay on for the anti-cancer benefits. Breast cancer does not run in my family and I am not a smoker.