Seasonale--follow up

M

Maximus

Cathlete
OK I've just been through my first 3 months & I just cannot say enough good things. What a joy to go 3 months w/o TTOM! And when it did come it only lasted about 3 days instead of the usual 6, plus it was pretty light. The only problem was pretty serious cramping the first 2 days, but that's not unusual for me so it was no big deal.

I know some other ladies were asking about it so I figured I'd update you. If you're considering it, go for it!
 
Maximus,

Just a couple questions for you, if you don't mind! How old are you and had you been on traditional pills for a long time (I know this is highly personal-you don't have to answer if you don't want to!:) )
Also, did you have spotting during those 3 months?

I have seriously considered switching to this for about a year now. I am 37 and have been on the regular pill for about 17 years now. I guess what has stopped me is fear of the unknown! But if you like it, I might give it a try! Thanks and sorry for getting so personal!!:p
 
Hey Maximus,

I am on my second pack of Seasonale and I too could not be happier! My TOTM lasted about 4-5 days and I still experienced some PMS (cramping, fatigue, some moodiness) but not too bad. I love going 3 months without the dreaded visitor!

Renee
 
Hey, I'm always happy to share my most personal experiences w/strangers. :7

Seriously, I'm 37 too & I've been on & off the pill for about 20 years. I had no spotting w/Seasonale. It is definitely the best b/c I've used so far.
 
Hey, thanks!!! You're great!!!
Next week is TTOM for me and I'm considering starting seasonale after that. Need to get some more pills anyway!
 
Edie, You don't have to stop taking your current pill, you can still have fewer periods using your current BCP. Just skip the sugar-pill row of pills and go straight to a new pack without taking a week off. A lot of gynos fail to mention to their patients that they can do this with any MONOPHASIC birth control pill (so, if you're on something like Ortho-Tri-Cyclen, you can't do this). I used to do this when I was in college because it was so easy not having to worry about a period every month. I would go through 3 packs and then take a week off for a period, then another 3 packs, and a week off, etc. You can do it as long as you want, but the longer you go without a week off, the higher the risk of spotting - so you have to find the comfort zone for your body. Some women can only go 2 months, some women can go a whole year, it just depends. I never had spotting, but I never tried to go longer than 3 months.

I actually may start doing this again. :) It's nice being able to skip those awful periods.
 
is seasonale just a pill? I tried depo provera (the shot) and it totally screwed up my whole system. I had spotting every hour of every day and it took like a year to get back to normal once I stopped takin the stupid thing. Does seasonale do anything to clear your skin does anyone know?
 
Seasonale is a pill that you take once a day just like other birth control pills, but you take Seasonale for almost three months and then you take the placebos for the week you get your period. My doctor advised me against the Depo Provera shot because of my experience with PMS. She suggested Seasonale and mentioned that some people experience breakthrough bleeding with Seasonale but I have not. I don't know about its affect on acne.

Renee
 
i use levlen, which is the EXACT same thing as seasonale, i just choose to give myself 2 periods a year. :)
you can do this method with lots of different pills, it's great! can also do this with the ring and the patch. nothing better than realizing you don't have to be all crampy if you don't want to!!!

the breakthrough bleeding thing is usually gonna happen when you would normally be on TTOM. some women just don't spot.
maddie
 
Actually, before you blast Depo-Provera, I have been on it since 1991-ish- about? I rarely have periods, I have had mild spotting if anything, maybe over a year ago. I don't shop for feminine hygeine products, let's put it that way. The clinical reason for that is that your body has higher levels of progesterone & is tricked into thinking it's pregnant.

I have never had an weight gain, but I know many women feel like that was the reason. The only thing even comparably close to this convenience for me, would be a tubal ligation or a hysterectomy. But, a tubal would cause the periods to return (HELL-NO!), & the hysterectomy would decrease your sex-drive.

The reason I posted on this subject, because everyone has their own mind made up about BC anyway, is that, I am considering getting a Tubal, just to get it over with, even though I'm absolutely spoiled when it comes to NOT getting TTOTM. But recently, my DD has had a really rough time with periods, heavy, frequent, etc... I took her to a different female doctor than my own, & the doc suggested Depo before I even told her anything about my experience. Depo was approved & used in Europe with no problems about 15 years before we accepted it for this indication, ie., birth control. So it amazes me how many women refuse to take advantage of it.

Just my humble thoughts,
Marla
 
I have been on Loestrin for two years next month and take them continiously because i have endo. i love not having periods! i haven't had one in 2 years and no spotting at all. i need to let myself have a period though. i bet my uterus is about to freakout! but i just can't stand the thought of going back to that horrible mess!

jes

p.s. that's great that it's working for you Maximus! :D
 
actually I didnt blast depo, it was just my experience/opinion. Just like you said, what works for some doesnt work for all. I was just trying to get info on this cutting down on cycles thing. THAT was the reason why I tried the depo in the first place. I have never in my life experienced heavy (almost like a period) spotting every day ot every day for the entire 8 months I was on it. Now I can actually look into other solutions from other opinions on here.
 
to clarify about the 2 period thing. the pill i use for this is a regular birth control pill. it has three weeks of hormones and one week of placebos, i just start a new pack after three weeks so i never take the placebos, and then i can choose when i want to have the period. so these pills are packaged monthly like most are. the only difference between it and seasonale is the packaging.

smoogy - that's great that depo works for you! it works well for a lot of people. and if it will help your daughters periods that will be awesome as well, just don't forget about the study that shows bone thinning with depo users after about 2 years.

most BCMs help acne a little bit, it all depends on your individual body chemistry though. i know ortho tricyclen is more known for helping skin.

maddie
 
Blast was just a phrase I used.. Yeah, it would really the height of misery to have that kind of bleeding for that long.

Marla;-)
 
Marla
How old are you? At first I thought my bad experience with depo was cuz I am older. Everyone I know on it and loving it are between the ages of 19 and 26 and started using it very young.

Thanks for all the info everybody. I will have to go find out some other options the next time I go to the gyno. I would like to just get rid of this darned cycle all together....ahhh yes that would be heaven :+ Sometimes its such a curse being a woman
 
Doesn't the uterus hav to slough off eventually as no not have build up? I'm not really up on this kind of stuff but I'm thinking there's a reason a women's body has periods. I just don't know how you get around that chemically and why it hasn't been done until now.
 
I agree with you, Candi about women get periods for a reason. I would not screw around with that. I think there's a higher risk of health problems if women screw with their periods. I don't care if doctors say it's perfectly safe. I think it's a bunch of hooey. Everyone wants to make big bucks. I'm on BC myself and I know I'm in a "risk" catagory. I use Nuvaring and it's the best thing I've been on so far. I don't know why women hate getting their periods. I don't like getting them myself but I'm not going to risk my health just to have 2-3 periods a year. Not my forte.

Lisa
 
I hate getting my periods b/c of debilitating cramps. If I don't jack myself up on ibuprofen--which makes me feel nauseas & jittery--than I'd have to stay in bed for at least 3 days.
 
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