the pill...cerazette

[SarahP]

Hi all I have been on this pill for several years and have had no complaints till very recently . I have started to get very light breakthrough bleeding after not having bled for years . I have contacted doctor who said do a pregancy test which was negative . I don't know if perhaps my body has changed as I recently turned forty ! What I liked about this pill was no period whatsoever . Having read some comments here though I am worried if not bleeding for so long is a good thing. I hadn't really thought I was having any side effects as such but reading comments here I have gained weight ( maybe age ?) and suffer low libido . I also got measured for a bra and was told I should be wearing a 32 D when I thought I was a 34 a/b !! I am thinking of taking a break from this pill just to see if my periods ever restart .

[Elaine84]

Oh yes and I also found out that Cerazette is not affected by antibiotics.

[Ali18]

I've been on Cerazette for 7 and a half months now, but suddenly my nipples have changed colour and my breasts are quite sensitive. I've also been upset really easily recently. My period is late, but then its hard to predict when its coming anyway. I had a tiny bit of spotting the day before it was technically due. I had a negative test a couple of days later but was wonding do you think I need to do another one? Has anyone had sudden breast changes on Cerazette? Last month I also seemed to have PMT. Probably just me being paranoid but I just need a bit of reassurance.
Thanks

[LJ65]

hi, i've put a couple of posts on this subject; I'm 42 and started taking cerazette about 4 weeks ago, since then i've grown huge breasts (which are painful) feel like I've put on loads of weight ( I daren't get on the scales as I'll be so depressed) feel quite emotional and now to top it all i'm having a period from Hell!!! the one thing thats kept me taking this pill (apart from the obvious one of not getting pregnant!) was the "no periods" bit. I usually have quite heavy periods and thought "great with this pill maybe a light period, maybe nothing at all" but how disappointed am I? Don't know whether to carry on with it or not, so far the disadvantages are greater than the advantages. will things settle in time?

[Elaine84]

Yes, periods will settle down. you need to give it a good 3 months but they will eventually get lighter and you will notice longer gaps between them.

[Zev]

The gaps between mine seemed to be shortening over time, and getting slightly heavier.

[ryn]

I've read quite a bit on this post and just want to say that you either like a pill, or you don't. End of.

I can't have the combined pill. I tried every single one on the market back when I was 15 and NOTHING made me feel normal. With every pill I spent the whole time crying over nothing and then two seconds later I was crying with laughter. It was wacko. However, I was put on this and I felt... normal which was a relief.

Since your all talking about periods, I would like to say mine went odd at first. I had one normal 7 day period (yeh I hated them when I started them in primary school.) Then 3 weeks later a period that lasted a few days and super light. Then... nothing. It was a nice change.

So now I'm 20 and about to finish a break from coming off this pill (I only did it cause I was worried about the effects on my body after taking something for almost 5 years.) And I can't wait. Since coming off the pill, I didn't have period for 6 weeks, then again after 3 weeks. And then everything went back to how it was when I was a teenager. Except I've put on weight AFTER coming off the pill. Like a stone in weight.

At the end of the day, every woman knows her body better than any doctor does. And YOU need to decide if you like a form of medicine or not.. and for most people this is a VOLUNTARY medication.
So just don't take it if you don't like it.

[Tamzus]

hi this is my third month on cerazette as so far it has been fine. i got taken off the combined pill as it made me suffer from migraines, besides this month as i seem to be spotting all the time, i didnt have a full period but just spotting for the past few weeks, i read on their website that this is normal. so i am going to continue with it as it doesnt give me any cramps,no migraines it doesnt make me moody and act helped me loose weight. i just hope that the spotting part stops cause it is a real pain... arrrgh.

[emma85]

I've been on cerazette for about 7 months now and its become a complete nightmare. The worst is the bleeding, I've been having that horrible murky discharge for about 3 weeks out of every 4, have gained over a stone and recently my skin has broken out in lots of painful red spots over my cheeks. This is particularly distressing as I had bad acne until my late teens and it really affected my confidence. One day it just cleared up and i was lucky enough to have very clear skin afterwards with very little scarring. I'm worried now that my acne will come back permanently. My long suffering boyfriend who i live with has had to put up with my severe mood swings (sometimes i go completely mental for no reason, out of the blue) one day he found me crying for no reason...that sort of stuff. He's also not impressed with my non existant libido, but I can't help it, who feels sexy when they've gained a stone, have a face full of spots and have that horrible brown discharge?? my boobs also alternate from being tender and swollen to being normal and im starting to get stretch marks on them from the frequent changes.
I really don't know what to do, I had to come off microgynon because of pins and needles in my hands and blurred vision, which i'm gutted about as it worked so well for me, I dont like the idea of the injection for many reasons the main one being that my doctor has advised me there is a high chance that my symptoms could stay the same, or even worsen. I had the iud fitted before, but it caused complete agony and lengthened my periods...i am actually contemplating taking it again however as I think i would rather put up with the agony than everything else.

I can see that a lot of you have experienced similiar symptoms, can anyone offer me any advice on the matter as I'm at a complete loss and the doctor at the family planning centre has told me there really isn't anything more she can do.

Thanks,

Emma

[Cheryle]

I've been on cerazette for about 7 months now and its become a complete nightmare. The worst is the bleeding, I've been having that horrible murky discharge for about 3 weeks out of every 4, have gained over a stone and recently my skin has broken out in lots of painful red spots over my cheeks. This is particularly distressing as I had bad acne until my late teens and it really affected my confidence. One day it just cleared up and i was lucky enough to have very clear skin afterwards with very little scarring. I'm worried now that my acne will come back permanently. My long suffering boyfriend who i live with has had to put up with my severe mood swings (sometimes i go completely mental for no reason, out of the blue) one day he found me crying for no reason...that sort of stuff. He's also not impressed with my non existant libido, but I can't help it, who feels sexy when they've gained a stone, have a face full of spots and have that horrible brown discharge?? my boobs also alternate from being tender and swollen to being normal and im starting to get stretch marks on them from the frequent changes.
I really don't know what to do, I had to come off microgynon because of pins and needles in my hands and blurred vision, which i'm gutted about as it worked so well for me, I dont like the idea of the injection for many reasons the main one being that my doctor has advised me there is a high chance that my symptoms could stay the same, or even worsen. I had the iud fitted before, but it caused complete agony and lengthened my periods...i am actually contemplating taking it again however as I think i would rather put up with the agony than everything else.

I can see that a lot of you have experienced similiar symptoms, can anyone offer me any advice on the matter as I'm at a complete loss and the doctor at the family planning centre has told me there really isn't anything more she can do.

Thanks,

Emma

If the pill doesn't work for you, maybe you should consider an alternative form of birth control? If the doctor at the family planning centre has tried different BC pills with you and none are "right" maybe the pill is not the answer for you.

I totally agree with ryn. Either Cerazette works for you or it doesn't. Of course the ones for who it doesn't work are looking for answers and thus this thread which makes it seem as if this is a horrible pill. But it is also a wonderful pill for many women, including me. I used it for 4 years and was super happy with it. Basically if it doesn't work for you, stop using it!

Life is too precious to have it made miserable because of a pill. Good luck with finding something else!

[FuckFace (:]

Hello!
Im 16 && even though im not sexually active, i decided to take extra precaution, just in case me && my long term Bf do have sex.
So, originally, i wanted the 'implant' but my doctor recommended i go on the pill instead of the implant, (apparently working just the same) to see how it would go.
ive been on Cerazette for 3 weeks now, && though i'd be one of those lucky people, who dont have periods at all whilst on it. unfortunatley, i wasnt, && after one period free week, i started :(
ive been on for 8 days, and even though it sounds stupid, im going to stop taking it because of this. as i dont want to be one of those people who bleed for 4 weeks straight, it also plays games with me, sometimes it pretends its gone, && then the next day it'll be there again :(

i have had depression/mood swings && stomach pains from this pill.

personally if anyone never had a period whilst being on it, think yourself very lucky!!

unfortunatley, im a very impatient person, so im coming off them tomorrow :)

x

[Cheryle]

Well, I think it's very smart of you to be thinking about birth control before the actual "need" arises. Ask your doctor if there's another pill you could take instead if you don't feel like "waiting it out" with Cerazette.

So my son is now almost 5 months old and I just got the prescription for Cerazette again (I'm still breastfeeding and Cerazette can be taken while breastfeeding). I'm hoping that it works the same for me as it did during the 4 years I took it before coming off to have a baby! I loved being on it!

[funnygirl]

I am stopping taking the merclion pill and will be going on Cerazette in a few days. I suffer from high blood pressure and it thought best I change. After reading the reports about it I am terrified. I hope to start a family in about 6 months I am 38 so time is not on my side. after reading all the reports I am afraid I won't be able to get pregnant, I will go mental and put on even more weight than I have already with even bigger boobs. Should I stay on the pill I am on if at risk for my health or should I take the chance with Cerazette. I really found taking merclion pill great and suffered no side effect apart from getting bigger boobs and putting on a few pounds. although I do find that I can get a bit mental when I am due my period.

[sammyb88]

i have been on this pill now for 3 and half months and its the worst. nothing in my life has changed and all of a sudden i am feeling really drained and looking really pale. i have gained about a tone i just put it down to bad diet but ave never put on weight before. now from reading some of these posts i see that it could be the pill. i also am recieving the worst period from hell i think in total this is my 48 day of being on my period!!! its hell i have bled all through apart from a one week gap!!! also ive noticed that i am getting dark hair on my chest and i am constatly feeling bloated. the main reason i went on this pill is because of the 'no periods' bit. i am stoping as from today is there any side effects of coming off it???

[ValkoSipuli]

I was on DepoProvera for 11 years (I'm 35 now) and it was great. No periods, no PMS. At the time I complained about weight gain, but to be honest, I think I was just eating too much.

When I moved from the US to the UK, my new GP switched me to Cerazette (no idea why) and now I am MISERABLE! The side effects for me are:
severe acne (I never had acne before, not even in my teens. I currently have 17 zits on my face. That's right 17! Big ones!)
headaches
breast soreness (taking off my bra before bed is excruciatingly painful. I have to hold them up until I get in bed)
periods every 2 weeks that last 7-8 days each
mood swings and depression (a LOT of crying for no apparent reason)


I gave it a fair try for 3 months, thinking it would take a while for my body to acclimate, and went back to the GP. She told me I didn't give it long enough and to wait a few more months. It's been 7 months now and no change. I WANT MY DEPO BACK!