Combined pill and tender breasts

Before I started contraception, I used to feel horribly sad around four days before I started my period. I knew it was my hormones making me feel this way, and I felt powerless. Since starting Levest, that has gone! My skin feels clearer too, I still get the occasional spot but they don’t seem to get as bad as they did before. I get tender breasts and light crawling around a week before going on my break week, which is similar to before, but now my breasts don’t get as painful. My periods now are more painful than they used to be on the first day, but the cramps are sorted quickly with a big breakfast and paracetamol, with no pain after the first day. They also come on the same day each cycle, are shorter than before, and tail off quicker. I also get a headache for a day or two during my break week - in the first couple of months of taking Levest, the headaches were almost unbearable, lasting a up to three days, but have got less painful and last a shorter amount of time as each month passed. On month seven, the headache was only mild and only lasted a day, which I’m counting as a win. My breasts seem to have got bigger, and I’ve put on about half a stone in six months - which is neither here nor there really, but I do feel like I’ve changed shape more than putting on weight? Some of my jeans no longer fit, but they did when I was a similar weight previously… I may try a tablet with a lower dose of oestrogen after this box of pills, to try to eliminate the headaches completely if they don’t go themselves, but they are nowhere near as bad as they were at the start.

It is great overall, but I spot every month on days 14-19 like clockwork. I like the pill so I am hesitant to switch.

I guess like any pill it took my body a while to get used to the new hormones, and then after about three months I felt like I’d found the best pill ever! No side effects - or so I thought. I didn’t break out, no major mood swings, periods slowly disappeared, cramps weren’t as bad. Then eventually I realised I have absolutely no sexual desire. This pill has completely obliterated my libido. Ironic since I decided to come on the pill to enjoy my honeymoon without worry of pregnancy. Such a shame as well but I’ll have to come off it.