Patch vs Combined pill

I don't like it. It makes me feel sad, like full-time pms. I've cried most days on it. I get headaches and I never used to. My friends say I don't seem like myself. My sex drive is lower. I was spotting for the first 6 weeks. Pluses are decreased risk of pregnancy, being able to skip a break and less heavy period/breakthrough bleeding so iron levels are easier to control. It's easy to use and so far has stayed on well (we'll see if this is still the case in summer). I like that if I wanted to stop using it I can remove it myself.

Breast tenderness and headaches

First few months were GREAT- my skin and hair looked amazing, breasts looked the best they'd ever looked, periods were regular and only negative side effects I had were nausea and breast tenderness. Did not have big issues with the adhesive, even though I have sensitive skin, and was not bothered by the lint that stuck to the edges of the patch (I stuck it to my tummy or my bum so it was hidden by clothes anyway). Thought it was a blessing for the first 4 months on it. Started having issues further in, due to the high levels of oestrogen, where I began having extremely heavy and longer periods and went on to have daily pelvic pain after about 8 months on the patch... now on the waiting list to see if I have endometriosis. The patch itself did not negatively impact my sex drive and it did not worsen my anxiety (I did cry more and have some brain fog though). I only gained a small amount of weight and my body looked the best it ever has. Overall, it didn't work for me and has potentially worsened endometriosis (high oestrogen can feed endo), but it has prevented pregnancy and it is so convenient and harder to mess up than taking a pill every day.

doesn’t make me feel crazy but have been quite dry in sex which wasn’t the case before going on it. boobs are bigger but have had a few cramps but i have suspected endometriosis which is probably the reason.

Began taking this when i was 14 when i got my first boyfriend and I am now 18 so it is very hard to determine or remember what things i suffered with prior to the pill and what increased while on it. One thing i can say is my skin has never been more oily in my whole life, regular bumps on my forehead which i don’t recall ever having. I can only put this down to hormones/the pill, i’ve tried antibiotics, thousands of pounds worth of skincare, changing shampoos, stopping vaping, bettering my diet, replacing makeup brushes regularly (im talking fortnightly!) and so much more and nothing seems to even touch the sides. cystic acne bumps on my back which seem to worsen in the winter/autumnal months. I have been seen to by uncountable doctors and a dermatologist who have all simply told me to wash my face with a cloth lol (wish i tried that one!!???). I have found my skins got worse through the years but now it’s totally uncontrollable, skincare does not even seem to touch the sides which also convinces me it’s something to do with my contraception. Have found myself very snappy and irritable 24/7 i feel very low… nothing major is happening in my life to be making me feel like that and it’s getting draining. booking another doctors appointment tomorrow to consider changing.

For me personally, the pill is great for periods. I haven’t had a period while using it. However, I did have 1-2 weeks of very light breakthrough bleeding. I found the pill made me severely depressed and I had absolutely no energy. I felt like I was just existing and not living. I was crying everyday and thinking everyone hated me. It also made me lose all my confidence I took so long to gain (I had none). Since being off it for 3 days I’ve seen a huge difference in my energy and my mood is slowly getting better. It didn’t make me gain weight as such, but my stomach is usually flat and now it’s round and more bloated. I’m hoping this will go away. I’d say I’ve gained more fat on my stomach than weight. I am more then happy to answer any questions <3

while it's generally alright while I'm on it, the periods are terrible. way more painful than normal and extremely heavy. I've gotta give it credit for the skin though- alot clearer than before

Please consider the effects AFTER you stop taking Yaz or Eloine (same pill different brand). I never had acne or even spots my whole life and 4 months after stopping Yaz I got post-pill acne. My whole face is red and scarred and there isn’t a part of it that isn’t swollen and bumpy with cystic acne. If I could show you photos you would immediately think twice about trying an anti-androgen contraceptive like Yaz/eloine. I have tried everything with my derm to cure the acne but I wish I had known before taking yaz that this might happen when I stopped. I’m honestly devastated. It’s now been two years since I stopped yaz..

Has been really helpful for my moods as i would get bad pms, i feel a lot more stable through the months. i gained a lot of weight at one point but then lost it. my boobs consistently got bigger, at certain times in the month they are very very tender. i had lost my sex drive for a few months when i first started but it then came back, but i was really not eager for anything for ages. It’s helped my back and chest acne, and my face is better but has flare ups. I get a period every 3 months but it lasts like 14 days but not that heavy.

I have been on 3 different pills 10 years ago of which the last one was a pill prescribed for acne, before I decided to switch to a non-hormonal IUD, which resulted into heavy-flow periods that looked like someone had stabbed me everytime I got my period. I never had a heavy flow period but the copper IUD definitely increased this. After 2 years, I switched to the hormonal IUD Mirena and no complaints except that my hormonal acne is still present. I actually lost weight and no more periods. I went to my Gyno to ask for a solution against my acne and she prescribed the Yasmin pill. I took it and stopped after 9 days because I got super lethargic, emotional and cried almost every day, I started getting cystic acne even though I never had any cystic acne before, but a few small pimples on my jawline & chin. My breast were tender and in pain, I felt nauseous and I got 4 headaches in 9 days. Generally I don't get 5 headaches, maybe a maximum of 3-5 per year and that's it and my breasts are tender & in pain only when I am on my period. Needless to say that, I was not willing to go through the 3-month period with these symptoms just to see if my acne can disappear. I feel like there is no miracle solution and that's the most difficult to accept. My dermatologist prescribed spironolactone for my acne, which apparently has similar effects than the pill in terms of acne, without all the side effects.

I started taking Dianette as my first ever contraception pill. It is a combined pill which gives me migraines for a period of time. I was told to stop using it immediately as it put me at an increased risk of having blood clots and stroke. Now I am left not knowing what to do. Overall it did not give me any other side effect and I see a big difference on my skin. It is just me having a reaction to estrogen-related pills.

Worked really great for many years. Still had the ocassionally leg cramp, and my breast started to be really tender. After some years I got panic attacks and anxiety. Quit the pill in june 2023, still strugeling with panic and anxiety at times

It went smoothly in the start. No side effects other than weight gain. Slowly the mood startet to be affected. I startet to swear more and react more angrily towards situations and people around me. Felt almost like I was a child and could not contain myself. My husband told me I had to get of because I was horrible to live with. The anger subsided when I stopped