Mrs SXE has had a few long term issues with getting ill down there. It turns out, that after tonnes of referrals that's pretty understandable as she's been dosed with antiobiotics so many times they now do absolutely nothing!
We're on the way to setting the above right with a slightly experimental treatmenet recommended to us (by a specialist) but as it's been going on for quite some time, it's had an impact on our sex life as every time we're fully enjoying it, unfortunately she becomes unwell and that's that for long periods of time.
Also, we both think that her sex drive took one hell of a dive when she switched contraception from Microgynon to Yasmin (in case that was the cause) so we've been doing some reading and would love the input of the lovely people on the LH forum.
We're leaning towards a none hormonal solution like the copper coil (although one doctor has told as as we haven't had kids it isn't suitable?) and were recommended a low hormone solution, Mirena. Does anyone have any experience of either of these?
Or perhpas suffered from low libido on Yasmin and switched to another pill?
Copper coil can make periods heavier and for me, it kicked up period pains. The only thing that has worked for me, is the implant. It leveled hormones out, I have had it in for nearly 2yrs and haven't had a period for the majority of that time. I also had issues with thrush but since having the implant, haven't had that issue.
If you think it's hormones causing her bother, perhaps it would be helpful to give her body a break altogether and use the non hormonal method of condoms?
How long has she been on her current pill? If you chop and change too often you'll never find anything that works, it takes months for her body to settle with a new pill and yes, dip in sex drive can be part of that. When I started my pill (cerazette as I can only tolerate the mini pill but yasmin made me sick) I had zero sex drive for about 6 months. Then it was back with a vengeance. This happens to me everytime I take a break from taking for whatever reason. If she has been on yasmin for less time than that and is not having any other side effects other than lack of sex drive, it could be best to stick with it and give it time to settle.
I'm getting a coil because the pill really messed with me (depression, migraines) and it is totally suitable for people that haven't had children (the marina) but someone of a higher level will have to fit it for you and it can be very uncomfortable. How many pills has she tried? Normally you should try a few before going for something bigger like a coil but if you just pop down to your local sexual help clinic and explain they should be happy to help
If you think it's hormones causing her bother, perhaps it would be helpful to give her body a break altogether and use the non hormonal method of condoms?
This happens to me everytime I take a break from taking for whatever reason. If she has been on yasmin for less time than that and is not having any other side effects other than lack of sex drive, it could be best to stick with it and give it time to settle.
Condoms are an option, but not a fantastic one for us as Mrs SXE is quite petite and we need to buy specialist condoms (MySize or Theyfit). That said, there's a box load on the way and we're going to see how they work out (current meds dictate secondary contraception).
WIth regards to Yasmin, she's been taking it for a few years now (we think), certainly more than 18 months.
...and yes, we're off to the drop-in GUM clinic first thing in the morning!
Unfortunately had terrible problems with my monthlys... dince they first started...
From heaviness. To extreme cramps forced me to vecome a vegetable most of the time for someone who was very young at the time meant I missed out on school trips days out with friends all becauseof nature..
Ive try numerous contraception ... but I had to b care as I suffer from migraines.
Currently im taking cerazette and I have the implant fitted. Which I was insured by my gp having both is perfectly safe.
I had the implant fitted 2 years ago being told nothing of many side affects after the 4 month adjustment period which I waited out with irregular periods but it continued to the point of light bleeding mood swings alk the time with no breaks ... meaning no swimming etc...
My doctor suggesterd pill to take as well, ss id used it on its own previously n had good results. ? Now when late 2015 implant is removed im gunna stay on cerazette
Yasmin made me incredibly ill, i switched to it after my first pill had me in hospital, emergency heart scans and a suspected blood clot so while i got on ok with that pill it was too dangerous to let me have it again. Cue Yasmin. Massive migraines, constent nausea and since that pill has a diuretic effect on some people ( this is a big deal to me with medications so i always ask the prescribing doctor outright for urinary effects, and avoid those medications where possible) i started urinating 3 times as often as was normal for me. I lasted 3 days on it before it was in the bin. My periods were awfulyl heavy and painful, i couldn't move off the sofa, had to lie on towels and sleep sitting up, i couldn't do a thing for myself. The implant (nexplannon) has been a god send, i haven't had a period since it was fitted in june (bar spotting for 2 weeks due to it being put in mid cycle rather than during my period)
It might not be reccomended for women who haven't had a child but it can be used. If you want hormone free then they can't refuse it you, unless there's a medical reason, you should be allowed to at least try it.
I have a repeat prescription at my docs for antibiotics i get urinary tract infections that often, and trymethoprim i've noticed i now need to take more than a 3 day course to actually work, im affraid im building resistance to it, not sure what i'll do when they stop working,
keep in mind though, that to put the coil in, isn't a pain free process, as the nurse has to open the cervix. Some women just cna't get it in but you should be given an option to have a local anest. and have it placed in.
I have a repeat prescription at my docs for antibiotics i get urinary tract infections that often, and trymethoprim i've noticed i now need to take more than a 3 day course to actually work, im affraid im building resistance to it, not sure what i'll do when they stop working,
I'd recommend you speak to your GP and voice this opinion. We pretty much had to demand a referral to a specialist who carried out typing and sensitivity on the antibiotics used to treat thrush.
We had another thread (solely about thrush) some time ago and if you look over it the treatment prescribed was basically increasing doses of antibiotics and the above is where we're at now! I'm pretty unimpressed by how the vairous GPs and GUM clincs handled the recurrant thrush problem. It shouldn't solely be left to the patient to push and gain treatment.
We've tried cutting sugar, yeast, all sorts. Now we know the root cause it's pretty clear why this wouldn't (and didn't) work for us....
Right back to contraception 
...and thanks for all the help people, LH is great!!! Going armed with the facts will make life a lot easier, it's just so complicated with all of the different types of hormones available / non-hormonal options.
the thing is that every woman can react bit differently to the hormones in the pills. Some women will be ok, some will get migrane. I got painful joints and constant heart burn, that I had to stop soon. And it took about 2 years for the heart burn to fuly disappear. Before that, it was nearly non stop every single day. Mind you, I never ever had heartburn until I went on pill!
So it is very hard to predict, how woman will react to any hormonal contraception, unless she actually tries it. Sometimes, the side effects can be rather unpredictable.
My O/H suffered from the same problem on Microgynon. She would always get I'll down there just before her period well the week before and into week after, she has stopped taking pill as we are now trying for a child but since she has stopped her sex drive has gone through the roof, her mood swings and short temper have gone almost completely and the cramping and feeling sick have gone as well.
Although at the time we didn't know this was the problem. It is now very clear that the pill was the cause of this.
Oh I don't know if it's a connection between being petite and that pill but O/H is petite down there as well and as I have mentioned very similar effects
I'm currently trying cranberry tablets, they supposedly help with treatment and prevention of recurrent uti's, my gp just changed protocol for suspected utis and last time i got a different antibiotic which is their new first choice and it worked great so my repeat prescription might be void now anyway. I have a very understnading doc though, neverh ad to do a water sample as she knows with my OCD i can't, nor can i get out the house so she consults on all things (ear infections etc) by phone and prescribes me 2 doses of antibiotics at a time, a good doctor is always the best medicine.
Yasmin was the first and only pill I've ever been on, and it was horrible. Not only made gain 35kg in 4/5 months, it caused me nauseas after dinner, head aches, digestion difficulties, made me feel sad and made me rage easily, which is weird as I am a very calm and easily amusable person. After two months on it I informed my doctors but they said that my problems were not related and I kept going for some more time, until by the end of the year I stopped because I couldn't live like that. That was in 2009 and since then I've dropped some weight but it's never easy to lose it like that, so I started going to the gym and everything, including the regularity of my periods was starting to settle. All of that time I only used condoms for protection and worked well. This year things changed a bit as I moved house and couldn't find a job and without the gym I gained some weight so had to start some form of contraceptive to regulate my periods. And I am using the ring, which is absolutely great, because not only you won't forget to take it and put it once a month, but it doesn't interfere with intercourse at all. As the hormones are released throughout the day it will avoid nausea and all those side effects. I didn't gain weight with it and I only had some headaches during the first month.
Now I am considering to change because I am unfortunately affected by one of the side effects, which is irritation and burning (and even my boyfriend feels it after relations in him), and in the first month I used it the irritation was bearable but now it's starting to get off limits. I'll try the patch. But talk to your wife about the ring. A lot of women don't feel this side effect, and it's so convenient. But I also agree with something that someone already said, is that she should take a break from hormones before she starts a new method. Personally I like the convenience of not interrupting the heat of the moment to put on the condom, as well as the flexibility of changing from vaginal sex to oral sex and vaginal again without the hassle of taking off and putting on the condom, it's great for sex, but we are used to the condom anyway, it has been a lot of years using it now! But if the patch doesn't work with me I guess I'll have to give up on hormonal contraception forever, and will have to rely on the gym to get my periods stable, which if I have a job won't be a problem at all. Maybe if some day they are regulated I can think of a copper thingy, but the pain makes me a bit doubtful about it.
Oh I don't know if it's a connection between being petite and that pill but O/H is petite down there as well and as I have mentioned very similar effects
Certainly for Yasmin there's some research showing a (15%?) decrease in clitoral and labia size (after 3 months) and one of the issues we currently have is that some months (after her period) Mrs SXE just stays ridiculously/uncomfortably tight.
We don't know if the above is a pill related issue or a thrush related issue but we're becoming decreasingly inclined to use a hormonal method...
Obviously anywhere you look online you can find horror stories about any method so it's just about finding something that works for us.
I wouldn't recommend Yasmin to my worst enemy. It messed me up good, I gained a lot of weight, was constantly weepy, angry and bloated, and also got some scars on my ovaries. I've quit all hormonal contraception years ago, it's just not for me. Even the low hormone pill wasn't working for me, so my gyneologist said it's better I never use them again.
Hi, Yasmin never bothered me much while I was on it but I switched about a year ago to cilest and found that my libido increased significantly, only downside was that for the few months of being on cilest I was constantly hungry. If you are looking for something with less hormones have you considered the mini pill like cerazette? It didn't work for me as I got a period every two weeks on it but I know it works fine for a lot of people, also the implant seems to be quite a popular method of contraception aswell. I think with contraception it's just trial and error as every woman is different and reacts differently to hormones, but hope she gets sorted soon! 😄
When I was on the pill I had various problems such as break through bleeding and headaches, I eventually changed to the copper coil but this gave me incredibly heavy periods. I then had the Mirena coil fitted which personally I didnt find too painful ( just mild period like cramps for a few hours ) . Because its low dose hormone and its delivered straight into the uterus I thought it would be a good option.
I had the Mirena for many years and the only problem I had was monthy migraines at the time of my period but that was only in the last few years before my hysterectomy so that might not have been the fault of the coil.
There are pros and cons to all forms of contraception its just a matter of trying until you fing the right one. Good luck x
I've never used any kind of birth control except condoms, so I'm not in a position to give any first-hand advice. However, I did want to share that I have four different friends who have had coils, and each one has had so many problems with them that they had to have them removed.
Three of them had extreme pain and heavy periods, but one friend in particular had a terrible experience - the coil "drifted" through the wall of her uterus and hooked onto the wall of her bladder, requiring surgery to repair!
Their experiences have convinced me that, should I ever need to find an alternative form of birth control, I will never consider a coil.