Coming off the pill?

[Starstellar7]

Just seen the gynae, who thinks the reason my pain is worse is due to me tri-cycling the Yasmin pill for three years. Thinks my hormones and womb lining are building up too much. He wants me to go back to monthly cycle. Any experience of this? I hope in around six months to be in a position to try and conceive so will be working towards being pill free by June/July. Any advice? I'm worried about the impact on energy and also break through when I come off.

[cupcakegirl]

I was told by a few specialists that, when you tricycle, the lining doesn't build up for three months - that it only builds up to a certain amount, and then the body breaks it down (or it just stops). I always assumed they were right because my periods when tricycling aren't heavier than when I'm not. I can't guarantee it though, it's possible your gynae is right.

I'm off hormonal treatment at the moment - my hormones have been messed up since I gave up zoladex in 2009 so wanted to try and get back to normal. Not sure how long I can hack it for. The problem is, without the pill, the endo is more likely to worsen and spread, so it's very difficult.

Do as much research as you can so you can make an informed decision x

[Starstellar7 in reply to cupcakegirl]

Thanks cupcakegirl, I wasn't that impressed with this Dr I have to say, he told me nothing new really and seemed to think a lap was the way to go. I know they can't answer properly what causes it but I find this so frustrating. I am trying to be good with my diet, although I am baking gluten free brownies as we speak! (Sod it!) But I just can't sustain the strictness with sugar! Alcohol is gone, cut back on caffeine etc

He did say he thought my womb lining looked thicker and that might be due to the tri-cycling. In truth and this sounds awful, they just don't know do they? I do feel concerned sometimes that you could get genuinely sick with something worse than endo and they wouldn't find it quickly enough. The NHS wouldn't do a yearly smear test on me, so that's now gone over a year. I think the time has come to go private and see if I can find someone that I trust in terms of Drs, problem is I've moved a few times in recent years and as a result can't see my first excellent gynae who was knowledgeable, very kind and genuinely seemed to want to fix me.

[AnnaGoudie]

I've just come off Yasmin myself, I'll let you know how I go.

As for lining thickness, I'm with cupcakegirl.

Xx

[Starstellar7 in reply to AnnaGoudie]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, let me know. You going to go straight off from three packs, my Dr said to bring it down to monthly cycle on the pill first. I'm concerned that I will bleed between periods.

[AnnaGoudie in reply to Starstellar7]

Yep straight off from tricycling. I'll let you know how it goes. Xx

[Alma_Matters]

I haven't been taking Yasmin but I was on Microgynon, tricycling, for about 18 months after my lap. I was fine with no symptoms until June this year when my Endo pain came back, then I started getting bladder pain, my hair began falling out, I had severe nausea all day long and constant migraines. I had no appetite and lost a stone in weight and I felt too sick and dizzy to even get out of bed. I have honestly never felt so ill in my life. I changed all my meds but it didn't make a difference until my doctor got me to stop taking the pill. I was terrified because I was worried how bad my Endo would be without treatment but it was the best thing I ever did. The nausea and migraines went almost straight away, my hair isn't coming out as much and my appetite's coming back. I still have the Endo and bladder pain but I'm having another lap to see what's going on there. My GP wasnt sure for certain why I was ok on the pill for so long then suddenly have such horrendous side effects. She suggested it may have been due to a build up of hormones in my body which my body was unable to process fast enough and deal with. I'm annoyed that tricycling the pill was the only treatment my previous hospital were willing to consider for me. I don't think there is enough information out there to educate doctors about the risks.

Since coming off the pill I've been in a lot of pain (pelvic pain, cramping etc,) every day, but then I had those pains (and worse) when I was on the pill. I was scared like you but my advice would be to just go for it. I've had 2 'periods' since coming off the Microgynon - the first was 8 days long and really heavy, my second was shorter and not so heavy. I think it'll take a little while for my body to settle back to normal after taking all those synthetic hormones for so long. My current treatment plan now is to have another laparoscopy to get rid of what's there, then when my symptoms return have a course of Zoladex. The Zoladex might not suit me but I'm going to give it a try. I hope you find something that works for you hun, take care xxx

[Starstellar7 in reply to Alma_Matters]

Thanks for your reply Alma_Matters, I like you get migraines and also seem to be experiencing a heavier amount of hair fall than usual over the last few months although that may be due to other factors. I also get nausea and some dizziness, I can faint if I stand too long or get too hot! Crazy!

I've been a bit remiss with my planning and am going to have to go for longer than three packs as I can't afford to have a really bad three or four days for the next couple of weeks. So I think I'm going to do this gradually after Xmas. The Dr didn't say, but do you think I could go to two pack and then one, come off it gradually so to speak? Thanks xx

[Alma_Matters in reply to Starstellar7]

Hi Starstellar7 I was honestly so ill and weak with the constant nausea and migraines I just went cold turkey and stopped the pill outright. I had a 'period' that same day lasting 8 days then another 45 days later lasting 5 days. I felt so much better after stopping the pill I can't really say I noticed any withdrawal symptoms... the only symptoms I have now are my Endo symptoms. It's up to you really, you know your own body and you may be better off coming off it gradually but you may also be ok just stopping it (after all, we have a 7 day break every 3 weeks which is quite a while really when you think about it!) My symptoms were getting rapidly worse on the pill that when I started getting cramp in my leg I totally panicked and decided there was no way I was taking it any more!

[livelovelaugh]

Ive been tricycling microgynon since my lap in 2007. I really didnt have any periods on my break. I bit of spoting but thats it. Ive been of the pill for 4 months now tryin to conceive. My periods have gone straight back to my old cycle pre lap. I get really bad tummy pain and find it hard to move. The period isnt to bad though. I must admit im worried my endo will go nuts now im pill free. But my doc not worried and i want a family so much im guess im willin to risk it.

All the best x

[Starstellar7 in reply to livelovelaugh]

Good luck to you livelovelaugh. So you only had one lap? If so that's the same as me. Three years next week. That sounds like a reasonable amount of time, I am concerned that I may in the future need more surgery. I hope things go well and you conceive quickly. x

[Sheri26]

Hi, I'm on Yasmin since my lap in feb this year, tricycling like you. I've also tried to change my diet but not finding it very easy. I was doing okay up until September, but now seem to be in pain 80% of the time. I've got an endoscopy on the 9th December as I might have a stomach ulcer followed by a private gynae consultant appointment on the 10th December. My gp refered for me to have a second opinion with a consultant of my choice, but fed up with waiting for a date so booked to pay privately, anything to spend things up.

I have wondered if the pill isn't really helping me and also thought about stopping it x

[classiebird]

I can't tricycle d pill at all gives me awful bloating and makes d pain worse. But actually reading all your posts I wonder if it will be a good idea to stop my pill for a while once I recover from my lap

[Starstellar7 in reply to classiebird]

Talk to your Dr, I was put on progesterone tablets after mine, they made me gain weight and they made me cry. Yasmin has been the best hormonal treatment that I have had so far. But it seems to not be working as efficiently as it did at the start.

It may be good to wait a few months and then go on it. Talk it through with your dr x

[classiebird in reply to Starstellar7]

Well now talking to my consultant would be the sensible thing to do if only it wasn't decided dat since all d endo has been cut out I don't need to c him again. My pill works great but I've been on it for years so think I mite need a break once I'm all healed up.

[Starstellar7]

I think my issue with it is that all that taking the pill is kind of masking some of symptoms. It's alright when it works reasonably well but when you are still uncomfortable you start to question it. I have had three weeks of pain and discomfort

most days on this tri-cycle.

The consultant I saw last week couldn't give me any further advice. I wanted to know the root cause, nobody knows what it is, be it genetic, environmental or a mixture of different factors.

I actually felt quite angry because there doesn't seem to be much to be done but wait for crippling pain and then have more surgery. This may be part of growing up but I need to accept this but I can't I want to be better!

I'm now concerned about what was no doubt the consultant throwaway comment about my womb lining being thicker.I googled that this morning and you can guess the results I got for that. My morning walk this morning was spent trying not to hyperventilate/sob. When I see children I feel such a weird range of emotions.

I need another consultant and I need to fight this.

Thanks to everyone for your replies. It can be lonely as we all know. Xx

[Alma_Matters in reply to Starstellar7]

Bless your heart, I really feel for you. It is lonely and isolating, and it's so easy to let it overcome you at times when you're in that much pain all you want to do is stay in bed all day I used to go along with whatever the doctors suggested even though I wasn't particularly happy about it, but now I don't! You can change hospitals/ consultants ... you don't have to stay with the same one. It's just not good enough that your consultant has told you that he can't help you any further! Get a second opinion hun. I felt exactly the same way as you about the pill... Why does it work ok for ages then not? The last time this happened to me with the pill my old consultant told me the pill works 100% and it's most likely not Endo which was causing my symptoms. They gave me a lap and found Endo and put me back on the pill! Ridiculous eh?!