The pill and sex drive - Page 2

[birthmommom]

I am so glad that i came across this.

When my fiance and I first started dating I had an awesome sex drive, and I was not on anything then. I started the pill a few months later...and now I have almost no sex drive.

My dp has been wondering about me and what happened, now we know. I just read that you can try triphasal but I was on that I had horrible mood swings, so now maybe I need to just come off all together, maybe we need to try natural family planning.

[JanB]

When I was doing FAM, I noticed a very strong correlation between impending ovulation and increased sex drive. I'd have increased sex drive starting around the time AF started, ramping up to the point that a day or two before ovulation I'd be in "standing down by the docks with a bullhorn" mode. Then my sex drive would drop off pretty sharply 1-3 days post-ovulation and stay relatively low until AF started again. This was pretty standard for me.

I went on the Pill for awhile, and basically was permanently in that low post-ovulatory sex drive. It sucked and is one of the biggest reasons I went off the Pill again. (Well, that and the godawful mood swings.)

[eightyferrettoes]

I was on the regular tricyclic pill when I was younger, and didn't note any problems in that department.

Then I went off birth control altogether for a few years, giving me kids 18 months apart.

I used the minipill for awhile after DD was born, and also had no problems there.

That said, I have a sex drive that is apparently very difficult to kill.

[TinyFrog]

I voted 6-12 months but I was on the pill for 12 years. I wish I had realized this 10 years ago.

[CalebsMama05]

Originally Posted by wateraddict

I voted 6-12 months but I was on the pill for 12 years. I wish I had realized this 10 years ago.

[Babypower]

The pill Killed my sex drive too. and i have been off for 3 years now and it is still not what it useto be.

[Grace24]

Dang, I was only on the pill for three months and it killed mine immediately. I couldn't wait to go off of it, but my drive never came back. It's a little better, but only a little, and during O time. I wish I'd known. I didn't want to go on the dang thing, but my doctor convinced me it was the best thing for now...DH and I weren't married yet and it was only going to be for a few months, etc. I hope it comes back...now we're TTC and it's hard cuz I just "don't want". That's so unlike me!

What pill were you guys on? Mine was Loestrin 24. I'm really angry about this.

[ColwynsMommy]

I didn't vote because my story's a little odd.

I've been on the pill for about 9-10 years, except for during my pregnancies. I never really noticed a change in my sex drive, even when going off the pill to get pregnant. Both times we got pregnant the first month off the pill.

So, six months ago I started feeling nauseated all the time, very much like morning sickness. I stopped taking the pill at the end of the cycle, and wham! I suddenly had a crazily high sex drive. And the nausea stopped. I was all for never ever going on the pill again. But the month after, I was back to my "normal" low sex drive. Between the sex drive and the fact that I was very obviously fertile that first month, but not the second (very little CM), I suspect that this is part of what I think is PCOS. I suspected I had PCOS for other reasons, and this just kind of confirms it for me.. I don't think I ovulate except for the first month after stopping the pill. FWIW, I even notice an increase in sex drive if I forget to take my pill for a day or two.

And since I'm trying to convince my husband to TTC, I guess I need to stay on the pill. I'm on Loestrin 24, btw.. the NP I saw after the nausea started said it should help, but it hasn't so far. I see my regular OBGYN in two weeks, so maybe she'll try me on a different one.

[MamaEli]

I was wondering if I'd find a post like this here....I used the Nuvaring before DD and was fine--I told everyone about how great it was. But then when I went back on it when DD was two months--wham, gone, nothing. I didn't want dh to touch me, and I was having crazy mood swings. Kept thinking I was having PPD or something. But then I didn't make it to the drugstore in time (after three months on) and after a week I'm suddenly myself again. What a relief! Thing is--we're not ready for number three, haven't even decided if there will be a number three. ANd we seem to be very fertile, as we never really tried with DS and DD, they just kind of...came...when we weren't careful. Now I'm scared to get back on BC and don't really trust the whole cycle planning thing.....:

[snozzberry]

Originally Posted by MamaEli

I was wondering if I'd find a post like this here....I used the Nuvaring before DD and was fine--I told everyone about how great it was. But then when I went back on it when DD was two months--wham, gone, nothing. I didn't want dh to touch me, and I was having crazy mood swings. Kept thinking I was having PPD or something. But then I didn't make it to the drugstore in time (after three months on) and after a week I'm suddenly myself again. What a relief! Thing is--we're not ready for number three, haven't even decided if there will be a number three. ANd we seem to be very fertile, as we never really tried with DS and DD, they just kind of...came...when we weren't careful. Now I'm scared to get back on BC and don't really trust the whole cycle planning thing.....:

MamaEli, read Taking Charge of Your Fertility! If you just take a minute or two a day to keep in touch with your cycle, you can most certainly have a drug-free birth control method!

[memz]

I have been wondering about that for a while. I have been on the pill for almost 10 years now. And for the past few years my sex drive has only gone downhill. Now I am supposed to start a new pack tomorrow. So I discussed it with DP and he says just go off it and we'll figure out something else...it's not like we do it all the time anyway So ok I'll stop taking it, but we're not really wanting to TTC just yet ( have been going back and forth on that: ) I don't know it just scares me to go off it and then get pregnant. Not that it would be the end of the world right now, it's just that I want us to want it when it happens, not it being an accident.

Anyway sorry for rambling

[HRC121799]

I was on the pill for 18mos. years ago. Ortho tri cyclen. When I went off of it, within 3 weeks I felt like a new person! And I was extremely *excited* all the time,lol. Dh could definitely tell! Then I used FAM for over 4 years, and now I use the nuvaring, but thankfully my sex drive hasn't been affected in the least, it's gotten better since I'm not worried about getting pg. at the moment,lol.

[snozzberry]

Originally Posted by memz

I have been wondering about that for a while. I have been on the pill for almost 10 years now. And for the past few years my sex drive has only gone downhill. Now I am supposed to start a new pack tomorrow. So I discussed it with DP and he says just go off it and we'll figure out something else...it's not like we do it all the time anyway So ok I'll stop taking it, but we're not really wanting to TTC just yet ( have been going back and forth on that: ) I don't know it just scares me to go off it and then get pregnant. Not that it would be the end of the world right now, it's just that I want us to want it when it happens, not it being an accident.

Anyway sorry for rambling

memz, I know where you're coming from. I went off the pill a few months ago when we were most definitely *not* ready to get pregnant. But we got some condoms to tide us over until my cycle stabilized and I could use the methods in Taking Charge of Your Fertility to figure out when we could go without safely. I highly recommend that book!

[WeasleyMum]

I accidentally voted for the wrong thing, because apparently I can't read. But the Pill did terrible things for my sex drive. It really works as a birth control, not just by what it does but by how it makes you feel! It's impossible to get pregnant if you don't ever feel like having sex...

And, (TMI warning)
it made me dry as heck down there, which made sex painful even with lubes and stuff. Not what I'd call normal for a 22-23 year old! When I finally went off it for good, I felt *soooo* much better; not only did I *want* sex, it felt good again.

They should definitely mention that stuff when prescribing it, I think.

[memz]

Originally Posted by snozzberry

memz, I know where you're coming from. I went off the pill a few months ago when we were most definitely *not* ready to get pregnant. But we got some condoms to tide us over until my cycle stabilized and I could use the methods in Taking Charge of Your Fertility to figure out when we could go without safely. I highly recommend that book!

Thanks for letting me know i'm not alone:
Today is my first day off the BC
We'll see how everything goes

[LadyBee]

I went on the pill when DS was 6w because I had such a horrible labor I was so scared of getting pregnant. I went off when he was 8m and within 2 weeks have never felt better. I have WAY more sex drive, more energy, and overall just feel like a happier person.

[mommyddeville]

I hated being on the pill. It made me feel less feminine, to be honest. I didn't enjoy any part of sex. When I went off it, the switch was immediate. I won't take it again.