I've been on the pill for about 7 years. First 4 years was Ortho-Cept 28, but I started having crazy mood swings, so I switched to Ortho-Novum 1/35. I take the generic, though, because it's cheaper ($25 vs $10). I've been in a monogamous relationship for over 6 years, and we don't use any backup unless (1) I accidentally skip a pill or (2) I'm on antibiotics, which can mess up the pill. I've never been late or had any problems (*knocks on wood*).

Warning to Ortho Lo users: I know someone who got pregnant while on that, and a lot of gynos won't prescribe it because that can happen.

yea- i love the patch- i gained a bit of weight when i first started it- but i get really sick from the pill- (nauseousness- dizzyness- throwing up etc- even low doses do it to me) so this goes right to my bloodstream and i don't have to worry about it at all- and i'm not sick! woo hoo

I was on the pill for years, and I found that it decreased my sex drive. It's been a while since I was last on it, so I don't remember exactly how long I had been taking it.

The last time I tried taking the pill, I got something from Planned Parenthood that made me feel so awful I quit taking it after a week or two. I think my body just can't handle the hormones any more, so hopefully someday soon I'll be able to afford a tubal. I hate the hormonal feeling I get from pills.

Went on them six years ago February. Have been on Allesse the whole time. Went on before having sex, so I'm not really sure about the sex drive! That's increased naturally over the past few years. (Keep in mind that your sex drive will change as you age-- supposedly ~18 is horniest time for guys, but I've heard that ~30 is the horniest time for women. Weird, eh?) Worst thing about the pill was feeling nauseous and having a bit of soreness in the chest area and other slight water weight gain (bloating?), which lasted about the first week. After that, pretty much fine.

I'm sure I'll have hormone withdrawl when I go off sometime next fall, though...

I was a wreck with pills... really emotional (worse than usual), very nauseous, etc. so I didn't stay on them very long.

I've been on Depo aobut 3 1/2 years...it's been great for me, no weight gain (at least none attributable to that), leveled off the over-emotionalness, and of course, AF hasn't come to visit once :)

I have noticed a slow decline in my drive... mostly in the last year or so, so maybe it builds up. I plan to go off of it after my wedding, so I guess we'll find out if it was the Depo or just me :)

edited to add: the only thing I've noticed with it is that I'm mega-emotional the week before I'm due (which happens to be this week... watch out!) and super... affectionate ;) for about a week after. So those hormones really do hit you hard and you can feel a withdrawal-type feeling.

I'm on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen and I have been since I was 16, but there was a few months in between where I went of Levlite because I felt the Ortho was making me fat. Now I don't care I just smoke more. And I think BC makes me hornier. That or I just haven't gotten any for a while.

I've been on Alesse for 4 1/2 years now, also started before I'd ever had sex, so I can't tell how it changed my sex drive.

I've only been on Aless for the past 3 years or so. Had some other higher dosage pills and they didn't agree with me very well, I was too moody on higher dosages.

Might try Mircette next month since it's supposed to be cheaper and the same exact dosage as Alesse. We'll see how that works out. I'm weary of trying new pills.

I've been on Zovia for a while now and never had any problems. I never had regular periods before, and now I skip a lot too. It makes me nervous, but my doctors say its normal (I am a small person). It doesn't seem to effect anything except that if I have a period its on time/regular, but I don't have mood swings or anything else. When I do have a period they are minimal and the side effects (cramps, moods, etc) are the same as before I was on the pill

I've been on some form of bc for so long that I couldn't tell you what my sex drive was like before it.... but, I do know that it has increased since I stopped taking the pill. I think I have an overactive sex drive on the patch, but Mr. Bunny doesn't seem to mind :p

i'm on ortho-tricyclen.

how many hours or minutes difference from when you take the pill each day would make it less effective? anyone know? i always try to take it within the same hour.

I'm on Depo. I've been on and off of it for about 2 years now. I'm single and not having sex but I take bc for medical reasons.

I have noticed weight gain lately and I haven't been able to lose the weight either. I have one more month left so I am going to stop and go without until I get my med insurance all straightened out. Then maybe I can go back on Allese, which I was on for a while before Planned Parenthood freaked out because I am a diabetic.

Sex drive did flatline though.

I'm currently not taking any birthcontrol.

I was on Alesse for a bit but I major spotting so they switched me to Orto-tricyclin. I also had major spotting with that and several other problems.
Since right no there is no need for any birthcontrol I'm not taking anything. When the time comes that I need to take something extra I'll see the doctor again.
I just don't want to take the pill again. I have a feeling that all of them will cause major problems for me.
I can't take the patch either because I'm too heavy and they say that the heavier you are the less effective it is.
I don't want to take depo if it's going to make me gain weight because I have major issues with that.
I think my only option is an IUD.

Has anyone here had an IUD?

i'm on alesse.. my doc said ortho gives a lot of people bad side effects....

IUDs freak me out.. (never tried one)

good luck :o

Really? They freaked. I saw the doctor for Alesse at my university's medical centre (where I'm pretty sure all female students got their BC from) and they knew I was a diabetic but never said anything about it. They were concerned because there's a history of breast cancer in my family and that I was a smoker but didn't say anything about my diabetes.

What did they say to you??