September 14, 2010

Birth Control Heaven???

Hi y'all!

So, I recently saw my Ob-Gyn about the issues I was having with the Depo-Provera shot. When I told her that I'd gained about 25 pounds in the past 2 years while on the Depo, her eyes got really big and she was like "Whoa!" She was understandably shocked, because she knows about my fitness goals and how much I exercise and run. So she never expected the Depo to make me gain so much weight, especially when I have been working so hard to lose it.

Anyway, to make a long story short, she prescribed Yaz to me, which I think all of us have heard of. After doing lots of online research before my appointment, I had several "key words" to tell her and ask her about. I wanted a "low-dose", "monophasic" birth control pill. Immediately after I said this, she said that Yaz is indeed such a pill and she highly recommends it. She herself has taken Yaz for the past 3 years and she loves it, which is encouraging.

The important thing is that Yaz has NO WEIGHT GAIN associated with it! So that got me thinking, "Well what the heck? Why haven't I been on Yaz this whole time?"
But the answer to that question is, of course, that I wanted to try the every-three-months Depo shot because of the convenience. I also have a difficult time swallowing pills, so the Depo seemed like my best option. And my doctor told me that birth control pills are tiny anyway, so that shouldn't be a concern.

My dose of Depo will last until the first week of October, so I do not have to start taking Yaz until a few days before the Depo wears off. I have such high hopes for Yaz, and I hope I won't be disappointed. But, if Yaz does not work out for some reason, I know I have other good options to try. Thus I am hopeful.

2 comments:

  1. I took Yaz for a year and I liked it. The only reason I switched is that when I left my parent's insurance and went onto Ryan's employer insurance when we got married we didn't have prescription coverage and we still don't...Yaz was about $40 a month out of pocket, as opposed to the $9 I pay now for my generic. Anyways, I hope it works for you! And, have you ever actually seen the pills? They're TINY! I'm sure you'll be fine swallowing them! If you're concerned, you might want to try practicing on some small candy or something...like a Nerd or something, so you can get it down before it matters.

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  2. Hi Anna! No, I haven't ever actually seen the pills, but I've seen pictures of the packaging, and yes, they look tiny, so I'm no longer too worried about that issue. But thanks for the advice!
    My doc told me that Yaz would cost at most $25 a month, and she gave me some kind of Bayer Coupon Card to call and activate, and get a bit extra savings. I have never heard of this before, but she says lots of women use it and it saves them money.
    That's awesome that you only pay $9 for your generic! I have been suffering through spotting and bleeding, and so my doc did not recommend the generic to me. She said the generic has the same ingredients, but usually a bit less hormone than the Yaz. She said this small discrepancy causes some women to bleed and spot, and I definitely don't want that! But we'll see. :)

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