Several years ago, I started to develop incredibly painful period cramps. Around this time, my Primary Care Physician recommended that I find a local gynecologist and commence scheduling annual appointments starting around age 21. My 21st birthday came and went, and I continued to push this off. Over time, my cramps became so debilitating that I was out of commission for hours at a time, forcing me to pop Midol and eventually doctor-prescribed Naproxen before crawling into bed with a heating pad and moaning through labor-like contractions. After Naproxen, CBD cream, and my beloved heating pad became ineffective, I knew it was time to grow up and head to the gynecologist for an exam and discussion regarding other options to control my pain.
Four months ago, I finally visited the gynecologist for the first time. I have to admit: I was incredibly anxious for this consultation and appointment. To prepare myself, I spent three weeks watching videos and reading horror stories of other college students’ “first times.” About halfway through the appointment, I realized I had nothing to be worried about. My OBGYN was very friendly as we talked through my medical history and family history. After getting to know me, she started to ask specific questions regarding my menstrual cycle. I explained that I had been suffering from severe dysmenorrhea and incredibly irregular periods, and desperately needed relief. I also shared that I was enrolled in my last academic semester prior to student teaching, and emphasized my strong desire to get my cycle under control in order to avoid complications while preparing for my senior cello recital and student teaching experience.
Our conversation naturally started heading towards hormonal birth control. I was pretty hesitant to start the pill, but my doctor attempted to alleviate some of these concerns by sharing positive side effects. Additionally, she asked whether anyone in my family had been prescribed hormonal birth control before. Both of my sisters had been taking the same pill for 18 months, which largely helped inform my doctor which pill to prescribe me. Since this drug had been successful for two siblings, she said the odds were highly in my favor considering that the three of us share similar genetic make-ups. Thanks, mom and dad.
For weeks leading up to my first pill-taking, I consumed copious amounts of articles and videos in an attempt to conduct thorough research and know what to expect. I started to simultaneously gather excitement and fear: excitement that my skin may clear up and my terrible cramps may go away forever, and fear that I may gain weight, become moody, and experience break-through bleeding. I picked up my first set of three packs from Walgreens and read through the entire packet that the pharmacist sent home.
During the first few weeks, I experienced fairly minor side effects including insomnia and breast tenderness. Once I hit the sugar pills, also known as “placebos,” I started to experience some break-through bleeding and three days of unbearable cramping. Then my uterus proceeded to bleed for 17 days. This was definitely the longest period I had experienced throughout 9 years of menstruating. Words alone cannot articulate my excitement when I could finally wear my light orange palazzo pants again without fear of leakage.
After starting my second pack, I started to notice an upwards trend in my moodiness and overall emotions. I’m typically a bubbly person with a positive attitude, so I grew frustrated and disappointed when I started losing tight control over my emotions. To avoid bursting at the seams, I initiated a couple of regular practices into my weekly routine: reading a book for leisure before bed, replacing coffee with water in the morning, eating 2 servings of fruit each day, and hiking with friends every Friday afternoon. These simple acts drastically improved my mood and overall health, so I continued to uphold them throughout pack three. Towards the end of the second and third months, my period started the morning after I consumed the first placebo pill. I only bled for four days, which is the number of sugar pills included in each pack.
While taking the third and fourth packs, my symptoms started to stabilize and I found my mood uplifted and my personality restored. I’m currently on my fifth pack, and I’m proud to report that the majority of my negative side effects have subsided. My break-through bleeding is incredibly minimal, my cramping is still present yet much more manageable, my mood is uplifted, and my skin has ridden itself of 85% of its acne. During this fifth pack, I am going to start taking the pills continuously, meaning that I will throw out the placebo pills and continue to take only the hormone pills. This will hopefully eliminate cramping by skipping my monthly period.
While I’m an eternal optimist, I have to admit that starting hormonal birth control wasn’t all butterflies, unicorns, and rainbows. The birth control pill can do a lot of great things for women’s bodies such as cure acne, regulate periods, and ease cramps; however, it can also cause mood swings, breakthrough bleeding, and weight gain. Please note that this story is solely based upon my individual experience with starting the birth control pill. The purpose of this article is to inform others about my personal journey to perhaps help others who relate to my experience. Know that some of these symptoms are rare while others are quite common. Know that if you’re experiencing anything similar, you are absolutely not alone. Take care of yourself and do what’s best for your body. Do not let anyone tell you what to do with your own vessel, especially not a man or politician.