Dianette/Diane35

Bright hope · 05-07-2005, 06:08 PM

Hiya, I've been on Dianette for over 2 months and getting migraines and mood swings during my 7 pill free days, I've never been so depressed and headachey in my life! Plus my periods are heavier than before. Reading the leaflet in the pack it says to stop taking it immediately if bad headaches/migraines start occuring or occur more frequently than before, well they are! My questions are, a) Why are the migraines caused and are they harmful at all? (Might be a stupid question) and, b) Since I'm not happy on this pill, have any of you been in my position....what were you prescribed after stopping Dianette? Anyway I know I'm only on my third month of it now, but my skin is breaking out more than before, and I've noticed no change in hair growth, so I don't think it's worth it to be honest. My plan was to stay on it for a year at least then either switch to another pill thats weaker or start ttc. I hate pcos, and I hate putting all these chemicals into my poor body....oh well, please reply, Bright Hope x

leasey_lu · 06-08-2005, 11:46 PM

Hi! I feel for you! I am in a similar situation. I have been on Diane for the last 12 months. Over the last 3 months I have been getting more and more migraines. to the point where I would be worried all morning about whether the day was going to be a migraine day. I couldn't work out what was causing the migraines - stress, tiredness.... and so i went to the doctor and she said it is most likely the pill. And said immediately that I have an increased risk of stroke and that it is dangerous for me to stay on it.

So, it has been a week now off the pill, and now I am just wondering when my pimples will appear!! I went on Diane originally because I started getting pimples around my jawline for the first time in my life - at age 23. Diane made my skin a lot worse in the first few months - but has progressively cleared it up to be almost porcelain like. i like the clear skin, but hate the thought of migraines and stroke, so decided i needed to come off it. My hair growth has also slowed, it is no lighter, it just doesn't grow as fast. although i don't really have much excess hair (as far as i know!).

The migraines have something to do with the blood supply to the brain. Hormones, particularly changes in estrogen levels seem to have an effect. The combining causes are different for each individual, and it seems no one can put their finger on exactly what causes them, but the pill is a big influencing factor (along with tiredness, stress, diet).

Unfortunatly for me, my plan of action is to see what happens, and treat the symptoms as they arise. Since stopping, I already feel better. I don't wake up thinking a migraine is lurking, that feeling is gone completely. Also, my eyes are becoming more lubricated. I had a huge problem with dry eyes on this pill. so much so that I could not wear contact lenses, and my eyes became photosensitive. I can't wait to have normal eyes again! My stomach has become a lot flatter as well - i must have been retaining fluid.

I am vigilantly cleasing, toning and moisturising, and i am taking multivitamins, flaxseed oil, and yakult(!) to try and be healthy. I am wanting to see a naturopath so that I can get a herbal remedy made up for me to control symptoms....

So that is where I am at! Sorry I am too early in the process of stopping to offer much else about coming off the pill. But I would say to take the migraines seriously - and life is so much better without them (and without having to worry about the risk of stroke).

Take care,
Liesl

kets · 06-09-2005, 01:10 AM

Hi,

I was on Diane-35 for 3 months, and I used to get bad headaches on those 7 pill-free days too. I used to get pretty bad mood swings too. But it helped my periods, it was lighter and didn't get stomach cramps. It decreased the oilyness of my skin and hair but it also took away the shine of my hair..now it looks dry and dull

Now my doctor has changed my meds to Yasmine.. it's just been 3 days since I started taking Yasmine...so there aren't any noticeable changes yet except that i feel very tired most of the time.

Bright_hope, maybe you can ask your doctor to change your medicines, can't say whether the new med will be better or worse for you since everybody reacts differently.. u gotta try and see i guess. And we are all here to wish u good luck!

paigettie · 06-09-2005, 01:29 AM

Pcos'ers on bcp are more suceptible (sp?) to developing depression and other problems. Sounds similar to what happened to me 11 years ago, atleas the depression part. I didn't go off and had 4 months of the worst hell of my whole life until dh was ready to ttc and I went off. I knew I shouldn't have been on them and did it anyway...wish I would have listened, My body knew something was very wrong.

I have studied and found that bcp's tend to depleat vitamin b levels and low b-levels are a big problem for people with depression. Low b-levels can also trigger migraines. (specifically with b-6 for both of them) the other thing is that bcp's can rock other things off balance in the body and cause both depression and migraines. (Women on bcp's or on hrt have a much higher insident of migrains than women not on them.) It has to do with excess estrogen not balanced out with progesterone, and it's all synthetic rather than naturally from the body or from the earth.

I have also found lots of places that mention anytime you are on bcp's, supplement with a very good b-100 or b-50 with it, and b-vitamin are supposed to help with the migraines some in addition to the depression. Just something to concider no matter what you decide to do...

Paige

Fifibelle · 06-09-2005, 06:33 AM

I was prescribed dianette when first diagnosed and developed migraines within the first 3 months of taking the tablets. I saw a nurse practitioner at my drs who prescribed a different pill and also some migraine meds called maxalt. I'm now on yasmin and although I do get a headache now and then, it's nowhere near as severe as the migraines.

Now I'm just a bit peeved (in some weird sort of way) that I have these great migraine wafer things and haven't had a chance to use them!

travelgrll · 06-10-2005, 11:45 AM

Hi there cysters!

oh that doesn't sound good....i'm just finishing week 1 of my second month on dianette and i'm not impressed. my breasts feel like they weigh about a kilo each and have NEVER been this sore...sometimes in the mornings i literally have to walk around with my arms crossed over them they hurt so badly. i've had bad cramps, headaches, upset stomachs and frequent morning sickness since starting it....sorry to hear that you're all having these problems! especially migraines! it's a terrible thing when symptoms from your medication starts to take time out of your life!

i'm going to bear with the crappy side effects for another two months to see if it gets better, but if not i'm actually going to try an herbal route as i don't really like the reaction that my body has with BCP... maybe it's careless, but i don't really see pregnancy as a big *risk* as i'm obviously not ovulating...the doctor put me on dianette to stop the hair growth but if anything, it's gotten worse since i started.

that's the only real "solution" that i can think of...i've been on 4 different BCPs in my life and each of them "went wrong" eventually.

best of luck and i hope you find something that suits you!
k

Bright hope · 06-10-2005, 03:39 PM

Thanks for those replies. Leasey_lu what you said about the migraines causing strokes was interesting and frightening (!) I'm still on Dianette, I told my doctor and she said she thinks its best for my hair and skin if I stay on it, she wants me on it for 2 years, but theres no chance if I don't stop feeling like this, my partners been telling me how bitter I've become and irritable. He doesn't have to tell ME that! I'm just not acting like me anymore and really would like to come off it but that raises 2 problems - what will my contraception be? I'd love to have a baby but we don't have enough money coming in and I'm still only 20, and the other question is that what am I going to do about my PCOS symptoms?? Whys everything so complicated?! Wow this is turning into a rant, im in the wrong forum lol. My doctor said the time to come off is if I start seeing flashing lights or get numbness somewhere before a migraine attack.....well i sometimes know I'm going to get one if I see little stars and I haven't told her that, is that the same as seeing what other migraine sufferers see? To be honest my last 7 pill free days I didn't get a migraine, so I'll have to see how I am this month.

Oh something I wanted to ask is, can stress interfere with the effectiveness of birth control? I had a car accident recently, and want to know if I may have ovulated with all the mental trauma? Just wondered.

Thanks again
Bright hope x