Hoping I'm not getting the flu or something, but I started BCPs on Monday and have been feeling increasingly ill since Tuesday. I can't remember if they did this to me last time? Thanks so much,
Kenny

I tried bcp for hrt before my DE cycle and had such severe headaches I had to stop. I would call your RE and let them know just to be on the safe side.
Good luck w/ your cycle.
Emma

Hilariously, one of my biggest fears when I first started the whole ART thing was taking BCP. Shooting myself up with ten different types of hormones? No worries. But BCP? I quake in fear. LOL. But seriously, they make me feel so awful, I can hardly function. Nausea, headaches, bloating, hunger, weight gain, you name it. I mentioned it to my first RE and when I started taking them, he gave me the lowest dose ones possible. They still weren't great, but they were way better than what I'd taken before. You might see if a low dose kind is available. Not sure if you can switch once you started.

I found it helped to take them with food. Another option is to take them right before bed so you can hopefully sleep it off. That doesn't work for me, though. I wake up with the horrible nausea issues, etc. I did find that after I'd been on them awhile I started to feel better. I think your body has to get used to the new hormones and adjust. That can take awhile.

Don't forget to monitor your thyroid when taking BCP. The estrogen form in them (estinyl) can stress your thyroid. That can also make you feel bad.

Hope you feel better!

Jean

Thank you both! DH is so annoyed with me, he is on vacation this week and I just feel like cr@p, want to crawl into a hole and hide . Dragged myself to the beach but had to hang my head out the window the whole way home to avoid puking in the car. What fun!!

Jean, I had to laugh, I've done 10 injectible drug cycles and the BCPs are MUCH worse than the injectibles - it's all coming back to me!

Thanks for your posts, really appreciate it. Best,
Kenny

I actually like taking BCPs as they make me thin as they make me so sick (like when pregnant). If ever I want to lose weight quickly I'll take a month of BCP as I really can't eat a thing. I think that is why I was so slim all the way through uni.

Hi K,
I just take the HRT when cycling as I've never been able to take BCPs. I get the same reaction as you, thinking of you, K.