birth control options

I am supposed to have an IUD put in next week, but frankly the idea of that is causing me a great amount of anxiety. This anxiety is compounded with the fact that I am having serious PMDD symptoms right now and my mood is very irratic.

I am interested in Yaz as it says it helps ease the severity of PMDD, but again, it is hormonal and I am worried that this could throw off my stability. I would value any information.

Thank you.

I also am looking for a good form of birth control. I took Ortho Tri-cyclen for many years while in college, graduated, and then slowly started going crazy.... I wonder if my diagnosis of bi-polar is true, but that is neither here nor there.

I am on bi-polar meds and seem to be doing well, for about 2 weeks, after I got out of the hospital for suicidal tendencies. I had an IUD inserted last August, and thought that no hormones for me would be good things. I have not had a regular sex drive for many years.

With the loss of horomones for BC, my sex drive did not really increase, as I was severly depressed. What did change was the heaviness of my periods. I went from having normal periods to very very heavy periods, where I would bleed for 2weeks at a time. The cramps were terrible as well. Mood swings were horrible.

I am currently on the Ortho Evra Patch to help with my mood swings. I also still have the IUD. I am wanting to get it removed though, because of the continuous spotting that i have, despite being on the birth control non-stop.

My complaint with the patch... weight gain. Probably 15 pounds in 3 months. Which on my 5'6" body is alot. My breast size went up from a 36b to a 38D. That is nice, but my clothes don't fit. My mood swings have gotten a little better, but my sex drive is now non-existent. I don't feel sexy. I remember when I first started on the patch of always being hungry. Now, not so much.

I am planning to go in and speak with my doctor about possibly changing bc methods. upon researching different pills, i have become quite concerned with the MENTAL side effects associated with many of them, yasmin in particular.

If anyone out there is in roughly my same boat, and has had a great experience with birth control, please email me or post here.

My marriage is on the rocks because of my sex drive, but no hormones makes me have horrible mood swings....

I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Sorry to hi-jack the original post

I can't handle the change in hormones. If I have learned anything it is, don't mess with things when all is well. I hope that people find solutions that work for them, but for me I will stay with my bipolar meds and leave the birth control behind.

the thing i liked most about both of these is that i didn't have any side effects except a few days of slight nausea with the microgestin. i haven't gained weight, and i didn't have mood swings (well, no more than usual!). of course, this is just my experience and i think birth control is like any other med- you just have to find the one that works for you.