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| Not happy with the pill? |
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| One in three of you are on the Pill, but what happens when it causes a niggling side effect? It could be a simple case of switching brands, or making a few simple lifestyle changes. Company reports...
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1. Bloating |
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Problem: You know you're not pregnant, but strangers keep asking when your baby's due.
What's going on? Fluid retention on the Pill is common in the first few months, but if your bloated belly is a regular monthly nightmare, your Pill's knocked your hormone levels out of balance and may contain too much oestrogen.
What you can do: Stop praying that smocks will make a comeback, and switch to an ultra-low dose oestrogen pill, such as Mercilon. Or try the anti-bloat Pill, Yasmin, which contains a form of synthetic progestogen that sorts out water retention by acting like a diuretic. Check your diet, too - fizzy drinks and spicy foods can be tummy-expanding gas-producers. Go easy on salt-loaded processed foods and booze, drink lots of water, and boost your intake of potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, tomatoes and freshly squeezed juices. |
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2. Weight Gain |
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Problem: Who needs contraception? Taking your clothes off when you're feeling so fat is not an option.
What's going on? Experts deny it and studies show that it doesn't, but three quarters of us still believe that the Pill makes you fat. For some, the hormonal changes may encourage extra fat and muscle, increase appetite, or exaggerate the weight gain in the week before our period, but that's true in less than 10% of women.
What you can do: Be honest with yourself. Starting the Pill can be linked to life changes - romantic dinners with your new man, too many nights at the uni bar, swapping home cooking for takeaways - so get real. It's easy to blame the Pill when your lifestyle is the culprit. Make the most of those no-pregnancy fears by getting active in the bedroom - a sex session burns up to 150 calories an hour. Still convinced your Pill is piling on the pounds? The progestogen-only pill (POP) or mini-Pill rarely causes weight gain.
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3. Loss of libido |
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The problem: You can have worry-free sex whenever you want. There's only one snag - you just don't fancy it much any more.
What's going on? Loss of libido affects around six per cent of Pill users. If you notice a cooling in passion, the combo of oestrogen and progestogen in your Pill has reduced your body's level of testosterone - which governs sex drive in you as well as him - by too much.
What you can do: Switching to a Pill with less oestrogen, such as Mircette, or a different progestogen, may help your lust levels go back to normal. How sexy you feel is often linked to your relationship, though, so your lack of love life could be down to difficulties with your man. So, if you try a new Pill and still would rather sit and watch Corrie than have sex with your man, maybe it's the man you need to switch, not the Pill! |
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