One beneficial thing about birth control pills is that there are so many different varieties. They all have a slightly different balance of hormones. A pill that works really well for one woman may not work so well for the next woman. That's not to say the pill won't keep you from becoming pregnant, but it may cause more side effects than you bargained for. In general, you should wait at least three months to give your body a chance to get used to a certain pill before deciding whether it's the right one for you. But what are some signs that you haven't found the right pill yet? Take a look.
You have spotting.
Spotting is normal when you first start any birth control pill, but it really should stop once you've been on a certain pill for three months. If you are still spotting between periods or your periods seem to be coming on an irregular schedule — or when you're not taking your inactive pills — then you should consider switching to a different pill.
Your period is still overly painful.
This one applies especially to women who are taking birth control primarily as a way to regulate painful periods. If you are still in significant pain during your period and are having to take more than a couple of doses of over-the-counter pain relievers to get yourself through it, then there's likely an option that would give you more relief. In this case, switching to a pill with slightly less estrogen tends to work.
You're getting migraines.
Some women are really sensitive to the estrogen in birth control pills and develop migraines as a side effect. In fact, if you have certain types of migraines, your doctor may not even prescribe you a pill with estrogen; you may have to take the progesterone-only pill, or mini-pill. Nobody deserves to suffer the pain of frequent migraines, so definitely talk to your OBGYN about switching pills if you think your current one is causing migraines.
You are gaining significant weight.
It's a common myth that the birth control pill causes all women to gain weight. Some women gain weight on certain pills, but this is not an inevitability. If you've gained several pounds and suspect your pill may be contributing to this, there is likely a better option out there for you.
There are so many different birth control pills out there. You should never be afraid to say "this one is not working!" and request that you be changed over to another one. You deserve to be comfortable when taking your birth control pills.
