I'm less crazy than I thought

I just got off of the phone with my Dr's nurse and I am feeling much better about things. I have been on the same birth control for over 5 years. After we moved to Montana, I started taking the generic equivalent with no problems. I switched pharmacies earlier this year because the pharmacist at Albertson's left and the replacement was really slow. I'd have to wait 15 minutes sometimes to get a refill that was called in the day before. It's also birth control so it's not like they have to physically count the pills. I filled my prescription once at WalMart because I thought it might qualify as one of their $4 generic prescriptions. They gave me a different generic than I had been taking, but it didn't cross my mind that it would affect me at all.

First month on it, I noticed PMS and associated zits that I had not had in YEARS. I thought it might be the pills, but it could have just been a weird month. I then took my prescription to the other grocery store in Belgrade because it was easier to have my scrip there as opposed to 10 minutes away in Bozeman. IGA also gave me the same generic as WalMart but I decided to give it another try. Same PMS thing happened. By this time Albertson's was undergoing a renovation so it was more of a pain to get a refill there so I kept going to IGA. My symptoms continued over the summer, but it wasn't anything I couldn't really deal with. Maybe my body changed. I didn't really think a change from one generic to another would make that big of a difference.

This last week was the last week of my pill packet and BOY did PMS rear it's ugly head yet again. In addition to PMS, I haven't had a sex drive in quite some time. Nothing. As in could care less if it happens again nothing. I have been blaming it on the way I feel about my body because I have gained a lot of weight. I have also thought that maybe I get a lot of my physical contact that a woman needs in holding Piper, but I don't even really want to be touched either. Snuggling does nothing for me. Mike has been so good about not making me feel guilty, but I do a pretty good job making myself feel bad as it is.

I was actually thinking about going off of the pill for a while because it's not like a need it at this point. Why take birth control if you aren't having sex? I supposedly have endometriosis so the pill is supposed to be for more than birth control, but the only reason I even know I have endometriosis is because the doctor saw it when I had my c-section. I haven't had cramps or anything in years so what did I have to lose in going off of the pill.

Recently, it dawned on me that just maybe my PMS issues and my lack of a sex drive and possibly some of my emotional issues I have had this summer might be related to this brand of the generic I was on. So today I finally called my doctor. After explaining my symptoms, the nurse asked my if I was on Tri-Sprintec because many other women have been having the exact same problems I was describing.

You mean it's not just me? You mean I might be able to just take a different pill and feel "normal" again? You mean I might actually want to snuggle up and maybe even make love to my husband again? Words cannot describe the relief I am feeling. I really am less crazy than I thought.