Started desogestrel for iron deficiency and been bleeding 3 weeks.

Hi everyone!

I'm 29 and my GP has told me to start using desogestrel for my heavy periods.

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I've got severe iron deficiency without anemia, and occasionally have joint aches, which she put down to endometriosis. My period is very heavy (I must wear the thickest pads available and change them every 4h at max) but regular, lasting 5 days and only at its worst on day 1-3.

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So she said the pill will help with the iron deficiency since it'll lower or even stop bleeding.

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Yeah no.

I took it according to the leaflet. Started on day 1 of my period 3 weeks ago.

It hasn't stopped since. Ongoing bleeding. Only a small pad and need to change every 4-5h but for 3 weeks straight that's a bit much... Plus the cramps I could do without.

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After a week my face has turned back into my teenage self. Acne everywhere. Painful too, not just random spots. It makes me feel awful.

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Since week 2 I've been experiencing incredible fatigue to the point of falling asleep when sitting still for several minutes. I don't fall asleep easily during the day usually.

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My mood swings have become unbearable. One second I experience the biggest joy I've felt in months, and within an hour it changes to physical anger before sobbing.

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I've been crying daily for 5 days now. Don't know why, genuinely. My mood has dropped massively, and I can't even get off the sofa. I'm also experiencing the want to just... End it all. Which is incredibly unusual for me, I'm not a depressed person and even when I'm at my lowest I never experienced this want.

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On top of this I'm on Elvanse(Vyvanse for US) for my ADHD and for the past 3 weeks it has not been working at all. Like at all. Which is why I think my mood swings and inability to get up is from? I think?

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I'm just so tired. It doesnt help that my cramps have been really bad like my uterus is trying to evict itself for 3 weeks in a row...

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My GP told me these effects will be gone in 3 months but I physically can't take it anymore. I have experienced similar effects when I tried the combined pill age 14-15 and just stopped taking it after a month because it genuinely made me depressed. She said this one won't do it and I was hopeful I might get rid of my period without mess.

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My BF's mum said these side effects shouldn't happen this early on and it's probably not the pill. So now I'm torn on what to do.

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For clarification: I've not used/needed contraception my whole life except 1-2 months age 14ish. I had heavy albeit regular periods, no major life changing PMS (although that depends on the month... But after years of living with it it never bothered me.)

This was just for my iron deficiency. And now I've been bleeding 3 weeks non-stop. And all the other stuff.

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What do I do?

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TLDR; Got mini pill for iron deficiency, got heavy mood swings & depressed, Elvanse stopped working, ADHD hits harder 5x, and been bleeding for 3 weeks non stop. Unsure whether to stop or not as GP said it'll settle after 3 months.

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