Give it a chance, but it's not for everyone! (Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch)

Member Name: lola2280

Product:	Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch
Date:	18/07/05 (3656 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, easy to remember, manages cycle well

Disadvantages: Painful/itchy skin irritation (for some), looks dirty after a day or two, major PMS (for some)

First of all, I know several women who are very happy with Ortho Evra, so I'm not saying you shouldn't try it. It is easy to use, particularly if you have trouble remembering to take a pill, and is more convenient than injections. However, I just want to put in a quick word about the problems I had with Ortho Evra.
I started on the patch after 9 years of using the pill because my cycle was getting irregular and my doctor wanted to switch up my birth control method to try and fix this problem. Ortho Evra definitely helped with managing my cycle, but I had several problems with it.

1.) One major problem was that I had terrible mood swings! I would get really cranky and snap at people, which is not normal for me at all. I thought at the time it was just stress, but now that I'm off the patch, I can see that it was hormones! (Now I am on Yasmin, a pill with a low dose of hormones, and I'm having no problems with mood swings.)

2.) The patch starts looking dirty after a day or two. The very edges of the patch will peel up a little and fiber particles from clothing will stick to it and make it look dark around the edges. It's like if you were to wear a Band-Aid for several days. It's going to get dirty. This was just a vanity issue for me--it just grossed me out, but wasn't a huge deal.

3.) I had trouble with the patch peeling off. I tend to take long baths at the end of the day to relax, and I think this caused the patch to de-stick (even though you are supposed to be able to go swimming and take baths with the patch on). Again, this was just a minor annoyance, but I was constantly worried that the patch would fall off and a couple of times, it did and I had to put on a new one.

4.) Here is the reason I couldn't stand the patch anymore: MAJOR SKIN IRRITATION! I don't even have sensitive skin, so I didn't think the patch would cause any problems in terms of skin irritation. The first few times I wore it, it wasn't too bad--just a couple of zits under the patch and a little itchy. But after several months, the skin irritation became so itchy and painful, I couldn't concentrate! I would take great pains NOT to put a new patch where an old one was. I made sure my skin was clean and dry before applying the patch. I tried different parts of my body (butt, thighs, lower abdomen). None of these things worked. When I took the patch off, it would always leave an itchy red square with zits that would stay on my skin for MONTHS. After awhile, I had itchy red squares all over me and nowhere left to put new patches! That's when I switched to another form of birth control. I just couldn't take it anymore. The red squares were still there 3 months after I switched. I realize this isn't a problem for everyone, but I just wanted to warn you!

So, to sum up, you should give the patch a try if you have trouble remembering the pill. It's quite easy to use, and a lot of women don't have any problems with it. However, I wouldn't recommend it if you have sensitive skin. If you start on the patch and have skin irritation, it's not going to get any better, believe me! Also, if you start on the patch (or any new form of birth control) and you start experiencing mood swings, it may be the hormone you are using and you might want to try a different method. It is NOT fun being cranky all the time. (Again, I'm on Yasmin now and I'm very happy with it.)

Good luck!

Summary: Give it a try, but if skin problems occur, try something else immediately!