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[Darlingbabs]

I feel like such a hypochondriac but have been on the combined pill (loestrim 20) for 3 days (And am in the, usually, good bit of my cycle before ovulation) but I feel completely exhausted, is this normal when starting a combined pill and does it tend to settle down? Thanks

[CLKD]

This is The Change.  Crashing fatigue is 'common', if you search the words here threads will pop up.

[Hurdity]

Hi Darlingbabs

It is very many years since I took the combined pill for one year only in my earl 20's!! However the fatigue is most likely to be due to the progestogen in the pill (this one is norethisterone), since oestrogen is energising, and progestogens have the opposite effect. Let's hope your body will acclimatise to it soon? Hopefully someone with recent experience of starting CCP in permenopause will come along later....

Hurdity x

[Darlingbabs]

Thanks both. Much appreciated

[dangermouse]

Oh yes this what I warned you about re the first 7 days. Your symptoms will increase until your cycle has been suppressed enough.

I had severe nausea prior to restarting the pill (2 years ago) where could only drink milk for 2 months. Then on starting the pill the nausea went through the roof, nothing would stop it until about 9pm hit and then I was ok until 5am. It was unbearable, dizzy, churning nausea like on a boat in rough seas (silent gastric migraine I found out later).

I knew I had found the answer though as it was the only thing that had made any difference (even though it made it worse). I woke up on about Day 7/8 and it all just stopped. My cycle was suppressed and I never became that ill again.

Hang in there!

[Dorothy]

Watch out for the fatigue to return when you have a pill break though - I could literally fall asleep standing up!

[dangermouse]

Once it's kicked in, if you feel bad still, as others have said from the high Norethisterone, you could switch to Brevinor which is much higher oestrogen and lower Norethisterone. As they are the same ingredients, apart from ratios you can go straight from one to the other. I used to use them interchangeably when I fancied a little more oestrogen or a little more prog which actually worked quite well.

Saying that, once my worst symptoms were suppressed, it was the high oestrogen days that made me feel the most lethargic, looking at that one symptom only.