A WOMAN claims the contraceptive pill made her so “nasty and rude” it destroyed her life.
Katy Russell says it ruined friendships, disrupted her relationship with her boyfriend and saw her receive the nickname ‘Rowdy Russell’.
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Despite all this, doctors did not realize that she was intolerant to the medication and continued to recommend that she take it.
Katy started using contraceptives as a teenager, in an attempt to alleviate her menstrual symptoms.
During a relationship in September 2021, she was prescribed the combined pill, which contains two hormones and prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg each month.
But after she began experiencing severe mood swings, angry outbursts and weight gain that she claims were detrimental to her mental health, she realized something wasn’t right.
At the time, Katy claims doctors told her these symptoms were just her body getting used to the pill, so she continued taking the medication until February 2022.
But soon her friends began to distance themselves from her due to mood swings that made her act “obnoxious” and “just not someone people wanted to hang out with.”
Eventually, even her boyfriend asked her to stop taking the pill as she was being a “24/7 b****”, so she started looking for alternative contraceptive methods.
The now 22-year-old said her options were limited because she suffered from migraines, but decided to try the implant to save her relationships.
Unfortunately, her contraceptive experience only got worse.
And when she started experiencing extreme bloating, back acne, and a six-month heavy period, she had the implant removed and the hormonal coil inserted in January 2023.
Katy claims the coil left her “crippled” with pain and after having it removed in June 2023, she says doctors discovered she was intolerant to progestin – a hormone present in every birth control method she tried.
She claims it took years for doctors to discover her intolerance and says she was “traumatized” by her experience with birth control.
Katy, who is from Manchester but now lives in Bristol, said: “You [go on the pill] because it’s a safe option, but then someone is telling you to give up because you’re really horrible and it’s like, ‘I really don’t know what to do anymore.’
“Either I become a nasty person with all these fights or I potentially get pregnant and have a baby and I don’t want that.
“My friends called me ‘Rowdy Russell.’
“During that time of the month, I would be an absolute idiot; I was so rude, so moody, and I just wasn’t someone people wanted to hang out with.
“It also gave me really bad acne and I gained a lot of weight, so I couldn’t keep it off for long.
“I think it took about nine months before I snapped out of it.”
I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror because I was so swollen all the time.
Kate Russell
Describing her experience with the implant, Katy said the first few weeks were “good.”
But for the next six months, she was “consistently” menstruating.
“I was constantly bloated all the time, to the point where I almost started to form body dysmorphia,” she said.
“I couldn’t look in the mirror and understand what I normally looked like because I was so bloated all the time.
“[With the acne that came from the implant]It’s one thing to be on the face, but the back is a harder area with thicker skin too.
“It wasn’t until I stopped taking birth control that my ‘bacne’ and the spots on my face really started to disappear.”
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When Katy had the implant removed, she claims doctors discovered it had gone from her arm to her elbow.
This meant she had to undergo surgery and is now left with a permanent scar.
The marketing executive also claims that her experience with coils caused her to develop an ovarian cyst, which she now needs to have surgically removed.
What is progestin?
Progesterone is a natural hormone produced by ovarian cells as part of the menstrual cycle.
Progestins are synthetic versions of progesterone.
They appear in many forms of contraception, including pills, injections, implants and coils.
Although rare, progestins can cause side effects, including mood changes, unscheduled bleeding, constipation, bloating, vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, acne, and weight gain.
Some people also experience ovarian cysts, cardiovascular disease, and jaundice.
If you are suffering from any of these problems or believe you may be intolerant, speak to your GP.
Source: Patient It is The Menopause Charity
Katy said: “It was a bad procedure [having the implant removed] because I had two ladies basically cutting my arm open and cutting my arm open trying to find this implant that had moved.
“Now I have a scar where the implant was placed and a scar practically on the other side of my arm, where the implant ended up.
“Six months after receiving the implant, it went through the front of my arm and then down to my elbow.
“As soon as I started to feel cramps [while on the coil] I couldn’t walk; I was basically crippled on the floor in agony, tears and constant pain.
“The pain was so unpredictable. I could be driving and suddenly have to stop because the pain has left me physically unable to drive.
“Sometimes it would be so bad that my friends would have to drive out and pick me up and I would have to leave my car so I could go home.”
After years of struggle, Katy says her intolerance diagnosis was a “relief,” but now she’s left with even fewer birth control options if she ever decides to go back.
Katy said: “Most contraceptives contain progestogen.
“My only options now are condoms, a certain type of pill, or the copper coil, but I’m afraid of the copper coil and the pill because my experiences have been horrible.
“I don’t want to go through any mental or physical changes again. I don’t even think it’s worth it.
“I’d rather use a condom because I can’t do that again.”
Contraception methods offered
There are numerous contraception options available on the NHS and privately, and finding the right option for you can take some time.
Talk to your doctor about which of the following options might be best for you:
- Combined pill (contains progestin and estrogen)
- Minipill (contains only progestin)
- Copper coil or intrauterine device (inserted into the uterus and does not contain hormones)
- Hormone coil or intrauterine system (inserted into the uterus and releases progestin)
- Implant (inserted under the skin of the arm and releases progestin)
- Injection (progestin)
- Patch (used on the skin and releases progestogen and estrogen)
- Vaginal ring (placed in the vagina and releases progestin and estrogen)
- Condoms (used on the penis)
- Internal condoms (placed in the vagina before sex)
- Female sterilization (permanently prevents eggs from meeting sperm)
- Vasectomy (permanently stops sperm ejaculation)
- Diaphragm or cap (placed inside the vagina before sex to prevent sperm from entering the uterus)
- Natural family planning (includes monitoring your menstrual cycle to avoid sex when you are most fertile)
- Morning-after pill (to be used in emergency situations, three to five days after sex)
Source: National Health Service
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