A number of people have PM'd me about Qlaira, so thought I'd do a quick summary of my experiences as I seem to be the main poster taking it.
- Qlaira is one of the first bio-identical birth control pills to be introduced in the UK. It one of the lowest dose BCPs available, so suits people who may not be able to take a conventional pill. It was designed for peri menopausal ladies and those with heavy bleeds. My doctor described it as 'a HRT with contraceptive properties'. The average estrogen dose is 2mg (similar to Femeston 2/10's estrogen).
- It has four phases over 28 days - 2 days of 3mg estrogen; a week of 2mg estrogen with progesterone; nearly all of the remainder of the month with the same estrogen but slightly more progesterone; 2 days of 1mg estrogen and 2 days of blank pills. This reduces the likelihood of the sudden dips some ladies get during the 'blank pill week' on conventional pills.
- The varying doses, combined with the complex 'if you miss a pill' rule initially made me feel uneasy. In reality, it was genuinely never an issue. The only noticeable thing I've seen between phases is increased libido during the 3mg days (of which there are sadly only two)
- It is new (to this country - very popular in Europe) and very expensive (though free to us as it's classed as a contraceptive). For these reasons, GPs tend to be reticent about prescribing it. I was lucky in that the consultant, my GP and the FCP doctor had all received recent training and knew about its benefits.
- For me, the advantages were: none of the 'dips' I had after taking progesterone in sequential hrt (I took patches and Utrogestan previously); improved skin; massive reduction in amount of blood during period/withdrawal bleed (some months I don't bleed at all); no migraine (fingers crossed) since taking it; less of the 'faffing' I had with patches and Utrogestan (I was always forgetting when to start the Utro or when to change a patch); more of a feeling of consistency than I had with sequential treatment; much less hair loss (but initially this was worse); feeling more like my peers (I am 43).
- Initially I had side effects which started on day 8 (so must be due to the Dienogest). I had 48 hours of intense itching and a little spotting. This made me panic. My hair shed for two months, but not again (in fact, it's better now than it has been in a while). I had breast pain towards the end of the pack occasionally. Longer term side effects were random fatigue and nausea, but this has lessened every month (plus it was miles, miles worse before when taking nothing, so I dont think this is necessarily a side effect, but more due to my previous very low estrogen levels).
- By month four the side effects had disappeared, apart from the spotting. This was very occasional but always occurred literally hours after feeling a bit wobbly. Never lasted for more than 36 hours.
- There was only one month when I felt physically and mentally aware of the fact I was on the two blank pill days. The other 8 months, it was absolutely fine.
- Recently, I have started having heavier bleeds on day 14 which last for a few days. When talking to my doctor, she said this was not related to the phasing of the pill (that's the time the dosing is steadiest) so must instead by a sign that my own hormones are still bouncing around in the background. Risk wise, the fact Qlaira is bio identical and such a low dose is a positive; however, it does mean for ladies with very erratic hormones, rather than 'almost menopausal' ones, it can be problematic as it's so much less potent than a conventional pill and therefore not quite so controlling.
I have therefore decided to experiment with a stronger pill. Looking at the Avon Pill Ladder, GRL's recent posts and those of others on the BCP for reasons other than contraception, I asked to go on Marvelon. Initially my doctor was reticent (as I have migraines and a family history of stroke at a younger age). However, being fit and healthy and not over weight (ish), she said this risk would be minimised. Afterwards, she confessed this was the pill she takes too, which I found reassuring. I also found the NHS risk guidelines for this pill which again, helped put things into perspective. (Quite something coming from the girl who's been anti artificial hormones all my life til now!).
In summary, Qlaira made a massive difference to me, both physically and emotionally, once it had had time to start working. I'd say month four was the turning point. It confirmed that I needed something controlling rather than just a 'top up' and, despite how it appears on paper, it's very simple to take. I am moving to a conventional pill simply to see if the mid month bleeding and 'blips' stop. If the new pill doesnt work, then I will have no reservations with going back to Qlaira. My only worry is what if it suddenly stops working, as happened with Pixiegirl (see her posts in New Members around Dec 14/Jan 15).
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In the light of recent threads, I do hope I don't sound too evangelical. I appreciate there is a risk taking pills like this and I fully understand why some prefer not to. However, if you're in the situation I was a year ago - 'Qlaira sounds great but I wish I knew more about real people's experiences of it', then I hope this post helps.
B x
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Topic: Qlaira - the new kid on the block? (Read 9527 times)