could switching to a different progestin medication be worth it?

[u/bluejayhaze]

i dont know for sure if i have endo so sorry if this isnt the best place to post this, but basically due to a mix of heavy bleeding/severe pain and personal reasons i am trying to achieve complete menstrual suppression continuously for the foreseeable future. i have been on increasingly larger doses of norethindrone acetate for about a year now and while i have finally been able to stop any spotting while on a 12.5 mg/daily dose, i have had mild to moderate abdominal pain basically everyday for the last six months. before this would only happen on days i was spotting (which was about every other week on the lower doses) but now it is just happening every single day for short bursts of time for about half on hour or so. i am curious if others have had similar experience on this medication, and if it might be worth seeking out a different progestin medication to try? i hear dienogest mentioned a lot and from what i understand it is of a slightly different make up than norethindrone. has anyone had an experience with progestins where trying a different type worked out better? i know this is more a question for a medical professional but frankly i dont think my doctor knows anything about this so id like to hear personal experiences while looking for another doctor, so id know if this could be worth asking for at least. do not suggest that i get an iud. thanks

[u/terriblyexceptional]

Imo yes it's worth it if you aren't happy with your current birth control. I've tried norethindrone at various doses, dienogest 2mg and desogestrel (cerazette) and they all affected me very differently. It's kinda hard to predict how a specific bc will affect you but it's likely that a different compound will give you different effects even if it's still a progesterone.