Since then I've also had a couple of migraines with aura which mean I'm not
advised to use them anyway.

I wasn't aware of that link, which makes it a no go for me, I'm actually
in my longest phase without having had a migraine with aura and we're at
about 8 weeks! Thankfully they are mostly on the very mild side and
short, but they have been frequent. Though I also had one 10 weeks ago
that was so bad my doctor had me get a CT scan as it was so intense
compared to previous experience she needed to know if something else was
causing it, I felt rough after that for a while, but have had nothing
since. I've now got some of the tablets you take as soon as you feel one
coming on - my neurologist is superstitious and reckons a significant
number of people don't get them once they have the drug in the house!

Someone I know had one of the brands that you were meant to be able to run
them together and she had no problems with running 2 months together, but
when she ran 4 packets together she started having random breakthrugh
bleeding. She stopped the pill fairly shortly after that and I think it took
pretty much a year for her cycles to get back to their normal regularity.
I seem to be having problems since my cycle returned after #3 in having 24
hours of flu-like symptoms round ovulation time, followed by about the same
length of ovulation pain.
I don't know where you get good advice on natural remedies. Probably finding
something that works for others is best to try, but it's not really
regulated, so you might find a really good site/shop with advice or it could
be rubbish, as I've certainly found on so-called medical sites apparenly run
by qualified doctors.

You're right, but I've no idea what even is supposed to be a good think
to try, I did pick some kind of blend up from the drugstore yesterday
and I think it is helping the bloating. I have a recollection that
evening primrose oil is good for something to do with hormones, but I
think it might be called something else here, or out of fashion or
something, in the UK in any pharmacy however small the section of
alternative remedies was you'd easily find the yellow pot of EPO, but I
saw nothing that I could determine was equivalent.

Cheers
Anne