Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Thomas Collins60 said:All good—being up by 1.3 isn't really anything to sweat if it's over the limit 😬
I’m eating relatively well these days—definitely healthier than I was ten years ago—but back then I was only 15, so maybe some of this is just aging and stress catching up to me 🤷
I'm actually trying out some herbal supplements now to get those numbers down

Basically, here’s the deal... when my mom was in college, that threshold used to be higher, but they lowered it recently for reasons unknown. Honestly, several doctors have hinted to me that it's a bit of a "pharmaceutical tactic," especially for women. It feels like they lower the bar just to sell you cholesterol medication, which can end up wrecking your liver—not to mention the pills themselves can take a toll on your liver, so...
I honestly don't know what the connection is anymore. About two years ago, I was living the ultimate healthy lifestyle—no drinking, no smoking, working out constantly, blah blah blah—and my cholesterol was still sitting right around 6.🤷

Nathan Baker said:Question: On the American market, besides Yaz, are there any other 28-day birth control pills available?

Yaz isn't actually a 28-day pack; it's 24 active days plus 4 placebo days. If you want a true 28-day cycle where you take hormones every single day without a break, Qlaira is the one.

Hey, quick question for you guys.
So, I’ve been seriously considering starting birth control lately because, honestly, condoms are becoming such a massive hassle. I went to see my OB-GYN to talk about it, and he started grilling me—asking if I deal with migraines, thyroid issues, or anything else. Then he asked if anyone in my family has had a stroke. My dad actually passed away from a stroke, so when I told him that, he basically shut the whole idea down. He said that because of that genetic risk, he wouldn't recommend the pill or any kind of hormonal contraception since it can constrict blood vessels in the brain, which just spikes the stroke risk.
I’m pretty shaken up by this, though. Does this mean I’m stuck using condoms for the rest of my life? 😢 Maybe an IUD later on, but only after I've had kids.
I wanted to check if any of you have had an OB-GYN tell you something similar, and if you have any ideas on who else I could go to for a second opinion.

Yeah, my OBGYN actually brought up that exact same thing regarding family history and all those similar genetic issues,
like, has anyone else here dealt with vein problems or anything along those lines?
And then she just sent me off to get blood work done right after.

I honestly don't know what to tell you—I haven't really gone through this myself—so maybe your cousins might have some better insight or something smarter to say.

Though, look, if there’s a genuine risk of bigger complications—and since it sounds like there clearly is for you, especially if your doctor gave you a heads-up—
I think it's definitely better to just suck it up and switch to a different method of birth control
rather than having something serious happen to you, which would obviously be way worse than just dealing with the annoyance of using condoms.

Has anyone else dealt with these kinds of symptoms while on them—or even a few months after finishing—pill brands like Yasmin or NuvaRing: tingling in the arms and legs, blurry vision, eye pain, stuff like that?

Alma, honestly, I don’t know—are you absolutely sure it’s from the pills?
You should definitely talk to your OB-GYN, though—I really don't know what else to tell you, especially if this has been going on for a while now.

I just finished my very first pack and didn't have any side effects at all; I actually handled them really well (Trinovum)...
But then, halfway through the pack, I ended up getting stuck out in the city unexpectedly and didn't have my pills with me,
and since I usually take mine in the evening, I missed one and didn't end up taking it until the next afternoon when I finally got home,
so I just kept going with my regular schedule—exactly how the instructions say to do it.
Well, the very next day my period started, and it just won't stop—today is already day 13... I took all the pills—all 21 of them—and now I'm starting my 7-day break.
I went to see my doctor right when it started because I wasn't sure what was happening or how to handle the next cycle,
but she told me it happened because of that one late dose, and said I should just keep taking them and that there shouldn't be any issues.

So, the only thing bothering me is that this bleeding has lasted 13 days now... and I'm feeling kind of exhausted and weak.
Has this happened to anyone else? Should I be specifically worried about anything?

It isn't heavy; in fact, it's actually lighter than my usual flow, so it doesn't surprise me that it's dragging on this long,
if it were "normal," it would have stopped ages ago, but this is just stretching out forever.
And I should mention, this is my first pack, so I guess I'm still technically adjusting to everything...

Kimberly Ross3 said:Alma, honestly, I don’t know—are you absolutely sure it’s from the pills?
You should definitely talk to your OB-GYN, though—I really don't know what else to tell you, especially if this has been going on for a while now.

I just finished my very first pack and didn't have any side effects at all; I actually handled them really well (Trinovum)...
But then, halfway through the pack, I ended up getting stuck out in the city unexpectedly and didn't have my pills with me,
and since I usually take mine in the evening, I missed one and didn't end up taking it until the next afternoon when I finally got home,
so I just kept going with my regular schedule—exactly how the instructions say to do it.
Well, the very next day my period started, and it just won't stop—today is already day 13... I took all the pills—all 21 of them—and now I'm starting my 7-day break.
I went to see my doctor right when it started because I wasn't sure what was happening or how to handle the next cycle,
but she told me it happened because of that one late dose, and said I should just keep taking them and that there shouldn't be any issues.

So, the only thing bothering me is that this bleeding has lasted 13 days now... and I'm feeling kind of exhausted and weak.
Has this happened to anyone else? Should I be specifically worried about anything?

It isn't heavy; in fact, it's actually lighter than my usual flow, so it doesn't surprise me that it's dragging on this long,
if it were "normal," it would have stopped ages ago, but this is just stretching out forever.
And I should mention, this is my first pack, so I guess I'm still technically adjusting to everything...

Well, the symptoms started and stopped right around when I began using them, so I just made the connection.

briskstag13 said:Well, the symptoms started and stopped right around when I began using them, so I just made the connection.

I honestly wouldn't know. I was on Yasmin for about two years before stopping just last month... I never really experienced any side effects. There was a period where I had some pretty intense headaches, but I didn't link them back to the birth control at the time... Still, anything is possible. Maybe it's worth checking in with a gynecologist? It definitely wouldn't hurt to be safe.

Hey everyone, does anyone know what I should do if I accidentally took two (YAZ) pills in one day to deal with some stomach issues? Does this mean I need to take one less pill later—like 23 days instead of 24—or should I just buy a new pack and take one pink pill from there?

You don't have to worry about it; nothing bad is going to happen because, globally speaking, you’ll just end up finishing your course a day early by skipping one. You'll simply start the next pack a day sooner. If you're really feeling anxious, you could just take three white pills instead of four, which would allow you to kick off the new pink batch even earlier. See what I mean?

Thanks so much for the help! I’m just going to keep sipping these one by one, including those four white ones. 🙂 The instructions have me a bit confused since they say to take the second pill from a backup blister pack. It seems logical that I can just stick to the pink tablets for all 24 days regardless. My protection won't be compromised by doing that, right?

It would only be an issue if you missed a dose right in the middle of the pack; otherwise, you’re totally fine. I switched from Yaz back to Yasmin once, and even when I accidentally skipped a pill at the end of the month, I never ran into any trouble at all.😉

I have a question regarding these electronic prescriptions. Six months ago, I visited a private gynecologist who issued me a prescription valid for a year, but when I went to the pharmacy today, they refused it. They told me the criteria have been tightened and that they are now only valid for six months. She suggested I either go back to my primary care physician or return to the private specialist to get a new one.

I somewhat doubt that my family doctor will issue 🤷, but I am uncertain due to how these e-prescriptions are handled; does anyone happen to know the protocol? Furthermore, has anyone had a similar experience? If I choose to see the specialist again, will I be charged for a full consultation, or will they simply provide a new script? It isn't that I wish to schedule an appointment every six months; once a year is already quite frequent for me. 🙂

So, I usually have to grab a refill every six months, but my check-ups are only every twelve. Last time, I just showed up and they handed me a new script. Now I’m totally lost on how it's gonna work—I even bought my last box based on the old schedule! Lol. Anyway, I'm heading in for my appointment tomorrow to get everything sorted and see what the deal is with my new prescription.

Jeffrey Walker3 said:So, I usually have to grab a refill every six months, but my check-ups are only every twelve. Last time, I just showed up and they handed me a new script. Now I’m totally lost on how it's gonna work—I even bought my last box based on the old schedule! Lol. Anyway, I'm heading in for my appointment tomorrow to get everything sorted and see what the deal is with my new prescription.

If you wouldn't mind, please let us know what kind of prescription you end up receiving. Thank you. 👍

Honestly, mine will probably just be for 6 months since everything stops once we're waiting on the baby 🙂 but I'll let you know if the prescriptions get sent straight to the e-portal...

But whatever, if your prescription is good for 6 months, you don't even need two checkups a year. You just swing by after 6 months, ask them to extend it, and boom—you're done! 🙂

So, I’ve finally started digging through this whole thread from the very beginning, and honestly—I have to admit—I’ve learned so much already! I’m only about halfway through, though, and since I’ve run into a bit of a situation myself (which I haven't found an answer for yet!), I figured I’d just ask:

When I first started taking the pill—after doing all my bloodwork, everything checked out fine, and my doctor at the Mayo Clinic gave me the green light for Trinovum—I actually handled it really well. No side effects at all, aside from some mood swings, but I managed those just fine; it wasn't any worse than my usual PMS.
Then, somewhere in the middle of the pack, I missed a dose—well, I took it late. It was the next day, more than 12 hours behind schedule. Following the instructions, I took it as soon as I got home and then just carried on with my normal evening dose. That caused some bleeding the very next day—basically, my period started. It wasn't painful, and it wasn't any heavier than usual, but the issue is that it’s been going on for 16 days now. I finished my first pack, and now I’m in that 7-day break period, and while the bleeding seems like it might stop soon, I’m just not sure...

There was one day where I had to stay in bed because I felt so weak and wiped out (on top of some personal nonsense I've been dealing with lately), and the bleeding still hasn't let up. It wasn't as heavy as my regular days, just a little lighter, with a couple of days where it felt totally normal... so, nothing extreme or terrifying. I feel okay physically—I had some typical cramps and bloating for a few days, but otherwise, everything is fine.

The elders in my house are absolutely losing their minds over this. They saw me stuck in bed all day and started interrogating me about what happened. Plus, they don't even know I'm on the pill because they’re totally against it—I’m almost 22, after all—so now there is this massive family drama unfolding. My dad is basically trying to force me to go to the doctor because he’s convinced I’m dying or something! I’m trying to explain to him that I’m perfectly fine and that this is just a normal reaction as the body adjusts to starting birth control...

Personally, I have zero desire to go back to the clinic. I’m certain I’m okay, and I really don't want to deal with the hassle of waiting five hours just to see the doctor for a single minute. And I'm not even going to call, because they never pick up the phone anyway; whenever I need something, I have to show up in person. So, I wanted to ask you guys—have any of you dealt with something similar? Am I thinking about this the right way, or is this a normal thing to happen?
Or should I just give in to the tyranny and go see the doctor after all?

One other thing—I’ve seen so many questions in this thread about when to restart the pill after the 7-day break. Like, do you take it on the 7th day or the 8th? After browsing around on a site like http://www.mayoclinic.org, I stumbled upon this explanation regarding that:

I’ve been on Diane 35 since 1999, and the instructions say to take it for 21 days with a 7-day break. I took that literally—meaning, a 7-day break, then start again on the 8th day. But recently, a nurse told me I should actually be starting on the 7th day, so now I’m super confused. What is the correct way, and if she’s right, what are the actual consequences?

>> There are different schools of thought on when to start a new pack of contraceptives. Some say you start the new pack on the 7th day of the break, while others say the 8th. The "German school" recommendation is to start the new pack on the 7th day. This minimizes the chance of a follicle from a "dormant" ovary waking up and growing, which could lead to ovulation despite being on the pill. This logic follows how a natural cycle works: the day menstruation starts is both the last day of the previous cycle and the first day of the new one. Thus, the 7th day of the break acts as the 1st day of the new cycle.

So, how do you all usually do it? Day 7 or Day 8?
I took my last pill on Friday, and now I can't decide if I should take the next one on Friday or Saturday. I usually take them at night, around 10 PM, and it might be better to take the first one on Friday, since I'll be spending the weekend with my significant other starting Saturday afternoon... just so I can be as safe as possible.

P.S.—thanks so much for everything, and please excuse the messy way I've put this post together.

I always take mine on day 8, so I get a full 7-day break. Pretty sure the instructions say you gotta start the first pill on the same day of the week every single time too...

I'm on the 8-day cycle too—honestly, everyone I know seems to be doing the same thing
My last pill will be this Thursday, and then I'll start the next pack on Friday
So, that means my break days are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Makes total sense to me! It’s just a standard 28-day cycle, right? 🤷 Like, 21 days on the pill and then a 7-day break before you start all over again.

I’m totally with you guys on this—because if you take a seven-day break, that basically means seven days without any pills, so you’d start back up on day eight, right? It just makes sense to me.

On another note—and I don't know if anyone else here has dealt with this—but regarding my issues with bleeding, has anyone actually had experience with that?