Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Raymond Mendoza2 said:My pill break is officially over, but my period is still hanging on—and honestly, it feels like it’s not going to quit anytime soon. 😕 I’ve only been on the pill for about three months, and up until now, my flow was surprisingly short and stayed pretty much on schedule. But today, I’m supposed to be starting a brand-new pack, and this bleeding just won't wrap it up. I know that things can get a bit messy with spotting when you first start or stop birth control, but I’m a little worried. Since I was being incredibly "messy" with my timing last month—and by that, I mean I wasn't exactly a model of consistency—is it possible my body somehow "interpreted" a gap in my doses longer than 12 hours 😬 as if I had actually stopped taking the pill altogether? Does that mean I should basically wait until my next cycle starts before I can consider myself protected again?

If you missed a pill by more than 12 hours, you should have treated it as a missed dose and followed the instructions based on when it happened. You should know this, regardless of being on them for only three months. If you're too embarrassed to ask a gynecologist, just read the manual.
Use backup protection for the next pack. You admitted you were inconsistent last month, so you likely missed more than you realize.
Yes, irregular usage can definitely cause prolonged bleeding.
Set an alarm and take them at the same time every day. Pick a time when you're usually home. Or just switch to another form of birth control so you aren't panicking later.

I really need some help here. I’m on Novynette birth control. I took my usual pill at 11:00 AM today, but then an hour later, I got hit with diarrhea. It settled down after a few hours, so I followed the instructions and took another one. But then—get this—an hour after that, the diarrhea hit again! Now I’m totally stuck. Should I even take a third one tonight? To make things worse, I did have sex earlier today and I'm freaking out that the protection might be compromised. Plus, I'm already technically two pills behind because I accidentally doubled up last week. The second bout of diarrhea was pretty mild, though. Honestly, the whole thing is stressing me out because I'm short on pills now, and the manual doesn't say anything about what to do. I read online that you can just shorten your cycle, but I don't know. If I take another one today, I'd finish the pack on Sunday, and I can't see my OB-GYN until Monday. What should I do?

Need some advice! 😍

For the first time in five years, I accidentally took two Cilest pills today... 🙄
I think it was one this morning (I can't quite remember) and another just now... I only realized my mistake when I saw the "PON" printed on tomorrow's pill 😁

What should I expect?

Since the Triquilar thread went off the rails and this one’s getting more traction, I’ll drop an update here for the ladies in the Midwest. This is news to me, at least. 🙄

Triquilar got more expensive. It’s sitting at 9.6 miles now. 😳

I picked up a pack at the old price last month. Now I regret not grabbing a few more. You might still find the old price at some independent pharmacies.

I’m wondering if any of you have ever combined two boxes without taking a break? I’m hoping to get some time off mid-year, so my plan to move them up a few days shouldn't be an issue. If anyone has actually done this, what were the consequences? Thanks. 🙂

What are your thoughts on sixteen-year-old girls taking birth control pills?

Hello,
I usually take Yaz quite consistently, but I missed a pill during my third week and ended up taking it about 14 hours late. I went right back to my regular schedule the next day. I'm wondering what your experiences have been with this... Has anyone actually gone to see their OB-GYN for advice on whether I'm still properly protected?
Thanks

Hey everyone! So, I'm 16 and have been with my boyfriend for about a year now. We've been intimate, and after one time we didn't use protection, I had to take the morning-after pill. My gynecologist sent me for some hormone testing because she wants to get me started on birth control so this doesn't happen by accident again. She mentioned she’ll probably prescribe Yaz since it has the lowest hormone levels. Has anyone here actually used those before??
Also, I haven't gone in for my blood work or liver function tests yet, and I'm a little curious—what exactly is a liver test, and how do they actually do it?

How long am I supposed to use backup protection if I didn't start my birth control on the first day of my period? Thanks...🙂

I have a question:

I've been on birth control—specifically Yaz—since last October. It wasn't actually for contraception; I was using it to manage heavy periods...

Well, yesterday I finished my very last pill in the pack. Technically, I should be starting a new pack today—but I'm currently out of town without a prescription in hand.

I won't be able to start the next round until Sunday. Is that okay? Since Yaz is designed to be taken continuously without a break, should I just wait until Sunday to start the new pack, or am I supposed to wait for my period to finish first before starting from day one?

Thanks for the help.

Richard Fisher14 said:Hello,
I usually take Yaz quite consistently, but I missed a pill during my third week and ended up taking it about 14 hours late. I went right back to my regular schedule the next day. I'm wondering what your experiences have been with this... Has anyone actually gone to see their OB-GYN for advice on whether I'm still properly protected?
Thanks

If I were you, I’d play it safe and use backup protection until the pack is finished.

driftingmaker31 said:Hey everyone! So, I'm 16 and have been with my boyfriend for about a year now. We've been intimate, and after one time we didn't use protection, I had to take the morning-after pill. My gynecologist sent me for some hormone testing because she wants to get me started on birth control so this doesn't happen by accident again. She mentioned she’ll probably prescribe Yaz since it has the lowest hormone levels. Has anyone here actually used those before??
Also, I haven't gone in for my blood work or liver function tests yet, and I'm a little curious—what exactly is a liver test, and how do they actually do it?

It's just standard blood work, nothing else.

redcyclist99 said:How long am I supposed to use backup protection if I didn't start my birth control on the first day of my period? Thanks...🙂

It depends on the specific pill. For some, a week is enough, but honestly, it's probably smarter to use extra protection for the entire first pack.

electricpuma65 said:I have a question:

I've been on birth control—specifically Yaz—since last October. It wasn't actually for contraception; I was using it to manage heavy periods...

Well, yesterday I finished my very last pill in the pack. Technically, I should be starting a new pack today—but I'm currently out of town without a prescription in hand.

I won't be able to start the next round until Sunday. Is that okay? Since Yaz is designed to be taken continuously without a break, should I just wait until Sunday to start the new pack, or am I supposed to wait for my period to finish first before starting from day one?

Thanks for the help.

Are you done with the pink pills or did you go all out with everything? You can push through on Sunday, but make sure you take extra precautions then. You’ll likely end up having to deal with Sunday and Monday anyway, so it ends up being the same thing.

So, basically anyone:

Laura Mendoza said:I’m wondering if any of you have ever combined two boxes without taking a break? I’m hoping to get some time off mid-year, so my plan to move them up a few days shouldn't be an issue. If anyone has actually done this, what were the consequences? Thanks. 🙂

😁

I’ve been taking Duphaston—well, just those 20 pills to finally trigger my period—twice a day, ten milligrams each.
It’s been two days since my period started and I also began taking the pill. (Around 10 PM last Sunday)
So, when am I actually protected? Does it start tomorrow?😍 Or should I be waiting a bit longer?😢

Thanks so much! 🙂))

Laura Mendoza said:If I were you, I’d play it safe and use backup protection until the pack is finished.

It's just standard blood work, nothing else.

It depends on the specific pill. For some, a week is enough, but honestly, it's probably smarter to use extra protection for the entire first pack.

Are you done with the pink pills or did you go all out with everything? You can push through on Sunday, but make sure you take extra precautions then. You’ll likely end up having to deal with Sunday and Monday anyway, so it ends up being the same thing.

So, basically anyone:

😁

Finished with all of them.

Thanks for the reply

Laura Mendoza said:If I were you, I’d play it safe and use backup protection until the pack is finished.

It's just standard blood work, nothing else.

It depends on the specific pill. For some, a week is enough, but honestly, it's probably smarter to use extra protection for the entire first pack.

Are you done with the pink pills or did you go all out with everything? You can push through on Sunday, but make sure you take extra precautions then. You’ll likely end up having to deal with Sunday and Monday anyway, so it ends up being the same thing.

So, basically anyone:

😁

One year, I downed two whole boxes—42 days straight—just because of summer vacation. We're talking Diane-35.
I tried stretching out my cycle, but man, the side effects were brutal. The PMS was off the charts, constant bloating, my breasts felt massive and painful, and I was just constantly pissed off at everything.😁

Now, I don't push it past a week or two. I’d much rather just add one extra week every few months. I'm not going through that mess ever again.🤣

Hmm, alright, that’s pretty rough. Thanks for getting back to me. I think I’ll just extend my vacation by a few days and wait until I’m back home to deal with them—what else can you do? 🤷
So, how many days does it actually take for them to show up if, say, you extend things by a week? Does it happen right after you stop taking them, or is there still a gap of a few days?

Laura Mendoza said:Hmm, alright, that’s pretty rough. Thanks for getting back to me. I think I’ll just extend my vacation by a few days and wait until I’m back home to deal with them—what else can you do? 🤷
So, how many days does it actually take for them to show up if, say, you extend things by a week? Does it happen right after you stop taking them, or is there still a gap of a few days?

It’s the same as when I drink 21. It hits about 3 or 4 days after the last one.

I've been on the pill for almost a year now, and over the last four days, I’ve started having breakthrough bleeding... just a few brown drops here and there. I didn't have anything like this when I first started. I have seven pills left in my pack. I haven't missed a single dose. Now I'm just waiting for my appointment at the clinic. We had sex about 15 days ago, so is it possible something went wrong? Does it even make sense to panic?...😕

Jeremy Kern said:It’s the same as when I drink 21. It hits about 3 or 4 days after the last one.

Alright, I think I'll go with that plan; it seems like the smartest move. I actually shifted my schedule this month hoping to trigger them earlier, but no luck there.

Rachel Fisher4 said:I've been on the pill for almost a year now, and over the last four days, I’ve started having breakthrough bleeding... just a few brown drops here and there. I didn't have anything like this when I first started. I have seven pills left in my pack. I haven't missed a single dose. Now I'm just waiting for my appointment at the clinic. We had sex about 15 days ago, so is it possible something went wrong? Does it even make sense to panic?...😕

If this is the first time it's happened and it doesn't become a pattern, there really isn't a reason to panic. It happened to me once out of nowhere and never again. Honestly, I have no idea what caused it. At the time, I had already been on the pill for quite a while, maybe even over a year.

Laura Mendoza said:I’m wondering if any of you have ever combined two boxes without taking a break? I’m hoping to get some time off mid-year, so my plan to move them up a few days shouldn't be an issue. If anyone has actually done this, what were the consequences? Thanks. 🙂

I did that last year. Despite trying to cheat the system, my period still showed up just a couple of days later than usual.😢

My gynecologist told me my natural hormones were simply too strong and forced the cycle along. Following her advice, I stopped taking the pack after about ten pills, took a seven-day break, bled heavily—I practically couldn't leave the house—and then started a new pack once the break was over.

Based on my own experience, I wouldn't recommend it. That said, I know plenty of women who have done exactly this without any issues at all.🤷

Personally, I’m never doing that again.