Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

swiftbear86 said:A pregnancy test isn't going to tell you much right now. Even if you were pregnant—which, let’s be real, is unlikely—those tests look for a specific hormone produced by the placenta. It usually takes about two weeks into a pregnancy before there’s enough of that hormone floating around in your urine for a test to actually pick up on it.
Since it's a bit fuzzy where you are in your cycle, there's another factor to consider. If you were in your ovulation phase about two weeks after taking the abortion pill, even if conception happened, the fertilized egg wouldn't be able to implant in the uterus. The medication you took changes the uterine lining, making it pretty much an inhospitable environment for implantation to take place.
If I were you, and just speaking totally candidly, I’d strongly recommend that you just ABSTAIN from anything until you get your period.😁

Are you sure it's impossible to get pregnant? Of course I'm going to use extra protection, or just not have sex at all... I really don't want to go through this all over again, and honestly, I'm just so terrified because of everything I've dealt with lately... and it feels a little irresponsible of my gynecologist not to mention that they don't work immediately, or at least advise using backup protection during the window when I might be having sex...

Once you start taking oral contraceptives consistently and correctly, the chance of pregnancy is virtually zero, and no one can predict how this current situation will play out. Just hope for the best, but make sure you use extra protection until you're properly started on the pill as intended.

Can you actually pick up birth control pills without a prescription? Or is it just certain brands? Or what's the deal??

I always have a valid prescription...but I’m miles away from getting my hands on some stupid piece of paper right now. To make matters worse, the pharmacy won't let me get Yasmin—even though I have two empty boxes right here 😉 to prove I use them. I tried explaining the situation—you know, that I can't physically get to the doctor to grab the script, so I suggested they just call my nephew instead
—but they wouldn't budge.
I've also been thinking about switching brands altogether. If I do decide to switch pills, is there supposed to be a break in between? And does it actually matter which ones I move to next...? For instance, would something like Logest be an option?

Typically, you can't pick these up without a prescription.

If you’re thinking about switching brands, you have two options. You could take a seven-day break before starting the new ones, though you'd definitely need to use extra protection during that first month. Alternatively, you could skip the break entirely and start the new pack immediately after finishing the current one. That way, you're protected right away, but just keep in mind that you might miss your period.

Sorry if this sounds like a silly question... but I'm thinking about starting birth control, and I was wondering—do I need to see a gynecologist first to get blood work done, or can I just go in for a consultation and have them recommend something?

Laura Mendoza said:Once you start taking oral contraceptives consistently and correctly, the chance of pregnancy is virtually zero, and no one can predict how this current situation will play out. Just hope for the best, but make sure you use extra protection until you're properly started on the pill as intended.

Thank you... I just really hope I haven't. I did have an abortion previously and I took two pills before that, plus there was one time we didn't use a condom...

Morgan Cruz6 said:Sorry if this sounds like a silly question... but I'm thinking about starting birth control, and I was wondering—do I need to see a gynecologist first to get blood work done, or can I just go in for a consultation and have them recommend something?

It’s definitely better to get your blood work done first. Once you have those results, you can consult with your doctor to figure out which pill is actually the best fit for you.

copperranger4 said:Thank you... I just really hope I haven't. I did have an abortion previously and I took two pills before that, plus there was one time we didn't use a condom...

You're very welcome. 😉

Morgan Cruz6 said:Sorry if this sounds like a silly question... but I'm thinking about starting birth control, and I was wondering—do I need to see a gynecologist first to get blood work done, or can I just go in for a consultation and have them recommend something?

You definitely have to. My doctor sent me for a full blood panel plus three other tests, like checking for blood clots and stuff.

Probably just some enzyme levels—that’s what they sent me over for. 🙂

How often should I be getting my blood work checked if I'm on the pill? I've been taking them for 6 months now... honestly, I haven't had a single issue—actually, some things have even improved—but I'm not looking to play games with my health.

silentwolf53 said:Probably just some enzyme levels—that’s what they sent me over for. 🙂

How often should I be getting my blood work checked if I'm on the pill? I've been taking them for 6 months now... honestly, I haven't had a single issue—actually, some things have even improved—but I'm not looking to play games with my health.

She told me once that doing it annually is good just to be safe.

By the way, quick question. I wasn't sure if this belongs here or under the Menstruation thread.
Basically, I'm on my first pack and I've been bleeding for 13 days straight. Usually, it lasts about 10 days, but now it’s been 13 and the flow hasn't let up at all. If it were lighter, I wouldn't mind as much, but it's staying just as heavy every single day.
My mom said she doesn't know why this is happening, maybe it's just until everything stabilizes.
What I really want to know is: if this keeps going, I still have 8 pills left in this pack. Even if it stops today, once I hit that seven-day break, am I going to bleed again?

Has anyone else dealt with headaches while on this? I just finished my first box, and after three days off, these brutal headaches kicked in. They've been dragging on for two weeks now. Honestly, I can't tell if it's the medication or just my sinus issues acting up again.😢

Did you deal with these kinds of headaches before you even started the pills, maybe due to sinus issues? Or perhaps there's something going on with your neck? If it's one of those, then we're looking at sinuses or cervical issues... Now, if this is actually being caused by the birth control, that’s a significant side effect, and in that scenario, a gynecologist would likely advise you to stop taking them altogether. In the meantime, you might want to try checking your blood pressure. High blood pressure can trigger headaches, and honestly, if your readings are high, you shouldn't be on those pills anyway.

Then again, once you take a break from them, you'll finally see whether the pills were the culprit or not. I suppose if you can manage to hold out for just another week... though, it's entirely possible the timing just coincides with your sinuses clearing up, making the headaches vanish, only for them to return once you start the next blister pack.

Look, we aren't doctors—obviously—but if these headaches are becoming more intense or frequent than they used to be, that is generally considered a contraindication for the medication.

@ Nathan Collins2 honestly it’s totally fine, I mean, it’s just how things go, especially during those first few months

It was hurting me, but not for long before I started the medication, so I can't really tell if the pain is from the issue itself or a side effect of the pills. I have eight tablets left, and I’m thinking about stopping them to see if things actually improve. If this is just a side effect, how long does it take for the medication to fully leave my system?

Rebecca Mendoza53 said:It was hurting me, but not for long before I started the medication, so I can't really tell if the pain is from the issue itself or a side effect of the pills. I have eight tablets left, and I’m thinking about stopping them to see if things actually improve. If this is just a side effect, how long does it take for the medication to fully leave my system?

Honestly, the smartest move would be to just give your gynecologist a call. Usually, they say you shouldn't be getting headaches during the break week. Now, since you haven't had them until now—well, clearly not on day one, because your body hasn't quite realized yet that you aren't going to follow through with the dose. Anyway, if you quit right now, you'll probably bleed in a few days, almost like you finished the whole pack, just so you aren't caught off guard. I don't think anything catastrophic will happen if you stop, it’ll just mean your period comes earlier and will likely be lighter, so you might want to reset your calendar from that day onward.

EDIT: Wait, hold on, I just realized that your headache actually started DURING the break and then persisted through the time you were taking the pills. Based on that, it might not even be the hormones... you should really call your doctor and ask. To be honest, I’m surprised you waited this long to mention it. I’ve actually read about the opposite happening online too—where women only get headaches during the break, and in those cases, doctors recommend shortening the break instead.

But a severe headache is definitely a serious contraindication; that’s what I was told, at least. Personally, I’m not a fan of birth control because of stuff like that (and because my blood pressure tends to spike occasionally).

I’m on the pill, and I had sex last night. Since I’m heading to the beach in ten days, my period should show up in about a week. I was thinking about skipping the last two pills just to nudge my period forward by a day or two.
Will skipping those last two pills affect my chances of getting pregnant, or am I still safe?

I knew how to handle this, but you absolutely have to shorten the break. Basically, if you take two fewer pills, you need to drop the gap down to 5 days instead of 7.

Hey everyone!
I could really use some advice from you guys. So, I’m 18 and I’ve started sleeping with my boyfriend—we’ve been using condoms, obviously, but I can’t help feeling super anxious about them breaking or whatever. Since I already need to head to the gynecologist anyway (it's actually my first time ever going), I was thinking about asking her to recommend some birth control pills. It feels like killing two birds with one stone, honestly, because my cycles are a total mess—they’re irregular, painful, super uncomfortable, and the mood swings are just brutal. Since I’m planning on seeing a private doctor, does anyone know roughly how much an appointment and everything else might run me? And what's the monthly cost for the pills themselves? Just trying to get a ballpark idea so I know how much cash to set aside... Oh, and also—do you think the pill would actually help with those other issues? Thanks!

I ran into the exact same issue—someone suggested those Yaz pills to me, which run about $33 here in the States. If you have a buddy who can pick them up for you in Europe, they’re maybe just over 9 euros, not even $23 much. They have the lowest hormone concentration, so they’re basically made for younger girls just starting out and all that...

And like you said, the pill is basically killing two birds with one stone. Everything you listed actually cleared up for me—my skin was acting up, and that totally resolved itself. Plus, yeah, there’s a chance your breasts might go up half a cup size. 😁 Birth control works fine as long as you stay consistent; there’s really no reason to freak out or worry about things going wrong if you just follow the instructions.

Prices... hmm. It really depends on which doctor you see. Best bet is to just call ahead and ask how the exam works—what they’ll actually do (getting blood work and a Pap smear would be smart) and ask for a rough estimate on the cost.
🙂

Hey ladies!

Quick question for you all:

I’ve been on Trinovum for about 7 months now—everything has been totally fine, honestly, zero side effects so far,
and the stuff that used to drive me crazy before I started (like my irregular and super painful periods) has finally leveled out and stabilized.

But, well, life happens—I came down with a nasty case of strep throat recently. I saw my doctor today and she prescribed some antibiotics—Silapen 1500,
which I’ll be taking for the next 10 days. I actually showed her my prescription for the birth control pills and asked if taking
the antibiotics would mess with the pill's effectiveness (or vice versa)—and she told me it was absolutely no problem,
basically saying I could take both without worrying about them interfering with each other.

However—and this is where I got a bit anxious—I was reading through the medication info leaflet for the antibiotic later, and it mentioned that they can reduce the efficacy of oral contraceptives.
The thing is, I couldn't find anything clarifying whether that applies to my entire cycle, just during those 10 days of treatment, or if there's some longer-term window I need to worry about...

Does anyone here know for sure how this works, or what you would recommend I do? 🙂

Thanks so much!