Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Kate Baker5 said:They only run blood tests to check if your clotting factors are functioning normally.
From what I understand, they aren't even checking hormone levels; it's strictly about making sure you aren't at risk for blood clots (thrombosis).
Modern pills use such low doses of hormones that you probably won't gain actual weight, but since they can cause water retention—you’ll likely deal with some cellulite.🤷

Well, whatever. I've already got cellulite because I dropped weight super fast two years ago LOL 😁 So it's really no big deal then!!🙂

So, I’m 17 years old and dealing with some thyroid issues, which led my gynecologist to put me on Diane 35, and I ended up taking those for about a year... and wow, I gained like 21 pounds, and my chest size jumped up three whole sizes... my skin actually cleared up a bit, but the acne is still hanging around... anyway, I was at the doctor's office the other day and she prescribed Nevynette instead, and after reading all the stuff here on the forum and looking through the official instructions and side effects, I’m feeling really uneasy about it... because some people say they work wonders while others swear they're terrible... and honestly, your input means everything to me right now because I’m just so lost on whether I should actually start these pills or if I should just skip them, please, I really need some guidance... because I'm technically supposed to start the first dose tomorrow butooooooooo...

Look, your gynecologist definitely knows why they put you on those and why you need them—period. Nobody on this forum is competent enough to tell you whether to take them or skip them. Every pill has potential side effects, obviously, but nobody would prescribe them if they weren't sure they were necessary for your specific situation...

silentwolf53 said:Look, your gynecologist definitely knows why they put you on those and why you need them—period. Nobody on this forum is competent enough to tell you whether to take them or skip them. Every pill has potential side effects, obviously, but nobody would prescribe them if they weren't sure they were necessary for your specific situation...

Facts.☕

If you aren't even using them for birth control, but just as hormone therapy, you might want to rethink the approach. Ask your gynecologist about other options.
No rush—you could easily wait until next month to start drinking them. Honestly, you’re better off doing some serious legwork to scout out all the options first. Though, let's be real: I doubt anyone on this forum is going to offer you any insights that you haven't already managed to overlook.
Honestly, you should probably just head over to the doctor's office today and have a real conversation with her... or at least give her a call.
Good luck.🙂

Samuel Hall33 said:So, I’m 17 years old and dealing with some thyroid issues, which led my gynecologist to put me on Diane 35, and I ended up taking those for about a year... and wow, I gained like 21 pounds, and my chest size jumped up three whole sizes... my skin actually cleared up a bit, but the acne is still hanging around... anyway, I was at the doctor's office the other day and she prescribed Nevynette instead, and after reading all the stuff here on the forum and looking through the official instructions and side effects, I’m feeling really uneasy about it... because some people say they work wonders while others swear they're terrible... and honestly, your input means everything to me right now because I’m just so lost on whether I should actually start these pills or if I should just skip them, please, I really need some guidance... because I'm technically supposed to start the first dose tomorrow butooooooooo...

1. What kind of thyroid condition are we talking about here?
2. Have you had any blood work done for your hormone levels yet?

Forgive me, but I think I’m about to go on a bit of a rant here...

So, I just got back from my gynecologist appointment regarding starting on Qlaira pills... though I’m still not entirely sure if I should actually pull the trigger on this or not.

My doctor ordered some blood work, which came back perfectly fine, and after we talked things through, she recommended this specific pill.
She made it very clear that no medication—not even these—is completely without side effects, and emphasized that the risk of thrombosis, at worst, is always a possibility.
Since I’m a smoker, she told me straight up that I absolutely have to quit, otherwise, I shouldn't be taking them at all.

On the other hand, she warned me about potential side effects during the first three months. She mentioned there might be spotting mid-cycle, missed periods, or slightly heavier menstruation, but that everything should regulate itself within that initial three-month window. However, if things don't settle down, I definitely need to check back in with her.
I asked her about weight gain, and she said it’s possible, though it really varies from person to person. Apparently, these pills are formulated in a way that shouldn't cause significant water retention, which should help prevent issues like bloating or cellulite.
I also brought up vaginal dryness and mood swings... she admitted that dryness is a real and quite common possibility.
Then, I just asked her honestly: now that I know all this craziness, is it actually worth the hassle? As a doctor, she gave the standard answer that every medication carries risks that might affect one person but not another.
But then, speaking purely as a human being, she told me that even if a pill is 97% safe, that's not enough for her to feel comfortable. She said she would definitely never trust the safety of a situation enough to let someone finish inside her.

It makes me look back at when I was young and reckless all those years ago. I used to take Triquilar... we were like rabbits, going all the way, every single time... and I honestly have no idea if I had any side effects because, frankly, I didn't care back then. Just young and wild.🙂

I know I can be a bit of a bore, but after reading the actual pamphlet that came with the pills, I’m just stunned. There are so many potential issues listed.

What if these problems hit me? What if my libido drops, I lose my natural lubrication, or I end up dealing with irritation and itching?

My boyfriend is totally against the idea now that I’ve laid out all these risks. But I can't keep living every month in fear, wondering if the withdrawal method actually worked or not... and condoms aren't an option because he loses his momentum the second he puts one on.😢

Hello, ladies. 😁

I only have one thing on my mind right now, because tomorrow I finally get the prescription for my pills—though I still have no idea which ones they actually are.
I was doing some digging online regarding pills—looking into side effects, potential issues, and various personal experiences—and I just happened to stumble upon this. Article u kojem piše sljedeće:

Yasmin and Jaz are easily the most recognizable fourth-generation contraceptive pills on the market today. What’s particularly interesting is that they actually come from the exact same pharmaceutical manufacturer.

I’m feeling pretty down about this. I’ve been talking to several people lately, and the consensus is unanimous: stay far away from Yasmin. Apparently, a lot of women have dealt with massive issues because of them, and some have even lost their lives. If you want to see how bad things really got, you can head over to the 'Yasmin' thread to read about some truly harrowing experiences.

Honestly, the thing that’s bothering me most right now is the fact that Yaz and Yasmin are actually produced by the exact same company. 😕
I'm not entirely sure, but there's a high chance my gynecologist is going to put me on Yaz. What exactly is the difference between Yaz and Yasmina?
It seems to me that the discussion regarding Yaz pills on this forum has been stretched out quite extensively, whereas some other topics only manage to span a few pages. 😬
Does that mean these are somehow "better" than the others, or what...? 😕

You're welcome!

When my OB-GYN prescribed them back in December 2010—so, nearly a year ago now—she told me they were basically the latest, most expensive, top-tier option for young women just starting OHCs because of the low hormone dosage. Compared to other pills, they have way fewer hormones but work just as well... without all that extra junk like water retention, cellulite, weight gain, excess hair, vaginal dryness, etc. Anyway, I’m on my 11th or maybe 12th pack by now—not counting exactly—and honestly, I have zero complaints. The first month was rough, felt like being in a constant state of PMS, but once I adjusted, my cycles became almost perfectly timed. Occasionally they run a few hours late due to stress or some heavy-duty antibiotics, but I always hit that third day of the break right when I need to take the third placebo pill.

I actually asked her what the deal was with Yasmin versus Yaz. She wasn't 100% sure, but she figured Yaz was developed from Yasmin specifically by stripping out the components that caused those nasty side effects.

I don't know if that info is still current, but based on my experience—and looking at my 45-year-old mom and my friends who are 17 and 21—those pills are solid.

Btw, since I'm already rambling, does anyone know which ones are covered by Blue Cross? Yaz isn't cheap, so I've been picking it up in Canada through my aunt who works there. Since I'm living at my dorm at college 62 miles and don't head home that often, it's becoming a bit of a hassle, so I'm thinking about switching. I remember reading somewhere that some 4th generation options are actually on the insurance formulary...

Steven Miller56 said:Hello, ladies. 😁

I only have one thing on my mind right now, because tomorrow I finally get the prescription for my pills—though I still have no idea which ones they actually are.
I was doing some digging online regarding pills—looking into side effects, potential issues, and various personal experiences—and I just happened to stumble upon this. Article u kojem piše sljedeće:

Yasmin and Jaz are easily the most recognizable fourth-generation contraceptive pills on the market today. What’s particularly interesting is that they actually come from the exact same pharmaceutical manufacturer.

I’m feeling pretty down about this. I’ve been talking to several people lately, and the consensus is unanimous: stay far away from Yasmin. Apparently, a lot of women have dealt with massive issues because of them, and some have even lost their lives. If you want to see how bad things really got, you can head over to the 'Yasmin' thread to read about some truly harrowing experiences.

Honestly, the thing that’s bothering me most right now is the fact that Yaz and Yasmin are actually produced by the exact same company. 😕
I'm not entirely sure, but there's a high chance my gynecologist is going to put me on Yaz. What exactly is the difference between Yaz and Yasmina?
It seems to me that the discussion regarding Yaz pills on this forum has been stretched out quite extensively, whereas some other topics only manage to span a few pages. 😬
Does that mean these are somehow "better" than the others, or what...? 😕

You're welcome!

Yaz has 0.02mg of the active ingredient.
Yasmin has 0.03mg.

So, I finally picked up Novynette 🙂
From everything I’ve read on here, they seem to be the gold standard 👋
Anyway... now I'm just wondering... how soon do these pills actually start working 😬?

And just so we're clear, I'm on a 21/7 schedule.
Meaning, if I take my last pill on Sunday night (let's say November 9th) , then that's when my break starts. So, would I take the first pill from the next pack on Monday, November 17th? After seven full days off?
Or am I supposed to take it on the seventh day of the break, November 16th, in the evening? 🤔
I really don't want to screw this up, so please excuse the dumb questions 😬

It’s way easier if you just remember—your first pill is always on day one. Don't even bother counting when you took the last one, it just makes things harder 😬

So basically, if you get your period on Monday and take that first pill, your first dose is always on Monday 😁

Jeffrey Walker3 said:It’s way easier if you just remember—your first pill is always on day one. Don't even bother counting when you took the last one, it just makes things harder 😬

So basically, if you get your period on Monday and take that first pill, your first dose is always on Monday 😁

Wait, hold on, what happens if my period shows up after a three-day break?
I assume I shouldn't just jump straight back into them, right?
Because the instructions specifically say to wait seven days, and 🤔

When you first start taking the pills, you just take that very first dose on the day your period actually starts.
After that, you always take the first pill of a new pack on that same specific day—it doesn't matter when your period actually shows up.

For me, the first pill is always on a Friday, and the last one is always on a Thursday.
So, my period usually hits sometime between Sunday and Monday—right in that gap between the Friday and the Thursday, you know?

Honestly, it’s pretty straightforward.🙂
If you start on a Monday, just keep going... once you finish the whole pack, you just wait seven days until the next Monday rolls around and start again.🙂

Hey everyone, starting a new thread because I’m honestly losing my mind right now and just need some quick input—feel free to move this to the general pill discussion if it fits better there 🙂

So, here’s the deal: I got my prescription for Yasmin back in August and I've been on them since. I currently have about 7 pills left in my current cycle. Today was a complete disaster—total chaos—and somehow I managed to lose my actual pill pack. I rushed to the pharmacy and explained that I lost it and needed a replacement. I showed my prescription like I always do, but the woman behind the counter basically attacked me! She couldn't believe it—she actually implied I was handing my pills off to someone else instead of taking them myself, just because I bought my last pack three weeks ago. I practically begged her to help because I was already an hour late for my dose, and fine, she eventually gave them to me, but she snatched my prescription and told me I had a whole month to go get a new one anyway. Since I'm not living in my hometown, I don't have a gynecologist nearby to call—I'd have to wait until I go home. Honestly, I'm planning to head back to that pharmacy tomorrow to demand the name and phone number of the lady who took my script, just in case my doctor tries to claim I'm lying 🙄 when I tell her what happened... I'm still in shock at how incredibly rude she was.

First off, I have no idea why I even bothered showing her my prescription instead of just walking out and going to a different pharmacy 😠
Secondly, I don't get why she was lecturing me about when I bought my last pack. If my prescription is valid for a year, does it really matter if I buy two packs at once in the same month, or if I grab them whenever I happen to be near a drugstore, or exactly on the day I need them?

Has anyone else dealt with super awkward or nasty experiences at pharmacies regarding prescriptions for birth control?

So Lilit explained 🙂

For me, it was always first on Wednesday, last on Tuesday, and then my period would show up on Saturday.

And honestly, it doesn't even matter if you're still going through it when you start a new pack. Just check the calendar and call it a day!

Personally, I would have marched right back into that pharmacy, woman... I’d have gone strictly by the book and demanded to speak with her supervisor immediately. Then, I would have told that manager, quite bluntly, exactly what happened with the pill box—specifically how that woman had the audacity to attack me while I was simply doing my job distributing the medication.

Essentially, I would have made a massive scene. But honestly, I would have confronted her on the spot. Regardless, she has absolutely no grounds to tell you anything about using a prescription that is valid for a full year and nowhere near its expiration date.

Switching from NuvaRing to Sprintec. In the manual—and I think 😵 mentioned this too, if I recall correctly—it says when transitioning from other brands, you start the Sprintec immediately after the last active pill from the previous pack. So, if I was on a 21-day cycle followed by a 7-day break, I’m supposed to jump straight onto the Sprintec once that 21st day hits. I don't get the logic behind that. Does that mean my period won't show up since I'm essentially merging two cycles without that usual break where the bleeding happens? Or am I just looking at some random breakthrough bleeding... 🤷

Hey everyone! I’ve got some questions regarding Diane too. I only took them for two months straight during the summer (while I was on vacation), so I didn't get my period while I was at the beach. That would have been in August—so I skipped August entirely. Well, once I stopped taking them, I got my period on September 4th. It lasted a normal amount of time, then my next one came on September 26th and lasted about 8 or 9 days. That seemed fine enough, but just when it finally finished and I thought everything was back to normal, it hit me again on October 12th, and it's still going. Does this actually make sense? I see everyone else saying their cycles are delayed, but mine is coming way too frequent. And all this after only taking the pills for two months. Please, I really need some kind of answer. Has anyone else gone through something similar? Thanks so much in advance.

hey 👋
first things first, I’m totally new to this forum🙂

so, I have been scrolling through an absolute mountain of posts about all these different pills and everything else
and from what I can tell, Novynette seems pretty new on the scene, which explains why not many people here are talking about it.
most of you guys seem to be on Yaz, Yasmin, or Diane-35.
but, I was wondering if anyone who’s actually been on Novynette for a few months, or even longer, could weigh in with their actual experience?
I just started my very first pack, so I'm trying to figure out what I'm getting into. 🙄
Honestly, I'm low-key freaking out about the whole water retention thing, weight gain, and all that stuff.😢

So, I took Yaz for about four months and was actually pretty happy with it. I didn't deal with any real side effects until the third month, and even then, it was mostly psychological stuff... just these sudden mood swings where I'd go from laughing to crying in a heartbeat. A total coma. But honestly, my skin cleared up completely and I lost some weight, too. That was definitely the peak period where I felt most comfortable in my own skin. Plus, my chest actually grew, which used to be my biggest insecurity. 😁Of course, they showed up when I started the pills, and they vanished the second I stopped. Ha. ☕

And now there's this new one everyone's talking about... what is it? I've never even heard of it. Novynette? 🤷