Posts by mellowcobra82

Donna Parker4 said:

Hey there! Just popping in to say hello. Hope everyone’s having a fantastic day so far! It’s feeling like one of those perfect, breezy afternoons, you know? Like when you finally get that one tricky puzzle piece to fit after staring at it for an hour. Total win. Anyway, just sending some good vibes your way! Catch you later! kaže:
I don't actually take Novynette, to be honest. I had some last year, so I can't exactly look at the instructions for you. I have no clue what kind of manual you're staring at right now, but here—I just copied what I found online from the official directions...

How do you even get started with Novynette?

If you start taking your birth control pills straight from the first day of your period, you’re pretty much good to go. You won't even need to worry about using extra backup methods like condoms or anything else right away. It’s like starting a new job on a Monday—you just jump right in and get moving!

If you’ve already started your period—say, like two, three, or four days ago—you should wait until the fifth day of your cycle to actually start taking the pills. Just a heads-up though: if you go that route, you’ll need to use some extra backup protection for those first seven days while the hormones get up to speed. It’s kind of like waiting for a car engine to warm up before you hit the highway; you wouldn't want to rush it and risk a breakdown!

If you’re already five days past the start of your period, just hold off. It's better to wait until your next cycle kicks in before you actually start taking Novynette.

I really hope you didn't end up pregnant. 🤷

Oh man, did I totally miss that? Shoot... I really hope it’s nothing serious. 😢

Look, it’ll probably be fine! 😉 Next time, study the instructions from cover to cover—read them three times if you have to. I’ve been on the pill for 13 years and I still crack open the manual whenever things get weird, like when I’m on antibiotics or notice some strange discharge. Fingers crossed your next cycle stays on schedule. Good luck! 👋

Donna Parker4 said:Nope, I haven't switched. These are my first ones... that's just what the doctor told me, and I followed orders, so there I go. :S
Plus, they didn't warn me about any of this, and I couldn't find anything in the pamphlet either. I just stumbled upon an article online and realized what might be happening.
We've had sex a few times without protection since I started taking them, though he hasn't finished inside me. Man, I really hope I'm not pregnant...

I don't take Novynette—I used them last year—so I can't check my own box. I have no idea what kind of instructions you're looking at, but here is what I found online regarding the directions...

How to start taking Novynette

When starting the first pack, it's best to begin on the very first day of your period. If you do that, you don't need any extra backup protection.

If your period has already started (say, 2, 3, or 4 days ago), you should wait until the 5th day of your cycle to start the pills. In that case, you MUST use additional contraceptive methods for the first 7 days of taking the pills.

If it has been more than 5 days since your period started, you shouldn't start the pills yet; you should wait until your next period begins.

I hope you aren't pregnant. 🤷

Donna Parker4 said:I’ve been taking Novynette. I started them exactly a week ago, specifically on day 5 of my cycle, just like my doctor told me to. I'm wondering—am I actually protected from pregnancy even though I started on day 5 instead of day 1?

Are you switching brands or is this your first pack? It makes zero sense why your doctor told you to wait until day five. 🤔 If these are your very first pills, you aren't fully protected yet. That's what almost every instruction manual says...

Steven Miller56 said:Wait. How does a period know what day of the week it is?
😕 😬
I don't get it—why can't I just take the Monday pill if my period shows up on Thursday? What's the actual difference?

And yeah, let's say I do it the way you suggested; what happens to the pills I skipped? Do I just take them once I finish the last one in the pack?

I'm not following you at all! Listen, I was talking specifically about Novynette. Every pill in that pack is identical; they all have the exact same hormone dose. If you aren't already on them, you start the first day of your period. Think of it like this: imagine the blister pack is just a continuous circle with no real beginning or end. You have 21 pills—Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday—and then you just loop through that three times. If your period hits on a Thursday, you just grab the pill marked "Thursday" and keep going until the pack is empty. You'll finish up on a Wednesday. You aren't skipping anything! It's just a cycle, and you just need a starting point. If you tried to just take them in order without looking, you'd lose track immediately and mess everything up. That's literally why the days are printed on them.

With other brands, like Qlaira (which I'm using now), you actually have to start from the beginning because the pills have different hormone doses. But since there are labels, you just stick them on the top of the pack based on which day you start. Anyway, I won't bore you with the details.😉

electrichound78 said:Ugh, okay, I'm about to ask a totally stupid question😳
The first pill in my pack is marked with "Mon" (which means Monday😳). So, here's the deal: I take the first pill on the day my period starts, but what happens if my period shows up on Wednesday, or any other day besides Monday? Do I still just grab that first pill in the pack labeled "Mon," or what?🙂

Classic. Hilarious.🤣 Every pill pack starts on Monday because that’s how they label the first day of the week. But don't let that trip you up—you don't have to start at the very beginning of the strip. You start on whatever day your period actually kicks in and just follow the arrows from there. So, if your cycle hits on a Wednesday, pick any of the three pills marked "Wednesday" and just keep following the arrow to the right. Hopefully, that makes sense. It’s probably all laid out clearly in the instruction manual, too.😉

nimbleeagle69 said: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.😢

Hey.
Listen, I've dealt with this enough to know how it works. If you've spent any time reading up on birth control, you should already realize there’s no universal rulebook here. What works for one woman might be a total disaster for another. You've got the old-school pills loaded with heavy hormone doses, and then you have the modern versions that are much lighter. Every formula is different. It’s like trying to find the right pair of shoes—you have to test them out to figure out which specific brand and fit actually works for you.

Look, nobody can tell you which ones are best for you—not your gynecologist, and certainly not anyone on this forum. You have to experience them firsthand. Stick with them for at least three months to see the reality. If they don't work, swap them out. Water retention, a drop in libido, weight gain or loss, mood swings, breast tenderness... those are just a few of the red flags you need to watch for over the coming months. You'll figure it out. It’s entirely possible you won't even deal with any of those symptoms.😉

I switched from Novynette because they weren't doing it for me. Honestly, I’ve cycled through plenty of other brands already—I'm still hunting for the one that actually fits my system. If you ask me? I wouldn't touch any of them if it were up to me, but since my health is on the line, I don't have much of a choice. 🙂

Good luck!

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... 🤷

Drew Parker8 said:My hormones are always a total mess anyway, so I don't think my system would handle skipping the cycle break very well.
Yeah, I get it, that break exists for a reason. It makes sense. I read about this other method somewhere specifically for things like Alesse—basically, instead of starting the new cycle when scheduled, you just finish the last pack earlier, say on Sunday instead of Tuesday, and then take the standard 7-day break. To me, that seems way more logical than what we discussed before, right? Because the previous way felt more like you're trying to delay or stack cycles rather than shifting things forward, if that makes any sense at all.🤷

Look, my hormones are all over the place too. I’ve been on the pill for about ten years because of PCOS. But listen, I’ve merged cycles a few times and was fine. It’s an individual thing; everyone’s body reacts differently...

What you're describing is shortening the cycle. It's like if you miss a pill and just take another one from the pack, ending up with a period that's a day early. That's fine for one pill, sure. But stopping several days before the end? It feels like you're just starving your body of hormones!🤷 You're supposed to take them for 21 days, not 18! If you're "shifting" the cycle, shouldn't you still be taking all 21 pills?!

Honestly, if I were you, I'd just call my OB-GYN. We can sit here all day trading theories, but that won't help. The reality is that messing with the timing—whether it's delaying, merging, or shortening—isn't exactly "recommended." That said, doing it once a year probably isn't going to wreck you. Do whatever you want!

Drew Parker8 said:Oh, man, I just realized—everything was going so smoothly until this thought hit me like a freight train. Now I’m spiraling because I need my cycle to line up perfectly with our beach trip! It’s all messed up. I take my last pill on Tuesday, then I get my period on Saturday... which means I should be due tomorrow. Honestly, I wish I could just shift things around so I’d get it on Wednesday next month instead of Saturday. Ugh. Anyway, I didn't really follow what you were saying about moving the dates. My brain is just fried right now.😕
Yeah, true. This whole thing is just for postponing; there’s absolutely nothing about actually moving forward. And honestly, I shouldn't even be playing these games with myself—you know, dragging things out... besides, it's already getting late. All I can really do now is start a new round tomorrow or maybe by Wednesday. I guess I'm just not the brightest bulb in the box.

And here I thought you wouldn't catch on! 😁Look, I wanted to point out that the 7-day break exists for a reason. That's when your body actually sheds the lining. If you jump straight onto a new pack tomorrow—right when your period is supposed to start—you might throw your entire system for a loop. Your body will be confused: "Wait, where did these hormones come from? We were supposed to be on a break!" If I were you, I’d wait until at least Sunday or Monday. Let the period happen naturally first, then trick your body by starting the new pack 2 or 3 days early.

As for delaying the period by skipping the break entirely? It’s definitely not too late for that! If you take your last pill on Tuesday and your period arrives on Saturday while you're at the beach, you can just start the next pack on Wednesday. You skip the break and take two packs back-to-back, or just keep taking them until you're back from vacation. If your body plays nice, you won't even notice the shift. You might deal with some spotting around the time you expected your period, but it’s not a guarantee. It’s hard to say for sure, but you won't know unless you try it! ☕

Drew Parker8 said:And now you’ve gone and done it! Honestly, I have absolutely zero interest in messing around with moving things if I’m not even going to shift a single thing!
The advice on Uputama is basically just saying to stop the bleeding by taking the pills without a break... which, let's be honest, is absolutely not happening. I popped the last pill from my pack yesterday, so I've got a few days to sit here and actually think about whether I want to push everything back.😂

The instructions for Celesta don't explicitly say how to shift your period forward, but that doesn't mean it’s impossible. For instance, the Yaz pill clearly explains how to do it. It isn't a massive deal, you just shouldn't try to shave off 4 or 5 days all at once. It really depends on when your cycle typically hits. If you usually get your period around day 2 or 3, you're fine. But if it hits around day 5, starting a new pack just two days early—right when you're expecting it—might be a bad move because you could end up confusing your system. Hope that makes sense!😉

I used to shorten my cycle by two days all the time without any drama. During the summer, I even merged cycles once or twice—no spotting, no issues, nothing. If you’re planning an event months out, start shifting things by maybe two days at a time. It’s better to ease into it gradually rather than making a sudden jump.

Timothy Cooper4 said:I finished my last pill (Novynette) this Monday, and now I'm just waiting for my period to arrive... Since this was my first pack and my first time ever using birth control, I was wondering how many days after taking that final pill the bleeding actually starts? Some sources say seven days, while others mention three or four...

Don't sweat it, you'll get it in the next few days. There’s no way for us to give you a definitive answer because it’s completely different for everyone. Once that week break is up, just move on to the next box like usual—regardless of whether it shows up or not. But honestly? I'm 99% sure it'll be there soon.😉

Brian Anderson4 said:....

I’ve been Googling this thing, and I’m seeing all sorts of conflicting nonsense on different forums. Some people claim you should drink for two or three years and then take a break, while others I actually know swear you shouldn't go past five years at most, and then some random website is out here claiming fifteen years is fine. Look, if anyone actually knows the answer, just say it; if you don't, then don't bother. I can look things up on Google myself. I just want a regular person who has actually lived through this to give it to me straight and write down how the whole gynecologist situation actually works from a common-sense perspective.

I don't know what corner of the internet you were digging through for that info—maybe some ancient forum from the nineties. Back in the day, birth control was much higher dose, so people used to take breaks every few years just to cope. Nowadays, most pills are low-dose. There’s zero medical necessity to stop; you can stay on them for years without an issue. I’ve been on the pill for twelve years, took a couple of minor breaks here and there, and I’m still standing.
Before you even think about starting birth control, you need to get your baseline checked. We’re talking a full gynecological exam, a Pap smear, and probably an ovarian ultrasound. Don't skip that. Then, you need blood work—complete blood count, liver function tests, clotting factors, the whole nine yards. You also have to sit down with your doctor and have a real conversation about family medical history or anything else that might make oral contraceptives a bad idea for you. If you want tips on navigating the doctor's office, check out the "first time at the OBGYN" thread.

darkwalker2 said:Thanks for the advice, ladies!

For what it's worth, I actually took a break from the pill about nine months ago, thinking maybe things would settle down naturally, but nothing has changed regarding this water retention issue. It’s like my body just decided to hold onto everything; I’m still dealing with all those same symptoms you all mentioned, like the swelling and that heavy, uncomfortable feeling.
Now, I’ve been falling down a bit of an internet rabbit hole trying to find some kind of free way to measure my body water levels, but every search seems to lead me straight to a Herbalife center, and honestly, the idea of being cornered by someone constantly pushing their specific product line makes me a bit uneasy.
Does anyone know if a doctor can actually perform these measurements, or perhaps something similar at a local pharmacy?

Since you haven't seen any water loss after nine months, I’m starting to doubt it’s just the pills. Maybe there's another culprit at play here. Do you deal with high blood pressure or anything like that? You should probably check in with your primary care doctor to be safe.
Regarding body composition testing—you don't see that much at local pharmacies. It measures your body fat percentage, water retention, and who knows what else. Maybe check with a CVS or a Walgreens. I'm not sure how accurate those things actually are, but it doesn't cost much to try. Unless, of course, they try to upsell you on some supplement right after!😁

darkwalker2 said:What other indicators point toward water retention? Since my nephrologist isn't exactly taking my word for it—which is a bit frustrating, if you ask me—can this be spotted through bloodwork or some other metric? Like, would there be specific levels that run high or low?

Tell me, how old is this nephrologist of yours? Sounds like she’s from an older generation—the kind that refuses to acknowledge any pill besides Diane. Look, there are plenty of different options today to manage PCOS and acne. The only real difference is that Diane is covered by insurance while the others cost you out of pocket...😉

If you've realized they don't work for you and are causing bloating, it's on her to switch them. She doesn't get to decide if the pills suit you or not! It's your body. If she keeps digging her heels in, I’d find a new doctor!☕

In my experience, you can't prove water retention through standard lab tests. I get bloodwork done regularly for other reasons and never notice a change... But personally, I retain so much water in my legs that it's obvious. You can literally see the swelling and indentations; it looks totally unnatural... 🙄

darkwalker2 said:Best of luck to you as well! 🙂

By the way, do you happen to know which specific ingredient or hormone is actually pulling the trigger on water retention? Is it just estrogen doing the heavy lifting, or could there be something else lurking in the mix?

I'm not certain, but I'm betting estrogen is the main culprit! I did a little comparison of six different pill brands, and they all contain about 0.02-0.035mg of ethinyl estradiol—that's the estrogen. The progesterone phase is what varies between them. It seems to me that the progesterone is there specifically to buffer the estrogen's effects. For instance, Yasmin and Yaz use drospirenone, which is supposed to help flush out the water that builds up because of the estrogen. I haven't dug deep into the others, but clearly, that progesterone is meant to provide some kind of balance in these formulas... 🤷 Correct me if I'm wrong.

I have no clue why drospirenone in Yaz didn't work for me—why it didn't flush out the extra fluid. Obviously, there are a million variables at play, and it all comes down to how your individual body reacts. We're talking about hormones here, after all...

darkwalker2 said:I can't recall if you mentioned this already, but have you considered switching to a different brand or type of birth control altogether?
Anyway, thanks for the input; I'll try to keep a tighter grip on all of this. 😉

Starting my new pill today—Novynette! Switching over from Yaz, which uses drospirenone. Supposedly that’s meant to help flush out excess water. Yeah, right! 😂
I don't know if anything will actually change, given that I’ve stuck by others for so long, but I have to give this a shot... ☕

Good luck!

darkwalker2 said:Thanks, ladies!
I’m trying not to get ahead of myself and spiral into a panic, mostly because I’ve actually been on Diane before a few years back, so I have a pretty decent handle on how they tend to affect my system. It’s less about making wild assumptions and more about expecting a repeat performance of what I’ve already lived through, if that makes sense. 😉
Anyway, thanks, we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

Did any of you deal with weight gain after you stopped taking those pills? If so, what kind of strategies did you use to manage it—besides just dieting, I assume? 🙂

The water weight left just as fast as it arrived. A few months after I stopped the pills, I started seeing a real difference. After four months, my hips dropped by 4cm, and by nine months, it was down 7cm! Since I couldn't tell if I was losing water retention or actual fat, I tweaked my diet too, ending up losing about 18-20 lbs total. But here's the kicker: once I finally felt good about my body, I had to get back on the pills, and now I'm right back at square one (+12 lbs in the hips and +11 lbs total).😢

I don't know how long your break is, but you must have noticed a change if you were retaining water before. If you didn't pack on massive weight, maybe it all just sheds naturally once you stop... Try measuring yourself the way I suggested, then you'll know. I keep an entire spreadsheet of measurements spanning three years! It stops being a mystery when my jeans suddenly feel tight or start slipping off. It's always a question of whether it's the pills or not. 😁

darkwalker2 said:Ugh, how awful... my doctor keeps telling me these aren't quite enough of a reason to switch medications because my current prescription is specifically for PCOS and acne, which helps me immensely.
I really don't want to deal with that bloated feeling caused by hormones. I think I'll try increasing my potassium intake first; that should hopefully kickstart things, maybe 😁

Don't spiral just yet. Everyone reacts differently; there’s no universal rulebook here. You won't know until you actually start the regimen. I take birth control for PCOS too, though I never used Diane. It's true that those minor issues aren't usually enough reason to swap meds immediately—even if my doctor did mention it's not normal for my legs to swell by 6-7cm. Usually, I get hit with a whole laundry list of side effects, which is why I end up switching. Honestly, I've already gotten used to having thicker legs, and I'd tolerate it if everything else was fine! Health is priority one; aesthetics come second. 😁

Here’s some actual advice. Before you even touch the first pill, grab a tailor's tape and get precise measurements: waist, hips, thighs, and calves. Note exactly where you're measuring so you stay consistent. Check back once a month. If you're actually retaining water, this data will be your smoking gun when you need to prove to your doctor exactly how much these pills are messing with you...

Never heard about the potassium thing, but ask at a local CVS. They'll likely have an answer... Best!👋

darkwalker2 said:How does one go about managing the water retention that often hitches a ride with birth control pills? I’m preparing to start on Diane soon, and I’d really like to be ahead of the curve on this. Would taking potassium help mitigate the swelling?

And honestly, ladies, how much do you actually trust oral contraceptives? Personally, I’ve always been a bit of a worrier—someone who prefers the peace of mind that comes from using condoms alongside the pill, just to be absolutely certain.😁

There isn't any way!!😁 If your body decides to hold onto water, you're stuck. Your only move is to swap brands and pray the next one treats you better... Take my word for it, I’ve been through the ringer with this. I’ve tried four different types, and every single one left me with swollen legs (some worse than others). Last year, I took a break from them, and my legs practically deflated!😲 I was so used to my legs feeling like two heavy logs that I couldn't believe they actually looked normal! 😉 Six months ago, I went back on the pill—a new brand, obviously—and it’s the exact same story. I gained 6 inches around my legs just like that! 😠

And trust me, I tried everything under the sun: working out, using anti-cellulite creams, chugging water and green tea, snacking on carrots and celery... I didn't touch any actual diuretics, just natural stuff like drinks, fruits, and veggies. Nothing worked. That fluid is driven by hormones; it stays until you stop taking the hormones. That's the cold, hard truth.☕

Look, you might not even run into this issue, so there's no way to know for sure right now. Once you start, you'll see. Good luck!😉

Laura Mendoza said:I don't think the stomach pain is because you took two pills. That used to happen to me too, and everything was always fine. My period would just come as usual, maybe a day early. Look, I can't tell you 100% regarding the protection level because it depends on which week you missed the pill. If it was during the first week, protection might be slightly lowered. If it was during the second week, protection should stay the same.
And yes, a 7-day break, then you resume normally with the next pack on the 8th day.

Gossip Girlstrong> says:

I'm pretty young and there are some things I'm curious about...
I need to go for a checkup to see if I have hormone issues. In that case, will I have to take birth control pills?
I have a few friends who gained a massive amount of weight while taking those pills—they looked completely different..
Is that always the case? Summer is coming, and I don't want to gain weight; actually, I need to lose about 10-15 pounds.
🙂
And one more thing, what does a hormone checkup look like??

It’s not the pills that make you gain weight; it’s the increased appetite. It’s possible your appetite will spike, causing you to eat more, which leads to weight gain—but the pills themselves aren't the direct cause.

A hormone checkup usually involves blood work (like liver function tests) and potentially a coagulation test (to check blood clotting).

I’ll jump in here with another point: water retention is a real factor too! For instance, during my six months on Yaz, I gained about 2-3 inches around my hips and thighs just from bloating. That translated to an extra 10 pounds on the scale. I didn't change my diet at all; it was purely fluid retention.😠

Bottom line: everyone reacts differently. Honestly, you guys are lucky if they actually helped you lose weight!😢

briskmoose90 said:You can do either. Both ways work.
Generally, some gynecologists suggest skipping the break when switching from higher to lower hormone doses, but taking a break if you're going from low to high—like with Yaza, where you have four inactive pills.
My doctor told me it didn't matter, though, when I switched from Yaza to Triquilar, so I just took the break.
To be safe, use backup protection for the first seven days if you decide to take a break.
I don't know much about Novynette, so I can't tell you if it has more or less hormones than Yaza or if it’s just different.

Thanks a million. I think I’ll just finish this pack (all 28 pills) and then start the new ones. Yaza has 0.02mg ethinyl estradiol and 3mg drospirenone, while Novynette has 0.02mg ethinyl estradiol and 0.15mg desogestrel. So the estrogen is identical, but that progesterone component is different...

So what actually defines "stronger" versus "weaker"? Apparently, the drospirenone in Yaza is supposed to help with water retention, but it did the exact opposite for me—I gained 7cm around my legs and hips!! That's ridiculous. Plus, I'm swapping them out because of other side effects too... When I asked my doctor if I needed stronger pills, he just said I needed *different* ones. It's all a balancing act, I guess. You just have to find the right fit...

I'm in the dark regarding Novynette too. I'll see how it goes once I start in a few days. Thanks again!😉

Has anyone here made the switch from Yaz to Novynette? I’m completely lost. Am I supposed to finish the entire Yaz pack—the full 24+4 cycle—before starting the new ones, or do I just start the new brand right after the last active pill? If it's the latter, does that mean I'm skipping my period this month since I'm switching mid-stream?

My gynecologist told me to just finish the current pack, but now reading the Novynette instructions, it sounds like I should start immediately after the last active pill. Please, if anyone can give me a quick answer, I’m taking my very last active pill today...