I’m currently on Zoloft and a bit of Xanax, though I suppose I don't really touch the Xanax much anymore since it doesn't feel necessary. To be honest, Zoloft has been a total game-changer for me, almost like it completely turned my life around.😍
So, did you catch a case of mange? Or maybe you just decided to go out and eat a dog? 😁 I mean, it seems highly unlikely that you’d just catch something like that through simple contact, especially when you consider how many volunteers at local animal shelters deal with dogs suffering from mange on a daily basis without ever breaking a sweat. It’s almost like they're immune, I guess. As far as I know, there isn't really any specific testing for this sort of thing, though if you're feeling particularly paranoid about it, you could always just take an antihistamine or something—or better yet, maybe just ask your doctor what specifically you should be looking for.
I mean, how are you even supposed to start taking the pills on the first day of your cycle if the whole point is that you aren't getting your period in the first place? It feels a bit like a catch-22, doesn't it? 😁 Most of the time, when your period decides to skip town, it’s because of something like PCOS, and since birth control pills are often the go-to treatment for that, I suppose there's an added urgency to get started—just so things don't get too out of hand with hormone levels or whatever.
I’ve always found that I could just pick up two boxes at once whenever I was heading down to the coast—or even if I wasn't, really—so, I suppose if they turn you away at the pharmacy, you might just want to try another one, and then maybe another, until someone actually gives them to you, because, honestly, they really ought to.
Kyle Young3 said:Yeah, right, that’s exactly what my gynecologist tried to convince me too... I took Yasmin for six months and I am never letting that stuff back into my body! Personally, I didn't gain weight, but I dealt with plenty of other issues—I'd call them problems rather than just "side effects." Even though my doctor kept insisting none of it was caused by the pills, my intuition proved to be much more reliable than her medical degree. 😉I’m not trying to scare anyone here—everyone reacts differently—but my own experience was more than enough to ensure I never touch another pill (especially not Yasmin) ever again!
So, did you ever try anything else besides Yasmin? I’ve been on Logest, Yasmin, and Diane, and, if I'm being honest, they all seemed perfectly fine to me 🙏 But since I deal with some minor issues regarding PCOS, my doctor over at Mount Sinai—who is absolutely wonderful, by the way—recommended Yasmin, so that's what I'm currently using.
@Benjamin Taylor4; yeah, Yasmin is pretty similar to Diane, though it seems to have a lower hormone dosage (I'm not entirely sure if the composition is identical, but I know both Diane and Yasmin are typically prescribed for PCOS and acne issues, whereas Logest doesn't really touch those, so they likely share the same hormone). As for how much they cost at the pharmacy, I'm afraid I wouldn't know.
It’s probably easy enough to forget, honestly, and you can't just go out and grab them right away either; you really have to go through the whole process of getting bloodwork done first to make sure everything is looking okay. I suppose you could take a referral for lab work to your primary care physician, and once those results come back, you can head over to the gynecologist and let them know you're interested in starting birth control.
The whole point of these forums is that, I suppose, different women react quite differently to specific hormonal compositions—some might find Yasmin works fine, while others find they really ought to be on Logest instead. You see, these two types of birth control utilize different hormonal blends, so if Yasmin isn't sitting right with your system, Logest might actually be the better fit, and vice versa. It’s not just about weight gain, either; I suspect that logic applies to almost all those pesky side effects we deal with.
Benjamin Nelson6 said:I read somewhere that Yasmin is the only pill that doesn't cause water retention or bloating... I guess, is that actually true, or are there others out there?
Well, from what I understand, most of these newer low-dose contraceptives—things like Yasmin, Yaz, or Logest—tend to have fewer side effects overall, including that whole weight gain issue, mostly because they use a much lower dose of hormones compared to the older stuff.
amberheron64 said:Since I started Diana 35, I haven't even had a craving for sweets—even though I was taking them specifically to get rid of these breakouts. And they aren't coming back, either, because I've spent ten years dealing with acne all over my back, arms, and chest... it simply cannot happen again.😠
And honestly, I can't do the carrot thing—believe me. The ones they sell in the grocery stores lately are just bitter, dry, and frankly revolting. Where did all the good, juicy, sweet carrots go? If anyone knows where to find the decent stuff, please let me know, because I used to absolutely love carrots—but what they're selling right now?😲Gross.
Have you ever actually considered tackling acne with something like Accutane? I mean, I suppose I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading up on it, though I haven't personally gone down that particular rabbit hole myself—not that I'm an expert or anything, of course. It seems like such a heavy-duty, intense route to take, almost a last resort when nothing else seems to touch the problem, which I guess is exactly why people turn to it. It’s a pretty daunting prospect, isn't it? All those discussions about side effects and the sheer intensity of the treatment... it makes one wonder if the payoff really justifies the rollercoaster ride. Maybe it's worth it for some, but I can certainly see why someone might hesitate before jumping in headfirst. I’ve cycled through everything you can think of—antibiotics, three different types of birth control, the whole works—and honestly, I guess I’ve just reached the point where Roaccutane is the only thing that actually seems to be doing anything for me. It’s funny, in a frustrating sort of way, how much effort goes into finding something that actually works.
So, I managed to lose one of my Yasmin pills, and honestly, since these things are getting pretty pricey, I was wondering if I could just skip the 21st tablet to save on costs and essentially shorten my cycle by a single day. $33 I suppose if I just bypass that last pill, I could go ahead with my usual seven-day break and then simply start the next pack a day earlier than I normally would, right?
I suspect that washing your hair every single day might actually be making things a whole lot worse, if you think about it, because the constant stripping away of moisture from your scalp could potentially trigger it to produce even more oil as a sort of defensive reaction. It's also worth noting, perhaps, that having excessively oily hair can sometimes act as a little signal or symptom of PCOS.
I suppose I’d probably suggest that you go ahead and pick up the work in the morning and just start drinking it, though, I guess, you should probably be extra careful about it. Because, honestly, taking a full month-long break might just end up throwing your whole system into a bit of a state of confusion, so a pause like that isn't really something I would recommend at all.
Oh, I have to say, I’ve been dealing with that exact same frustration for about a month now, too. It actually got to the point where I went to see my OB-GYN just to get some clarity on it. She gave me this rather amusing bit of advice—basically telling me I shouldn't be spreading my legs quite so wide during certain movements moving forward :P. As for getting things to heal faster, she suggested avoiding creams entirely, since they can sometimes trap moisture against the wound and prevent it from drying out properly, which just stalls the whole process. Instead, she recommended using a little bit of baby powder, or if that doesn't seem to do the trick, maybe a touch of iodine.
Thomas Ramos2, there’s really absolutely nothing to worry about here. I mean, if you took that pill on Wednesday, it would have provided one hundred percent protection by Thursday at 7:00 PM, and since you haven't had any intercourse after that point, you should be perfectly fine. Silverpanther26, honestly, the time of day doesn't even matter; what actually matters—and this is the crucial part, I suppose—is simply making sure you take it on that specific day and try your best to stick to that same one-hour window throughout the entire month.
There’s a slim chance you might be looking at a mishap here, mostly because you didn't get that pill down right away the day after things happened. It really all boils down to the timing—I mean, when exactly did you take those on Wednesday versus the ones on Friday, how many hours late were we actually talking about, and what was the exact window of the encounter itself? Theoretically, the protection from a single dose can stretch out for up to 48 hours, though I suppose that isn't a guarantee. You probably ought to be extra careful for the rest of the month, since there's a possibility ovulation could happen—or maybe it already has—because of that slip-up during the first week. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably be feeling a bit anxious about it, though then again, I tend to be a total panicker myself. 🙂
Michael Morales16, you’ve been absolutely spot on from the very beginning, and honestly, if I were you, I’d just get rid of those awful condoms once and for all!🙂 I mean, I can't say I disagree, because I absolutely despise them too.
I’d suggest switching up your gynecologist first, and then once you've established that new connection, maybe bring up those specific symptoms. I suppose something somewhat similar happened to me—though, in my case, it was more of this intense pulling and stinging sensation along a vein. I ended up going through all sorts of tests and scans, but in the end, nothing could quite pinpoint the cause. Now, I've been taking these tablets for about three years already, and even so, that pain tends to flare up maybe once every three months before it quickly fades away again.
Performance usually starts seeing some real improvement after about three months, though if you haven't felt much of a difference by now, I suppose it’s unlikely to suddenly change—which is a bit of a shame, really. If things are truly that unbearable, maybe you could look into Roaccutane, assuming it's actually that severe. Did you happen to take a seven-day break instead of eight? Well, just carry on with your usual routine; I think the most important thing is simply that you didn't wait too long to take it.