What is happening to me?

Carol Brooks41 said:Hi there.

Here is the situation—please, I beg you, don't laugh at me.

I typically take Triguilar, but last month I went on a trip and completely forgot to pack my pills. I ended up buying a pack in a different city and just kept going right where I left off with my old supply.
However, things got messy. I was buried under work, getting home incredibly late every night, and I was essentially operating on autopilot—taking my pills without thinking and failing to stop when I actually should have.
When I finally hit the "start" marker, instead of stopping, I just kept going as if I were starting a brand new cycle (honestly, I don't know how I let that happen; I was just totally scattered).

Anyway, after I had taken three extra pills, I realized what an idiot I was being. My period arrived, so I stopped taking them (I probably should have just continued the cycle normally, but whatever, the damage is done).
I decided that since I’ve already made a mess of this month, I won't bother taking any more this cycle; I'll just wait until my next period and start over properly from the beginning.

My last period started on April 6th. I haven't had this one yet, and since my cycle is strictly 30 days, it's technically one day late.
I took a pregnancy test, and it was negative (plus, we used condoms during the window after I stopped the pills, except for one single instance—which is why I tested).

Based on my tracking, ovulation likely occurred around April 26th (though I can't say for certain how reliable that is; if that truly was when I ovulated, it's obvious my period will be delayed).

What really concerns me, though, is that for the past two days, my libido has been through the roof. It is frankly overwhelming.
It's intense—truly, incredibly, indescribably high. I have never experienced a surge of desire like this in my entire life.

Am I experiencing some sort of hormonal imbalance because I botched my pill schedule, or is it something else?
Usually, these pills kill my sex drive entirely, which is one of the side effects I deal with.
What do you all think?
Is this normal, or am I worrying over nothing?

Sandra Martin72 said:I think it’s normal because many people experience delayed periods or even skip them for 2-3 months after stopping birth control. I don't believe you're pregnant, and having a lower libido while on the pill is just a standard side effect; it makes sense that it returned now that you've stopped. I don't think it's a major hormonal disorder, just a small imbalance that should resolve itself. My advice is to wait until your next period before starting pills again so you can see how things settle and let your body recover from the hormones. I don't know if you've taken breaks before or how long you've been on them, but regardless of what some doctors say about low-dose options, a break is necessary—at least 2-3 months—to let the body reset because those hormones aren't harmless. Just wait for the next cycle. I took the same ones you did, and they messed with my head so much that I just quit and said "never again." Since I smoke, using pills isn't recommended due to thrombosis risks, which is why I felt so anxious. I decided to rely on my husband being careful, which worked fine before the pills and still works now. I actually attended a lecture where they said the pregnancy risk with that method was even lower than with condoms, since condoms can break or be used incorrectly. People know when they're close, so withdrawal works.

swiftmason8 said:Now you’ve got me confused too... I don't get it...
I'm sure everything will turn out fine...🙄

You shouldn't mess around with birth control pills; hopefully, you can still make this work...
Good luck.

swiftmason8 said:I honestly feel like you’re losing it on me right now... I really don't know anything about the specific pills you're taking or what kind of side effects they could cause...
Regardless, I still think you aren't pregnant and everything will turn out fine..😉

Nicole Parker93 said:Carol Brooks41... if I were you, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Maybe just skip any pills until you get through this next cycle and the one after that, just to let your body reset. As for the high libido? If that's your only side effect, I doubt your husband is going to complain. hehe
The test was negative, so at least you have that certainty. Everything else will level out once your body recovers. Until then, stick to condoms.

Carol Brooks41 said:If my period doesn't show up within the next day or two, I'll have to make an appointment with my OB-GYN. Right now, I'm only one day late—if I went in today, they’d probably just tell me to hang tight and wait a bit longer.
It isn't like these pills are going to cause any major or lasting complications; the hormones will eventually level out.
That said, I would definitely feel a whole lot more at peace once my cycle finally starts.

Carol Brooks41;13941886 said:I’ve taken breaks—sometimes for a whole year—because the side effects were just too much.
During those gaps, we relied on the withdrawal method, but someone close to me ended up pregnant after her partner was completely intoxicated and didn't even finish—that incident made me paranoid and deeply skeptical of that approach.
Apparently, there's that whole theory about pre-ejaculate leakage, though I used withdrawal for years without a single issue.

Calm down, girl—I'm certain nothing happened specifically because of that; your body is under stress, which is likely triggering this hysteria.

On another note, I wanted to ask: did you use the withdrawal method during your ovulation window?

My boyfriend and I always use it, but honestly, it feels shameful to turn him down every time I’m ovulating—especially when my drive is through the roof—just because I’m terrified he might slip up... since his job keeps us apart, we often end up having sex right when I'm most fertile, and realistically, that window lasts about ten days...

So, I went to CVS yesterday to pick up Yasmin, and now I'm just waiting to start them. Since it would be my first time on birth control, reading all these potential side effects on forums and in the inserts has me worried about messing up my system. Everything I've read is incredibly frustrating—I'm torn on whether to actually start taking them, even though I know everyone reacts differently.

Otherwise, my hormones are perfectly fine; I've never had issues with my period, no pain, and my weight and skin are totally normal for my height. My cycle lasts six days and is always on schedule.

So, I'd love for Carol Brooks41 and anyone else using the withdrawal method to tell me: how do you handle it during ovulation? Do you turn him down??
Please, no judgment—I am genuinely conflicted, and I love him too much to keep rejecting him every single month.🤷

Melissa Brown;13950458 said:

Carol Brooks41 said:I’ve taken breaks from birth control for as long as a year at a time because those side effects really get to me.
During those gaps, we relied on the withdrawal method, but someone very close to me ended up pregnant after a guy was completely intoxicated and didn't even finish—that whole ordeal left me feeling paranoid and incredibly skeptical about relying on that method.
To be honest, I’ve heard those horror stories about "pre-ejaculate" carrying sperm, even though I used withdrawal for years without any issues.

Just take a breath; I’m convinced nothing is wrong right now. It’s likely just stress causing you to spiral.

On another note, I wanted to ask: did you guys use the withdrawal method during your ovulation window?

My boyfriend and I have always used it, but it feels so shameful to constantly turn him down when I'm ovulating and feeling incredibly turned on—all because I'm terrified he might slip up... He has a job that keeps us apart frequently, and it often happens that we finally have sex right when I'm ovulating, and looking at the math, there's basically a 10-day window where we could conceive...

Anyway, I went to CVS yesterday and picked up some Yasmin, and now I'm just waiting to start them. But since this would be my first time on the pill, reading all these potential side effects on forums and in the fine print is terrifying me; I'm worried about messing up my body's internal balance. Everything I've read has left me so frustrated and indecisive about whether to actually start taking them, even though I know everyone reacts differently.

For context, my hormones are perfectly normal, my periods have always been regular, I don't have pain, and my skin and weight are fine given my height. My cycle lasts 6 days and arrives right on schedule.

So, I’m asking Carol Brooks41 and anyone else who uses the withdrawal method: how do you handle it during ovulation? Do you just say no?
Please, no judgment—I’m genuinely lost on what to do, and I love him too much to keep rejecting him every single month.🤷

I’ve used the withdrawal method since I first became sexually active, with various partners, and I never had an issue—I didn't even track my fertile days back then. Even during my peak fertility windows, nothing happened. When I actually decided I wanted to get pregnant, we switched to finishing inside, and it still took me five months to conceive, so pregnancy isn't exactly a guaranteed outcome. My advice? Skip the pill. As for condoms, like I mentioned before, I attended a seminar where they argued that withdrawal can actually be more reliable than condoms, given how easily they break, how poorly they can be applied, or how they slip off during intercourse.