Birth control pills: skipping doses or stopping and starting?

Alright, here’s the deal. I was on Apollo 11 for three years before deciding to take a break. I stopped back in May, and my period hasn't shown up since. I saw my OB-GYN in July, and she told me it was perfectly normal—but because she went on medical leave right after, I haven't been back for a follow-up. Now, the issue is I need to get back on birth control immediately 😁.

1) What does five months without a period actually do to your body?
2) Can I just start taking Boeing again on my own?

The pills are supposed to kick in after two or three days, right? Could I just start them and then stop again after the first pack? Or should I go see the doctor, tell her everything is fine, and just ask for a new prescription? What's the move?

🙂
Look, those pills are just pure hormones—and if you haven't had a period in five months, it’s pretty obvious your body is dealing with a massive hormonal imbalance right now.
Whatever you do, don't just go out and start popping pills without talking to a doctor first; just stick to condoms for now. 👍

Hannah Watson85 said:So, here’s the deal. I was on Apollo 11 for three years, then decided to take a break. That break started back in May, and I haven't had my period since. I saw my OB-GYN in July, and she told me everything seemed fine at the time—but she was actually out on medical leave, so by a stroke of bad luck, I haven't been back for a follow-up. Anyway, the thing is, I really need to get back on the pill ASAP 😁.

1) What does five months of no periods actually do to your body?
2) Can I just start taking Apollo 11 again on my own?

The pills are supposed to kick in after two or three days, right? Could I start them and then just stop again after one pack? Or should I go to the doctor, pretend everything is totally fine, and just ask for a new prescription? What should I even do?

That’s weird. I got my period exactly one month after stopping, almost like I was still on the pill. And once I stopped using birth control, my cycle stayed regular—actually, it became super steady, the bleeding lightened up, and the cramps basically vanished. So, going half a year without a period... yeah, that doesn't sound great to me either.

Don't be naive. Saying you "urgently need" the pills is kind of a joke. If anything, the only thing you "urgently" need is to see an OB-GYN. 1) A lot can happen in five months. 2) You shouldn't just start messing with medication, especially hormones, without supervision.

The absolute dumbest move you could make is lying to your doctor (how old are you, anyway?) just to score a new prescription. Then, if you just quit again after one pack—on your own, no less—you're just putting even more stress on a reproductive system that clearly sounds already stressed out. And honestly, if you're trying to save money, you might just end up pregnant anyway (I'm assuming that's the goal here).

Use some common sense and stop playing games with your health. 😎

The condoms are ready—no issues there—but I was really hoping to find some kind of loophole in the law. Turns out, a year is just too long to wait for such ridiculous ideas. 😁 😍

Anyhow... okay, the whole "on-off-on" plan is officially scrapped. I have a checkup scheduled for Thursday, so I’ll just have to see what my body actually has to say about all this.

Linda Hernandez15 said:🙂
Look, pills are just hormones. And honestly, if you haven't had a period in five months, your body is clearly dealing with some major hormonal imbalance. It's pretty straightforward.
Don't even think about starting those pills on your own. Seriously, just go grab some condoms instead. 👍

I’m in. Count me in. 😎

Hannah Watson85 said:.. I've got an appointment scheduled for Thursday, so we'll see what my body actually has to say about all this.

Alright, let's hold our breath and wait for those results—keep us posted.

The data is in: I woke up yesterday, hopped in the shower, and realized... well, let's just say things were getting messy. 😳 I headed straight to my doctor, who gave me one look and said, "Yeah, looks like your period is starting," before immediately scribbling a prescription for birth control pills. She explained that I have full-blown PCOS—apparently, everything is connected, from the weight fluctuations to these brutal cramps—and then she basically called my previous doctor an absolute idiot for not putting me back on the pill immediately. So... yeah. I guess I've got more luck than sense at this point.

Man, she’s a real genius, isn't she? 😲 Just put me right back on the pills without running any extra tests—all because of a few little "lumps" she spotted. 🙄

Look, honey, hormonal imbalances are no joke—I'm speaking from personal experience here—and if your doctor thinks she can just mask the issue with birth control, she’s dead wrong. Demand those hormone panels. Be relentless about it. You need actual treatment, not some quick fix designed to just hide the symptoms. Trust me, one day when you're ready to start a family, having a cycle that shows up whenever it feels like it is going to be a massive headache.

I finally got my referral for the scans :yes:... scheduled for next week :yes:..

Honestly, just having a period while on birth control isn't really a solution. You should probably look into all your options ASAP, because the real goal should be getting your cycle back to normal naturally, without the pills. A close friend of mine dealt with PCOS, and because she didn't take any steps to manage it, she ended up with some pretty brutal hormonal imbalances—we're talking weight gain, hair thinning, and she almost developed ovarian cancer. She went an entire year without a period, but after trying a bunch of different methods and tests, some homeopathic supplements actually did the trick for her. Now she’s back on track and doesn't even need the pill anymore. I really hope you can get this figured out and find a treatment plan that actually works for you.🙂 🙂 🙂

hmm... starting a new round of birth control without even getting basic blood work done? yeah, okay... 🙂
if my OB-GYN heard that, he’d probably ask if I’d finally lost my mind—but then again, clearly this doctor isn't playing by the usual rules.
Having PCOS doesn't always mean you're dealing with irregular periods or missing them entirely. I've been dealing with some kind of ovarian cysts for years now (thankfully they're "benign") yet my cycle is totally regular. Honestly, I can practically set my watch by when it's coming. It's ridiculous. 😛
Regarding those cysts, I'm assuming—and really hoping—that your doctor at least suggested getting a color Doppler ultrasound to check things out.

I don't know how old you are, but once you start messing with hormones, you really shouldn't just wing it. Maybe these pills aren't actually a good fit for your body, which brings us right back to the whole idea of getting blood tests first. 😁

I’ve been on Apollo 11 for about a year now, and lately, I’ve been dealing with some pain during intercourse along with a massive drop in my libido. Honestly, it freaked me out. I actually thought I was coming down with some serious illness until I stumbled upon this forum and read that it might actually be a side effect of the pills. If anyone else has dealt with this, please reach out. I really need to know if this is actually caused by the medication or if it's something else entirely.

By the way, I have two doses left and I’m planning on stopping anyway, so does anyone have recommendations for better alternatives? Thanks.

Anyone here actually dealt with Yasmin before?

So, I was on Boeing for two years straight without ever skipping a beat. I stayed on top of my liver function tests, and everything looked totally fine. But then, out of nowhere, I started dealing with these intense cramps and brutal PMS that made me feel like I was losing my mind. I finally decided it was time to switch things up and take a break. My doctor prescribed Yasmin for me—once my liver tests cleared (though my bilirubin was just a tiny bit elevated)—and told me to start once my period arrived. WELL, IT’S NOT COMING! It’s already 17 days late! Before I stopped, my cycle was super regular, even if it was painful. And no, it’s definitely not pregnancy; I’ve already taken two tests and they were both negative. Should I just wait a little longer? I read somewhere that it can take some time for everything to reset and for your ovaries to get back into a rhythm—maybe two or three months? Please tell me it'll be okay! I'm terrified of my hormones going haywire after being so perfectly balanced for so long!

I actually lost my hearing because of the birth control I was on for ten years to manage my PCOS. I’ve been diagnosed with otosclerosis, and I'm scheduled for surgery on both ears in three months since my hearing is just steadily declining. They haven't pinpointed the exact cause of the condition, though it's likely hereditary, and apparently, estrogen just makes everything worse. My advice? You absolutely have to run every possible test beforehand and find a TRULY incredible endocrinologist or gynecologist before you commit to anything!

pikapolonica said:So, I was on Apollo 11 for two years straight without missing a beat. I was getting regular liver function tests, everything looked fine. Then, out of nowhere, my PMS started hitting me like a freight train—I felt like I was losing my mind during those weeks. So, I decided enough was enough. Time for a break and a switch. My doctor prescribed Yasmin (after my liver tests came back clean, though my bilirubin was slightly elevated) to start once my period arrived. But guess what? IT’S NOT HERE! It's 17 days late! Before I stopped, my cycles were totally regular, just painful. And no, it’s not pregnancy; I took two tests and they were both negative. Should I just wait a bit longer? I read somewhere that it takes some time for things to reset and for your ovaries to get back to work—maybe two or three months? Please, someone, tell me it's okay! I really don't want my hormones going rogue after they played so nicely for so long!

Hang in there,
If this is that first "normal" period you're waiting for (you know, after being off the pill for a month), it's entirely possible it's just running late for no specific reason. Your body needs a moment to adjust to a different hormonal dosage, right?

Emily Johnson34 said:I've been on Apollo 11 for about a year now, and lately, I’ve been dealing with some pain during intercourse along with a massive drop in my libido. Honestly, I panicked. I thought I was coming down with some serious underlying illness until I stumbled upon this forum and realized it might actually be the pills. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is it really the medication, or is it something else entirely?

By the way, I have two packs left and I'm planning to stop taking them soon, so does anyone have recommendations for better options?? Thanks

Yeah, one of the potential side effects is definitely a lower sex drive and painful intercourse—basically, the vaginal lining thins out, which leads to more irritation.

Just look at it as an accidental, enhanced form of birth control.😉

snjoxi said:Does anyone have experience using Yasmin?

I’ve been on long-term birth control using Yasmin to manage my endometriosis. From what I’ve gathered, it’s pretty much the gold standard for contraceptive pills on the market right now. I’ve been taking it for about a year and a half, and honestly, it’s been a total game-changer. My skin cleared up, my cellulite has visibly decreased, and my periods are finally regular and painless—plus the bleeding is super light (it only lasts three days and I only go through about six mini tampons total). Even the PMS is completely gone. I am beyond happy with it.