Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Lindynette is on the supplemental list, so the participation fee is already baked into the price of the medication.
Since recurring prescriptions are strictly reserved for chronic treatments—specifically medications you've been using for a while now—it makes sense that you'll need a fresh e-prescription every month for your meds.

swiftbear86 said:Birth control pills aren't covered by Medicare right now, so you can't use an e-prescription for them (at least not yet). Your doctor has to write out a private prescription and specify how many refills you get. Just keep in mind those prescriptions are only valid for up to 180 days.

Diane isn't classified as birth control under Medicare; it's treated as a therapy for specific diagnoses. Because of that, you're only allowed one refill.

Federal prescribing regulations... NN 82/10

Which specific pills are you talking about?

Is this under the new rules? So, does that mean the ones that used to be valid for 12 months are now only good for 6?

So my OB-GYN gave me this tiny little prescription for Novynette, and when I went to the pharmacy, they just stamped the same slip and scribbled down the date I picked up my first pack. It’s good for six months, I guess. My insurance doesn't cover anything for this, so it's all on me...

Laura Mendoza said:Is this under the new rules? So, does that mean the ones that used to be valid for 12 months are now only good for 6?

The regulations actually date back to 2010.
Basically, a prescription is valid for however many refills the doctor specifies, and they can prescribe a course of treatment for up to 180 days. This means if the doctor doesn't explicitly write down the number of refills, the prescription is only good for a single pickup.
Most doctors are pretty used to how this works, so they’ll usually note things like "3 months" or "6 months" right on the script—for example, specifying up to 5 refills, which would total 6 boxes of medication. Once a prescription has been fully filled, the pharmacy is required to keep it on file in their archives.

Bottom line: if you're holding onto a prescription that’s older than six months, you should probably touch base with your doctor to get a fresh one.

It’s not an issue for me right now, just like it wasn't two months ago. Assuming I don't run into any hiccups, I should be fine for another two months until November. If things do go sideways, I'll just send my old lady to the pharmacy and she can pick it up without any trouble. Honestly, I already asked them about a new prescription back in January because I lost the old one.

I feel completely lost regarding this whole new system involving contraceptive pills. I stopped taking my Diane prescription back in month six, and now, here I am, dealing with incredibly heavy periods, my skin has taken a terrible turn for the worse, and I’m experiencing discharge almost every other day—sometimes even spotting. I suppose I really ought to call a gynecologist (would a private practice be okay?) to have them prescribe a new regimen. Is that even possible, considering I haven't even hit the six-month mark since stopping?

It’s entirely possible, unless Diane has some specialized break system in place—though I'm sure the ladies who actually know the ins and outs of Diane would have a better handle on that.

P.S. I picked up my pills today using the "old school" prescription without any issues at all. 🙂

Hey!! I need some advice... So, I was prescribed Lindynette 30, but it's not for preventing pregnancy—it's for cycle regulation. My periods are irregular, and my doctor suggested these pills, but since I also deal with epilepsy, how smart is that actually?
Has anyone here dealt with this before? Please help!

Paul Smith16 said:Hey!! I need some advice... So, I was prescribed Lindynette 30, but it's not for preventing pregnancy—it's for cycle regulation. My periods are irregular, and my doctor suggested these pills, but since I also deal with epilepsy, how smart is that actually?
Has anyone here dealt with this before? Please help!

Look, if the doctor who prescribed the Lindynette actually knows about your epilepsy and is aware of your current treatment plan, then just take them. If they don't know, go back and tell them immediately. Simple as that. Best regards.

Has anyone made the jump from Diane 35 to Yaz? Any experiences? 🙂

Greetings. I took Cilest yesterday at 7:00 PM, but then I caught a stomach bug and have been dealing with vomiting and diarrhea since about 1:33 AM. I am wondering if the tablet was actually absorbed, or if I should take another dose—honestly, I’m just lost because everyone online seems to have a different opinion. I recall seeing somewhere in the Cilest instructions that if the vomiting and diarrhea last less than 12 hours, you should take a new tablet, but if they persist longer, you need to consult a doctor. It is quite inconvenient timing, considering it's the weekend. 🙂

Taylor Smith3 said:Greetings. I took Cilest yesterday at 7:00 PM, but then I caught a stomach bug and have been dealing with vomiting and diarrhea since about 1:33 AM. I am wondering if the tablet was actually absorbed, or if I should take another dose—honestly, I’m just lost because everyone online seems to have a different opinion. I recall seeing somewhere in the Cilest instructions that if the vomiting and diarrhea last less than 12 hours, you should take a new tablet, but if they persist longer, you need to consult a doctor. It is quite inconvenient timing, considering it's the weekend. 🙂

According to the medication leaflet, if the vomiting and diarrhea last more than 12 hours, you really need to use a backup non-hormonal method of contraception. You'll need to stick with that until you've completed 7 DAYS IN A ROW of taking your pills regularly. Just follow that "7-day rule." 😁

swiftbear86 said:According to the medication leaflet, if the vomiting and diarrhea last more than 12 hours, you really need to use a backup non-hormonal method of contraception. You'll need to stick with that until you've completed 7 DAYS IN A ROW of taking your pills regularly. Just follow that "7-day rule." 😁

I am hoping it lasted only 🤔 7 hours. I haven't vomited again today. Not yet.

Taylor Smith3 said:Greetings. I took Cilest yesterday at 7:00 PM, but then I caught a stomach bug and have been dealing with vomiting and diarrhea since about 1:33 AM. I am wondering if the tablet was actually absorbed, or if I should take another dose—honestly, I’m just lost because everyone online seems to have a different opinion. I recall seeing somewhere in the Cilest instructions that if the vomiting and diarrhea last less than 12 hours, you should take a new tablet, but if they persist longer, you need to consult a doctor. It is quite inconvenient timing, considering it's the weekend. 🙂

There’s a very real possibility we're looking at insufficient absorption here. You really should take what northernfalcon30 said to heart—she’s spot on. And look, if you happened to toss the instructions that came with the Cilest, don't just sit there; go find them online immediately. Seriously, do yourself a favor. Best regards.

I’ve got a question about birth control pills.
So, I was supposed to take the first active pill in my pack around midnight last night—but I totally blanked. I just took the missed one now, though (meaning I haven't even taken today's dose yet, the 2nd pill). Does this mess with my protection if I go back to taking them at midnight every night from here on out and just don't have sex through the end of the week (Friday, Saturday)?
Basically, I ended up extending my four-day break by an extra day. Does that significantly impact how protected I am?

Hey, I need some advice here.
About three and a half weeks ago (June 9th), I started taking Trinovum birth control. I’ve been super consistent with them and everything seemed fine, but then today my period just showed up.
Yesterday it was just some brown spotting, but today it turned into a full-on period. From what I understand, I shouldn't be seeing this until my seven-day break, which doesn't start until Tuesday.
Is it normal to get my period this early—like, five days ahead of schedule? Could it just be because I only recently started the pill? And should I just keep taking them as usual, or what?
Thanks for the help! 🙂

Just keep going. This sort of thing happens quite frequently during the initial phase—sometimes even throughout the first few months, or so they say, though I personally never dealt with it. As long as you haven't skipped a single pill, your protection remains intact. You really only need to call the gynecologist if the bleeding becomes excessively heavy or simply refuses to stop. Essentially, you might experience a heavier flow now, followed by some spotting, and then more bleeding during your break week... it’s all perfectly normal. However, if this persists into your second pack, it might be an indication that these specific pills are just too weak for your system, in which case you should definitely check in with your doctor. In my estimation, what will happen is exactly what I described: a heavier period now, and then more bleeding during the off-cycle.

My gynecologist put me on Lindynette 20 for a six-month course. I’ve been taking them for two months now, and up until today, everything seemed perfectly fine.
However, my period arrived today—it’s the third day of my break, which is normal—but the cramps are absolutely unbearable. Honestly, the pain feels even more intense than it did before I started this treatment.
I need some perspective. Should I head back to the doctor and ask for a higher hormone dose, or should I just push through and finish the remaining four months of this therapy?

If I were in your shoes, I’d stick with the therapy for now. Every cycle is its own unique beast. When you weren't on the pill, your periods probably felt pretty predictable—roughly the same length and pain level every time—but even then, there are always those outliers where one month is heavy, another is light, or the cramps just hit differently. If you truly never dealt with any discomfort before starting the pill, I’d suggest waiting out one more month before deciding to switch to a different brand.

Laura Mendoza said:If I were in your shoes, I’d stick with the therapy for now. Every cycle is its own unique beast. When you weren't on the pill, your periods probably felt pretty predictable—roughly the same length and pain level every time—but even then, there are always those outliers where one month is heavy, another is light, or the cramps just hit differently. If you truly never dealt with any discomfort before starting the pill, I’d suggest waiting out one more month before deciding to switch to a different brand.

Well, it actually always hurt. 😁
Thanks for the advice. I’ll finish this course and then ask my doctor for a prescription for something different during my follow-up appointment. 🙂