Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Look, not all antibiotics are created to interfere with hormone levels from birth control pills. There is a real possibility that the contraceptive effect might be compromised during treatment. However, taking a break between packs won't weaken the protection, since you aren't ovulating during that gap anyway. For total peace of mind—just use a condom or stick to abstinence.😁

silverrider2 said:And honestly, I’m mostly asking because there isn't a direct link available. Someone just started this rumor online—you know, the "I heard it through the grapevine" type of thing. That’s why I want to dig into it. I haven't stumbled upon anything negative about them yet, aside from people just spreading hearsay... Look, they work fine for me, but I don't want to wake up one morning realizing I've accidentally invited a whole new set of issues into my life...
It’s not like you can just pick these up over the counter here either, so I had to get a little creative 😁 since they’re quite affordable.
Wait, hold on—which ones are you saying aren't primarily intended for contraception? Are we talking Diane or Novynette?

Diane

silentwolf53 said:So, which OHC is actually covered under the supplemental list by the SSA here in the States? I’m currently on Yaz, and honestly, it works fine for me—it’s just that the price tag is way over $33. Looking at these other options, they seem to be around 30-$13, which makes for a pretty noticeable difference...

Lindynette

I'm realizing now that I don't even really know what Novynette is—I only know Lindynette 🤷

On the standard Trinovum-ne plan, you're looking at a paid service. It’s just like how most of the premium subscriptions work these days—you get the core features, but if you want to keep things running smoothly without any hiccups, there's a cost involved. Think of it like a basic gym membership; you pay the entry fee to get through the door and access the equipment.
On top of that, there’s Lindynette.

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could share their experience regarding how long it took for your menstrual cycle to regulate after you finally decided to 'get off' birth control?

So, here’s the deal—I was supposed to start my next pack of birth control on September 6th, but it didn't happen. I ran into some issues, plus my prescription actually expired and I just couldn't make it into the clinic in time, so I ended up being forced into this little break... which is weird because I've been on Logest continuously for about three years now. While I was taking the Logest, my cycle was always super predictable at exactly 28 days, so I was fully expecting my period to show up right around now, twenty-eight days later.
We haven't had sex, at least not during what I calculated to be my fertile window... specifically on October 1st, we did a little playful flirting, but nothing more than that, and I was pretty certain those weren't my peak days anyway.
But since my period still hasn't arrived, I'm starting to get a bit anxious... 😢
I actually went in for my regular checkup and an ultrasound back on September 28th, and everything looked perfectly fine then.

It just crossed my mind—could my cycle be dragging on simply because I'm not on the pill anymore? Has anyone else dealt with something like this before?
Before I ever started using oral contraceptives, my cycle definitely used to run longer than 28 days...

60 🤦goldentinker79

Gotten some Duphaston too... and things just kept going that way for the next few months...

😲 Scott Campbell53, wait, are you serious?!
How long were you actually on that hormone therapy before? And did you have any other diagnoses going on at the same time, like maybe PCOS or something else entirely?
Also, how do you even take Duphaston... is it once a month just like the hormone stuff, or is there a specific schedule you have to follow??

Because, see, back when I wasn't dealing with all this, my periods used to be super regular and predictable, though I guess there were those rare times where things ran about 3 or 4 days late, but honestly, that was pretty unusual for me...

She actually had cycles roughly every 30 days, though they definitely existed. It was pretty rare for her to skip one!
I was on Duphaston for 10 days, then stopped and waited for my period. If you take Dodega, it’s the same deal—you stop and wait.

Her first cycle was 60 days, the second was 50, so she ended up getting Duphaston from day 16 to 25. She also had some tiny cysts showing up on her last ultrasound.

I was on Triquilar for three years, and my doctor says having cycles like this after taking it for so long is unfortunately super common...

I was on Celest for years before deciding to take two breaks from it.
In both instances, my first period arrived after about 30 days, followed by two months of absolutely nothing.
Naturally, both times were a total wreck; even though my cycle hadn't started, the PMS just lingered and lingered and lingered the entire time! 🙂
I’ve never dealt with anything more difficult.

Regarding libido, I lost it entirely while taking Logest. I mentioned it to my OB-GYN, who switched me over to Celest, which seemed fine at the time.😍

I'm convinced libido is directly tied to these pills and how our bodies actually process them.

This isn't an ad, but I discovered Patentex Oval about three years ago and essentially said goodbye to hormonal pills for good.
Ladies, you might want to look into that method... personally, I highly recommend it.☕

Jeffrey Walker3 said:She actually had cycles roughly every 30 days, though they definitely existed. It was pretty rare for her to skip one!
I was on Duphaston for 10 days, then stopped and waited for my period. If you take Dodega, it’s the same deal—you stop and wait.

Her first cycle was 60 days, the second was 50, so she ended up getting Duphaston from day 16 to 25. She also had some tiny cysts showing up on her last ultrasound.

I was on Triquilar for three years, and my doctor says having cycles like this after taking it for so long is unfortunately super common...

Oh man, seriously...
I already went ahead and bought Logest, thinking everything would be totally fine.

Actually, I had a break once before—I was on Yasmine for a few months—and my period came back completely normal. So maybe this is just happening because I've been on them for so long :/
What do you think I should do regarding when to call the OBGYN? How long should I wait for my period to show up before I start worrying? 🤷

Lara, about those two months you missed—were you taking Duphaston then too, or did you manage to get your period 'normally' without it?
And regarding Logest, you've really planted a seed of doubt in my head now... I felt like my libido had dropped a bit too, but since I'm constantly under pressure with college exams and all these life shenanigans, I just blamed it on all that stress.
Do you happen to remember how much Celesta cost?

I was just Googling Patentex Oval, and oh my gosh, I want it so bad. I feel like I developed cellulite from being on pills (I know, it's not just them, but I'm pretty sure they played a part)...😢
Can you tell me how many vaginal tablets come in one pack of that Patentex stuff?

So my doctor told me to wait 35 days for my period, and if it doesn't show up, then I should give them a call...

And honestly, being on those Libido pills totally killed my drive, too.

Lara, when you missed your period for two months—did you use Duphaston to get it back, or did you just wait it out "normally"?
Regarding Logest, you’ve actually given me something to chew on. I felt like my libido took a hit too, but since I was constantly under the gun with college exams and all sorts of life chaos, I just chalked it up to stress.
Do you remember how much Celesta used to go for?

I was just Googling Patentex Oval—honestly, sign me up. I developed cellulite while on the pill; I know, it’s not solely their fault, but I’m fairly certain they played a significant role.😢
Can you tell me how many vaginal suppositories come in one pack of that Patentex stuff?

As for Celesta, it was $50 but you could get three packs for that price... at least that's how I remember it. So, one box was roughly $17. The only catch was they packaged it so you could buy a single strip for one month, which cost about 60-$23, or a box with three strips for three months, which went for $50.
Personally, Celesta worked wonders for me. With Logest, I dealt with nighttime nausea and leg cramps. If you start noticing those symptoms, head to your gynecologist immediately because that can be dangerous... honestly, with Logest, my libido was the least of my worries.😲
After I stopped taking Celesta, my period came naturally without any hormone pills, though as I mentioned, I skipped two cycles. If I hadn't gotten it for one more month, I probably would have reached for Duphaston too.

Patentex Oval
There are 12 tablets in a pack. It seems like a small amount at first glance, but I assume you aren't having sex multiple times a day or every single day anyway.🤣
That’s plenty for me for the whole month. If we happen to be in an exceptionally good mood and run short—well, there's always a condom.😍
There’s an entire thread on this forum dedicated specifically to Patentex. I even left details about which pharmacy in the city sells it, but from what I can see, they ship via mail if you don't live in the metro area.
By the way, the boxes cost $25, but trust me, anti-cellulite treatments cost way, way more.🧐

Ever since I started using this, I feel like a new woman! No more cellulite, no more suicidal PMS like I had on the pills—everything is fine, completely natural and safe.
It’s a shame they don't advertise it; most women have no idea this product exists, so we just keep swallowing hormones and wrecking our own bodies.
Good luck!

Hey, so I’m thinking about finally seeing a gynecologist to talk about birth control and hopefully get a prescription, but does that mean I absolutely have to get blood work done first, or what? 😢 I’m really not a fan of needles or getting my blood drawn. I just want to start taking them so I don't end up with a massive bloated stomach right when my friend's wedding rolls around next year... Plus, I definitely don't want to pack on any extra pounds from them. It seems like half of you guys are posting about gaining weight the second you started your pills anyway...

dustybison12 said:Hey, so I’m thinking about finally seeing a gynecologist to talk about birth control and hopefully get a prescription, but does that mean I absolutely have to get blood work done first, or what? 😢 I’m really not a fan of needles or getting my blood drawn. I just want to start taking them so I don't end up with a massive bloated stomach right when my friend's wedding rolls around next year... Plus, I definitely don't want to pack on any extra pounds from them. It seems like half of you guys are posting about gaining weight the second you started your pills anyway...

Yeah, a decent doctor will probably order blood tests—it’s not exactly a nightmare, honestly, it takes maybe a minute 🙂. A friend of mine had a doctor prescribe Diane without any prior testing or blood work, and two weeks later she was dealing with brutal side effects—headaches, wild mood swings, and acne that hasn't cleared up even a year later. She stopped immediately and found a different doctor who actually took the necessary precautions before prescribing anything.
As for the weight gain, I guess it's pretty much down to the individual. You might put on a pound or two, but nothing too crazy should happen, maybe 🤷

Paul Rivera said:Yeah, a decent doctor will probably order blood tests—it’s not exactly a nightmare, honestly, it takes maybe a minute 🙂. A friend of mine had a doctor prescribe Diane without any prior testing or blood work, and two weeks later she was dealing with brutal side effects—headaches, wild mood swings, and acne that hasn't cleared up even a year later. She stopped immediately and found a different doctor who actually took the necessary precautions before prescribing anything.
As for the weight gain, I guess it's pretty much down to the individual. You might put on a pound or two, but nothing too crazy should happen, maybe 🤷

Honestly, the weight gain thing sounds way worse to me than getting blood drawn. I'm about 140 lbs and 5'6", and I'm being super careful with my diet right now. I actually dropped a few pounds this week—was at 141, now I'm down to 140—and now I'm low-key stressed that it'll all just come back. I wasn't really obsessed with my weight before, but I'm getting married in a year and I definitely don't want to feel like a balloon. :/

dustybison12 said:Honestly, the weight gain thing sounds way worse to me than getting blood drawn. I'm about 140 lbs and 5'6", and I'm being super careful with my diet right now. I actually dropped a few pounds this week—was at 141, now I'm down to 140—and now I'm low-key stressed that it'll all just come back. I wasn't really obsessed with my weight before, but I'm getting married in a year and I definitely don't want to feel like a balloon. :/

It's actually the exact opposite for me. I could probably use a few extra pounds since I'm sitting at 105 lbs and 5'7". 🙄 I should probably start taking Yaz in a few weeks, so I'll let you know which side effects decide to show up. 😉 I mean, if the check-up goes well, I doubt there will be any massive weight gain; maybe there'll be a difference, but I guess it wouldn't even be noticeable. 🙂

So, real talk from my experience—I didn't actually gain any weight while on the pills... I only put on the pounds once I stopped taking them! 🤷

Paul Rivera said:It's actually the exact opposite for me. I could probably use a few extra pounds since I'm sitting at 105 lbs and 5'7". 🙄 I should probably start taking Yaz in a few weeks, so I'll let you know which side effects decide to show up. 😉 I mean, if the check-up goes well, I doubt there will be any massive weight gain; maybe there'll be a difference, but I guess it wouldn't even be noticeable. 🙂

Taking OHK finally gave me exactly the kicks I was missing.
Used to be 110 lbs at 5'7". Now I'm hovering around 125-130, and honestly, I've been stuck there for over three years. Didn't just jump from 110 to 130 overnight, though—took a little while to get there. 👍

So, did anyone here switch from Logest to Lindynette 20?
Lindynette 20 is on the Social Security list and getting paid. $11Yeah, and they’ve got the exact same hormone levels.
I haven't had any side effects from Logest, and honestly, I still don't.

dustybison12 said:Hey, so I’m thinking about finally seeing a gynecologist to talk about birth control and hopefully get a prescription, but does that mean I absolutely have to get blood work done first, or what? 😢 I’m really not a fan of needles or getting my blood drawn. I just want to start taking them so I don't end up with a massive bloated stomach right when my friend's wedding rolls around next year... Plus, I definitely don't want to pack on any extra pounds from them. It seems like half of you guys are posting about gaining weight the second you started your pills anyway...

They only run blood tests to check if your clotting factors are functioning normally.
From what I understand, they aren't even checking hormone levels; it's strictly about making sure you aren't at risk for blood clots (thrombosis).
Modern pills use such low doses of hormones that you probably won't gain actual weight, but since they can cause water retention—you’ll likely deal with some cellulite.🤷

Kate Baker5 said:They only run blood tests to check if your clotting factors are functioning normally.
From what I understand, they aren't even checking hormone levels; it's strictly about making sure you aren't at risk for blood clots (thrombosis).
Modern pills use such low doses of hormones that you probably won't gain actual weight, but since they can cause water retention—you’ll likely deal with some cellulite.🤷

Plus, get a liver panel done. You only bother with hormone testing if there's an actual issue to address.

Just wanted to check in and let you guys know that my period finally showed up 🤣
So, after waiting through a 34-day cycle during this break, I'm actually getting back on track today and starting up with the Logest again 🙏