Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I’d just dive right in and start taking them immediately—just watch your step for the first week or so and you should be fine.🤷

Physical intimacy isn't on the table right now since we're long-distance; it won't happen before Christmas.🤣I'm more concerned about whether my cycle will be disrupted by the upcoming volume change. It shouldn't, though. Today, tomorrow, whatever—it’s just part of the routine, right?😁

Not gonna happen, don't even worry about it 😉

steeljackal11 said:Does anyone have a recommendation for which test is best? Also, I've been noticing some thick, clumpy discharge lately, though I know that's usually pretty typical right before my period starts.

Honestly, I’m not sure about the tests either. Pretty sure there’s a thread somewhere on this forum covering that too..

Anthony Watson7 said:Physical intimacy isn't on the table right now since we're long-distance; it won't happen before Christmas.🤣I'm more concerned about whether my cycle will be disrupted by the upcoming volume change. It shouldn't, though. Today, tomorrow, whatever—it’s just part of the routine, right?😁

Well then, just say so.
😬

Anyway, you can start birth control on basically any day. It doesn't have to be the first day of your period, though it might throw your cycle off a little bit..

Now, doctors usually don't recommend that for women who are actually expecting their period soon, regardless of how long their cycle is. But personally, I hadn't had one in like 4 or 5 months, and an ultrasound showed I wasn't due for a while, so I just started whenever I felt like it. Oh joy. 😍 🤣

😁 So, I haven't had my period for two months. My doctor told me to start taking this supplement on day one because her ultrasound showed a corpus luteum or whatever. She claimed it would trigger a natural cycle. Well, it’s day eleven since that scan and she called it—though instead of a full-on period, it’s more like heavy spotting. Still, I’m counting it. Plus, it saves me a fortune on tampons.😂/

So, I was over at the clinic today for my follicle tracking ultrasound, and honestly, I’m just feeling so lost right now... It’s only day five of my cycle, and I’ve already spent the last five days pumping myself full of Decapeptyl and taking six Gonal-F shots, but today the doctor basically told me everything is a wash because they spotted a polyp and nothing else looks right, so we’re just stopping the whole process entirely... What’s really messing with my head is that I spent two months on Lindynette specifically to calm down my ovaries, hoping that once I started the hormone injections, things would actually go better since I have PCOS... But Dr. Gin told me today that my period might show up in a week or two, or maybe three, who even knows at this point... Personally, I don't buy it, because there aren't even any follicles developed yet, just two faint little shadows appearing... The response has been so incredibly weak this time compared to how much better everything looked during my last round... Now I’m sitting here wondering if it’s okay to start back on birth control pills starting today, since I took my last pill on November 18th and it's been ten days since my break ended... Would I be causing some kind of issue if I just started them again right now? If I had finished the pack normally, the last dose would've been December 17th and I would've expected my period around the 21st, or maybe a day later... I'm just worried my cycle will get thrown completely out of whack again if I don't stay on them... Plus, after all those expensive injections, I feel like I have absolutely nothing to show for it... help me out here, guys...

I honestly think Lindynette might be a bit too weak to handle everything in just two months. Usually, doctors recommend Diane for PCOS issues..

Hi there,

So, on November 2nd, I started my very first pack of Yaz pills because of PCOS.
After just a few days, I noticed this dark brown discharge, and it’s been happening ever since (and today I’m on my second placebo pill), but my actual period still hasn't arrived.
On day 20, things got confusing. I honestly can't remember if I actually swallowed the pill or not. I know I took it out of the pack, but I don't know if I actually took it, or if I dropped it somewhere, or if I just set it aside while making some tea and forgot.🤷 (I looked for it later once I realized I wasn't sure, but I couldn't find it anywhere). I mentioned this on the Yaz thread before, and people suggested maybe I just took it on autopilot and didn't register it, but I really don't know. Anyway, that same day, right before I was supposed to take the 20th pill, I had sex (we used protection, though I'm not sure if we checked everything thoroughly enough). Since my period hasn't come yet (today is day 2 of the placebo) and I'm still dealing with this dark brown discharge, I'm starting to get pretty worried. I'm also feeling nauseous—not like I'm going to throw up, but just a general sense of feeling unwell, similar to that pressure you feel right before a period starts, except then nothing happens. Since I'm totally new to all of this, I have no idea if I should be panicking or not. If I really did miss that pill, am I still protected? I just don't know anymore... I'd love to hear what you guys think. 😢

Honestly, my mood while on Lindinet has been absolutely trashed, and the results are definitely showing... plus, the whole thing with the Gonal-f is just a total side effect, which is clearly stated right there in the manual. All I can say is that these past two months of taking Lindinet have been pure hell, seriously messing with my head, and I’ve felt everything from constant restlessness to this weird state that just doesn't feel like me at all... I really hate it, but I just pushed through and tried to stay positive, though I honestly don't know if these symptoms will finally vanish if I push through a third month, but man, they are just awful, at least for me...

Sandra Wells87 said:Honestly, my mood while on Lindinet has been absolutely trashed, and the results are definitely showing... plus, the whole thing with the Gonal-f is just a total side effect, which is clearly stated right there in the manual. All I can say is that these past two months of taking Lindinet have been pure hell, seriously messing with my head, and I’ve felt everything from constant restlessness to this weird state that just doesn't feel like me at all... I really hate it, but I just pushed through and tried to stay positive, though I honestly don't know if these symptoms will finally vanish if I push through a third month, but man, they are just awful, at least for me...

Probably not. Even after four boxes, mine are still doing the same thing. They even show up during my period when I'm not even taking them... you really feel the difference. Those pills are just gross, seriously gross.🙂

Hey, I was just sitting here thinking about how much everything seems to be changing lately, you know? It feels like one of those moments where you’re just standing on the edge of something huge, and honestly, it’s kind of overwhelming if I’m being real with you... like, one minute you’re totally comfortable in your routine, and the next, the whole landscape shifts under your feet and you're left wondering which way is even up anymore... it’s wild, really... kaže:
Honestly, I don't think they'd even work for me, because I've already burned through four whole boxes and I'm still dealing with the exact same issues... and the worst part is, they're still hanging around even during my period when I'm not even taking them. You can really feel the difference there. These pills are just awful, seriously, absolutely groooove... 🙂

Honestly, whether you go for the heavy stuff or just keep it chill, you’re totally right about this... I mean, I’m staring at all these options and I honestly have no clue which ones to tackle next, so maybe I'll just rotate through them every month and see what sticks...🤦I’m just sitting here thinking and chewing on this idea... like, wouldn't it be absolutely amazing if we could actually have stuff that works for a regular cycle, you know? Like, yeah, they might make you feel a little crazy or out of it sometimes, but honestly, everything we eat these days feels totally processed and full of junk anyway... so who cares, right? Man, I am so incredibly jealous of anyone who doesn't have to deal with all this monthly madness...

Carl Thompson6 said:I'm thinking about stopping my birth control pills, but would it be an issue if I don't finish the whole pack?

Nah, it’s not a "problem" per se, except you’ll probably start bleeding almost immediately once you quit—and then your actual period will show up whenever it feels like it later on...

My OB-GYN actually told me to stop taking them because of some cysts that had grown way too large—so I stopped, and let me tell you, I was bleeding for nearly 15 days straight... partly from quitting and partly because my period finally hit. Then my doctor basically pulled me right back onto the pill with this look on his face, like, "What on earth were you thinking? Why would you get off these if they're bothering you?"—basically telling me I shouldn't have stopped in the first place... so yeah, he put me back on them (dealing with PCOS)...

Have any new birth control pills "come out" lately? The last thing I used was Yaz, and honestly, I haven't heard anything since... what are you guys using, if there’s even anything new? Any specific symptoms to watch for? Yaz worked pretty well for me before, but lately, it hasn't been hitting the mark, so I'm thinking about maybe trying something stronger... or just something newer...

Jamie Thompson2 said:Have any new birth control pills "come out" lately? The last thing I used was Yaz, and honestly, I haven't heard anything since... what are you guys using, if there’s even anything new? Any specific symptoms to watch for? Yaz worked pretty well for me before, but lately, it hasn't been hitting the mark, so I'm thinking about maybe trying something stronger... or just something newer...

I already replied to you on the Yaz thread. Honestly, if your current ones aren't cutting it, just ask your OB-GYN about other options—there are tons out there and some will definitely suit you better. As for going "stronger," unless you’re dealing with breakthrough bleeding, there’s really no point in upgrading. It won't magically clear up your skin or make your chest bigger than what the lower doses could do. Actually, my skin gets a bit worse on the stronger stuff—maybe it's stress, who knows—but I can't go back to the lighter ones because then I deal with spotting for like 15 days straight. You should be glad you don't have that issue and that you're on the milder stuff 😉.

Jamie Thompson2 said:Have any new birth control pills "come out" lately? The last thing I used was Yaz, and honestly, I haven't heard anything since... what are you guys using, if there’s even anything new? Any specific symptoms to watch for? Yaz worked pretty well for me before, but lately, it hasn't been hitting the mark, so I'm thinking about maybe trying something stronger... or just something newer...

In the same ballpark as Yaz, you’ve got Yasmine, Triquilar, Lindynette, and a few others (can't recall the names right now), which are actually what they suggested I look into this coming September.

If you’re looking for something newer or easier than Yaz, you should look at Novynette or Lindy 20.

Yasmin isn't any newer, and it certainly isn't "easier." Neither is Triquilar.
And let's be real—Yaz isn't easy either.

Don't get me wrong—I'm not trying to be difficult here—but ladies, please, do a little actual research. Stop blindly swallowing whatever someone tells you is the "easy way out" just because they said so. Yaz contains 3 mg of progesterone components. For comparison, Lindy has 0.020, and Novynette sits at 0.15.

I’m saying this with nothing but good intentions, mostly because I was just as clueless a few years back. I jumped on Yasmin before Yaz was even an option simply because people claimed it was the easiest route. Truth is, Yasmin is more than enough to handle a heavy case of PCOS. Back then, we had things like Logest, which has basically the same formula as Lindy.
The thing is, the expensive stuff is always what gets marketed and recommended. Yaz is easily the most expensive pill on the market. And you really think that makes it the easiest? 🙄

Alright, I'm about to go pick up a copy of 'Medicine for Dummies,' because honestly, I have zero clue what any of these medical terms mean, and clearly, I can't expect my OB-GYN to explain it all in plain English. ☕

Look, I was just trying to be helpful by posting something—honestly, you don't need to be so snarky about it.🤷

And if you actually can't grasp the difference between 3 mg and 0.15 mg, then there’s really nothing more I can do for you.

Look, let’s just use "Dr. PhD" or whatever fancy title we need to get on the same page here regarding which dosage works for what. And no, I wasn't being sarcastic—I genuinely have no clue.

My post was basically a response to that whole "women, please educate yourselves" crowd. Because apparently, if my OB-GYN gave me bad info, that's entirely on me. Personally, I trust Google about as much as I trust the old lady across the street who swears my iron levels will skyrocket if I turn my house key three times left and three times right every single morning.

I made it very clear that I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about my intentions here ☕

Look, everything—and I mean absolutely everything—available on the US market right now is considered low-dose because they all contain 0.035 mg of ethinyl estradiol or less. That includes something like Diane. I’m pointing this out because when people talk about how "mild" a pill is, they’re basing that entirely on the estrogen component.

Pills containing just 0.020 mg of ethinyl estradiol are what you'd call ultra-low-dose, since that’s essentially the absolute minimum amount of estrogen you can have without completely compromising the contraceptive effectiveness.

That’s exactly what I meant by "do your research." Just because Yaz has 0.020 mg of estrogen doesn't automatically make it the easiest pill to tolerate. It packs 3 mg of progestin, and honestly, that’s not a small amount at all.

Now, drospirenone—which is in both Yaz and Yasmin—is actually pretty cool and innovative because it acts as a diuretic, so you shouldn't deal with things like water retention, bloating, or weight gain—at least, that's the theory.
On top of that, drospirenone is a very potent antiandrogen.
So, my logic is this: if you aren't dealing with PCOS, acne, or irregular cycles and you just need birth control, why on earth would you take such a heavy-duty antiandrogen?

And no, I’m not getting my info from some random Google search—I get it from doctors in my family and my circle of friends. My own OB-GYN too, though I always look for a second opinion. At the end of the day, we're talking about my own health.
I actually switched from Yasmin to Novynette myself after looking into how drospirenone works. And hey, don't get mad at me—you don't need a PhD to put a little effort into researching something you're literally swallowing every single day.

I didn't write all this to play Mr. Doctor PhD or whatever; I wrote it because I think people should actually investigate and ask questions instead of just blindly following one person's opinion as if it were gospel.

And btw, if you check the FDA website, there’s an actual warning out there for Yaz users.