Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Honestly, I think birth control is way too personal for anyone on here to give you a "guaranteed" recommendation. You might get lucky, sure, but it’s basically a roll of the dice.
Besides, getting advice from random people online is pretty much the same as listening to your doctor—nobody actually knows how your specific body is going to react to certain pills. Even the ones everyone raves about have stories of girls who had a terrible time with them, or vice versa.

For me, Lindynette 20 was okay—or, let's be real, less awful than the others. But then again, I didn't really struggle with acne on any of them, whereas every single brand I've tried so far absolutely nuked my libido.

🙂

Help, I really need some advice 🙂

I’ve been on the pill for quite a while now, and I’m usually incredibly consistent about it... but today, I completely blanked. I was supposed to start my next three-month supply tonight, but I realized I actually forgot to pick up the new pack. To give you the full timeline: I took my last pill last Wednesday, had my period in between, and I was meant to begin this new cycle today (Thursday), but since I don't have the pills on hand, I'm stuck. Would it be a significant issue if I just started tomorrow instead, essentially skipping one day? I guess I'm mostly worried about whether this gap will affect how effective the birth control actually is.
I honestly still can't believe I managed to let this slip through the cracks. 🙂

p.s. I take Diane, and I typically buy the three-month packs.

So, I think I have a bit of a situation here. I was taking Diane last month—and actually, a few months before that too—and while I was halfway through my prescription, I started having this light spotting that lasted for a couple of days.
After that happened, my period didn't show up right on schedule; it was late by a few days, I guess. I mentioned it to Dr. Miller, and he basically told me it wasn't anything to worry about.
Well, now I’m on Beller and it’s happening all over again. I’m getting that same bleeding thing, or whatever it is. I'm just not sure what to do. What do you guys think could be going on?
It’s honestly so frustrating. It feels like I only actually have a regular period about 60% of the time. 🙂

Does taking Ursal reduce the effectiveness of birth control?

Brandon Lopez6 said:Honestly, I think birth control is way too personal for anyone on here to give you a "guaranteed" recommendation. You might get lucky, sure, but it’s basically a roll of the dice.
Besides, getting advice from random people online is pretty much the same as listening to your doctor—nobody actually knows how your specific body is going to react to certain pills. Even the ones everyone raves about have stories of girls who had a terrible time with them, or vice versa.

For me, Lindynette 20 was okay—or, let's be real, less awful than the others. But then again, I didn't really struggle with acne on any of them, whereas every single brand I've tried so far absolutely nuked my libido.

The thing is, my doctor doesn't really offer many options. She just gives me a wise look for five seconds, goes "hmm," and hands me a prescription.
She’s got a packed waiting room, so there isn't much time for a deep dive.
I’m going to look up some pamphlets for different brands and see what I find.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Honestly, I think birth control is way too personal for anyone on here to give you a "guaranteed" recommendation. You might get lucky, sure, but it’s basically a roll of the dice.
Besides, getting advice from random people online is pretty much the same as listening to your doctor—nobody actually knows how your specific body is going to react to certain pills. Even the ones everyone raves about have stories of girls who had a terrible time with them, or vice versa.

For me, Lindynette 20 was okay—or, let's be real, less awful than the others. But then again, I didn't really struggle with acne on any of them, whereas every single brand I've tried so far absolutely nuked my libido.

I get that it's all unique to the person, but I'm still curious to hear about everyone's experiences. 😁
Thanks!

Daniel Gomez10 said:The thing is, my doctor doesn't really offer many options. She just gives me a wise look for five seconds, goes "hmm," and hands me a prescription.
She’s got a packed waiting room, so there isn't much time for a deep dive.
I’m going to look up some pamphlets for different brands and see what I find.

I get that it's all unique to the person, but I'm still curious to hear about everyone's experiences. 😁
Thanks!

I totally get it. I just wanted to warn you not to be bummed if you see some pills getting great reviews online but they end up being a nightmare for you.🙂
I have the exact same kind of OBGYN.🙄

So, here’s my experience:
Yasmin was easily the worst for me. It gave me chest pains that actually got worse with every new pack, so I had to quit. Then Yaza made me feel nauseous for basically an entire month. Lindynette was probably the easiest on my body—no weight gain, zero acne—but it absolutely wrecked my mood and killed my libido. A ton of girls on these forums complain about the same thing, especially regarding sex drive.
I tried Triquilar too, but I was only on it for a little bit before stopping because the side effects wouldn't budge. Can't remember the specifics though, it was ages ago. 🙂

Could someone please tell me if using Ursodiol actually reduces the effectiveness of birth control pills?

So what does it actually say on there? It should be listing interactions.

My friend Tihonsee had some pretty rough experiences using them with Yasmin. She had to stop after just two or three boxes because she felt incredibly weird while taking them. A couple of times her vision went black and she almost collapsed right there on the floor. Her gynecologist ended up discontinuing them altogether. I have no clue which ones she took after that, but I know those were terrible for her. She was constantly complaining about how bad they made her feel and kept asking if that was even normal.

It doesn't actually say anything specific here. It just mentions that they're plant-based.

And what plants are in it?

You’d probably tell me it has "interactions" with something, but just to be safe, check the ingredients and Google them. See if there's anything out there saying they shouldn't be taken with birth control. For instance, I think I read somewhere that St. John's Wort shouldn't be mixed with pills or antidepressants.

Ingredients: 400 mg dried bearberry leaf extract (*Uvae ursi folii extractum siccum*), 15 mg dried goldenrod herb extract (*Solidaginis virgaureae herbae extractum siccum*), and 10 mg dried nettle root extract (*Urticae radicis extractum siccum*).
Excipients: calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, talc, silicon dioxide (anhydrous), magnesium stearate, macrogol 6000, hypromellose, 30% polyacrylate dispersion, and colorants E122, E132, and E171.

Hannah Ward11, you're spot on about the meadow.

Regarding the Virgin Mary's grass, I know it's mentioned in the instructions from Belair:
But why on earth isn't it mentioned anywhere in the liturgy??

Look, if it doesn't say so on the label, they probably don't have any interactions with things like pills. But if you want to be absolutely sure, just Google those plants; if there's a conflict with taking them alongside something else, it’ll be somewhere online.

Take grapefruit, for example. You see everywhere online that you shouldn't consume it with a ton of medications—like if you're on blood pressure tablets. So, I figure if there happen to be contraindications, you'll find the info. Besides, I don't think manufacturers are stupid; they'd definitely include warnings in the instructions if there was even a tiny chance of an issue. They aren't looking to get sued. Even condoms have warnings saying they aren't 100% effective, just so nobody can claim, "Well, how was this possible?" 😁

edit: If you transcribed the ingredients correctly, there isn't any St. John's Wort in it.🙂

I’ll be there, I promise, thank you so much!
I mean, I really did double-check everything twice!
Thanks, ladies—please, someone help heal my soul! 🙂

Cure, I’m curious—at what point did you guys actually notice your skin clearing up? Was it just the major acne that vanished, or those tiny little bumps too? Like, is your face actually smooth now?
well, I’ve gone through three boxes of Belare so far—there’s definitely some progress, I guess—but I’m really hoping it doesn't plateau here, and that things keep getting even better 🙂

I have a question too🙂
It might sound stupid, but there’s one thing I just can’t wrap my head around
So...
Before I started the pill, my cycles were perfectly regular—about 28 days, give or take a day. Even after taking emergency contraception, things stayed on track. I’ve been on the pill for four months now, using only one type, and I didn't have any issues during the first two months. But this month, I started bleeding a full week before my scheduled break. How is it possible to have these disruptions while on the pill if my hormones are actually balanced?😕 Shouldn't this be making my cycle more predictable? I get that it affects your mood and weight, but I don't understand why I'm bleeding like this—and I'm not just talking about some light brown spotting.😕

I tried that Belari stuff and my face is completely clear now. Though, you know how it goes—some random paratrooper always lands right in the middle of everything there... Anyway, does anyone know if Urosal actually works?

velvetharbor17 said:I tried that Belari stuff and my face is completely clear now. Though, you know how it goes—some random paratrooper always lands right in the middle of everything there... Anyway, does anyone know if Urosal actually works?

Thanks! I really hope I get the same results—fingers crossed, I guess. I know everyone’s skin reacts differently, obviously, but roughly how many boxes did it take before you saw a total clear-up? I’m getting pretty impatient here, and honestly, given what I’m shelling out for this, I feel like I have every right to be 😉

Raymond Morris2 said:Thanks! I really hope I get the same results—fingers crossed, I guess. I know everyone’s skin reacts differently, obviously, but roughly how many boxes did it take before you saw a total clear-up? I’m getting pretty impatient here, and honestly, given what I’m shelling out for this, I feel like I have every right to be 😉

I don't know... I'm on my 5th or maybe even my 6th box now and I'm still 😉not quite there. But yeah, definitely. Spending that kind of cash $36every single month—it's not exactly pocket change just for one little blister pack.