Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Today was supposed to be my first day back on the pill after a break, but I completely mixed up my days and thought it was Sunday. Will starting a day late make any difference regarding protection, or does it not matter if I begin one day behind? I’ve never actually forgotten the first day before—usually, I just take it a day early or mid-pack, so I'm really not sure what to do now.

Did you definitely take it as soon as it crossed your mind? Just use some extra protection for the week... honestly don't sweat it—the odds of getting pregnant are super low anyway, especially since your system is already pretty loaded with hormones.

I didn't have any birth control pills on hand, and finding some was the whole issue. Since it was already 11:20 PM, there was nowhere left to pick up a prescription. Oh well, just extra protection then. Thanks 🙂

So, I’m honestly not sure if I’ve actually started my period or what. I really need to get back on my birth control pills. My last cycle ended right around January 29th or 30th, so logically, I should be due about now. Yesterday morning, I noticed this brownish discharge, but I wasn't sure if it was my period because it felt similar to when I had that minor vaginal infection. After that, nothing else happened all day yesterday. Then, this morning, I saw some blood. It wasn't dark; it was actually quite bright, definitely pink. But since then, there hasn't been anything else, just a tiny bit on my pad. Since I stopped taking Yaz three months ago, is it possible my cycles have just become more irregular? I remember that both before and during my time on Yaz, my first day was always pretty heavy. Now I'm sitting here wondering: should I start my new pack of birth control today, or was I supposed to start yesterday? Or maybe this isn't my period at all...😕
Any advice or thoughts? I'm leaning toward thinking this is my period... but I'm just so confused because my first day has never been this light before.🤷I really hope this discharge or spotting isn't some sign of pregnancy. We did have sex on February 7th, though we used protection and he pulled out before ejaculating, so technically it shouldn't be an issue...🙂

But wouldn't it be better to rule out pregnancy first—you know, by taking a test?
According to the instructions, you can actually start taking them anywhere between day two and day five—provided you’re using extra protection, of course.
Maybe it makes more sense to wait just a few more days until your cycle actually kicks off, and then start the regimen?

So, looking at your skin, how long did that initial breakout phase actually last? You know, that period when things first started taking a turn for the worse? Was it more than a month? And then, eventually, when did your face finally return to being completely clear again?

Hey ladies, I was wondering if any of you have dealt with something similar 🙂
So, the first birth control pills I started on were Lindynette 30, and I was on them for five months. Since they made my skin breakout and totally tanked my libido, I stopped taking them and switched over to Logest. I’ve been on those for two months now, and it’s the exact same story with my skin (maybe slightly better than when I was on the Lindynette, but still). Before I ever went on the pill, I didn't have any skin issues—just the occasional little spot here and there—but this current situation is driving me absolutely insane. I'm seriously tempted to just quit the pill altogether, but without it, my periods become completely irregular 😢
I'm currently on my seven-day break, so if any of you have suggestions for a brand that's actually good for skin or even just some general advice, I would be so grateful 🙂

When does the acne actually start clearing up after starting birth control? Does it show up within the first cycle?

wanderingseal14 said:When does the acne actually start clearing up after starting birth control? Does it show up within the first cycle?

Honestly, things actually got worse for me at first... I mean, even after six months, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the results—the skin had improved significantly, sure, but I was under the impression it would be completely clear by then. Then I started using Avène's Triacneal on my face and now, well, things are actually looking great... I get maybe one breakout a month and that’s about it... I'm on Loestrin...

Hi, quick question...
I'm on Logest. Last month, instead of taking the first pill on day 8, I took it on day 7 from the new pack. That means my break was only 6 days instead of the usual 7. Any reason to worry?🤷

I think everything is perfectly fine—honestly, just keep on drinking.

Thanks so much 🙂)

Hey,

Is it normal to experience some spotting after using the same birth control pills for a year and a half? It happened right after my 12th pill...

Could this be linked to ramping up my workouts and changing my diet? 🤷

Should I be worried? This has never happened before, so I'm lost. My appointment with the OB-GYN isn't until Thursday, and I just can't wait for an opinion...

Walter Ramirez3 said:Hey,

Is it normal to experience some spotting after using the same birth control pills for a year and a half? It happened right after my 12th pill...

Could this be linked to ramping up my workouts and changing my diet? 🤷

Should I be worried? This has never happened before, so I'm lost. My appointment with the OB-GYN isn't until Thursday, and I just can't wait for an opinion...

I’m actually going through something super similar right now, though I’m still trying to figure out the root cause—I’ve been on a Low Carb High Fat diet for three weeks, and even my lab results were a bit wonky.

For me, it started after the seventh pill, about six months into using my prescription.

I reached out to my doctor via email, and she immediately sent over a referral for blood work; once she got the results back, she just gave me a quick heads-up that my clotting factors weren't looking great. She told me she couldn't renew my prescription yet, so I have to head back to my primary care physician to get everything explained properly.😠
However, my OB-GYN did give me a temporary schedule to follow—taking two pills a day (morning and night) for three days before dropping back down to one—but it didn't really help; if anything, things got way heavier after I finished the pack.

Has anyone else dealt with those weird clotting factor issues? I'm starting to get pretty anxious about it.😢.

If you’re running into issues with those specific factors—well, then oral contraceptives probably aren't the right choice for you at all.
Now, the real question is what exactly those tests showed, and where specifically things went sideways. Your primary care physician will likely be able to walk you through the details much better than anyone else here.

quietfox384 said:If you’re running into issues with those specific factors—well, then oral contraceptives probably aren't the right choice for you at all.
Now, the real question is what exactly those tests showed, and where specifically things went sideways. Your primary care physician will likely be able to walk you through the details much better than anyone else here.

I've never really struggled with anything before, and my labs were totally fine until she gave me the prescription, but things have just felt off over the last six months.

They did a bunch of testing, even pulled three vials for them to check out.
Plus, she wouldn't even send over the prescription>>, so I'm heading straight to the lab today to grab a copy myself.

Walter Ramirez3 said:Hey,

Is it normal to experience some spotting after using the same birth control pills for a year and a half? It happened right after my 12th pill...

Could this be linked to ramping up my workouts and changing my diet? 🤷

Should I be worried? This has never happened before, so I'm lost. My appointment with the OB-GYN isn't until Thursday, and I just can't wait for an opinion...

It sounds like your hormones just got a little thrown off balance—it should settle down once your body adjusts to the new routine.
Same thing happened to me recently—I’ve been on my pills for three years, but then I hit the gym hard and overhauled my diet. I lost quite a bit of weight and ended up having maybe three different spotting episodes during that first month. Everything's totally back to normal now though🙂.

Walter Ramirez3 said:Hey,

Is it normal to experience some spotting after using the same birth control pills for a year and a half? It happened right after my 12th pill...

Could this be linked to ramping up my workouts and changing my diet? 🤷

Should I be worried? This has never happened before, so I'm lost. My appointment with the OB-GYN isn't until Thursday, and I just can't wait for an opinion...

It’s possible, but don't go playing doctor and jumping to conclusions—just get to the clinic ASAP. It might be the diet and exercise, sure, but it could also be purely hormonal stuff that has zero to do with your workout routine.

Are you dealing with anything else besides the bleeding? For me, bleeding happens (badly) on basically every brand I’ve tried—they work fine for a few months or maybe a couple of years, and then suddenly there’s bleeding, plus weight gain, depression, all that jazz. I feel like I’ve cycled through every pill under the sun; Loestrin was the absolute worst for me, but I'm on Yaz now and things are *relatively* okay so far.

Bottom line: see your doctor and get it checked out.

quietfox384 said:If you’re running into issues with those specific factors—well, then oral contraceptives probably aren't the right choice for you at all.
Now, the real question is what exactly those tests showed, and where specifically things went sideways. Your primary care physician will likely be able to walk you through the details much better than anyone else here.

Hard agree—don't mess around with this. Just because everything was fine before doesn't mean much; there are plenty of reasons why your levels or how your body reacts could shift. Honestly, the whole schedule your doctor gave you sounds pretty weird to me.🤷
Chill out, don't freak or lose your mind, but definitely hit up your primary care doc and your OB-GYN (and maybe even get a second opinion if you need to) to actually understand what your labs are saying.

Jerry Clark said:It’s possible, but don't go playing doctor and jumping to conclusions—just get to the clinic ASAP. It might be the diet and exercise, sure, but it could also be purely hormonal stuff that has zero to do with your workout routine.

Are you dealing with anything else besides the bleeding? For me, bleeding happens (badly) on basically every brand I’ve tried—they work fine for a few months or maybe a couple of years, and then suddenly there’s bleeding, plus weight gain, depression, all that jazz. I feel like I’ve cycled through every pill under the sun; Loestrin was the absolute worst for me, but I'm on Yaz now and things are *relatively* okay so far.

Bottom line: see your doctor and get it checked out.

Hard agree—don't mess around with this. Just because everything was fine before doesn't mean much; there are plenty of reasons why your levels or how your body reacts could shift. Honestly, the whole schedule your doctor gave you sounds pretty weird to me.🤷
Chill out, don't freak or lose your mind, but definitely hit up your primary care doc and your OB-GYN (and maybe even get a second opinion if you need to) to actually understand what your labs are saying.

Honestly, I haven't had any issues at all during this past year of taking them. Out of everything I’ve tried before—like those six years on Diane 35 that worked absolute wonders for my body... 😢Between Yasmin, Logest, and Belare... Yazmin is my best bet... though this is the first time I’ve ever had bleeding like this, it feels just like a period...

I don't notice any abnormal weight gain. My weight is steady, my mood is the same... During the Bella concert, for instance, things got critical. One minute I was laughing, the next I was crying, and there wasn't even a reason...

I moved my appointment up with the OB-GYN for this afternoon. I'm honestly pretty scared, and I just couldn't wait any longer... I'm just praying those damn cysts haven't come back. Does sudden bleeding ever actually mean a cyst or a rupture in these situations? 🤷

Jerry Clark said:It’s possible, but don't go playing doctor and jumping to conclusions—just get to the clinic ASAP. It might be the diet and exercise, sure, but it could also be purely hormonal stuff that has zero to do with your workout routine.

Are you dealing with anything else besides the bleeding? For me, bleeding happens (badly) on basically every brand I’ve tried—they work fine for a few months or maybe a couple of years, and then suddenly there’s bleeding, plus weight gain, depression, all that jazz. I feel like I’ve cycled through every pill under the sun; Loestrin was the absolute worst for me, but I'm on Yaz now and things are *relatively* okay so far.

Bottom line: see your doctor and get it checked out.

Hard agree—don't mess around with this. Just because everything was fine before doesn't mean much; there are plenty of reasons why your levels or how your body reacts could shift. Honestly, the whole schedule your doctor gave you sounds pretty weird to me.🤷
Chill out, don't freak or lose your mind, but definitely hit up your primary care doc and your OB-GYN (and maybe even get a second opinion if you need to) to actually understand what your labs are saying.

I went in yesterday.
My GP isn't worried at all; she actually said she wouldn't even react to it and would just tell me to keep taking the Logest.
But since I was clearly stressing out, she did tell me we'd run the tests again in a week just to be safe.

INR 0.88 (Th 2.0-3.5)—that part definitely isn't right, but my enzymes, metabolites, and hematology look fine.