Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Hey everyone. Is anyone else here dealing with chronic spotting 😁?
I’ve cycled through Lindynette 20 (for 6 months), Lindynette 30 (for 7 months), and Adexa (for 6 months), and now I’ve moved on to Cerazette... I’m 25, and my gynecologist actually tried to steer me away from Cerazette because she’s concerned the estrogen levels might be the culprit, but we decided to give it a shot anyway. I’ve been on them for eight days now, and this constant, annoying leakage just won't quit 😢. Before this, Adexa was giving me grief for an entire month... so realistically, I’ve been swallowing these pills for two months straight. My bloodwork and hormone panels are perfect, but we did find a small uterine fibroid, which was another reason we pivoted to Cerazette. How are you all managing the spotting? To be honest, it’s driving me insane... I feel foolish, dirty, messy, and just plain gross 😁. It kills my libido because I don't feel attractive or clean, and I have zero desire to be intimate. My partner doesn't seem to mind, but I am at my absolute wits' end. It feels like there is something in my underwear every single day; I hate it with everything in me and just want this to stop. I haven't had any other side effects 😁.

I'm thinking spotting might be a side effect of fibroids. They say taking stronger hormone pills can help regulate things, but honestly—it’s all pretty relative depending on the person.

I neglected to mention that I was experiencing spotting even before the fibroids were diagnosed. Unfortunately, I’m not seeing any real relief from the mini-pill either, though perhaps it is still a bit premature to call it quits on this treatment...

I’ve been on Diane 35 for about a year now, and it’s only just hitting me how many side effects I was actually dealing with without even realizing it... total lethargy and depressive episodes, zero libido, and lately, more frequent chest pains. On top of all that, I’m slowly gaining weight despite not making any major changes to my diet or exercise routine.
Today I had a full-blown panic attack just thinking about how bad things were when I was on Logest compared to this recent stretch on Diane.
It honestly makes me sick to my stomach when I look back at it all. Now I just have to suffer through these last two packs before they’ll give me a new prescription.🙂

Why on earth would she put up with that?

Matthew Adams4 said:Why on earth would she put up with that?

So I called the clinic today right after having a panic attack, and the nurse told me they can't write a new prescription until I finish this entire current bottle.🤷 😢

Alright, if that’s how it is—there won't be anything new for a little while—but why on earth do you feel compelled to drink these if they bother you so much? 😕

Sister is being a total pain. I can't force you to take pills that clearly don't sit right with you and are causing problems anyway.

So, like, can you just space out the pills? Like take a couple, wait a few days, then go again or whatever?

I get it, but you’re really throwing me for a loop with how you organize this... just when the body starts to adjust, you pull the plug. All these new ones have very low hormone levels, so there's no real need for any breaks—assuming that works for you, of course.

I don't see the point in cycling through them like that. Your body just keeps trying to adjust to these hormone levels, whether you're starting pills or coming off them. My own experience weaning off the pill was such a mess I wouldn't go through it again, which is why I've been on Yasmin for probably 9 years now.

I was on them for like half a decade. Had to keep sucking them down just to get the full picture of my hormones and everything else going on inside.
I was strictly taking them to keep my period regulated, and now that I’ve quit, everything’s stalled out again—I’m not even getting a flow.🙂 So yeah, I'm seriously thinking about starting back up.

It’s pretty obvious he can start drinking now, unless he expects his search history to look just as shady again in two months.

Since the search function isn't working, I figured I'd just ask here..

What kind of searches should I be running to find info on pills?

Look, I’m nothing special, just copied them down

Look, don't even think about popping birth control pills without getting some blood work done first; a few years back, there was a massive mess involving Yasmin pills because people were flying blind without checking their levels...
Honestly, same here—during my first cycle, my doctor didn't bother sending me for blood tests, but now? Not a chance. I wouldn't touch them even if they paid me, and honestly, I’d happily get tested twice a year if it meant staying safe.

Whether you're seeing a specialist at a private clinic or just hitting up your local community health center, they’ll list whatever labs you need in your report; at least that’s how it worked when I went privately. Even with public insurance, they just issue a referral to the lab anyway... basically, if you're paying out of pocket, you usually still need to be registered with a primary care provider so they can send the order over to the lab, and from there, the medical pros know exactly what needs testing.

mistyseal6 said:Since the search function isn't working, I figured I'd just ask here..

What kind of searches should I be running to find info on pills?

In my case, they sent me for a full blood count, liver function tests, reproductive hormones, thyroid levels, and a coagulation panel.🙂

Anyone here actually drink Rosanelle? What’s the verdict—is it actually any good, or just more overpriced hype?
So, I made the switch from Yaz to Lyndinette because, honestly, let’s be real—the price tag on Yaz was starting to feel like a monthly mortgage payment. But instead of saving money, my skin just decided to stage a full-blown protest. Things went south fast. I finally bit the bullet and went to see my doctor about it. I told her straight up that the current routine wasn't cutting it, and she ended up prescribing Rosanelle. Her take was that they’re basically parallel to Yaz—just a more budget-friendly alternative that shouldn't cause the same drama. I haven't actually started taking them yet, though. Still sitting here staring at the bottle, wondering if this is going to be a smooth transition or just another expensive lesson in trial and error.

mistyseal6 said:Since the search function isn't working, I figured I'd just ask here..

What kind of searches should I be running to find info on pills?

Well, I’m actually just about to start a new cycle on Diane, so I was doing some digging into this quite recently myself. My doctor in Chicago suggested I get my cholesterol, triglycerides, bilirubin, and those other liver enzyme tests checked out—plus fibrinogen and prothrombin time.

I've been taking Diane 35 for years. Started them because of excess hair growth, but honestly, I'm seeing zero progress. I don't even have PCOS, but this body hair is absolutely killing me—I'm hairy everywhere, it’s a nightmare. 😢 Please, I need advice. Should I just quit since they clearly aren't doing anything, or should I stick with them a bit longer? The only thing I've actually gained from them is a constant fear of blood clots. -.-