Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

little kikica said:Yo, briskeagle38, I'm reading the instructions right now and it says: Stop taking the meds and call a doctor immediately if you notice any signs of a blood clot—like coughing, shortness of breath... or dizziness.

Holy shit! I'm gonna hit her up right now!

Thanks a ton, Kyle Nguyen16. 🙂

danny74 said:That vaginal contraceptive film is just this tiny clear strip, like 3cm by 3cm. They come vacuum-sealed, 12 per pack. Before you use it, you warm it up between your palms, slide it onto your finger, and "push" it in as deep as you can... and honestly, the partner usually helps out too... it works like a spermicide. No hormones, no annoying daily routine, no phone alarms to remind you... that's it.👍

Hmm... I don't know. Personally, that kills any romance for me. Pushing something inside like that, then you're constantly left with the sensation that something is still in there.😢

As for pills—hands down! I’ve been on them for years now, and I have to say, everything is totally fine. I haven't gained a single pound from them; it was all the candy.🙂 😁

Sometimes my head spins too, I guess😢
Don't try to scare me🙂 I'm already pretty anxious about those pills anyway
And the IUD didn't even work for me... I've already got three kids running around, thankfully they're all healthy and doing fine....

Alright, look, I’m not exactly thrilled about living on hormone patches, but...

(just in case) ...is there actually anything available on the US market with NATURAL (not synthetic) hormones?

&...

how much do those little patches usually run?

🙂

thanks (in advance)!

😁

Smear some warm sperm all over your face.
It’s like a two-in-one miracle... contraception and an exfoliant.

briskeagle38 said:Question for the ladies on Triquilar:

Has anyone else here dealt with dizziness as a side effect?

Just having coffee with a friend who’s been on Triquilar for about two months now—she’s been dealing with these constant dizzy spells for roughly the same amount of time.

Is there actually a connection here? I told her she should probably read the instruction leaflet that came with the pills, but she just shot back telling me the instructions were only written in Mexican. 😕 😢

I was on Triq for about eight months before deciding to take a two-month break just to let my system clear out a bit. As far as side effects go, I can't say much other than the fact that I put on some weight. Aside from that, I didn't run into any major issues—or at least, nothing I really noticed.

jezebel said:Is there anything on our market—like birth control pills—that uses NATURAL (not synthetic) hormones?

What do you even mean by "natural"? If we're talking about actual natural stuff, those would be the ones where they just isolate what already exists (basically isolates)...

Honestly, what can I even say? It’s just crazy how much that junk messes with your hormones. You take that stuff long enough, you might actually end up choking on your own chest one day... I guess.

I’ve been taking Triquilar around 4 p.m. lately. I haven't actually needed it for quite a while—there's no 😢—but I've gotten so used to having it in my routine that I feel totally dependent on it.
Honestly, it’s great being able to predict exactly when your period is coming, and you don't bleed nearly as much... not to mention the protective benefits against ovarian and uterine cancer 👍

DAMN

DUNNO

I heard someone saying that synthetic ones are way more dangerous, and that apparently Americans have access to the natural ones too... honestly, I have no clue...

I can give you another example using hormones like insulin. For decades, people relied on natural sources—meaning it was isolated from lizards, cadavers, or pigs (pig insulin being the closest match to what humans produce). But lately, we've shifted toward versions produced through lab synthesis. To be clear, we aren't talking about traditional chemical synthesis here; it’s a biotechnological process.
Personally, I'd always choose a pure, clearly defined, and controlled product—especially when dealing with hormones or something similar—over some raw isolate where I have no idea where it came from, how it was processed, or what kind of quality I'm actually getting.

Well, after five months of taking Triquillar and preaching its benefits, it turns out this pill might actually be causing me some issues. 😢

Regarding my period, everything is significantly lighter and less painful 👋, which is the one silver lining. After thirteen years, I’m finally not risking an ER visit every single month.
However, a lot has happened over the last few months, and I think I've finally connected the dots back to the medication.

It looks like my hormones are a bit out of whack. I say "looks like" because I have a full check-up scheduled for next week, so I won't know for sure until then.
For starters, this is the second time I've dealt with an incredibly painful subcutaneous cyst. I've been trying to draw it to the surface with antibiotic ointment, then moving to black salve to clear it out entirely. The pain is brutal, especially since this "little ball" is located in a particularly inconvenient spot. 🙄
The first time this happened was two months ago. I assumed it was a one-off. My GP didn't even consider a hormonal link; he just suggested that if it doesn't drain on its own, I should see a surgeon—though even he couldn't promise it wouldn't flare up again. I skipped the surgery and managed to handle it with antibiotics instead. I really hoped that would be the end of it. For the next two months, things seemed fine; the lump had vanished.
Then, out of nowhere, it resurfaced, and here I am, suffering through it again.
When I spoke with a nurse, it turns out she dealt with almost identical issues, which turned out to be caused by prolactin levels. Our symptoms are a mirror image: breast swelling (anyone looking to buy a slightly larger cup size? 😂 I'd gladly trade mine away...), skin deterioration, these horrific subcutaneous breakouts, and so on.

So, once this flare-up passes next week, I'm heading to an endocrinologist to get my hormone levels tested.
Hopefully, it’s nothing serious.

I honestly don't understand why gynecologists don't advise us to get a full hormonal panel alongside standard blood work and liver tests before starting birth control.

Best to everyone. Wish me luck. 😢

rowdylynx38 said:I have no idea why our gynecologists don't advise us to check hormone levels—alongside standard blood work and liver function tests—before we even think about starting birth control...

... the first thing I actually had to get checked was my hormone levels. Honestly, I started taking pills primarily to manage hormonal issues; contraception was really just a secondary benefit.

.. what I actually wanted to ask is this: I've been on Logest for about six months now—and I'm satisfied with it 👍 except for the fact that my periods are still incredibly painful. They are lighter than before, sure, but I still have to practically live on painkillers for at least two days (out of a five-day period) just to function... I can't shake the feeling that it shouldn't be this way.

Jonathan Perez88 said:[Even though my cramps have gotten better, they still hurt. Not as bad as before, but I still have to choke down painkillers for at least two days out of my five-day cycle just to function... I honestly feel like it shouldn't be this way.]

Hmm... I’m not an expert here, but I don't think they should be hurting that much. Especially not for two whole days straight. Usually, when I'm on the pill, I barely even notice them. Honestly, you should just go talk to your doctor about it.

I totally get where you're coming from. I’ve been on Loestrin for about four months now, and honestly, I only felt a little bit of discomfort during that first month—and even then, it was barely anything and passed quickly. After that, nothing at all. Before I started the pill, my cramps were so intense I could hardly catch my breath. You should definitely check in with your doctor, though. It might be nothing, but I really don't think you should have to deal with pain that heavy.

John Thomas2 said:Hmm... I don't know, that just kills the romance for me. Pushing something inside and then constantly having that nagging sensation that it’s just... stuck there. 😢

And probably the feeling that it definitely ISN'T where it's supposed to be.
Honestly, even just trying to get my bra on right is a struggle sometimes.
So forget about making any "movies" when I'm actually turned on—all the blood drains straight from my brain at that point.😎

Jonathan Perez88 said:... I actually had to start on them because of my hormone levels first; taking the pill was mainly to fix those imbalances, and the contraception part was just a secondary thing...

... what I really wanted to ask is... I've been on Logest for about 6 months now and I'm pretty happy with it, 👍 except my periods are still brutal. They're shorter than they used to be, sure, but I still have to basically live on painkillers for at least two days out of my five-day cycle just to function... it feels like it shouldn't be this hard.

A friend of mine went through the exact same thing with two or three different brands—she was taking hormones for cysts and stuff too.
Then she finally got an IUD and felt like a whole new person!
Seriously, talk to your doctor; it might be the perfect fix for you.

Hey everyone, I could really use some advice here.😢

Today, my pill slipped right into the lavender diffuser, and I just couldn't manage to fish it out. What should my next move be? Should I simply skip today's dose, or would it be better to just take tomorrow's pill when the time comes? I've been combing through the patient information leaflet, but I can't seem to find any specific instructions on what to do when a single dose goes missing.

If anyone could lend me a hand, I'd truly appreciate it.😢

Harold Gomez65 said:Listen, folks—I need some help here... 😢

Popi sljedecu....
They’re just scheduled by the day for our own tracking purposes—honestly, it has absolutely nothing to do with hormone levels.
They’re all cut from the same cloth—birds of a feather, really. Just more of the same.
It’s pretty simple—at the end of the day, you’ll either be short one pill and have to swap it out with one from another pack, or you'll just end up getting your "supplies" a day early...

Harold Gomez65 said:Listen, I don’t know who else to turn to, but I’m at my wit's end here. I need some serious advice from you guys because I’m completely stuck. Please, if anyone has any insight or has dealt with something similar, weigh in. I could really use the help. 😢

Look, I’ve been through this exact headache before, so let me just lay it out for you straight. You dropped a pill into the laundry, couldn't fish it out, and now you're staring at the calendar wondering if you've messed up your entire cycle. Don't panic—you haven't. First off, stop hunting for that specific sentence in the pamphlet. Most of those inserts are written by lawyers to cover their backsides, not to actually help a human being in a moment of frustration. They rarely give clear instructions for "oops, it fell behind the washing machine." Here is the deal: If you missed a dose because of a literal accident like this, you have two main ways to handle it, depending on how much of a perfectionist you want to be. Option A: Just skip today. If you miss the pill, you just move on to tomorrow's dose as scheduled. The risk here is that if you've already missed several pills in a row, your protection level might dip, but if it's just this one little mishap, you're usually fine. Option B: Take tomorrow's pill right now. Basically, you treat today as a wash and just take the next one in line immediately to get back on track. This keeps your hormone levels steady so you don't end up dealing with spotting or a mid-cycle meltdown. Honestly, if you want to play it safe and stay consistent, just take the next one when you were supposed to take it anyway, or take it now and shift everything forward. But listen—I'm just a person sharing what works, not your doctor. If you're feeling uneasy or if you've been having irregular issues lately, just give your doctor's office or a quick call to a pharmacist at a CVS or Walgreens. They deal with this kind of thing every single day and can give you the definitive word based on the specific brand you're using. Don't overthink it too much; you're going to be fine.

Look, I don't know what you're getting at here, but if you're looking for help, you’re going to have to be a lot more specific than that. Just dropping a "please help me" into the void isn't exactly a strategy. I’m sitting here ready to engage, but I can't read your mind. Are we talking about a technical issue? A life crisis? Some nonsense you saw on the news? Whatever it is, lay it out. Give me the details, give me the context, and for heaven's sake, tell me what you actually need. I'm not a psychic, I'm just a person on a forum. So, quit stalling and tell me what's going on. I'm listening.😢

Look, don't get worked up about it. Just keep things steady and move on. You'll end up having twenty drinks this month instead of twenty-one, and that’s really it. It's not the end of the world. Just keep drinking like you usually do, stay mindful, and watch yourself next time around.

Look, I’ve intentionally shortened my cycle twice now because I "needed" to, and honestly, I know plenty of girls who have done the exact same thing only for absolutely nothing to happen. OF COURSE it isn’t smart or particularly wise to do this frequently—in fact, doing it at all is questionable—but doing it once or twice isn't exactly going to kill you.