Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Need some advice. I’ve been taking Yasmin for about a year and a half and everything was fine—until I hit this "off week." My doctor suggested it was a good idea, but a younger specialist my cousin knows mentioned it might be unnecessary given my hormone levels. Regardless, during this past week and a half, my mood swings have become absolutely unhinged. I’m either weeping in a corner or feeling totally euphoric. It’s exhausting. Has anyone else dealt with this? Should I just start the next pack tomorrow, or wait out the full three weeks? Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to survive the wait...😢😢 I was following the schedule, 21 days on, and now I'm 9 days into the break... should I just start the new pack tomorrow? Please help...😢😢😢

Taking a break is pointless, especially after only eighteen months. You’re just causing more issues for your body by cycling on and off hormones like that. It’s pretty obvious from how you look now. I feel for you.

Don't wait until "tomorrow" to start; just begin on the first day of your next period and use mechanical protection for at least that first cycle.

I’ve got a totally silly question for the girls here who take Cilest. 🙂
So, basically, I just started these pills on Monday—so I took the one marked for that specific day, you know, the first one in the top row. But now I’m wondering, what am I actually supposed to do if my "Day 1" happens to fall on a different day of the week?
I know, I know, this sounds like a total no-brainer to some of you, but I’m just stuck on it because when I was on Triquilar, the order mattered big time. Those came in three different colors, so I assumed they all had different hormone levels. Since everything in this Cilest pack is just the same shade of blue, does that mean they all have the exact same dose? Like, does it even matter which one I grab first, as long as I take one every single day?
(Seriously though, I really hope you guys get why I'm stressing over this! 😳)

Everything follows the exact same cycle, which is why your days are marked like that. For instance, if you started your first package on a Monday, every subsequent package will kick off on a Monday too. It’s pretty straightforward—you just follow the weekly rotation from Monday through Sunday until you hit the end of the cycle, at which point there’s a seven-day break before that Monday rolls around to start a fresh set.

Scott Davis3 said:I’ve got a totally silly question for the girls here who take Cilest. 🙂
So, basically, I just started these pills on Monday—so I took the one marked for that specific day, you know, the first one in the top row. But now I’m wondering, what am I actually supposed to do if my "Day 1" happens to fall on a different day of the week?
I know, I know, this sounds like a total no-brainer to some of you, but I’m just stuck on it because when I was on Triquilar, the order mattered big time. Those came in three different colors, so I assumed they all had different hormone levels. Since everything in this Cilest pack is just the same shade of blue, does that mean they all have the exact same dose? Like, does it even matter which one I grab first, as long as I take one every single day?
(Seriously though, I really hope you guys get why I'm stressing over this! 😳)

With Triquilar, you had to pick a specific pill to start, then use a sticker to track your progress daily.

On these, you'll see Mon, Tue, Wed, etc., printed right on the tablets themselves. It doesn't matter where you start because every pill has the same hormone level. The main thing is that once you pick the correct day, just keep going in order so you don't lose track. Taking them sequentially makes it much easier to tell if you actually took your dose for the day.

So, no, it doesn't matter which one you grab first in the pack.

That’s exactly what I was wondering about. Thanks for clearing that up! 🙂
So, basically, it doesn't matter which day in the "cycle" I start drinking—as long as I stick to the same day every week and just work my way through until the "cycle" is complete, I'll have everything logged properly and won't mess things up.

Exactly right 👍

So, about a month ago, I decided to take those emergency contraceptive pills... and yeah, obviously more than just one. My period came, and I immediately went back on my regular birth control (Cilest) because I was technically on my break, but I ended up cutting the break short. Since then, I’ve been bleeding for quite a long time—apparently, it’s what happens when you overdose on hormones. To make matters even more chaotic, I missed another pill entirely. And then today... well, I had unprotected sex. I’m a total panicker by nature, so I'm spiraling a bit. What do you all think? What are the odds that things won't go okay? Should I maybe restart the "day after" pill, or should I just keep taking my regular ones without a break, or do I just sit here and hope for the best?
The pill I missed was somewhere in the middle of the second week...

You take the pill, pause, take the next one a day later, resume, then forget... Honestly, I think you've cycled your hormones so much that pregnancy isn't even on the table. 🤷

I’ve been taking a break for quite a while now... several months, actually. But honestly, I’m really hoping I just pushed my body to its limit and that everything will be fine once I recover. I’m feeling a little burnt out at the moment...

Hey girls...
So, here’s how I handle things—I basically take my birth control, like Yasmin, and just manage it on my own terms... anyway, I actually went to see a gynecologist about two weeks ago to get everything sorted out officially. While I was there, I asked her if she could write me a referral for some blood work and all that necessary stuff—you know, just so everything stays completely above board and legal... 🙂 So, here’s the situation—I’ve got this recipe for my pills, and she told me specifically to get over there the second I’m done making them... basically, don't stop the cycle. But then today, I head in to pick up my lab results, and the nurse just shuts me down. She says I can't see the OBGYN right now because I wasn't officially scheduled for today—apparently, I have to wait until my next appointment in two weeks. To make matters worse, she was clearly agitated... wouldn't even let me see the actual paperwork or talk to the doctor. She did mention that everything looks fine, mostly, though she noted my liver enzymes are slightly elevated—still technically within the "normal" range, I guess—but now they want me to go in for an ultrasound. Anyway, since I'm currently on my break, I'm supposed to start the next pack this Friday. Now I'm just sitting here wondering... should I actually follow through and start the new pack, or is it better to just stop, given that those liver numbers were a bit high...? 😕

I would certainly prefer to wait for a doctor's advice before deciding on the best course of action together with them.😉

Christian Smith6 said:Hey girls...
So, here’s how I handle things—I basically take my birth control, like Yasmin, and just manage it on my own terms... anyway, I actually went to see a gynecologist about two weeks ago to get everything sorted out officially. While I was there, I asked her if she could write me a referral for some blood work and all that necessary stuff—you know, just so everything stays completely above board and legal... 🙂 So, here’s the situation—I’ve got this recipe for my pills, and she told me specifically to get over there the second I’m done making them... basically, don't stop the cycle. But then today, I head in to pick up my lab results, and the nurse just shuts me down. She says I can't see the OBGYN right now because I wasn't officially scheduled for today—apparently, I have to wait until my next appointment in two weeks. To make matters worse, she was clearly agitated... wouldn't even let me see the actual paperwork or talk to the doctor. She did mention that everything looks fine, mostly, though she noted my liver enzymes are slightly elevated—still technically within the "normal" range, I guess—but now they want me to go in for an ultrasound. Anyway, since I'm currently on my break, I'm supposed to start the next pack this Friday. Now I'm just sitting here wondering... should I actually follow through and start the new pack, or is it better to just stop, given that those liver numbers were a bit high...? 😕

Listen, I really have to ask—how on earth does anyone even think it’s okay to just start popping pills without a doctor's oversight? I honestly cannot wrap my head around it. To me, it feels like such a blatant display of pure irresponsibility. Where is the common sense? It’s genuinely baffling.

Christian Smith6, birth control pills aren't candy, and I'm fairly certain you realize that every single one varies in its hormone dosage. You're playing a dangerous game and being incredibly irresponsible.

ontopic

Personally, I wouldn't touch anything until I've had all my lab work done.

Hey, quick question—I’m curious, what kind of side effects did you all actually deal with while you were on Yasmin?

Just pure libido 😁

Chris Watson3 said:Listen, I really have to ask—how on earth does anyone even think it’s okay to just start popping pills without a doctor's oversight? I honestly cannot wrap my head around it. To me, it feels like such a blatant display of pure irresponsibility. Where is the common sense? It’s genuinely baffling.

Oh, I forgot you’re absolutely flawless, so clearly you’re qualified to lecture everyone else on intelligence...
I know it wasn't exactly a brilliant move on my part... but that wasn't really what I was asking...

Don't push it too far—just hold off until you see what’s actually cooking with all that heat, and then you can decide how you want to play it.

Chris Watson3 said:Listen, I really have to ask—how on earth does anyone even think it’s okay to just start popping pills without a doctor's oversight? I honestly cannot wrap my head around it. To me, it feels like such a blatant display of pure irresponsibility. Where is the common sense? It’s genuinely baffling.

Look, we have already covered this topic countless times.

Bradley Ruiz88 said:Hey, quick question—I’m curious, what kind of side effects did you all actually deal with while you were on Yasmin?

Heavier periods for two days, intense cramping, and cellulite. Not pleasant. 😳

Benjamin Thomas8 said:I stopped taking Yasmin back in month five (though I had been on them for about nine months total).
Around month six or seven, my legs started swelling up, and honestly, they’re still swollen to this day.🙄
Recently, I also noticed some swelling on one side of my neck, both in the front and the back.🙄
I went ahead and got my thyroid hormone levels checked, and everything came back within the normal range.🙂
My kidney ultrasound was fine, too, and I don't have any heart issues.🙂
Then, just in the last month, my hair started falling out way more aggressively than usual.😢

Is there any way these could be lingering side effects from Yasmin, even though I quit taking them back in month five?!?!?!?!?!???????????? 🤷😕😕

🙂

I quit drinking Yasim about six months ago—same deal here. My legs swelled up like crazy; honestly, they started pitting even while I was still taking it.
I’ve noticed my hair’s been thinning out lately—not exactly the news I wanted to deal with.
Could hair loss be tied to hormones—maybe thyroid issues?

Gotta go get my hormone levels checked again—back to square one. While I was actually taking them, everything looked fine on paper—tests were coming back clean and all that. Now? Not so much. 😢