Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

darkbison81 said:I’ve never used these pills before, so I have to ask—does the packaging actually state they aren't meant for contraception?
If that’s even true, then anyone treating this stuff as a birth control method is being a complete idiot.😠 😢

Well, this is my first month on Diane, and I find myself actually sitting here reading through the fine print.

No, it doesn't say anything about them not being for contraception. In fact, it says they’re used to treat signs of androgenization in women—and since they do have a contraceptive effect, you don't necessarily need to use other methods.🙄

Though, at the very end, there is a disclaimer mentioning that you can't rule out a link between taking a combination of estrogen and progestogen and an increased risk of thromboembolic diseases in the veins and arteries.

darkbison81 said:I’ve never actually used those pills myself, so I was wondering... does the packaging really state they aren't for contraception?
if that's true, then anyone prescribing them as birth control is just being reckless...😠 😢

I haven't personally looked at the box... but I saw on the news last night that it's clearly labeled, and even in the medical descriptions sent to hospitals and doctors, it's all there. Apparently, pharmaceutical reps still push them as contraceptives, even though a big company—I can't remember which one—was hauled into court about three years ago specifically because they were marketing them that way...

they paid their fine and now it's back to business as usual...😠 😠

So, right after my OB-GYN put me on Diane—strictly for contraception purposes, naturally 🙄—I happened to stumble upon this article ... which, I suppose, set things in motion. I eventually decided to pick the brain of an acquaintance of mine—someone who essentially knows everything there is to know about the pharmaceutical industry—to see what the deal was with Diane, and whether there might be some better, perhaps less risky, pill options out there. Her take? She claimed that Diane actually features a pretty stellar hormonal balance and suggested they are among the superior choices on the market 😕

Sean Doyle

If you can follow English, maybe take a quick look at the site I linked in my first post...

But if not, no worries, I can definitely translate what it says for you...

At the end of the day, it’s your call, and I really don't doubt your friend's expertise, but this is just some recent research that came out...

I honestly just wanted to pass along something I heard last night, because I’d feel terrible knowing something was harmful and not warning anyone who might be at risk...

We’ve got another special edition tonight at 9:00—just an hour—focusing specifically on this case...

It involves a massive class-action lawsuit... basically, the families of the girls who passed away from these pills are suing the pharmaceutical company...

Usually, lawsuits like this don't even get off the ground unless there's some pretty heavy evidence behind them...

And there are other types of birth control available too...

electricdriver78; check the news—it’s all over the TV; btw, that basically means there are more PROVEN cases 😲 👎

electricdriver78 said:We’ve got another special edition tonight at 9—a full hour dedicated to this specific case.

Please, keep us posted on any developments! 👍

I just clicked over to that link you shared...

And honestly, I’m just sitting here completely bewildered—it feels like I read one thing, yet what I'm actually hearing is something else entirely. 😕
I told myself—well, I thought to myself—that since I've only been on Diane for about a month now, everything seems fine so far, but regarding this particular issue... I don't really know. I suppose I should probably try to get a second opinion from someone else.

And here we go. Since they're on hormone pills, I guess taking an aspirin might actually make sense, given it acts as a platelet aggregation inhibitor—basically reducing blood clots. I suppose if a woman is healthy and hasn't been on Diane for too long, there probably shouldn't be any issues.

I spent about six months on Diane-35 and ended up packing on six pounds. My OB-GYN prescribed them after I mentioned wanting to manage some of my body hair—since I have darker hair against lighter skin, it’s pretty noticeable, and honestly, I was just tired of the constant leg waxing, though it wasn't anything extreme. Once I realized I had "softened" a bit too much, I switched back to Gracia tablets.

Actually, my only advice is to be wary of these "anti-baby pills," because I took them almost continuously for ten years—regularly seeing my doctor every six months to check if I should take a break after five years—and I personally never ran into any issues! Of course, I never smoked a single cigarette 😁, because we all know that’s a lethal combination you really shouldn't go playing with!

I’ve never used Diane 35 as birth control, but man, I used it for a long, long time! Taking it with breaks every three months. Shit!
I lose weight every single time, my period cramps vanish, no issues with body hair or anything. It’s usually great... But for the last six months, I’ve been dealing with leg swelling. Specifically—my right calf. By the end of the day, sometimes it looks twice as big as the other leg. And it hurts like hell... Shit!

electricdriver78, honey, thanks for the heads-up!

And my doctor is going to get what's coming to him, the jerk! I asked him five different times if it was from the pills. "Noooo... it's just stress!" The absolute bastard!
😠 😠

Interesting... back when I first started on medication two years ago, my OB-GYN told me straight up that Diane-35 isn't actually an contraceptive pill—it just happens to have that effect because of the specific hormone cocktail it uses.

So, he switched me over to Cilest, which is supposedly safe for long-term use.

I’m just wondering what the fallout is going to look like five years down the line.🙄

I take a few years off from them (during the breaks), solely because of my PCOS and these chaotic cycles.
I’m still breathing—for now, at least.

I’ll stop taking them, my cycles will seem fine for a little while, and then suddenly I’m back to getting them every two weeks or every five to six weeks, which means I'm right back on Diane.
I suppose I’ll go see a doctor for a consultation, though I fully expect them to simply tell me there is nothing to worry about.

Furthermore, my heart undergoes regular monitoring due to my athletic pursuits, specifically an EKG every six months, and the results have invariably been perfect.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:Interesting... back when I first started pills a couple of years ago, my OBGYN told me Diane-35 isn't even technically a contraceptive—it just happens to work that way because of the hormone combo.

So he put me on Cilest instead, which apparently you can stay on for the long haul.

Now I'm just wondering what kind of mess I'll be dealing with in five years.🙄

Wait, why would Cilest turn into garbage after five years? My doctor gave me Diane for some hormonal imbalance issues, but he said they're totally chill and I could take them for like ten years straight—for birth control too, no biggie.🙄 😠

Kenneth Hernandez67; are you getting any side effects from the Cilest (weight gain, migraines, nausea, etc.)? And are you cycling off them or just taking them constantly? I'm ditching the Diane, so I'm hunting for something new...

Lady Norris; an EKG being fine doesn't mean you're clear of blood clots. An EKG just shows how your heart is beating. If you actually want to check your blood status, get a full panel done (! platelets, clotting time, coagulation stuff—basically anything related to platelets, there’s a ton of tests out there).

Alright, here’s my story. I started taking Cilest because my PCOS was basically making it impossible to function...🙄 I originally wanted to try Diane-35 because I heard it does wonders for skin clarity, but my OB-GYN shut that down immediately. He told me those shouldn't be taken continuously for more than a few months at a time. It’s clear even three years ago, they were already aware of the potential risks.

As for Cilest...🙄 For that initial 3-to-6-month stretch, I dealt with every single side effect my doctor warned me about—the kind he just told me to "tough out."

And honestly, that’s exactly what happened. 🙂 Now, I’m beyond satisfied with the results. My doctor suggested we take a break sometime within five years of starting the treatment. Not because it's medically mandatory, but just to monitor how my hormones settle since I'm 40 now.😉

Andrew Anderson6:
John Thomas2; look, an EKG being fine doesn't mean anything regarding blood clots. An EKG tracks heart rhythm, period. If you actually want to check your blood status, get a full CBC done. You need to look at platelets, clotting time, bleeding time, and everything else related to platelet function—there’s a whole battery of tests for that.

This was sent to me by uchiniti before he started taking his medication, and once a year, too.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:A Celest...🙄 For those first 3 to 6 months, I dealt with every single symptom my OB-GYN warned me about and basically told me I just had to "ride it out."

Oh man, I feel this in my soul. Celest didn't do anything for my weight or cellulite or hair growth issues... but those mood swings? Good grief. For the first three months, I was stuck in a constant cycle of PMS and depression. It was just... bleak.
But look—after some ups and downs, and after being on it for a solid 7 or 8 months (right when I was actually starting to think about switching birth control again)... everything finally leveled out. I feel like myself again. I’m not snapping at everyone anymore, and things have been 👍 steady for months now.🙂

I ditched Cilest specifically because of those mood swings (going from total Weltschmerz to straight-up hell on earth🙄), plus the constant breakthrough bleeding and migraines that kept popping up. I used to be such a massive migraine sufferer that I can usually spot the culprit, and this time, stress wasn't even the issue. After being on them for six months, I went to my OB-GYN planning to get totally off the pill, only for him to find a cyst on my left ovary. Since I’ve never had a cyst in my life, my doctor thinks Cilest is likely the reason. So, I switched over to Triquilar. For now, I’m feeling 👍. Life is good, the cyst is gone, and my boobs are still just as gorgeous and big🙂.

By the way, regarding Diane—those are the pills gynecologists all over the US mass-prescribe to girls. There are plenty of reasons they want people on them: they’re covered by insurance so they're basically free, they clear up acne, and apparently, they help with weight loss. I know quite a few girls who were handed Diane by their doctors without even getting a check-up first.

Reading stuff like this makes me think the smartest move is to just stop taking them entirely. Who knows what you'll end up finding in your system from Cilest or this Triquilar stuff in a few years.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:A Cilest...🙄 For those first 3-6 months, you get hit with every single symptom the OBGYN warned you about—basically just telling you to "tough it out."

I’m assuming that includes the depression and mood swings 👎 which is why I ended up getting a vasectomy instead 😁 😁 😁

So, I'm Diane, 35, originally prescribed this for PCOS. That cleared up, but then my doctor suggested using it as birth control—so I've been on it for about 2 years now, with some breaks here and there. My liver tests and bloodwork come back fine, but seeing this actually gave me a bit of a panic attack. Plus, I smoke... so yeah.

By the way, my skin has gone totally downhill since I started Diane. Never had an issue before—not even back in high school—but now I break out every single month right before my period. 😕 The only upside is that I don't deal with cramps anymore, and my periods aren't dragging on for 10 days like they used to.

Noah Myers8:
I'm fixing these up—supposedly they make you skinny or whatever.

not ; for those looking above—yeah, I put on 5 lbs. Honestly? Not even mad about it, felt like I needed the extra cushion anyway—plus, I’ve heard pretty much everyone else drinking these things ends up gaining a few pounds too.👎

So, here’s someone who hasn't had a single issue with her Celesta 🙂 for five years straight now. Honestly, I can tell you exactly what hour my period is going to hit; it’s shorter, and the pain is basically non-existent. She’s still the exact same woman I fell for—same breasts, same moods—though I have put on a little weight myself, if only because of all the snacking 😉...