Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

So, my primary care doctor just handed me a referral for some coagulation testing.

Jamie Barnes60 said:So, my primary care doctor just handed me a referral for some coagulation testing.

So, I went to see my doctor a couple days ago to get a blood work referral—mostly because my OBGYN is in another city and I couldn't make the trip right now—and she told me she couldn't sign off on it. Apparently, it has to come from the specialist.
I honestly thought she was just giving me the runaround...
And since my period started anyway, I ended up just starting the pills before even getting the blood work done.

Jamie Barnes60 said:So, my primary care doctor just handed me a referral for some coagulation testing.

That’s even better. I know some doctors won't hand those out. For instance:

Christian Thompson9 said:So, I went to see my doctor a couple days ago to get a blood work referral—mostly because my OBGYN is in another city and I couldn't make the trip right now—and she told me she couldn't sign off on it. Apparently, it has to come from the specialist.
I honestly thought she was just giving me the runaround...
And since my period started anyway, I ended up just starting the pills before even getting the blood work done.

I don't get why she wouldn't just give you a standard referral for blood work, including liver enzymes. It makes zero sense that a gynecologist would need to be the one to authorize that. 😕

My primary care doctor is seriously the best. Honestly, thank god 😁

We spent about twenty minutes just geeking out over pills and side effects—you know how it is. And she didn't give me even a shred of grief regarding my insurance referral either.

Jamie Barnes60 said:My primary care doctor is seriously the best. Honestly, thank god 😁

We spent about twenty minutes just geeking out over pills and side effects—you know how it is. And she didn't give me even a shred of grief regarding my insurance referral either.

Oh, obviously! Any GP in the States can write you a referral for blood work or anything else involving your blood counts. I don't know what people are talking about—there are clearly some incompetent doctors out there if they refuse to give you a referral for basic stuff... Luckily, mine is awesome too! 😉

So, something stupid happened. I completely missed my window this month. My last pill was on Friday, and I usually get my period sometime between Sunday and Monday. But here we are—I’m supposed to be starting a new pack tomorrow and still nothing. 😕 😕 😕

mellownomad3 said:So, I had unprotected sex last night—was on day 10 of my cycle. He finished inside, and I usually have a pretty regular 28-day cycle. But there’s more to it... I was taking Triquilar until last month, but I actually missed my last dose entirely. My period showed up a day early, naturally. Could any of this be connected? Please let me know—I really don't want to start pumping myself full of hormones if it's not necessary.😕

Oof... you're right on the edge. Honestly, I'd say the odds are probably in your favor for not getting pregnant, but you’re definitely hovering right near that fertile window. So, what now? If a little one shows up... well, wishing you nothing but the best! 🙂

placidviper12 said:So, something stupid happened. I completely missed my window this month. My last pill was on Friday, and I usually get my period sometime between Sunday and Monday. But here we are—I’m supposed to be starting a new pack tomorrow and still nothing. 😕 😕 😕

If you haven't gotten it today, you seriously need to call your doctor and figure out what's going on.

placidviper12 said:So, something stupid happened. I completely missed my window this month. My last pill was on Friday, and I usually get my period sometime between Sunday and Monday. But here we are—I’m supposed to be starting a new pack tomorrow and still nothing. 😕 😕 😕

Maybe you're pregnant? 😁 Just kidding, just kidding... I just don't know anyone who has gotten pregnant while on the pill.

So, during that seven-day break, what’s the deal? Like, are the pills enough to keep things protected, or do you actually need to use some kind of physical barrier too? I'm super new to all this, and honestly, if you gotta ask, you probably shouldn't be doing it without being sure, I guess. 🙂

There is absolutely no need for you to use any extra protection 🙂

Has anyone here ever made the switch to Yaz? I’m currently on Loestrin, but I’ve been thinking about stopping... I mean, are there actually any risks of embolism or thrombosis from the patches, or does that danger apply strictly to the pills? Are they just as safe? Before I started taking anything, my cycles were pretty erratic—just long, unpredictable messes—so Loestrin finally got things back on track. I’ve had regular checkups and everything always comes back fine, but I have noticed some spider veins popping up on my legs lately. Nothing extreme, just enough to notice. Still, if Yaz doesn't carry those same potential side effects as the oral contraceptives, I’d definitely consider making the move...

My sister has been using the Mirena ring for about six months now, and she is absolutely loving it. At least, that’s what she tells me! 😁
She hasn't dealt with any side effects at all, and honestly, the protection level is only a tiny fraction lower than what you get with standard birth control pills—we actually sat down and did a little math on it 😁.

I’m seriously considering making the switch myself just so I don't have to deal with these nasty, heavy hormones I'm currently on... 😢

From what I understand, taking Evra exposes you to about 60% more estrogen than traditional birth control pills, which naturally bumps up the risk of things like heart attacks or blood clots.

I recently went in for some tests, and my doctor told me everything looks fine. However, for five days—specifically from the moment I took the Yasmin pill until I was due for the second dose—my heart was hurting so intensely it felt insane. I ended up stopping them altogether since I can't get a hold of my doctor right now.🙄
Since I quit, my heart hasn't acted up even once, so it seems pretty obvious to me that the pills were the culprit. My only confusion is why, because all my medical tests came back perfectly normal. I’d like to try a different brand, but I’m torn on whether that’s actually wise. I don't want to mess with my body's balance too much, especially since I had been on Yasmin for over a year before suddenly dropping it.

Oh man, don't scare me like that... I’m actually about to start on Yazmin, just waiting for my period to show up first. My skin is looking totally flawless right now and I keep telling myself it's fine—I mean, it can't just go south overnight, right? But I guess I have to admit I'm a little nervous. I really want to go with Yazmin because they're supposed to be the mildest option, and honestly, I just need something to regulate my cycle and clear up my complexion. I really don't want to start putting on weight (because I seriously don't need that) or deal with any weird side effects...

I don't mean to scare anyone, truly—everyone’s experience is so incredibly different. For a while, I even worried I was just imagining things, but you can't really talk yourself into experiencing pain this intense. It breaks my heart that I had to stop taking Yasmin; beyond the protection it offered, it provided a sense of stability that was honestly quite hard to give up.
Now, I'm sitting here wondering if it's even safe to try any other pills.🤷

And I’m gonna go ahead and ask them, because honestly, knowing how stubborn I can be, I’m probably gonna try it anyway. Even if it blows up in my face, I guess I won't really believe it until I experience it firsthand.🙂

Jonathan Garcia3 said:Oh man, don't scare me like that... I’m actually about to start on Yazmin, just waiting for my period to show up first. My skin is looking totally flawless right now and I keep telling myself it's fine—I mean, it can't just go south overnight, right? But I guess I have to admit I'm a little nervous. I really want to go with Yazmin because they're supposed to be the mildest option, and honestly, I just need something to regulate my cycle and clear up my complexion. I really don't want to start putting on weight (because I seriously don't need that) or deal with any weird side effects...

Hehe, hormones won't ask you if you actually wanted to gain weight or not; if you're unlucky, it's just going to happen.

Jerry Walker79 said:If you haven't gotten it today, you seriously need to call your doctor and figure out what's going on.

I called him, and he told me to just skip this cycle. 🙄
I just don't get why this happened. Sure, I lost a little weight, but not enough to make my period disappear. 🤷

I’ve been strictly on Yasmin and absolutely nothing else for a year now just to deal with my acne.
Seriously, no cream, no acid treatments—nothing worked to clear them up except these damn pills. Now I’m sitting here thinking about stopping, but I’ve heard horror stories that once you quit, the breakouts come back even worse than before!!

So that’s why I’m asking...

IS THERE LITERALLY ANYONE OUT THERE WHOSE ACNE DIDN'T COME BACK AFTER THEY STOPPED TAKING HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES??

If just one person could tell me it’s actually possible and they won't return... I would stop taking them this second. I do NOT want them back. Ever. It feels so unfair that just when I finally find the one thing that actually works... people end up suffering because of freaking Yasmin.

I already had my blood work done and everything looks totally normal, and I’m even heading to the clinic for some extra tests... but honestly, I’d be the happiest person alive if I could just stop taking these.😕 🤷 👎