Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

amberheron64 said:No, that’s not how it works—I get a prescription, then I take it down to the pharmacy, where they grab the medication and hand over the pills. That’s pretty much the standard process for getting something like Diane, anyway.
I know how it works for Jasmin—she basically gets handed a recipe and then just heads over there once a month using that exact same formula—but things don't really work that way in my neck of the woods...
Oh, come on now—give me a break!

See, Diane is actually fully covered by Medicare... it isn't even prescribed as a contraceptive, but rather to treat things like PCOS, acne, or painful periods. That’s why the doctor writes a specific blue prescription and includes the specialist's code—like from an endocrinologist or dermatologist. When you hit the pharmacy, you don't pay a dime... unless you have supplemental insurance, then it's just $5.00 whatever the script says.

With Yasmin, Yaz, or Cilest... none of those are covered by Medicare. You’re paying full price using a private prescription, though you can get reimbursed if you attach the receipt to the back.
The only contraceptive that's actually covered by Medicare is Trinovum.☕

swiftbear86 said:See, Diane is actually fully covered by Medicare... it isn't even prescribed as a contraceptive, but rather to treat things like PCOS, acne, or painful periods. That’s why the doctor writes a specific blue prescription and includes the specialist's code—like from an endocrinologist or dermatologist. When you hit the pharmacy, you don't pay a dime... unless you have supplemental insurance, then it's just $5.00 whatever the script says.

With Yasmin, Yaz, or Cilest... none of those are covered by Medicare. You’re paying full price using a private prescription, though you can get reimbursed if you attach the receipt to the back.
The only contraceptive that's actually covered by Medicare is Trinovum.☕

Well, yeah—I haven't paid for anything in three years, and I use Diane strictly as my birth control. Which means I definitely need that specialist's code. Honestly, the pharmacist could have mentioned any of this to me yesterday—not that she did! It wasn't even her fault, really, I just didn't realize because I've always been handed a standard prescription until now
.
Good grief, what a headache 🤣

One question!

I’ve been with my current partner for a while now, and I’ve been on Diane 35 for five months. I used birth control before too, maybe six or seven years ago, switching brands here and there. My local clinic doctor told me it’s totally normal to have some discharge while on the pill. Back when I was with my long-term ex, I used vaginal suppositories a couple of times.

I've been under a lot of stress lately. I take my pills consistently, but yesterday I noticed this weird discharge. It doesn't hurt or anything, but it looks like spotting—kind of discolored compared to usual. Honestly, I can't remember if this happened before and I just didn't notice, or what. It actually happened a few years ago during birth control too. So, I'm wondering—has anyone else dealt with this "discolored" discharge? Should I go see a gynecologist, or can I just handle it myself with those suppositories they recommended before? Or could it be some untreated __ hm, I don't know the exact name, V-Gard...?! Something like that. Maybe you guys know better. Aside from this, I don't have any other issues, though this did pop up at the very start of my last relationship... I used the suppositories as often as my doctor suggested, but my partner didn't use them, and we don't use condoms—help!!!

I’m curious about whether fertile and infertile days actually hold any weight when you're on the pill.

There are absolutely zero productive days when you're on the pill

I mean, what’s even the point of having fertile and non-fertile days if you're already taking 😕😕😕
? Like, seriously, why bother tracking all that stuff?

Help me please...
Back in May 2009, I started taking Logest—and naturally, I had my blood work done beforehand, everything was perfectly fine. Yet, during that very first month, right in the middle of my cycle, the bleeding started. Of course, I rushed to my gynecologist, who simply told me it was just an adjustment period. I continued the Logest for another five months, and every single month it was the same story—fifteen days of bleeding followed by my period.
After that initial visit, she recommended I try Xyzal; I took it for a month, but the symptoms were identical. Then came Triquilar for three months, and now I’m in my third month of Yaz, and once again, it's the exact same thing. I went to see her today, and her response? She thinks I should just be a little more patient??????? Now, she has given me a referral for blood work and a full coagulation profile. What exactly can they find from a large coagulation panel? Has anyone else dealt with this? My doctor claims she sees 8,300 women and only one other has this issue—she mentioned some sort of connective tissue disorder might explain it... help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jesse Rogers8 said:Help me please...
Back in May 2009, I started taking Logest—and naturally, I had my blood work done beforehand, everything was perfectly fine. Yet, during that very first month, right in the middle of my cycle, the bleeding started. Of course, I rushed to my gynecologist, who simply told me it was just an adjustment period. I continued the Logest for another five months, and every single month it was the same story—fifteen days of bleeding followed by my period.
After that initial visit, she recommended I try Xyzal; I took it for a month, but the symptoms were identical. Then came Triquilar for three months, and now I’m in my third month of Yaz, and once again, it's the exact same thing. I went to see her today, and her response? She thinks I should just be a little more patient??????? Now, she has given me a referral for blood work and a full coagulation profile. What exactly can they find from a large coagulation panel? Has anyone else dealt with this? My doctor claims she sees 8,300 women and only one other has this issue—she mentioned some sort of connective tissue disorder might explain it... help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A coagulation profile basically shows how fast your blood clots. Honestly, it might just be that those pills aren't strong enough for you—both Logest and Yaz only have 0.020 mg of ethinyl estradiol. You might want to ask about Celestima; it has 0.035 mg. Just speaking from my own experience, Logest really didn't sit right with me (I had the same bleeding issues and some other stuff), but once I switched to Celestima, everything was smooth sailing—no extra bleeding at all from the very first dose.

Thanks!!! Gin mentioned that this was my only remaining option—though I suppose I should try to be patient regarding the writing process—but how can one be expected to wait when, starting from the 5th of every month, I deal with bleeding for at least twenty days? It is easy for them to say...
And why does the speed of blood clotting matter so much right now?

I probably should apologize in advance because someone might have already asked this... but

Since I’ve been on birth control for nearly three years now, I was wondering—does it still matter if I schedule my Pap smear during the middle of my cycle, or does being on the pill change things?
Right now, the last third of my cycle works best for me, both in terms of my schedule and my budget, but if doing it then isn't ideal, I’d rather not go through the hassle for nothing...

Honestly, I don't think it matters where you are in your cycle; at least my doctor never gave me any specific timing on when to come in!

Sean Richardson9 said:I probably should apologize in advance because someone might have already asked this... but

Since I’ve been on birth control for nearly three years now, I was wondering—does it still matter if I schedule my Pap smear during the middle of my cycle, or does being on the pill change things?
Right now, the last third of my cycle works best for me, both in terms of my schedule and my budget, but if doing it then isn't ideal, I’d rather not go through the hassle for nothing...

I’m also on the pill, and my doctor usually has me come in for my Pap about seven days after my period ends.

My man doesn't even care when I show up, he never asks where I am in my cycle 🤷. Honestly, it's kind of a vibe
!

amberheron64 said:So, I already put a post up about this—but he’s gone, just vanished into thin air without a word.

Anyway, the main thing is that I headed over to my gynecologist today to pick up my prescription—today is actually the last day of my break, so I was supposed to start back on them right away.
It turned out the doctor in charge was just a locum—a temporary substitute, really—and she absolutely refused to write me the script because I didn't have "proof" that I'd been taking them, and since my regular doctor isn't in, she can't access my medical files at all.

Alright, so here’s the situation: my actual doctor gets back from vacation this coming Monday, and I’m wondering if I should just wait until then to go grab the pills—meaning, would it be okay to actually start them on Monday? (Which would mean being three days late, by which time the cycle is already moving along).

The problem is, it's quite a trek for me—not exactly a quick trip—and I really don't feel like making the drive back there constantly, especially when I try to call and ask a quick question, and they just tell me, "Oh, you'll have to come in person."
Does it even make sense to go fetch the pills if I'm already three days behind? That’s the big question—mostly because that substitute doctor wouldn't budge on giving them to me today.

I was in a similar spot once and just did this: I bought the pills and then got a refund once I had the prescription in hand. Basically, just head to the pharmacy, tell them you usually have a prescription, and ask if they can process a refund for you once you bring the paperwork in.
They did the same to me, and honestly, it’s no big deal. Since they updated the recipes, you can actually use one twice if you want.

Well, I actually already managed to get some from a coworker—she had an extra pack of pills lying around—and in the meantime, my gynecologist finally made it back from summer vacation, or whatever he was doing.
I didn’t even think about going shopping because I was just so incredibly frazzled that day—mostly because, like an absolute idiot, I sat in line for two whole hours only to walk away empty-handed, though really, it was more because I didn't get the pills themselves.🙂

Anyway, I have a question—how often am I supposed to get blood work done while on the pill? I haven't had any side effects at all; I haven't gained weight, my breasts haven't gotten larger, there's no spotting, nothing... but it strikes me as odd that he isn't sending me for any tests (blood tests, specifically)? The last time I had my blood drawn was all the way back in 2007.🤷

Hey, I'm sending you a PM about that blood work question! 😉

fadedcrane43 said:I was in a similar spot once and just did this: I bought the pills and then got a refund once I had the prescription in hand. Basically, just head to the pharmacy, tell them you usually have a prescription, and ask if they can process a refund for you once you bring the paperwork in.
They did the same to me, and honestly, it’s no big deal. Since they updated the recipes, you can actually use one twice if you want.

Look, if you want to pick up medication and get a refund, you really need to have your medical history handy. It has to clearly show which doctor ordered the meds in the first place. Unless you're a regular at the exact same pharmacy where they can pull up your patient file and see the prescribing doctor right there, they aren't obligated to help you. They need official documentation from the physician. My advice? Go ahead and ask your doctor for your full medical records—those are your proof in a situation like this.👍

amberheron64 said:Well, I actually already managed to get some from a coworker—she had an extra pack of pills lying around—and in the meantime, my gynecologist finally made it back from summer vacation, or whatever he was doing.
I didn’t even think about going shopping because I was just so incredibly frazzled that day—mostly because, like an absolute idiot, I sat in line for two whole hours only to walk away empty-handed, though really, it was more because I didn't get the pills themselves.🙂

Anyway, I have a question—how often am I supposed to get blood work done while on the pill? I haven't had any side effects at all; I haven't gained weight, my breasts haven't gotten larger, there's no spotting, nothing... but it strikes me as odd that he isn't sending me for any tests (blood tests, specifically)? The last time I had my blood drawn was all the way back in 2007.🤷

Honestly, some gynecologists just aren't very proactive about this stuff. You know how it goes—some doctors hand out prescriptions like candy, and others barely see you because you’re just dropping in to pick up a refill. In those cases, you really ought to take the initiative yourselves. It shouldn't be too hard to get a referral for lab work—you definitely should be checking your lipid levels and liver enzymes once in a while.

rowdyotter65 said:Honestly, some gynecologists just aren't very proactive about this stuff. You know how it goes—some doctors hand out prescriptions like candy, and others barely see you because you’re just dropping in to pick up a refill. In those cases, you really ought to take the initiative yourselves. It shouldn't be too hard to get a referral for lab work—you definitely should be checking your lipid levels and liver enzymes once in a while.

Thanks, 🙂
my doctor didn't give me a referral for bloodwork—he actually told me it wasn't even necessary—but I suppose I just need to be persistent about it.

swiftbear86 said:Look, if you want to pick up medication and get a refund, you really need to have your medical history handy. It has to clearly show which doctor ordered the meds in the first place. Unless you're a regular at the exact same pharmacy where they can pull up your patient file and see the prescribing doctor right there, they aren't obligated to help you. They need official documentation from the physician. My advice? Go ahead and ask your doctor for your full medical records—those are your proof in a situation like this.👍

I always head to the same local pharmacy for my meds. The lady behind the counter was super helpful and sorted out my refund once I showed her the prescription. Honestly, I have no clue if they actually keep a digital log of who comes in and what they buy, though.😉