Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

amberheron64 said: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.

Ugh, I’ve dealt with doctors just like that before—totally careless. From what I know, you definitely need those liver function tests, and he has to provide the referral for them. Don't let him brush you off with stuff like "you don't need it" or "you're young, you're fine." Doctors aren't superheroes; they can't just "see" that everything is okay without actual labs, especially when you've been on pills for a while.
If he keeps refusing, just switch to a different doctor through your insurance. Health isn't something to mess around with.

Since our second option is just some woman who’s even worse and didn't even bother sharing her recipe 🙂
Or maybe there's a third choice, but that doctor changes all the time (not sure if someone actually stayed on permanently now)

Anyway, I'm sticking with the same doc as the little girl, and if they won't give me anything for bloodwork or an ultrasound (since my family history definitely warrants it), then I'm just heading to a private clinic. There's this amazing guy in town everyone raves about, so it's about time I go see him too! 😬

That’s definitely something you have to stay on top of and check periodically. For instance, I just got my blood work back today—I used a referral from my primary care physician here in the States. My cholesterol is right on the edge; the threshold is usually 5.0, and I’m sitting at 5.3. I’ve only been on Diane-35 for about four months now, and since I’m extremely careful about my diet, I don't think food is the culprit—it’s almost certainly the pills. I plan to stick with them for another two or three months, and then hopefully, I can finally stop.

Jeffrey Walker3 said:Since our second option is just some woman who’s even worse and didn't even bother sharing her recipe 🙂
Or maybe there's a third choice, but that doctor changes all the time (not sure if someone actually stayed on permanently now)

Anyway, I'm sticking with the same doc as the little girl, and if they won't give me anything for bloodwork or an ultrasound (since my family history definitely warrants it), then I'm just heading to a private clinic. There's this amazing guy in town everyone raves about, so it's about time I go see him too! 😬

Ugh, apparently that third option is some young woman; she might be great, provided she actually stays on for good. I still remember that old butcher of a doctor—absolute nightmare—my mom told me to go to him because my grandma used to see him, but frankly, I don't think he’s even heard of these pills, so he wouldn't have prescribed them anyway.

And as for getting those liver function tests and all that—nope, I'm not backing down. I'm going to insist; you simply cannot mess around when it comes to this stuff. I'm honestly just overwhelmed right now, worrying about cholesterol and everything else... ugh.😲

So I went to see that old guy (who’s totally retired now) and honestly, he was a total genius! 👍
He gave me my first pill and ran some bloodwork. Every single year when I went back for a refill, he’d just do my blood tests and an ultrasound without me even asking. It didn't matter that he was older; he was seriously amazing. A friend of mine actually managed to have a successful pregnancy with him after a private doctor totally failed her. Seriously, don't judge by looks or age—he was so easy to talk to!

Regarding liver function tests, it feels like hardly any doctors actually offer them... And after all these years on the pill, I’d really love to just get everything checked once and for all...

So, I managed to lose one of my Yasmin pills, and honestly, since these things are getting pretty pricey, I was wondering if I could just skip the 21st tablet to save on costs and essentially shorten my cycle by a single day. $33 I suppose if I just bypass that last pill, I could go ahead with my usual seven-day break and then simply start the next pack a day earlier than I normally would, right?

Olivia Cox77 said:So, I managed to lose one of my Yasmin pills, and honestly, since these things are getting pretty pricey, I was wondering if I could just skip the 21st tablet to save on costs and essentially shorten my cycle by a single day. $33 I suppose if I just bypass that last pill, I could go ahead with my usual seven-day break and then simply start the next pack a day earlier than I normally would, right?

Yes.
However, you should certainly use a condom for a while, just to be safe.

Olivia Cox77 said:So, I managed to lose one of my Yasmin pills, and honestly, since these things are getting pretty pricey, I was wondering if I could just skip the 21st tablet to save on costs and essentially shorten my cycle by a single day. $33 I suppose if I just bypass that last pill, I could go ahead with my usual seven-day break and then simply start the next pack a day earlier than I normally would, right?

Yes, and you won't need extra protection. 😉 Your period will just arrive a day earlier than expected, and everything should be fine. 🙂

So, Sad Sam called her gynecologist to get a prescription for Diane—you know, the birth control—and the nurse told her they need to see results from a specialist (some kind of OB-GYN expert, frankly) before they'll even consider if they can write the script. And apparently, they aren't covered by insurance anymore! Now she’s looking at paying about $33 per go.
I mean, since when?! It finally clicked why my GP didn't just hand over the prescription, but I honestly don't get it—if I've been taking them for two years without a single hiccup, why the sudden change in attitude?!

They did mention she could get a prescription for Logest instead, which my boyfriend rushed out to pick up immediately. Logest runs about $33—but is that for a three-month supply like Diane, or just for one month? Honestly, I have absolutely no clue what Logest is, so I'm looking for some firsthand info from anyone who knows!

amberheron64 said:So, Sad Sam called her gynecologist to get a prescription for Diane—you know, the birth control—and the nurse told her they need to see results from a specialist (some kind of OB-GYN expert, frankly) before they'll even consider if they can write the script. And apparently, they aren't covered by insurance anymore! Now she’s looking at paying about $33 per go.
I mean, since when?! It finally clicked why my GP didn't just hand over the prescription, but I honestly don't get it—if I've been taking them for two years without a single hiccup, why the sudden change in attitude?!

They did mention she could get a prescription for Logest instead, which my boyfriend rushed out to pick up immediately. Logest runs about $33—but is that for a three-month supply like Diane, or just for one month? Honestly, I have absolutely no clue what Logest is, so I'm looking for some firsthand info from anyone who knows!

Logest is roughly $27 for a one-month supply.

Alright, look—I’m a bit stumped here. Why on earth am I being told I don't have the right to ask about Diane anymore?! Has anyone else dealt with something similar? It feels a bit sudden, doesn't it?
And another thing—are these blood results actually from the specialist? I’ve got the white cell count, red cell count, clotting time, enzymes... all that good stuff. Honestly, I have no idea what other test results they could possibly be looking for!

amberheron64 said:Alright, look—I’m a bit stumped here. Why on earth am I being told I don't have the right to ask about Diane anymore?! Has anyone else dealt with something similar? It feels a bit sudden, doesn't it?
And another thing—are these blood results actually from the specialist? I’ve got the white cell count, red cell count, clotting time, enzymes... all that good stuff. Honestly, I have no idea what other test results they could possibly be looking for!

Man, I'm not sure—you should probably just head over there and check with the doctor.
Things might have changed since the New Year rolled around 🤷

amberheron64 said:So, Sad Sam called her gynecologist to get a prescription for Diane—you know, the birth control—and the nurse told her they need to see results from a specialist (some kind of OB-GYN expert, frankly) before they'll even consider if they can write the script. And apparently, they aren't covered by insurance anymore! Now she’s looking at paying about $33 per go.
I mean, since when?! It finally clicked why my GP didn't just hand over the prescription, but I honestly don't get it—if I've been taking them for two years without a single hiccup, why the sudden change in attitude?!

They did mention she could get a prescription for Logest instead, which my boyfriend rushed out to pick up immediately. Logest runs about $33—but is that for a three-month supply like Diane, or just for one month? Honestly, I have absolutely no clue what Logest is, so I'm looking for some firsthand info from anyone who knows!

For Diane, you usually need a recommendation from an endocrinologist or a dermatologist (if you're dealing with bad acne)...

So, I’ve been following my dermatologist's advice for quite a while now—I've dealt with breakouts all over my back, chest, arms, just everywhere—and after grinding through four or five years of various creams and oral medications, she finally pointed me toward this specific option. And honestly, I’ve got it, along with all my blood work and data to prove it...
I actually use them for contraception too, though my main focus is tackling the skin issues.
But tell me, what has everyone else's experience been like with Loestrin?! Does anyone feel like it's a bit easier on the system than Diane-35?

So, I’ve been on these birth control pills and I’m just wrapping up my last week of the first pack... and I actually ended up having sex without any other protection (basically, he finished inside me)...
Now I'm spiraling a bit wondering how long it actually takes before sex is "safe" without needing extra backup stuff???
Everything I find online says you're good to go after seven days on the pill, but then my friend was telling me that when she started hers, her doctor said she had to wait a whole month before things were actually safe...

Can someone who actually knows the deal please give me a straight answer? If you guys are familiar with this... otherwise, I’m gonna be a mom...😲

amberheron64 said:Alright, look—I’m a bit stumped here. Why on earth am I being told I don't have the right to ask about Diane anymore?! Has anyone else dealt with something similar? It feels a bit sudden, doesn't it?
And another thing—are these blood results actually from the specialist? I’ve got the white cell count, red cell count, clotting time, enzymes... all that good stuff. Honestly, I have no idea what other test results they could possibly be looking for!

Look, I posted about Diane on its own thread last year and people just laughed at me. Then my doctor told me straight up that after the healthcare reforms, they aren't supposed to prescribe Diane for free anymore because apparently, it’s not considered an effective contraceptive anymore—only for things like skin issues or regulating cycles.😕
I mean, seriously? After using it for years, he just drops that on me out of nowhere. It makes zero sense. He then suggested I try Triquilar since it has a lower hormone dose and is generally better tolerated by most people... so yeah, I've been on that for about six months now.🤷

First time since starting the pill that my period has been super painful 😢 It feels like a slow buildup toward my non-pill days (which, honestly, were way worse 😁), and I’m just not vibing with it... Not sure what’s causing the shift, though. So glad I have an appointment coming up soon so I can finally vent about it all! 😁

Harold Howard7 said:Look, I posted about Diane on its own thread last year and people just laughed at me. Then my doctor told me straight up that after the healthcare reforms, they aren't supposed to prescribe Diane for free anymore because apparently, it’s not considered an effective contraceptive anymore—only for things like skin issues or regulating cycles.😕
I mean, seriously? After using it for years, he just drops that on me out of nowhere. It makes zero sense. He then suggested I try Triquilar since it has a lower hormone dose and is generally better tolerated by most people... so yeah, I've been on that for about six months now.🤷

It’s been two years since Diana and I actually managed to conceive—and honestly, looking back, there was that one time I completely blanked on taking my pills and everything just went sideways. In my experience, they really do work quite well, though for me personally, they were mostly just my go-to solution for keeping acne under control...
He gave me the longest ones—they should be just fine, I reckon. I’ll pick them up once I finish these last few Dianas I borrowed.😍

Here’s the situation,

I’m on Triquilar..
With my last pack, things went sideways. I had diarrhea about two hours after taking the pill... followed by vomiting a few hours later. I took the dose around midnight... then the next day, I took another at 1 PM thinking the first hadn't been absorbed, plus another one that evening... basically, I finished the pack a day early, on Thursday instead of Friday. Normally, my period arrives four days after finishing, so Tuesday. But since I shifted everything forward, I assumed it would show up today, Monday... yet nothing? Should I be worried or just wait until tomorrow? My boyfriend didn't finish inside, just to be safe..

Calm down and take a deep breath.