Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Same here. Any way to nudge my period forward a few days? :/

goldenmoose25 said:I’ve been on Cilest for about a year and three months now, and I have a few questions. If anyone can help, I’d appreciate it.
So, here’s the deal. I always take the last pill in the pack on Sunday night, and my period usually starts on Thursday and lasts until Sunday. This time, though, I want my period to wrap up by Friday—two days earlier than usual. I’m wondering if I can just take two pills from a new pack to shorten the cycle by two days, then go straight into my seven-day break. Does messing with the schedule affect how reliable the birth control is?
My second option is to skip the break entirely and start the next pack immediately. Has anyone actually tried this? Are there side effects if I decide not to take a break for one month, and is the protection just as solid during those times?

I am not entirely certain you should try shortening it, though you can extend the cycle by starting a new pack right after the first. Once, when I attempted this after about two weeks, I experienced spotting that didn't stop until I finally took my scheduled break. It wasn't dangerous, merely an inconvenience.🙂

goldenmoose25 said:I’ve been on Cilest for about a year and three months now, and I have a few questions. If anyone can help, I’d appreciate it.
So, here’s the deal. I always take the last pill in the pack on Sunday night, and my period usually starts on Thursday and lasts until Sunday. This time, though, I want my period to wrap up by Friday—two days earlier than usual. I’m wondering if I can just take two pills from a new pack to shorten the cycle by two days, then go straight into my seven-day break. Does messing with the schedule affect how reliable the birth control is?
My second option is to skip the break entirely and start the next pack immediately. Has anyone actually tried this? Are there side effects if I decide not to take a break for one month, and is the protection just as solid during those times?

You could just start the next pack right away; that seems like the safer bet to me. Honestly, I don't think you even need to skip pills—you could maybe just take seven tablets and then do your break, which would keep your period timing pretty much the same. Either way, definitely check the instruction leaflet. Mine says something about this, though I'm not sure which specific brand you're on.

Sean Lee54 said:I'm wondering the same thing—how do you move your period up by a few days? :/

Just shorten the break (don't make it longer). For example, if you usually start the new pack on Wednesday, maybe start it on Sunday instead (depending on how many days you want to shift things).
Though, if you were only asking about doing this for just one month rather than as a general rule (I might be misreading you), then like I said before, that’s what I’d do—I wouldn't bother skipping pills. 😉

Does anyone here meet both these criteria and can give me an answer:
1. You tried Logest and it wasn't for you.
2. You switched over to Triquilar afterward.
What was your experience like after the switch?

I saw my OBGYN today and we got talking about birth control. I mentioned that I might consider starting pills again in a year or two, but they feel way too expensive right now and aren't really worth it—plus, Logest just didn't work for me. He goes, "Want to try Triquilar? I'll write you a prescription for them, $13 they're just as effective."
Are they actually that pricey? (Like, what's the actual cost? I could only find old pricing online).

briskmoose90 said:I've never taken breaks. I've been on birth control for three years now, using different brands...

What counts as a minimum break? I know my OB-GYN decides that, but still... just so I know in case I ever have to.

If it takes three months for your body to adjust to the pill, then I suppose it takes about the same amount of time to reset. 🤷
My doctor mentioned that six months is already quite a long break and that I could start again... I originally stopped because none of them worked for me, but I started back up due to some gynecological issues.😳

shadowfox49 said:Does anyone here meet both these criteria and can give me an answer:
1. You tried Logest and it wasn't for you.
2. You switched over to Triquilar afterward.
What was your experience like after the switch?

I saw my OBGYN today and we got talking about birth control. I mentioned that I might consider starting pills again in a year or two, but they feel way too expensive right now and aren't really worth it—plus, Logest just didn't work for me. He goes, "Want to try Triquilar? I'll write you a prescription for them, $13 they're just as effective."
Are they actually that pricey? (Like, what's the actual cost? I could only find old pricing online).

I had the opposite experience. I started out on Triquilar, and those combined pills just weren't right for me, and later I tried Loestrin, which also wasn't a good fit. -.-
There is also Trinovum, though it is quite $5.00 expensive. 😬

Aha, so Trinovum is the cheapest option for you. 😬
Here we go—my prescription just arrived out of nowhere (some clean batch caused a bit of a delay), so I’m heading off to try my luck with Triquilar.
It turns out they aren't 40, but actually $20, which is fine; they aren't breaking the bank (anything more than that is definitely not worth it for me). I did warn my partner to watch out for any shifts in my mood—kind of like what happened with Logest—or any other changes.

Yeah, a three-month break. That’s what my gynecologist suggested... though he didn't actually give me a break, and now everything is just a mess.🙄

@shadowfox49, I didn't switch from Logest to Triquilar, it was Yaz to Triquilar. Can't tell you much yet, though. I just started the placebo pills... getting some spotting and stuff. It's annoying.

I'll take this for three months, then go back to Yaz or Yasmin, depending on what he decides after the tests.🙂

Anyway... I'll let you know how it goes after a few packs.😁

It’s not required, not necessary at all, but if you really want to, go ahead. 🙂
I was just wondering if anyone here has dealt with this exact same specific situation? If so, maybe share your experiences—we'd obviously be more alike in that case. For anything else regarding Triquilar, I’ll just type "Triquilar forum" into Google and read until my eyes bleed. Everyone’s side effects are different, and everyone reacts to different pills differently, so those other stories aren't really that helpful for me personally.

So...
I was at the gynecologist a few days ago, and he mentioned I have a cyst on one of my ovaries that’s stalling ovulation (if I caught his drift correctly). I think he said there's a (roughly) mature egg sitting right there that should be released, but poor thing just can't get out because of the cyst. 😕 He prescribed some Duphaston for me to take for five days to trigger my period and hopefully clear the cyst in the process. Well, my period showed up today (it was 25 days late), so he says I don't need to take the pills anymore. But I'm assuming the stuff about the cyst and the blocked ovulation still stands? I've been reading that most of these cysts resolve on their own, and mine isn't particularly large or dangerous according to him, right? 😕
Did I get all that right? 😍

So, assuming the cyst clears up soon—once it does, will ovulation actually happen for that mostly mature egg, or is it just going to die off since it can't thrive in those conditions? And if ovulation and fertilization actually happen, wouldn't the zygote have nowhere to go anyway? My endometrium isn't "thick" enough since I'm on birth control and haven't had a normal cycle or the usual gradual thickening, right? 😕 😍

Anyway, should I play it safe and finish another one or two packs of pills before I stop using condoms? Last time, I went condomless starting from the very first pack, but this feels like a different situation entirely. 😬

Alright ladies, I’ve got a question for you all...
So, I’ve been on the Yasmin pill for almost two months now, and honestly, everything has been pretty smooth sailing—zero side effects so far, which feels like a win 😁. But then, last Friday, my heart started doing this intense "stabbing" thing, and let me tell you, the pain was absolutely brutal. It felt like I couldn't even catch my breath, and then after maybe a minute or two, it would just vanish and I’d be totally fine again. The weird part is, the exact same thing happened on Tuesday, Wednesday, and again last night. It hit me so hard I could barely even move 😢. Now, I realize hearts don't actually "stab" people in medical terms, but that’s really the only way I can describe the sensation. It’s like this crushing pressure right around my heart and then—bam—it's over. Do you think this could actually be linked to the Yasmin, or is it just my body reacting to stress? I remember having something similar once back when I was totally losing my mind from stress, but I wasn't even on the pill back then...

Stop taking those pills immediately and go see a doctor.

Nathan Gomez8 said:Stop taking those pills immediately and go see a doctor.

So, like, should I be hitting up my OB-GYN or just stick with my regular GP?

Your gynecologist cannot refer you for further cardiac screenings. You should investigate why this occurred, as you might easily find yourself returning to birth control pills. If you have any underlying heart issues, you really shouldn't be taking them. Best of luck 🙂

Nathan Gomez8 said:Your gynecologist cannot refer you for further cardiac screenings. You should investigate why this occurred, as you might easily find yourself returning to birth control pills. If you have any underlying heart issues, you really shouldn't be taking them. Best of luck 🙂

Ugh, honestly, I'm just gonna head back to my OB-GYN and lay it all out for her... I've never had a single issue with my heart before, so I'm totally convinced this whole mess is just because of that stupid Yasmin pill!!! My left arm was aching and my head has been pounding all day long 😢so I'm definitely demanding my old Diane back😍😍since it worked perfectly for me and everyone else too... I'm not even considering anything new, because I am absolutely not playing "pill tester" with my health😂 Thanks for the reply😉

I’m honestly having a hard time wrapping my head around your symptoms.... are you absolutely certain that Yasmin is actually the culprit here? And did you happen to run any tests before you started taking that specific medication? I was on Yasmin myself until just recently, and everything seemed perfectly fine on my end, though I made sure to stay on top of all my routine 🤷
Anyway, regardless of the cause, it’s definitely a smart move to go see a gynecologist

edit: and please, don't just stop taking them out of the blue, because you really don't want to throw your body for a loop; you should probably wait for your doctor to walk you through the best way to taper off...(I learned that lesson the hard way once myself)

So, what does it actually mean to just stop? How are you supposed to quit?

So, you’ve got these 21 pills in a single pack—at least that’s how they work for Yasmin, anyway, since I haven't really messed around with other brands... and there isn't really a way to just take, say, 13 of them and then just stop mid-stream. I mean, I actually tried doing exactly that once, and a few days later my period showed up, which was way earlier than it was supposed to happen. It just goes to show that it's hormonal therapy after all, so when things like that happen, it's basically just the medication sending a little signal to your body. Anyway, I've officially stopped taking those pills for good now because I don't need them anymore... so I just finished off the very last pill, all 21 of them, and voilà. End of story.

Brenda Fisher86 said:I’m honestly having a hard time wrapping my head around your symptoms.... are you absolutely certain that Yasmin is actually the culprit here? And did you happen to run any tests before you started taking that specific medication? I was on Yasmin myself until just recently, and everything seemed perfectly fine on my end, though I made sure to stay on top of all my routine 🤷
Anyway, regardless of the cause, it’s definitely a smart move to go see a gynecologist

edit: and please, don't just stop taking them out of the blue, because you really don't want to throw your body for a loop; you should probably wait for your doctor to walk you through the best way to taper off...(I learned that lesson the hard way once myself)

Oh, I'm positive the pill has something to do with it... Obviously, I've had blood work done and I'm healthy (well, I was, unless the pill decided to mess with my internal wiring☕). Look, we aren't all built the same; what works for you might be absolute poison for me, for crying out loud🙂. I'm heading to her office tomorrow and I'm really hoping she'll just put me back on my old prescription. My heart stopped doing those weird little palpitations once I quit, but now I'm getting these random headaches here and there😕—and I almost never get headaches, seriously, they're super rare for me
.

Keith Martinez58 said:Oh, I'm positive the pill has something to do with it... Obviously, I've had blood work done and I'm healthy (well, I was, unless the pill decided to mess with my internal wiring☕). Look, we aren't all built the same; what works for you might be absolute poison for me, for crying out loud🙂. I'm heading to her office tomorrow and I'm really hoping she'll just put me back on my old prescription. My heart stopped doing those weird little palpitations once I quit, but now I'm getting these random headaches here and there😕—and I almost never get headaches, seriously, they're super rare for me
.

Definitely. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you tomorrow, and I'm feeling pretty optimistic that everything will work out okay.👍 Please, please let us know how it goes! 😉

Hey, can I make a suggestion? 😬
Ladies on birth control, would you mind sharing the current prices of the pills you’re taking or have used? If possible, maybe the mod could compile them into a single post titled something like "Contraceptive Pill Prices"?
I think it would help everyone out. This info is surprisingly hard to find online, and what little you do find is usually outdated. It feels kind of silly having to walk into a CVS just to ask for a price list. 😍
So far, here's what I know:
Logest - $26
Triquilar - $20

I heard Trinovum is $5.00—can anyone currently on it confirm that?
Also, we probably need prices for Yasmin, Yaz, Cilest, and whatever else is available here in the States (if there are others I'm forgetting)?
I heard Diane 35 is covered by insurance for minors, but adults have to pay out of pocket $50; apparently, you get a pack of three "tabs" of pills. Is that right? They're a bit of a special case since they're mainly for treating hormonal issues.