Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Sadly, no... 🤷 I've actually forgotten my pill before and ended up taking it within a 12-hour window—once I even took it after 6 PM—and I never dealt with any spotting mid-cycle!

It’s not even that unusual for my cycle—I mean, it’s actually just my period, which Ginica told me was because I was late taking my pill, so it just showed up automatically... The only thing bothering me is how long this is lasting, though honestly, it isn't even heavy or painful...

Honestly, it seems kind of weird to me that she showed up just because she missed one pill. Even if you take all 21 pills on schedule, you don't exactly see results the very next day...

So, I'm looking at my own instructions right now, and they say spotting mid-cycle is totally normal during the first three months on the pill. But, if the bleeding gets heavy, we should definitely call the doctor.

And then I’ll head over there tomorrow... it won't be anything major, but still—it’s going to take some time..

BTW, my instructions actually say that missing a period is totally normal (or just spotting/trace amounts)... but what I’m dealing with right now doesn't really fit any of those descriptions. :/
I think I'll go see the doctor tomorrow to figure out what's actually going on.. thanks, bubicee 🙂

We’re basically in the same boat here, and I’m actually planning on hitting up my OB-GYN tomorrow too! 🙂 Honestly, everything will probably turn out fine, but you should definitely go get checked out—that bleeding has been going on way too long.

Hey, does anyone happen to know the protocol for switching from Yaz to Qlaira? Specifically, when you take that first pill of the new pack, should it be immediately after the last active pill of the old one, or do you wait until after the placebo week?

Nathan Mendoza5 said:If you wouldn't mind, please let us know what kind of prescription you end up receiving. Thank you. 👍

So I just went for my checkup, and they gave me the usual paper script... clearly, their system doesn't track your pills the same way. 🤷

Even though some pharmacies here usually just pull up my file on the computer when I stop by...

People, help... I can't believe this happened 😢😢😢😢
I was supposed to start a new pack of birth control—Triquilar—this Monday, but things got so hectic I completely lost track of time... and I had sex last week like crazy 😢😢😢 What should my move be? Should I just pick up a new pack tomorrow and try to get back on schedule, or what... 🤷

Ugh... 😢

I don't know, it's been a while, so I wouldn't even dare start drinking again if my break was longer than 7 days... 🤷
Just call your OB-GYN and ask!

Fingers crossed everything turns out okay! 🙂

Ugh, yeah... I’m with bubica on this one—definitely see a gynecologist first thing. Fingers crossed for you!

P.S.—bubica, did everything go okay for you yesterday?
(Everything's fine on my end, by the way—my doctor told me not to worry, and the bleeding actually stopped today)

Ugh, getting my bio checked by Dr. Skrooz was actually painless (I’ve been working on relaxing for my exams 😬, which used to be such a struggle!), and the doc was super chatty and in a great mood—I was actually the first one in line yesterday 😁. Just 6 more months of pills and then we can finally start trying for a baby! 😍
Still, it feels so weird saying all that out loud 🙈
.
The only thing is, I'm pretty annoyed that I haven't had bloodwork or an ultrasound done in like 3 years... but hey, I'll just head to a private clinic this summer
. When I first met this doctor, I mentioned cancer runs in my family, and he promised I could get more frequent ultrasounds and stuff... but now? Nothing. The guy is just totally overwhelmed with patients and doesn't seem to care anymore 🤷 😢
.
Oh yeah, the last time I had blood drawn was back in 2009 during a work physical. Everything came back fine. But still...

Jeffrey Walker3 said:So I just went for my checkup, and they gave me the usual paper script... clearly, their system doesn't track your pills the same way. 🤷

Even though some pharmacies here usually just pull up my file on the computer when I stop by...

They just log it for their own records. 😉
A general practitioner can't write a script for birth control; that’s strictly for the OB-GYN. I actually asked my doctor about it once because I was too lazy to trek over to the specialist for a refill. 😁

For birth control, you get a paper script. It stays with the provider and is valid for six months from the issue date. If you've already seen a private specialist and nothing has changed, you don't need a full exam—just ask them to reissue the same thing. Every time you hit the pharmacy, they should stamp the back with the date to track how many boxes have been filled under that specific script.

Does anyone know if drinking herbal tea affects how Yaz works? I assume not, but I don't want to take any chances.

So, I reached out to my gynecologist—well, my sister asked her since my doctor is impossible to get an appointment with... and they told me to just stop taking everything for now and wait until my next period to start the pill. Only problem is, who has time to sit around waiting for a cycle to start! I’m a total wreck. Even when I'm on them, my periods tend to skip a month or two... I mentioned that to her, and she just said to come in for an exam if it's late. Just great. I've been in this spot before where I was convinced I was pregnant, only to find out I was just imagining things... I really hope it’s the same this time. Even though I'm in a long-term relationship with a solid guy, I’m personally not ready for a baby... I'm 21, halfway through my Master's, and everything finally lined up perfectly for my internship... I can't believe this is happening. It's all because I have a million things on my mind lately; my head is just spinning. Hopefully, it'll be fine... 😲

I’m crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly! Just try not to baby it too much so you don't end up running even later...
And hey, don't forget to set an alarm for later!

I’m not sure if anyone else has brought this up yet—there are just so many pages here, I can't possibly scroll through everything. So, basically, I was on birth control (Logest) for about two years, and honestly, I didn't experience any side effects—nothing positive or negative, really. But then, about three months after I stopped taking them, these breakouts started appearing on my face. They showed up during my period, so I didn't make much of a big deal out of it at first, but once the cycle ended, they didn't go away; in fact, things just kept getting worse—the old ones wouldn't clear up and new ones kept popping up. I should probably mention that I never actually had acne issues before—I breezed through puberty without a single pimple, and I’ve never even felt the need to wear foundation. Now, it's been six months since this whole breakout mess began and it's still going on—plus, I've noticed some unwanted hair growth, which also wasn't an issue for me previously—like on my chin, which I now have to regularly bleach or pluck. My question is, is it possible that all of this happened because I stopped the pills, considering I never had these problems until suddenly after I quit? I don't know if that makes any sense, but it crossed my mind, so... if anyone has any experience with this...

Have you started noticing any breakouts or acne lately?
It could actually be from the birth control—though I know every OB-GYN is just going to tell you it isn't. They usually claim those symptoms, like the acne and extra hair growth, are just PCOS finally kicking in. How have your hormone levels and ovaries been looking?
Did you end up seeing a dermatologist?
Maybe you just need to give it some time—you know, let those hormones clear out of your system so your body can get back to its baseline.

The breakouts—they're just these tiny little things. I haven't actually seen a dermatologist yet because—well, I keep thinking they'll just go away on their own, maybe calm down for a bit and then flare right back up again. Honestly, the first bout was by far the worst; it hasn't been quite that intense since, though they never truly disappear. As for my ovaries, everything is fine there—I don't have PCOS if that's what you were wondering. My last checkup showed perfectly normal results, which is when I decided to stop taking the pills. I suppose it's probably what you mentioned—that the body is just trying to clear them out. I really hope it happens soon, because it's been going on for six months now and it's honestly starting to get under my skin.
Thanks for the reply! 🙂

I'm pretty certain that's the case—honestly, there isn't much else to it. In any event, take care of yourself, 🙂, and best of luck with everything.

Thank you, 🙂
In any case—I guess—I don't think I'll ever use them again.