Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

Chloe Gray5 said:There are plenty of other low-dose options out there, but honestly, "low dose" is pretty subjective—what works for one person might totally tank someone else. If your doctor recommended Lyndinette, I'd say go for it, especially since they have both the 20 and 30 versions. The 20s are the lower dose, but you might deal with some breakthrough bleeding if they aren't strong enough to stabilize your cycle, so you can always bump up to the 30s later. Personally, I tried Yaz, which is low-dose, but it just wasn't enough for me—so I switched to Lyndinette 30 and they've been awesome. Plus, there's the price factor—Lyndinette is one of those that's covered by insurance, costing maybe $11, whereas Yaz is almost 😳. So, if I were you, I’d start with Lyndinette 20 and just adjust if needed.

Also, yeah, your mood will definitely take a hit at first while your hormones try to find a new baseline—eventually, things should level out and feel normal again. I don't really buy into the weight gain thing, and as for libido... well, that's different for everyone😁.

Thanks 🙂

Yeah, my doctor told me if they're too weak, she'll just switch me to a higher dose 😉
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Anyway, I did a little Googling and found this (a PPT presentation on low-hormone pills):

NOVYNETTE or LINDYNETTE 20
Contraception + good libido (more inert DSG) – NOVYNETTE
Contraception + weaker libido (more active GSD) – LINDYNETTE 20

According to this, Novynette is better for sex drive. I even saw on some European forums that a lot of girls actually felt their libido increase once they started these... And look, life isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows for me right now, so having zero sexual desire would honestly just break me 😢
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I think I'm going to try Novynette first, then pivot if they don't work out... Does anyone actually know how much these cost?

Lindynetta goes for about $32, while Novynetta looks closer to $90—though I’m not totally sure. 🙂 I dealt with some serious dryness and libido issues while I was out in Yazoo, but since switching to Lindy, things have definitely improved
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Hello,

I've been on Triquilar birth control for three years now. This month, I missed the very first pill in my pack. I ended up taking it a day late, along with my next dose. (I was supposed to take that first pill last Saturday, but didn't get to it until Sunday). Fast forward to today—day eight of the new pack—and I had unprotected sex. He finished inside. Is there a chance of pregnancy? Thanks a lot...

I’ve been on birth control for 4 months now. I took my first pill of the pack last night, and even though my boyfriend finished inside, I ended up getting diarrhea about an hour later. I didn't take an extra pill; I’m just waiting until tomorrow night for my next dose like usual. On top of that, I’m currently on antibiotics. Is there a chance I could get pregnant, or am I probably still protected?
Please help me out :/

My gynecologist prescribed Belara for my PCOS. Since these are my first birth control pills and I haven't been able to find many firsthand accounts from other women online, I figured I'd ask here... Does anyone have experience with this specific brand? What was it like, and did you deal with any side effects? I haven't started them yet because the instructions say to begin on the first day of my cycle. It also mentions a seven-day break, but I'm a little confused—do you resume on the seventh or the eighth day? Also, the pack only lists the days of the week (Mon, Tue, Wed...). I guess that just means the order doesn't strictly matter and they're just there as a guide so you don't miss a dose, but I suppose I should double-check if there's more to it than that.

If I didn't lose my cool at the local CVS today, it would be a miracle! 😠

I’ve been taking the Diane 35 extended-release version for three years now. I went to my OBGYN today for my routine checkups, he gave me my prescription, and I headed straight to the pharmacy.

I honestly try to tell other women that they should look for the extended-release version, not just the standard coated tablets. But the pharmacist looked me right in the eye and insisted the extended-release option doesn't even exist. Meanwhile, I'm standing there holding my old box, comparing the two, knowing full well that this specific formula is what actually helps clear up my skin and keeps my cycle regular. 🙂

Then I get to the part where it says the standard coated tablets aren't meant solely for birth control, and apparently, in certain situations—like if you have a headache—their reliability can actually drop! 🙂 🙂

It's enough to drive you crazy... 🙂 🙄

I’m really dying to hear from any girls out there who actually use NuvaRing. Like, seriously, I need the tea. 🙂

And ugh, I totally missed the main thread 🤔—which was saying this ring is a hormonal contraceptive, but it’s not exactly a pill, so now I’m just sitting here completely clueless, like, what even is happening right now... 😁

Here's Monica:

talking about vaginal fingering.

Ugh, my bad! I totally realized after I posted that I only meant this was specifically for birth control pills, not every single type of hormonal contraceptive out there...
Thanks, you're super quick 😉

Hey there, I was wondering if it’s actually possible to adjust the timing for when I take these? Honestly, sticking to an 8:00 PM schedule just isn't working for me anymore; I really need to be able to take them at least an hour earlier. Also, if I decide to shift the window—whether that means moving things forward or pushing them back—does that mean I basically control my own schedule regarding when I actually swallow them?

Personally, I never gave it a second thought. I’d been drinking them for years—if I was having them in the evening, it didn't matter to me if it was 8, 9, or midnight. It always just fell somewhere in the evening hours. And honestly? I never had any issues with them.

I’ve been on Belara for about 14 days now, having started on the first day of my cycle. My period lasted roughly six days, but since then, I've had this slight brownish discharge. I read somewhere that this might just be breakthrough bleeding, which apparently isn't unusual when starting birth control—just the body adjusting, I guess... but I'm still feeling a bit anxious about it. Has anyone else dealt with this?

I’ve been on Logest for four years now, and over the last few months, things have really started taking a toll on me—both mentally and physically. Most notably, I’ve lost my period.
I went to see my gynecologist, and he basically told me to take a break from them this month. He wants to schedule a follow-up exam so we can figure out what's actually going on. His theory? They’re probably just too weak for my system.

Interestingly, since I stopped taking them, I’ve noticed my libido has improved significantly 😁. Does that mean they were definitely the culprit behind that issue too? Should I bring this up during my next appointment? And honestly, how likely is it that switching to a different brand would cause these same exact issues?

Thanks

So, I’m curious about anyone’s experience switching from Yasmina/Yaza to Logest/Lindynette...
Basically, the whole thing hinges on that different progesterone component—Yasmina uses drospirenone while Logest goes with gestodene... so I'm just wondering what kind of shifts I should actually be looking out for?
Also, has anyone else dealt with this specific brand acting up or being totally unreliable?
Thanks 😉

Correction, you can also go with Yasmina instead of Novynette.

It feels to me like Novynette is being dosed a bit lower...

Larry King said:So, I’m curious about anyone’s experience switching from Yasmina/Yaza to Logest/Lindynette...
Basically, the whole thing hinges on that different progesterone component—Yasmina uses drospirenone while Logest goes with gestodene... so I'm just wondering what kind of shifts I should actually be looking out for?
Also, has anyone else dealt with this specific brand acting up or being totally unreliable?
Thanks 😉

I made the jump from Yaz to Loest because Yaz felt way too weak for me.
Haven't noticed any side effects so far—the only big thing is that I don't get those breakthrough bleeds that made me switch to Loest in the first place. They feel pretty much the same to me... though I've only been on them for two months, so who knows if something pops up later, but for now, they work better.

Thanks for getting back to me 😉

So, I’m currently on Yasmin, and lately, I’ve been doing a fair bit of scrolling through various forums—just seeing what everyone is talking about—and honestly, it blows my mind how many people are just mass-switching from Yasmin or Yaz. It’s also pretty obvious to me that options like Lindynette 20, Logest, or Novynette aren't even being discussed nearly as much...🙄

Of course, it all comes down to your hormone levels, but based on my own experience—and what most of my friends have told me—hardly anyone bothers with actual bloodwork these days. They just grab some Yasmin or Yaz and call it a day. It’s rare to find someone who actually takes the time to look at a patient's specific needs.

Actually, I’m leaning more toward Novynette myself; I think I might head over to the clinic in downtown Chicago sometime soon just to check things out...

If anyone here has actually made the switch from Yaz or Yasmin over to Novynette, I’d really appreciate your input. 😍

So, I haven't been using any contraception up until now, but I’ve finally decided it's time to start on the pill.

What kind of tests do I actually need to get done so my gynecologist will prescribe the right ones? I really don't want them to just run some basic, bare-minimum screenings only for me to deal with complications down the road. Any advice? Thanks.

Hmm... blood work, coagulation profile, reproductive hormones?

My doctor mentioned that the most critical thing is just asking about your medical history—basically, if anyone in your family has died from a blood clot.

Look, some birth control pills are just better than others. One brand might be a total lifesaver for one person, while someone else gets hit with a ton of side effects. Your doctor will probably start you on the lowest hormone dose possible—if those work, you're golden. Still, when she suggests something, definitely ask how it compares to Lindynette 20. When I first started on the pill, I had to go through the whole nine yards—Pap smear, ultrasound, blood work (CBC, liver tests, the usual stuff)—and walk her through my medical history. She put me on Yaz initially, but they totally trashed me, so I switched to Lindynette 30. They’re a bit stronger, but they actually worked for me. It actually surprised me that Lindynette 20 even exists; it's not quite the same generation as Yaz, but both are lower-dose options—the main difference is really just the price tag (Yaz $50, whereas Lindynette $11 costs more out-of-pocket).

Honestly, my only regret was wasting a year and a half paying monthly $50 for something that basically did nothing for me. I could have just started with the lighter Lindynette 20 and then moved up to the Lindynette 30s I'm on now.