Hey ladies, Birth control question

karmasmom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
1,008
Purraise
2
Location
California
So I had to go to the doctor today for my annual. I was having an issue with my last pill. I had breakthrough bleeding
. My doctor said I should try a pill with a higher dose of estrogen. He put me on Ortho-Novum. I have never ben on a higher dose pill. I think because I am almost 30 the lower dose is not working like it use to. Has anyone used this one? What can I expect? I read the pamphlet but they all say the same thing. Weight gain, moodyness, yadda yadda yadda.
I really want to try LoestranFe24 but he said because the low dose thing is not working I probably can not use it. He did say though that the normal pill is a 21 pill cycle and the LoestranFe24 is a 24 pill cycle so it does have a higher dose but may not be high enough.
I hate this.
Any advice or coments would be greatly appretiated. I just want to know what to expect.
 

godiva

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
2,219
Purraise
14
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Higher dose estrogen pills are supposed to help stop the breakthrough bleeding, but may cause more breast tenderness and water retention than you had before. Everyone is different, so you may notice no change in side effects, or you may experience different ones.

I hope it works out for you... if you're getting older (and gaining weight, like me
) going for a higher dose is a good thing if you ask me. Of course, you have to weigh the risk of blood clots and certain cancers, but the risks are low. They are finding that for even mildly overweight women, the low-dose oral contraceptives aren't as effective so taking a higher dose will decrease your chances of getting pregnant as long as you use it consistently.

Ask a lady pharmacist, she should be able to help explain things a little better.
 

starryeyedtiger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
22,317
Purraise
20
Location
USA
My doctor just changed my birth control pill at my visit today. I have taken Yasmin for several years now (very happy with it) and the manufacture came out with a new improved version of Yasmine called "Yaz" it only give you 3 day periods and it's supposed to be a lot better! I'm supposed to start taking it when i run out of my yasmin- i'll let you know if it works well or not
 

kiki_585

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
295
Purraise
1
Location
Victoria, BC
I don't take a pill anymore. I have an IUD. I was taken off the pill because I have heart disease problems in my family. The one I am on (mirena) actually made it so that my period has pretty much disappeared. The copper ones make your periods worse so that's why I went with the mirena. I was just tired of having to remember to take a pill everyday. And the lady told me that the shot is really bad for you.

Just thought I would throw that in there for you to think about. Maybe switching to a different type of birth control is in order. If you are comfortable with that.

http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/iudinfo.htm there's a website if you wish to read up on them.
 

chrissyr

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 14, 2006
Messages
784
Purraise
1
Location
Around the bend!
The one I was just on was Seasonal. (You only cycle every 3 months) I didn't have many side effects from it. I think the worse I had was some breast tenderness but that was after taking it for over 2 years. It's a high dose of estrogen, well, like regular birth control. It helped me when I got older to stop the break-through bleeding. I haven't tried Ortho-Novum but I hope it works for you.
 

lionessrampant

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Messages
4,161
Purraise
6
Location
Windy City Kitty :)
I personally had really nasty side effects when I was on Ortho-Evra (to the tune of morning sickness and bad breast tenderness), which is a high-dose. My doctor basically told me since I'm young and I'm small and in a low percentile for height and weight that it's normal to have side-effects from high-dose.

I'm on Aviane (generic for Alesse), which is a monophasic low-dose now and haven't had a single problem, though I just started in December.

I just worry because my brother, myself and several of my cousins were conceived whilst our mothers were on birth control (although my mother, god love her, was taking antibiotics concurrently at least one of those times). For now, we also use condoms.

It's so interesting to see how different we all are...it seems like everyone has a different pill or method!
 

jenng

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 6, 2002
Messages
3,621
Purraise
1
Location
Pennsylvania
I've used Ortho Novum 1/35 (well, the generic for it) for about 12 years... I haven't had any complaints.
 

lunasmom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2005
Messages
8,801
Purraise
12
Location
Jersey Shore
I was on Demulin (is that right? It came in a Clinique type case) several years ago. Because of the higher estrogen levels, I was EXTREMELY depressed all the time. I would cry once a day.

I'm on Ortho-TriCyclen and Love it!!!
I did try the generic but I guess my estrogen and progesteren levels are highly sensitive because I was moody once again on the generics...so now I have DAW.
 

gingersmom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
8,028
Purraise
22
I was on Ortho Novum for over 15 years, and it gave me many FEWER side effects than any other I have taken, but it is true, we are all different, and therefore our bodies will react differently.
 

sneakymom

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
910
Purraise
21
Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

My doctor just changed my birth control pill at my visit today. I have taken Yasmin for several years now (very happy with it) and the manufacture came out with a new improved version of Yasmine called "Yaz" it only give you 3 day periods and it's supposed to be a lot better! I'm supposed to start taking it when i run out of my yasmin- i'll let you know if it works well or not
Let me know how it works for you. I take Yasmin continuously, due to really bad periods. I have endometriosis, so I have really nasty, heavy and LONG periods without bcp. I'll tolerate the periods I have on regular yasmin, but they're still long- 5 days (that's when I screw up and forget to take them)

I HATE taking pills. I really don't need them for birth control (I have hormone issues as well, I can't get pregnant without hormonal help), but it's either take them, or just be in pain 1 week (or more) out of every month, and I'm just not living like that.

Wish I could take Seasonale, but it's the most expensive one out there, and my insurance doesn't cover it
 
Top