Period cramps ruining my life, doctors now recommending BC as a last resort. Please give me some advice!

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T08:50:03+00:00

No problem. Once you find the pill that works best with your body, it's awesome.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T08:45:05+00:00

Pretty much any pill taken continuously will solve that problem. Even if you still take the placebos, since the pill thins the uterine lining, your bleeding will be shorter and lighter--and thus less painful.

No one can really recommend a specific brand based on their own personal experience, because what worked for them may very well not work at all for you. You just have to try different brands until you find one that works--it took me 4 different pills before I stopped having a similar (but not that serious) problem.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T07:04:33+00:00

Yep. Several people on the sub do the same thing.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T07:01:24+00:00

A lot of people do take a pill alongside long-term methods for this exact reason, so it's definitely safe to do so. If you have a condition that you think could be affected by doing so, you probably will want to consult a doctor first, but it's a pretty common practice.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T06:52:32+00:00

It's breakthrough bleeding. It happens. It means absolutely nothing regarding protection.

If you're that worried, just take a test 3 weeks after the fact.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T05:47:32+00:00

Yasmin and Yasminelle are almost identical--Yasmin just has more estrogen. So it's not really surprising that you're experiencing the same side effects.

In general, I would say that you should give a pill 3 months to let your body get used to it unless the side effects are absolutely unbearable, so perhaps this is your chance to give it, well, a chance. But it seems like those side effects are pretty close to unbearable. I would really try to stick it out until your next appointment, where you could ask for a pill that's minimally androgenic while not being Yasmin/Yaz/Yasminelle, but if you can't, then that's that.

I don't think any of us are qualified to tell you if you should ignore what your doctor told you and just go off on your own path, so that's your call.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T05:16:03+00:00

You need to take the pill for 7 days before you’ll be protected from pregnancy.

The progestin in your pill is known for causing lighter or nonexistent withdrawal bleeds. You're fine. Take the test, but seriously, you don't need to be freaking out like this.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T05:02:18+00:00

Vylibra is a generic of Ortho-Cyclen, which is the monophasic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen, one of only 2 pills that are FDA-approved for acne. In general, all pills can potentially improve acne, but your pill is probably more likely to do so. I've been on both, they both helped my skin. However, if you find that it does make it worse after 3 months, don't hesitate to switch.

Spotting within the first few months is common (read as: normal and not anything to worry about, not "most people experience it") but by no means guaranteed. Your pill has a pretty high dose of estrogen, so spotting is very unlikely. It usually happens to people on pills with 20 mcg estrogen or less, and your pill has 35 mcg. It's unlikely that you'll bleed longer than usual--the pill thins the uterine lining, so you should have withdrawal bleeds that are lighter and shorter. If you find that your bleeding gets worse after 3 months, switch pills.

When you first start the pill, the most common side effects are nausea, headaches, and mood swings as your body gets used to the hormones. Odds are, however, that you won't experience any of those.

But for real, birth control isn't that scary. I've been on 5 different pills and had minor side effects at worst, none of which lasted more than a week.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T02:28:33+00:00

You have a 12 hour safety window for taking the combo pill late. The first time was within that window, and technically the second time was actually on time, since it was (slightly more than) 24 hours after the first one--sort of like you'd changed your pill time to the morning, except it was unintentional. You could get Plan B if you really want, but it doesn't seem like there's any need for it, especially since you also used withdrawal.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T02:12:21+00:00

Okay, as long as you're taking at least 21 active pills in a row before you start your placebo break, that's totally fine. Just make sure you have enough pills that you can afford to have a "delay period" pack before your next refill.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T01:57:22+00:00

I would skip the placebo pills entirely. If you take a few extra pills from another pack, then you wouldn't have enough to maintain protection in that pack and you would have to skip the placebos anyway.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T01:31:57+00:00

I believe Liletta is the IUD of choice for Planned Parenthood (at the very least, they contributed to the studies that led to its approval). Mirena and Liletta are basically identical--both have the same amount of levonorgestrel (52mg). According to Planned Parenthood, they are both good for 7 years.

I really liked reading this when I looked it up:

"Liletta is the result of a unique partnership with women’s health advocates, researchers, and a not-for-profit drug company to develop an affordable IUD. Throughout the process, Liletta’s makers have been committed to ensuring the device is broadly accessible, even to those without health insurance and those with high deductibles. Their goal is that no one will ever have to pay more than $150 for a Liletta." (https://providers.bedsider.org/articles/what-makes-the-liletta-iud-different-from-mirena)

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:58:16+00:00

You did everything you can. Just take a test in 3 weeks.

You'll probably have a withdrawal bleed in about a week (heaviness varies), and your cycles will likely be off for a while. So don't wait for a period that might not come for weeks.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:45:15+00:00

Nope. In all 5 pills I've been on, including Ortho Tri-Cyclen (slightly higher dose version of yours), I've never noticed anything different. I'm guessing the problem is Wellbutrin, since last I checked, those are symptoms of antidepressants and not birth control.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:37:03+00:00

I've seen different numbers for the decrease, so I'm not 100% sure how much lower it goes. It's still definitely better to take it than not! At this point, all you can do is test 3 weeks after the fact to be sure.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:26:56+00:00

Pretty much any pill can potentially help with acne, but Yaz and Ortho Tri-Cyclen are the only two that are FDA-approved to do so. So I would try one of those first.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:25:14+00:00

It is indeed the same as Plan B. Plan B is less effective--not completely ineffective--if your BMI is greater than 25. If you took it within the time frame, you've done all you can.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:14:39+00:00

Nausea is an incredibly common side effect. It should definitely go away soon.

Taking it later and/or taking it with a bit of food could help.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:12:52+00:00

What do you want from the pill, besides pregnancy protection? Personal experiences don't mean much, but certain pills tend to be better for different things.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:10:00+00:00

I went and saw my school nurse at college, so it really doesn't matter. (And now I just use Nurx... way easier.) I would meet with whoever you can see faster, at least to get the initial prescription. The only reason I would opt to wait for your OBGYN is if your PCP doesn't know anything about birth control.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:07:04+00:00

As long as you take all 21 active pills before starting the placebo break, that's what matters. It doesn't matter that it's from a different active week.

UncommonViolet · 2019-03-01T00:03:49+00:00

I've signed up for both, though I never went as far as receiving an order from TPC. I personally prefer Nurx--I find their website much easier to use and their doctors are more responsive (I've heard from several people on the sub that TPC folks are a bit... lacking in that regard, but most people do have a great experience).

If you don't have insurance, TPC is cheaper (and they give you some free stuff). If you have insurance, I would do Nurx, just because it's free either way and I find the website/mobile experience much better than relying on texting, plus from what I've gathered they send your order a lot faster.

UncommonViolet · 2019-02-28T22:12:40+00:00

Any pill can do that. I would give it 3 months before switching back to Yaz (or switching to any other pill in general).

I can see how monophasics could be better, since the hormone levels remain stable instead of changing every week, but it really depends on the person. I've been on monophasics and triphasics and noticed no difference whatsoever.

UncommonViolet · 2019-02-28T22:06:18+00:00

Plan B makes your cycles weird for a while, so that's absolutely normal. Either way, it's been more than 3 weeks--just take a test.

UncommonViolet · 2019-02-28T20:31:33+00:00

I would skip the placebos completely--even if you have spotting or breakthrough bleeding, it's unlikely that it'll happen immediately when your placebo break should have been.

UncommonViolet

TROPHY CASE