Some women who take birth control pills experience uncomfortable side effects, such as breakthrough bleeding, spotting, weight gain and mood swings.
Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO, which has apparently been on the market for a couple of years, delivers a lower amount of estrogen—25 mcg (compared to 35 mcg in Ortho Tri Cyclen). This low level of estrogen was developed to help minimize the occurrence of nuisance side effects, such as breakthrough bleeding and spotting.
I'm thinking of switching to "LO", but this pill is more expensive than the generic Ortho Tri Cyclen. Anyone have experience with taking "LO?" Does it really deliver on its promise??
Thank for sharing this with us. I have been trying to have a baby for two years now. I tried pretty much everything that doesn't bring high risks for my health. The last time I have been to my doctor, he changed my prescription with an yasmin birth control treatment. I am waiting for results right now...
Your trying to have a baby but you doctor put you on birth control?
That seems kind of contradictory, doesn't it?
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Well when I started the whole b.c. thing about 2 years ago or so.. the first pill I was on was Yasmin. & the side effects I got from it were chest pain, moody/depressed, headaches, nausea, very sore stomach and really tired.
So then I got switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO and the only thing that I got from Tri-cyclen LO was really bad headaches!! ....but I'd only get the headaches on the last row of the 21 pack! (third row) ..and the odd time my left leg would get sore :-|
So now I got switched to Alesse and I still have headaches.. only now I have had a headache from the day I started them!! ARRGH!!! It's driving me crazy!! haha.. AH!!!! so now I'm going to be getting switch again and this is so fricken annoying!!
I gained a lot of weight on Ortho Tricyclen LO... but that was the only bad side effect I had.
Is it better than the depo vera shot? One of my friends said that depo cause cancer so ive been off of it for awhile.
Is there a officail site someone can mail me? :D
Hello,
I have been on otc lo since November 05. Everything is fine, but i did not get a period last month. took pg test - negative. I am on my 2nd day of placebo pills and so far no period. I had a baby June 05 and although each pregnancy is different, I just dont feel pregnant. Also, I am 37 and prior to given birth last year I suffered with infertiltiy for 15 years. If period does not come at all again this month, I will be going to see my doctor, but I just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this.
Thanks,
Yo
How long do you stay on the pills before you switch? When I wenton OTL, I broke out horribly, like so bad I didn't even want to go to school, and I had bad stomach pains for the first month. Once I got over the first month, it was clear skies. I haven't had a pimple since I was 17 and I haven't gotten sick from the pill since.
I have tried almost everything and I still can find the pill that's right for me, I don't remember the name of the first pill I took but they were awful, I was vomiting and feeling nausea every day until I couldn't take it anymore and stop using them, then I tried the patch, couldn't take it for more than 3 day 'cause I had the same side effects, so I decided to stay with the good old condom, but now after 18 months I'm tired of not being able to feel my husband all the way, so like 5 day ago I tried Ovral 21 I took it at bedtime, but the next morning the same thing, vomiting, nausea, i couldn't even move, have you ever had this problem? am I the only one? which pill has the lower dosis? I really need help
I have been having the same issues...I can't find one that works for me and it is driving me nuts to feel this sick from it. I thought the ortho-cyclen lo would work but it was just as bad as the regular dose and I am on the patch now and it does the same thing. There doesn't seem to be one pill in particular that I have had success with. Let me know if you find something that works for you because I can't take the patch anymore!
Have you checked the type of hormone in the contraceptives you previously used? Your doctor should have them on record (that is if you have been going to the same doctor this entire period) or perhaps your insurance company's records of Rxs bought. The reason is you could be changing brand types or methods but sticking to the hormone that obviously makes you sick.
As for lower doses -- OrthoTriCyclen-Lo, but it is a three week step down of hormones so you cannot use this brand to skip periods.
I would suggest making a comprehesive list of all contraceptive methods you have previously used and your reaction to them and take the list to a doctor. Explain your desire to find the right pill for you (or maybe an IUD if you don't want children in the next 5 years or so). A doctor would be the only professional that could fully explain your reaction.
In the meantime (sometimes it takes forever to see a Gyno!!) -- cruise the internet for medical sites -- try planned parenthood or webmd -- to see if you can find people with simular side effects and what was causing them. Good luck.
Hello everyone, I took my last pill of my 6th month and started bleeding today. My period will probably be over in 5 days but I dont have any other pill. I am ordering them thru my friend from Europe and my friend will bring them to me 5 days after my period. I need to take them again but I DONT KNow when to start again .I will be missing 5 or 6 days of the pills. I dont know what to do. Am I not supposed to start on the first day of my period ? what if I dont bleed for couple of months because of the bc pills that i took ? Please someone help and answer me..Thank you
Take them again at the beginning of your period, or if you get them soon enough, the first Sunday after your most recent period. If you take them the first Sunday after your most recent period (the one you are having now), then use a condom the first week for backup measures. If you don't get them in time for the Sunday start, and your period does not make an appearance the next month, consult your local women's health clinic or OB/GYN for more information.
Hello, I have been on Depo Provera for 2 years now, and I have to switch BC's next month (Depo for longer than two years causes dramatic bone loss). I have absolutly no libido, and I was hoping there was a BC out there that could help me with that. I also smoke, which hurst some of my options. I've been reading up on estrogen and progestin lately, and apparently progestin cause severe drops in libido, and estrogen is bad for smokers. Is there anything out there for someone who smokes and wants a sex drive?
OMG I WAS ON DEPO FOR 3 MONTHS AND IT WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER I WENT FROM OKAY TO BITCH IN 0.5 SECONDS SO I CHOSE LO AND IT'S THE DAMN BEST PILL EVER PLUS I AM NOT ON MY PERIOD FOR MONTHS LOL I'M LIGHTLY ON MY PERIOD IT COMES AND GOSE AND IT STAYS LESS THEN 3 DAYS I BLEED IN THE MORNINGS AND THAT IS IT..I HAVE FOUND MY MATCH LESS MOOD SWINGS TOO. THE WEIGHT I'VE GAINED IS ON ME I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN ON PILLS...SEX DRIVE WORKS GREAT FOR ME..
You should look into the Paraguard and Mirena IUDs. Paraguard is non-hormonal, and Mirena is more effective than a tubal ligation.
As I mentioned before, I take Levora (the generic version of Levlen) and have NEVER experienced a lack of sex drive -- sometimes my boyfriend can't keep up ;)
For issues with birth control and smoking, the best advice is talk to your doctor. S/he can best accomodate you to maintain the lifestyle you want while still preventing pregnancy.
I have never taking a tri-cyclen pill because I enjoy skipping periods and you cannot do that with a birth control whose homone counts vary with the week taken. I have been on BC for 9.5 years with only one bad issue...At one point, the distribution of my preferred pill (Levelin) was limited. Being a poor female, I used planned parenthood as a distributer (way cheaper than a pharmacy when you have no insurance!). Because PP is a clinic, they were the first place to be denied access because of low distribution, thus I switched to a pill my sister had taken without issue. Bad idea. I took the pill for 5 days and lost my mind somewhere. It took a full month to recover from the depression and anxiety. Needless to say, I immediately switched back to Levelin at a whopping $45 per pack (and found that the generic version, Levora, is still pretty cheap even without insurance at $24 a pack). With my hormones back to normal I continued life.
I had no other problems with BC before or after the switch. So you may need to try more than one brand, hormone type, or form (i.e. pill vs patch vs ring) before finding your perfect match. A process that can be frustrating, but well worth the skipped periods, no cramps, less emotional mood swings, and my all around well being.
I have listened to the commercials, but I also listen to my doctor, who I feel has more incite on the topic. I have been on OT lo for almost 4 years now, and have had no problems whatsoever. The worse thing that happened was the first month I did break out on my face badly, but it went away in a month and rarely do I get even a pimple now. I was also pleased at the result that my chest grew. I was always relatively small as a teen and am now a full B and i love it. The BC pill is a choice and with so many options, you have to find the right one with you. Clearly it is medication and has potential side effects, but if you are informed and healthy, you shouldn't have any problems. All medications have side effects, we don't just avoid taking them becaue they have the potential to do harm. The good sometimes outweighs the bad, in the my case, that's how I feel about the pill.
It seems like most of the bc out there have many side affects like the ones you stated. And a lot of them have conditions in terms of use like if you have heart disease or something. I just think if you listen to the commercials they would make you not want to take it. I know I don't. I just choose to not have sex.
I barely quit taking Ortho-Lo due to unpredictable spotting and weight gain. I had been taking it for almost 7 months, so the timing of the side effects seems odd to me. My only conclusion is that I have recently become more physically active and lost some weight, which may have altered my metabolism and caused my body to use up the estrogen faster... I've switched back to Yasmin and still no resolution (Yasmin has been my fave for almost 3 years prior to Ortho-Lo) and now I'm considering quitting the OC's altogether - I can't handle this!
Hi, I took OTC-Lo for a year, and at first it was great. In the first 6 months, my skin was perfect and I had no side effects. Then, I immediately started to lose my libido and my skin flared up again. In addition, I gained about 10 lbs, although maintaining the same eating/exercise routine. I went off of BC for two months, and I immediately returned to my normal self. But keep in mind, each pill works differently for every woman. I just know that it wasn't a positive experience for two of my friend as well as me.
CURIOUS G- I have been taking ortho lo for about a year or so. I have break through bleeding every month however not all people are the same. You may not experience any changes, or all changes. But I have been on it and I have 2 periods a month. :(
I just stopped taking Ortho Evra because I've had two pretty bad reactions to the sunlight as a result of it. I also experienced weight gain of about 10lbs. Unfortunately, my md wasn't really listening to me when I told her how miserable the patch was making me, so when I couldn't reach her in her office yesterday (she was off), I decided to just take it off. The side affects were making my boyfriend and I far more miserable than practicing safe sex will. I don't want to abandon birth control, although at this point I will be starting from scratch as I removed my patch before I was finished with it. Give the huge amount of hormones in Ortho Evra and my original weight (105), I figured that Ortho Tri-Lo is probably more appropriate for me. Will I exeperience the same problems with photosensitivity, weight gain and moodiness?
I will have to disagree on that. I myself take Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, and have experienced a large amount of weight gain, discrepancies in my period, and spotting. But maybe thats just me?
-Kristen
I was switched from YAZ to ortho tri cyclen lo (to regulate my period) and i gained tremendous amounts of weight. Orthro tri cyclen hadn't changed my period at all, unitl after i discontinued the pill. YAZ hadn't done anything for my period either. Yaz seemed to be the better pill however.
I juss got on those in order to decrease my cramps and so i've only had one period with them and well i still felt my cramps... but thats prolly cuz i hadn't waited for a full cycle or sumthin like that my gynecologist said... and yesterday i spotted... so i dunno if this helps... i'm only on my second pack so i'll update
The pap smear isn't that bad. It really only takes 1 second. The important thing is that you have a doctor that you feel comfortable with.
But Im sure you could get pills over the Internet if you really wanted to avoid the pap (although I wouldnt advise it).
Im sure their are plenty of other birth control pills that dont have many side affects (if not, than the commercials are lieing to me D: ) but I think a good birth control pill would be one that you dont have to do a pap smear for. Ive been wanting one for my period, but the pap smear turns me off -_-
Submitted by Curious G on Mon, 05/01/2006 - 8:47am.
Are you taking the Ortho cyclen or Ortho-cyclen LO? I'm interested in people's reactions to LO (the lower hormone brand)?
Yeah, she was responding to this post where you stated Ortho-cyclen and not Ortho Tri-Cyclen.
Ortho-cylen is SO much better for me. If you're prone to migraines (which I am) the change of hormones every week can be detrimental.
Are you taking the Ortho cyclen or Ortho-cyclen LO? I'm interested in people's reactions to LO (the lower hormone brand)?
Sorry! I was just saying for me, all the tri-phasic (which LO is)tend to be an issue because of the change in hormone levels. I suggest just ortho-cyclen if you have any problems with headaches or other hormone driven physical problems. But of course the best thing is to talk to your obgyn. Mine knows everything about everything that's on the market and how it will affect you. :)
Actually, as far as I know, Ortho Tri Cyclen is triphasic (thats why it comes in a pack with three different colors). And, there is such a thing as Ortho Tri Cyclen LO..its the new pill which my article addresses.
But thanks for your comments.
I'm not saying there is no Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I'm pointing out the fact there are three types of Cyclen: Ortho Tri-cyclen (triphasic), Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo (triphasic), and Ortho-cyclen (monophasic). While there is no such thing as Ortho-Cyclen Lo, there is such a thing as Ortho TRI-cyclen Lo. Big difference.
There is no thing as ortho-cyclen lo. :P It's monophasic.
Thanks for the commentary. What exactly do you mean by triphasic? Aren't Ortho Tri Cyclen and Ortho Tri Cyclen LO both triphasic?
Yep, they're both tri-phasic. :) Ortho-cyclen is monophasic, like the patch, ring, Depo, and the Mirena IUD.
The only thing about tri-phasic pills is that they have a tendency to be less effective if you accidently miss pills, where as mono-phasic types tend to have some lee-way. Also, with mono-phasic, so long as you take the pill every day, it really doesn't matter what time of the day you take it, so long as they are generally 12 hours apart. My OB/GYN says she has seen MUCH more "oops" babies on tri-phasic pills than on mono-phasic.
Secondly, if you are on sulfer-based antibiotics for an extended period of time (for me, I'm on daily dose of Bactrim for chronic UTIs), it's better to take high levels of hormones than low, even though I take them 12 hours apart.
(I must note that NOT ALL ANTIBIOTICS interfere with birthcontrol. ONLY sulfer based antibiotics will do it, and ONLY to pill forms, as the reason it makes them less effective is the fact it inhibits the homones from being absorbed into the bloodstream in the intestines.)
That all said, I know some people on OTC-Lo, and they like it.
Thanks for sharing..Matt
I have been taking ortho lo and it is awsome... i tried trivora, and that was horrible. i had the worst breast pain ever!! ortho lo is the best birth control pill
i was on depo for 3 months and it was hell for me and everyone in my family so when i was due for another shot i told my doctor i dont want it anymore and my period s were non stop all 3 months i was on it my period was here so i tried lo and no moodiness if i am moody that is just me..but my period never stays it gose away in like 2 days ..i'm very happy with these pills the only thing is i forgot what cramps felt like till i took these pills and it all came back i haven't had cramps since before my late pregnacy and miscarrage..
I am on tricyclen lo and i still find it brings moodiness.....
I might have to incorperate the rolling "lol" here, Matt. I laughed. *Obvious*
Hmm...I might be getting that for all the lovin' I'm bound to expect during finals and such.
God, to joke about a sex life must mean something is very wrong with my social skills?
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