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I just saw that you have Plan B's directions as "take 1 tablet immediately, then 1 tablet 12 hours later". This is actually less preferable to taking both at once (so you don't forget one), which is more convenient and may actually cause fewer side effects. Also, I know I've mentioned it a million times in the last thread, but this PDF book is awesome: http://www.managingcontraception.com/shopping/product.php?productid=16161&cat=3&page=1 It might be good for those goonettes who want to know everything about their birth control and don't quite trust Wikipedia.
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Jan 18, 2011 03:12
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Hirudo posted:I've been taking birth control pills since I was 18 (now 23) and I'd like to have babies eventually. Do women typically have difficulties becoming pregnant after having been on the pill for many years? Not really. In fact return to fertility happens within 1-3 months for most women.
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Jan 18, 2011 05:21
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BananaFusion posted:Not exactly related to birth control, but she also wanted me to get out the word to as many people as possible about how to prevent UTI's, since she was getting multiple ones a month at one point, even with peeing and cleaning up after wards each time. And it's not that I have a dirty penis, my ex never had any problems! These wipes (which contain coconut oil) should definitely not be used by anyone relying on latex or polyisoprene condoms for birth control though, because they will make the condoms less effective and more likely to break.
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Jan 18, 2011 16:42
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favoritehello posted:RE: Yasmin and Potassium I wholeheartedly support what some other posters have said about discussing this with your pharmacist, but I figured I might be able to elaborate a bit. First, I'd like to say that, given the contents of the supplemented listed on the product website (http://www.sierrasil.com/composition.php), this supplement is unlikely to do anything at all for your wrist and hand pain. Second, Yasmin does not really itself contain potassium, but contains a hormone that is very similar to spironolactone, a potassium-sparing diuretic. This means that the Yasmin can cause you to retain more potassium, and possibly too much potassium, which could lead to heart arrhythmias. Honestly, if you're on Yasmin it's a good idea to get blood tests every few months or so at first to make sure that your potassium levels are in check. Anyway, according to the product website, you only get about 20 mg of potassium per day (less than contained in 1/20th of a banana) from taking 3 pills daily, so it's not a very large amount of potassium. tl;dr: The supplement won't help your wrist/hand pain. The supplements don't contain very much potassium and shouldn't affect your potassium levels much. Go to a doctor about your wrist pain and get some routine bloodwork for your potassium while you're on the Yasmin.
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Jan 19, 2011 20:47
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favoritehello posted:Thanks for your input. I'm curious as to why you believe that the Sierra Sil won't do much. I've talked to doctors (many) about my wrist and hand pain. They say they can't do much, and that if it hurts I should just take an OTC anti-inflammatory like Tylenol which is why I figured trying the SierraSil couldn't hurt. If nothing else it gives me a little boost in some iron. That supplement only contains (rather small quantities of) minerals that you get from your diet. None of these minerals have any effect on joint or muscle pain, so the supplement won't do anything. It likely won't hurt you anywhere but your wallet; however, it also won't do a thing for you.
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Jan 20, 2011 04:15
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rainbow kittens posted:Oh. My. Gosh. So, I am finally taking week 13 of Seasonale. The placebo week. I had been spotting/bleeding since my second week on this, with a very short week sometime in the second month where I didn't bleed at all. I would take the spotting days over this! Assuming you don't have any medical conditions that would negatively be affected by it, you can take 800 mg of ibuprofen three times a day for the dysmenorrhea (assuming you're talking about period cramps). Period cramps tend to require a higher dose of ibuprofen than most aches and pains.
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Jan 20, 2011 04:20
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HELP, MY ARM-- posted:I have a question First, I don't think that Yasmin deserves such bad rep and am unaware of any evidence showing that Yasmin causes more clots than any other combined oral contraceptive with similar estrogen levels. Second, Yasmin and Loestrin both contain 30 micrograms of estrogen estrogen per pill. Estrogen is the hormone in birth control that is linked to increasing risk of blood clots. I hope that cleared up a bit! Third, the increase in risk for clots from being on estrogen-containing birth control pills (with two exceptions, Yasmin not being one) is an increase of about 0.0001% per year (this isn't cumulative or anything). If that risk seems like too much for you, you may want to consider progestin-only pills, Depo, or other forms of birth control that don't contain estrogen.
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Jan 20, 2011 21:31
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lou reed posted:I'm very torn between Mirena and Paragard. So far, Mirena's big benefit seems to be no periods. Downsides include bad potential for acne, headaches, weight gain, price and the use of hormones. Paragard is hormone free, more affordable and won't cause as many side effects, but can cause bad cramps and heavy periods. Any insight? I appreciate all of the personal experiences so far. Weight gain really isn't an issue with Mirena (or even for most birth control other than Depo). What downsides do you see with Mirena containing hormones other than the side effects you've listed? Given that I'm a man, this isn't from personal experience, but Mirena has a much lower rate of side effects than the Paragard, mostly owing to Paragard's side effects you've mentioned already.
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Jan 27, 2011 03:28
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Susan B. Antimony posted:I have a question about natural family planning. My husband and I are using breastfeeding as our birth control--we do want another child, so it's not as risky as it might be. That said, I was wondering whether when I do ovulate again, it will look the same as it did when I wasn't breastfeeding--okay, that sounds weird, but I read TCOYF and could previously tell when I was ovulating. Will that likely still be true, or is everything different while you're lactating? Also, does anyone know how long on average breastfeeding stops ovulation? I know that once he starts sleeping through the night it's not as reliable, but I wondered whether there are stats out there somewhere. Thanks! Can you be a bit more descriptive in what you mean by how you can see when you're ovulating? Do you mean with changes in vaginal mucus consistency? That method is most effective (but not perfect) during the first 6 months if: - you're feeding your baby exclusively from breastfeeding; - the time between feedings is no more than 4 hours during the day and no more than 6 hours at night; - you feed your baby whenever he/she is hungry. If those three points aren't met then there's no guarantee that it's preventing ovulation. Also keep in mind that you'll ovulate and thus be fertile before you get your first period, not after.
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Jan 27, 2011 21:55
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Scurvy posted:Should I just resign myself to taking Mircette forever, or should I look into finding a new doctor? This should be your choice. If your doctor refuses to allow you to change BC and won't give you a valid medical reason, then you should seek a doctor who's not going to patronize you.
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Jan 31, 2011 20:49
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Cracker Jack posted:Any ladies here have migraines with auras? You can use any birth control that doesn't contain estrogen, so that now essentially leaves you with: Depo, Mirena, Implanon, and progestin-only pills, which all contain one form of another of a progestin. The diaphragm, sponge, etc are also available to you (depending on where you live), but I would recommend these only as a last resort since they aren't as effective as hormonal birth control. Also, don't use spermicides, they're irritating and don't increase the effectiveness of condoms. Clocks posted:Headin' to China. What Eggplant Wizard said, except you don't need to be as gradual. Take the pill an hour or two earlier/later each day until you've reached a new time that'll work for you in China. Voila! Like Eggplant Wizard said, it's even easier if you get your placebo week before heading over there since you can just immediately just start week 1 at the new time.
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Feb 1, 2011 01:18
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Geolicious posted:I have a question, and I'm sorry if it's been addressed before, there's a lot 'o stuff here. Have you considered an IUD? Doctors are more likely to be comfortable inserting a copper IUD, which gives you a good 10-12 baby-free years with similar efficacy to sterilization.
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Feb 2, 2011 21:54
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The dose for vaginal stuff (bleeding, period cramps) is 800 mg three times a day, though that's probably not very sustainable for you if the pain is continuous. What birth control are you on? Have you discussed with your doctor about switching to a different pill/method?
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Feb 4, 2011 00:24
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Part-Time Robot posted:Yogurt in the cooch I wouldn't recommend doing this as clinical trials have shown that this does not help prevent yeast infections. Bagleworm, how many yeast infections have you gotten in a row up to this point, and how have you been treating them?
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Feb 7, 2011 02:42
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Cmere posted:I might've skipped this, but when do you official 'miss' bc pill? It depends on which pill you're talking about. If it's Micronor, it has to be taken within 27 hours of the last pill (or "up to 3 hours late"). If you're talking estrogen/progestin combo pills, it's technically late if you forget to take it that day (for example, if you're supposed take it in the morning but forget until that night, it is still ok).
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Feb 28, 2011 05:23
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silversiren posted:After having been diagnosed with endometriosis yesterday and having it removed, my doc recommended I get on a birth control that completely stops my periods or else it could get back to where it was in a year's time. A few things: - You can use any pill with both estrogen and a progestin continuously by simply skipping the placebo week and continuing with a new pack. Generally, you want to use a monophasic pill (all pills in the pack have the same levels of hormone) rather than a triphasic pill (different levels of the progestin based on the week) for this purpose. Women usually experience varying levels of breakthrough bleeding and spotting, especially during the first three to six months. The breakthrough bleeding may or may not stop. - You can also use the Nuvaring continuously (leave the same ring in for 4 weeks, then remove that ring and put another ring in for 4 weeks, and repeat) to skip your period. Again, women can again experience breakthrough bleeding and spotting. - It worries me a bit that your doctor mentioned combining the pill and the ring together to achieve this, as the combination is not generally recommended. Other forms of birth control that you can consider to prevent your period and can help with endometriosis are the hormonal IUD Mirena, and the Depo Provera shot.
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Mar 2, 2011 20:56
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psychic onion posted:NuvaRing question: on a regular 3 weeks in, 1 week out cycle, my girlfriend left the ring out for eight full days (i.e. put a new ring in one day late). How long do we need another form of protection? 7 days. There's a great document in the OP with a flow chart based on what form of birth control you're using, how many days you've missed and when in the cycle those days were missed (http://www.sogc.org/guidelines/documents/gui219ECO0811.pdf).
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Mar 9, 2011 22:44
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It sounds like she's asking why their perfect use and typical use failure rates are different (e.g. Depo: 99.7% efficacy for perfect use; 97% efficacy with typical use) . There are many reasons why these would be different. For example, you're supposed to get the Depo shot every 12-14 weeks, but you forget your appointment and get it injected 16 weeks after your last shot (2 weeks late). Bam, you just went from perfect use to typical use.
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Mar 11, 2011 01:23
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Kerfuffle posted:Is it really as stretched as 12-14 weeks? I thought it was more stringent, but I assumed people set up appointments to go again after each shot. It's effective for up to 14 weeks, but I imagine it's injected every 12 weeks or 3 months simply because it's easier to schedule and remember. I'm not really sure what you mean by your second question though, could you elaborate a bit more? DRP Solved! fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Mar 11, 2011 |
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Mar 11, 2011 01:34
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boquiabierta posted:At the clinic where I work our Depo calendar is even more stretched than that, to every 10-14 weeks. And yes, patients do usually set up their next one at the time of their shot, and (unless they're just starting Depo for the first time) they usually know whether they prefer to do it closer to 10 weeks or 14 weeks, or if it makes no difference to them. There's no medical reason why they can't get it as early as every 10 weeks, and some people prefer that because they start spotting or getting other side effects if they wait longer. Haha yes 14 weeks (edit: I can't seem to get this right!), I apologize. Please don't sue me if you don't get a shot for 14 months and get pregnant! DRP Solved! fucked around with this message at 03:03 on Mar 11, 2011 |
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Mar 11, 2011 01:44
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Kerfuffle posted:It is a bit awkwardly worded isn't it? The "97% effectiveness" is generally measured over 1 year, so, for example, if 100 women used it in the flawed way I mentioned above (getting the injection 2 weeks late) for 1 year, 3 would get pregnant over the course of this 1 year. It's not "99.7% effective during the first 14 weeks and 97% effective during the late period." Let me know if that wasn't very clear, it's a bit confusing to get one's head around. Of course, late injections aren't the only conceivable way of putting you in the "typical use" category, so this is just an example.
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Mar 11, 2011 03:10
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zantar posted:I tried my girlfriend's sugar pill from her placebo week and it did not taste like sugar at all Sugar pills - or placebos- are largely made up of lactose and other binders, which aren't very sweet. It may contain iron, what's the name of the pill she is taking?
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Mar 16, 2011 20:03
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silversiren posted:I was put on a second birth control not too long ago after discovering I had endometriosis. The BC is a progesterone-only called Joizelle/Microdone. Usually I just use the NuvaRing and that's it, because I'm terrible at taking pills or I'm in a situation, like work, where I can't take it at the exact time every day. I have been trying to take it at 6:30-7pm each day, but sometimes I'll forget or don't have the time and can't take it until 7:30pm or, the latest the other day, at 9pm. Taking the progesterone-only pill incorrectly or sporadically won't make the NuvaRing less effective, so you've got that protecting you. The progesterone-only pill won't really be fully effective for your endometriosis if you don't take it regularly, though. Have you considered switching to Depo-Provera injections or the Mirena IUD? It would take care of both your endometriosis and birth control and would eliminate your need to take a pill regularly.
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Mar 20, 2011 06:34
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The Royal Nonesuch posted:So the girlfriend was just given Yaz, and I had a couple of questions: The only thing timing matters for is when she's considered to be protected. If she starts taking it between day 1 (the first day of her period) and day 5 of her cycle, she's protected immediately. Taking it any other time in the cycle will require 7 days of backup until she's considered protected. quote:2) The doc said use backup methods until completing a full box. We're planning on this, but in my cursory reading of the info it said "If taken later than the first day of the cycle, Yaz is not considered effective until 7 consecutive days of ingestion". Is the doc just being cautious or did I read incorrectly? The doc is either misinformed or, more likely, being extra cautious. Many physicians and pharmacists will recommend using backup for a month while getting used to taking the pill regularly, as some people forget a pill or two while adjusting in that first while. quote:3) Any other tips for a newcomer? Good "it's time to take your pill" reminder methods? Thanks ladies and gents Some people find using a daily cellphone alarm to be useful. I would personally recommend taking the pill at a time where events don't usually change from day to day, such as at 10 pm if go to sleep at 11.
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Mar 20, 2011 17:29
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x1000 ) so it could start up anytime next month basically.
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Sadsy Kitten posted:The cysts are less of a concern to me than the super-high stroke risk, but yeah, I wasn't sure how bad of an idea it would be to use something that carries a 10% chance of ovarian cysts as a side effect. The rate of ovarian cysts was only 10% in one study - in a much larger study it was actually only in around 1 in 100 women per year. In any case, most of the ovarian cysts in these studies did not cause any symptoms of discomfort and resolved on their own in 2 to 3 months. Reene posted:IIRC normal migraines also do but it's a much lower risk. Migraines with aura have a stupidly high risk though. Migraines without aura aren't associated with a significant increase of stroke on their own, but are associated with a higher risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular disease. "Stupidly high" is a bit of an overblown statement too, you essentially go from a yearly risk of 0.002 without migraine to 0.0038 if you have migraines with aura. Exercising, not smoking and eating your vegetables will bring your risk right back to that first number or lower. Take that, statistics! DRP Solved! fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Mar 24, 2011 |
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Mar 24, 2011 20:01
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rainbow kittens posted:Hey guys! I am on Seasonale! I have questions (again). A few questions (Dal 3rd year pharmacy student): - When did the bleeding start in relation to when you started the antibiotic? Have you had bleeding like this before? - Did you get any vomiting or diarrhea from the cefuroxime? - Are you taking any other medications? Effect of food/metabolism on birth control pills: Food doesn't affect the extent of absorption of estrogen or progestin, only how quickly they're absorbed. Given the long half-life of both estrogen and progestins, this doesn't affect their effectiveness. I also wouldn't worry about your metabolism affecting your birth control unless you have some form of liver disease, since what people generally refer to as "metabolism" and the "liver metabolism of drugs" are two separate things. B12 interaction: Where have you heard that vitamin B12 affects birth control levels? Antibiotics and birth control: The only antibiotics/antifungals that have been shown to decrease the effectiveness of birth control are rifampin and griseofulvin. The rest have been shown to not affect levels in small studies. With that said, diarrhea and vomiting sometimes caused by antibiotics can reduce absorption of your birth control, so it's always good to play it safe if either of those occurs.
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Mar 31, 2011 16:56
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Lenswork posted:I just got my prescription for Nuvaring today and I am incredibly excited to start using it. However, my doctor didn't say when to start and the information it comes with says to start on days 1-5 of your cycle. The only problem is, that's 3 weeks away for me! I don't want to wait that long (and neither does my partner). I haven't had much luck searching elsewhere, so I want to know if it's okay to start using the ring now and just use a backup like condoms for a week or if I really have to wait until my next cycle starts. You can start it now and use backup for the first seven days.
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Apr 1, 2011 02:25
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Kerfuffle posted:I guess here is a better place to ask than anywhere else. I got a new multivitamin recently. Unlike my old one, this one has iron. I've heard conflicting things about women taking iron, is there anything inherently bad about taking it or anything I should be aware of in terms of women health issues? How much iron is in each multivitamin? How's your diet for iron-containing foods?
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Apr 5, 2011 18:29
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chocolateTHUNDER posted:Welp, help me feel a little relaxed here goons. It's great that you guys were quick and got the Plan B already. The quicker you take it after having unprotected sex, the more effective it is. If she takes it now (or has taken it already), it'll be about 95% effective. Keep in mind that the Plan B will probably screw up the timing of her period, so don't be surprised if it's off by a few days. If she doesn't have a period within 2 weeks, get a pregnancy test. The chances of her getting pregnant are very low, so try not to stress too much about it (easier said than done, I know).
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Apr 5, 2011 20:18
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Kerfuffle posted:Vitamin says 18mg, and I wouldn't say too high. I think I get more iron from eating certain cereal and peanut butter than anything else. That should be fine; that's the RDI for iron.
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Apr 6, 2011 00:52
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lou reed posted:I don't know why she took Plan B... My first thought was that maybe everything wasn't taken properly/facts have been distorted over time, but then I figured, someone has to be that teeny tiny percentage, right? Then I wondered if the Plan B and Depo somehow managed to work against each other, but I don't know if that's possible... I don't do the hormone thing. I'm guessing you're right on in thinking that there was distortion of facts. That, or incredibly bad luck. Plan B and Depo wouldn't work against each other as they each contain a progestin. If anything, they would be additive in their effects.
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Apr 7, 2011 01:14
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DrNewton posted:I am allergic to Lube. Nasty stuff it does to me. So I have been given a nice brand new years worth of non lube condoms for free. Great. There are many kinds of lube, which ones in particular have you had a bad reaction to? What kind of condoms were you given? Any latex or polyethylene (e.g. SKYN) condoms will be weakened by any oil-based lubricant, including Vaseline. 
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Apr 17, 2011 05:20
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miss_chaos posted:Yip, I skipped my placebo pills on advice by a doctor (low iron). Sigh. Looks like I can't skip placebos like I did when I was a teenager. I'm not on a triphasic (Levlen) but mostly I'm concerned that this might indicate the pills haven't worked and I might not be protected contraceptively. Maybe it's because I'm heavier than I was as a teenager? Ugh. I wish the implant was subsidised. How long have you been on this pill? The bleeding isn't an indicator that it's not working (unless you've missed doses or are taking it improperly) but simply that you've changed the timing of the hormones, so you've "confused" your body a bit. The rule of thumb is to stick to birth control for at least 3 months to see if things change for the better (including skin and bleeding stuff).
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Apr 28, 2011 00:49
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legsarerequired posted:Good on you for getting trashy foods out of your diet! In addition to quality of food, quantity can play a big role in your weight. How much (ballpark calories) do you generally eat in a day? The most popular cause of weight gain that occurs in some women with Depo is an increased appetite. Have you noticed such an increase? How long have you been on the Depo? Do you know how much your weight has changed by since you've been on it?
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Apr 30, 2011 06:01
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legsarerequired posted:I haven't really noticed any changes in my appetite, but that could be a factor. I know that it probably doesn't matter at this point, but you shouldn't be too concerned about the bone loss with Depo. It has not been proven that Depo causes any increased risk of osteoporosis, and the bone mineral density loss is completely reversible after discontinuing. Really, as long as you're not using the Depo while you're 70 years old, it shouldn't be a problem.  Good luck with the pill and feel free to continue asking questions in this thread if you have 'em!
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May 3, 2011 01:32
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Ho0Ly posted:I do have a question though. The PP website says it's ok to have sex as soon as you want after having it put in, but one of the nurses said I should wait a week or so, but maybe she was thinking of the Mirena. So how long should I wait? You can have sex now if you want, granted that you actually feel up to it!
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May 3, 2011 19:40
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sarah synonymous posted:Will this be a concern with Implanon? I know you can't predict your reaction to a birth control method, but are mood issues less likely? I know side effects from Implanon are generally supposed to be milder, but I'm really scared of potentially being suicidal again. If you've found that you've had such a serious reaction the the progestin-only pill, I would be careful about the Implanon, since it contains a very similar progestin as the one in the pill. quote:Edit: Forgot to add, I'd prefer Implanon over IUD because of the estrogen in Mirena, and I have bad metal allergies which I've heard can cause issues with the Paraguard. There is no estrogen in Mirena, it only contains a progestin. Given your inability to take estrogen-containing birth control, your metal allergy, and your prior reaction to the POP, I would not consider the Implanon to be the wisest choice. Yours is a rare case where I would suggest sticking to non-hormonal birth control such as a condom + diaphragm, possibly combined with the sympto-thermal method.
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May 6, 2011 04:54
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Flantastic posted:Newbie question here. I take my ortho tri around 10 every night. Now, sometimes "around 10" means close to 11:30 and sometimes a little later. Some girls I know take it anally at the stroke of their hour, others are laid back. I've heard when its within a four hour time period, it's okay. We use other protection, too, so not extremely worried, just wondering the time frame here. I have a phone alarm but sometimes I'm not around my phone when it hits 10 and then I have this panic when I see the clock... That four-hour time period (actually 3 hours) applies only to the progestin-only pill. For the combined pill, you're good as long as you take it that day (or within the same 12-24 hour period).
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May 10, 2011 01:03
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evelynevvie posted:I have a quick question for you ladies. I just got the Depo shot today for the first time. I would like to know how long it takes for it to be effective at preventing pregnancy. The nurse that gave it to me said it would be effective immediately, but then she said "as far as I know" which makes me wonder a little. I finished my period last Wednesday or Thursday, and started it on April 26. But my periods are waaaay wacky, and my gyno said today I probably have PCOS. Dunno if any of that matters. Because it's beyond 5 days since the start of your last period, it'll be effective 7 days after the injection.
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May 11, 2011 00:36
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enraged_camel posted:I apologize in advance for the E/N, but it's the first time either of us are going through this and we're both freaking out, so any advice/info would be appreciated. The actual risk depends on when in her cycle she is. Let's say that she has a "typical" 28-day cycle, where her period starts on day 1 of 28. The highest risk for pregnancy would be during weeks 2 and 3, at about an 8% risk of pregnancy per unprotected act of sex. Taking the Plan B at the time that she did (within 24 hours of having sex) means that the pill is going to be about 95% efective, which brings the risk of pregnancy down from 8 in 100 (8%) to about 4 in 1000 (0.4%). To add to what Bagleworm said, taking the Plan B pill can change the timing of her period by about a week (even up to 3 weeks!). For future reference if this reoccurs, she should be taking both Plan B pills at the same time. Taking both Plan B pills at the same time causes less nausea and is as effective as taking them 12 hours apart.
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May 14, 2011 21:12
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