First month of taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. A few questions have come up...?

Question

I'm just getting to my period pills after my first month of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and I have a few questions...

Can we be sure that it will be affective now? When can we stop using condoms in addition to the pills (neither one of us like the condoms)?

Is there any hormone content in the period pills?

Is there decreasing hormone content in the week of pills before the period pills? I usually get a fairly bad case of PMS (I get very tired, very hungry and I'm hell on wheels!), does PMS have time to hit during the period pills or will I get to forego it while on the pills? (I'm sort of concerned that what has been spread out over a week in the past will hit like a hurricaine in one or two days.)

The first question (affectiveness) I did ask the doctor. I'm just wanting to see what other people have been told and have experienced. The other questions I don't see as being really important enough to have to deal with the doctor to answer them.

Many thanks!

Answer 1

I took this for 2 years. I will tell you what I know.

It should be effective now. Depending on who you ask, it is effective after the first week; it is safest to wait a month. However, I would NOT recommend stopping using condoms. Ortho is only 99% effective when used correctly (meaning taken at the exact same time every single day, without being mixed with other medications). The effectiveness also goes down signficantly if you are over or under weight.

There is no hormone content in the pills you take during your period. These are "reminder pills."

As I understood it, the hormone actually INCREASED every week. My PMS actually was worse on the pills than it was before I started. I could be wrong on how the hormones were proportioned, but I can tell you that PMS will not go away because of these.

Also, I think the pill stopped working for me at all after 2 years. My cramps came back, and my cycle was irregular. Keep a close eye on this. They will say that the pill will never stop being effective, but I don't believe this to be true. I am on a new type now, but it has only been a month so I can't make any other recommendations with confidence.

Answer 2

How effective it is depends on when you began taking it. Check the instructions that came with it, but I believe that it is really the most effective if you start taking it as soon as your period ends. I remember that taking it beforehand meant that you may or may not have had an egg released. I'd continue to use condoms at least until your next period is over. And as I said, check your instructions for that.

As the doctor explained to us, Ortho Tri-Cyclen (high or lo) is a hormone therapy. I've known many women that actually only take it to regulate their periods. How it works is that the hormone tricks your body into thinking that it is pregnant, so that your ovaries don't release any eggs. You'll notice that the pills gradually taper off, and you should have a sort of spacer set of pills for the week of your period that have no hormone in them at all.

How you are affected, with regards to PMS, depends on your body. Some women's PMS goes away, some focuses on a single day... the reactions can be very different. As I undersstand it, most women experience a reductions in symptoms. For example, two women that I know were reduced to balls for a few days with extremely severe cramps. After starting Ortho, both are able to function and have minor cramps if any.

Answer 3

You are protected from pregnancy after 7 days of active pills (or right away if you start your pills on the first day of your period). This is the same information that comes with your pills from the drugs manufacturer so, it's correct. Read your pill pamphlet.

No, there are no hormones in the 'period pills'. They are placebos. Your pill packet will tell you the same information. You do not need to take these pills.

With OTC-Lo There is an increase in hormones the week before your 'period pills'. Your pill packet also tells you this information. Whether or not you experience PMS symptoms depends on your body and no one can tell you anything else as birth control effects each person with their individual bodies differently.

Answer 4

I would wait for your period. Or call you dr and ask. I'm not trying to scare you.. I got pregnant on that stuff. When I did I asked my dr why and they said if you're over 120lbs you're not supposed to take it. Weird. be extra careful when you do start.

Answer 5

Birth control pills – which work by suppressing your native
hormones, can lead to many health problems. Many of the
problems of estrogen dominance, including fluid retention,
depression, headaches, and urinary tract infections, are experienced by women using birth control pills. Everything we know about the negative effects for menopausal women of using synthetic progestins applies to the progestins used in birth control pills.

Having altered your normal hormonal cycles when using the Pill, you are more prone to symptoms at midlife as well as potentially more serious health problems. This is because the synthetic estrogens and progestins used in the Pill can interfere with the body’s own progesterone receptors. The progestins are more potent and may inhibit the product of your body’s own hormones.

Answer 6

it's not enough!