Feedback on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, page 132

About Ortho Tri-Cyclen®

If you’ve used Ortho Tri-Cyclen®, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history.

Subj: UTI
Date: 2/22/2009
A couple of months ago I had unprotected sex and I’m pretty sure I had a uti. It burned when I peed and sometimes a little blood would come when I urinated. Anyway I thought it went away until about 3 weeks ago I went to the doctor because of heavy white discharge and discovered I had bacterial vaginosis. I took the metronizdozale for 7 days and my symptoms were almost gone when I got a yeast infection, so I took a diflucan And monistat 3 day and now I have almost no itching but I still have thick white discharge with no odor and that collects around my vulva. The discharge dries quickly around my vulva and I have to wash it off or rub it off and it rubs off almost like lint, this has never happened to me before. Usually my discharge is thin and clear. I recently started taking depo provera might this have anything to do with this?? what should I do?

Elyse

AskDocWeb: A thick, white discharge is common at the beginning and end of a cycle. It represents cervical and vaginal secretions that contain cells from the vaginal wall (epithelium). If the normal white discharge is accompanied by itching or burning, that may indicate a yeast infection. The things to be concerned about are discharges that have a yellow or green color, have clumps like cottage cheese, or have a bad odor which may indicate an infection.

A normal vaginal discharge consists of about a teaspoon (about 4 milliliters) a day that is white or transparent and is odorless. It may range from thick to thin and change over time. The discharge may be more noticeable at different times of the month depending on menstrual flow, ovulation, sexual activity and the birth control being used. It is not uncommon for the normal discharge to be dark, brown or discolored a day or two following the menstrual period.

Subj: My period is abnormal
Date: 2/23/2009
I stop taking tricyclen 28 in the third week of the pack and since then I have been spottin and my period is abnormal and I often spot r bleed during sex what should I do?

Annakay

AskDocWeb: That sounds typical when quitting before the end of the pack. A short talk with a nurse at your doctor’s office should put your mind at ease.

Subj: Eating constantly
Date: 2/23/2009
I been on this pill going on 3 weeks now an I hate them. I’m 22 years old an I’ve never been on no birth control pills or anything an as of February 23, 2009 I’m bout to get the hell off. These pills got me eating constantly, DRY MOUTH, an being LAZy all the time. Man I hardly ever go outside LOL. I’m depressed an getting FAT an mad too. So as of tonight I’m off hope an pray I don’t get pregnant.

Robyn

Subj: How long would it take
Date: 2/24/2009
I take orthtricyclen, I’d like to know if I try to become pregnant now how long would it take after getting off of the pill?

Lisa

AskDocWeb: Sorry Lisa, there is no set time for that, it could happen in a few days, a few weeks or it might take months to get pregnant.

Subj: Just wondering
Date: 2/24/2009
Just wondering… I’ve been on Tricyclen for about 6 years and recently I experienced a period a couple of weeks early and still have some. Is this normal?

Rosanna

AskDocWeb: It is a common occurrence but since you still have some you might check with your doctor. Although the failure rate for BC pills is very low (0.4%) it does sometimes happen. Using an over-the-counter pregnancy test would rule that out possibility and put your mind at ease.

Subj: First month on ortho cyclen
Date: 2/25/2009
I have only been taking ortho cyclen for a month. And I am on the green pills, and my period still hasn’t started yet. Does it take a couple months to regulate?

annessa

AskDocWeb: Yes, it may take up to three months to regulate.

Subj: BC for acne?
Date: 2/25/2009
I been on ortho-tri cyclin for moderate acne for almost 4 month, and my acne is not improved but get Worsen, I wonder if this is not the bc treatment for my acne, I want to stop it. Should I?

Kathy

AskDocWeb: That is something you need to discuss with your doctor. Not everyone gets the improved skin condition from taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen®. Your acne may require something stronger.

Subj: No generic version
Date: 2/25/2009
Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo does not offer a generic version and therefore I pay $40 a pack per month. That price is starting to really take a toll especially during these economic hard times. Is it bad or will there be any adverse affects if I switch to Ortho Tri Cyclen with a generic so I only pay $10 a month? Will my body react differently or should I just stay with Ortho Lo?

Jessica

AskDocWeb: There is an adjustment period you have to go through whenever you change birth control pills but that is not a reason to keep you from talking to your doctor about it.

Subj: Spotting
Date: 2/28/2009
I have been on ortho tri-cyclen lo for about 8 months. I have never experienced spotting before (none that I have noticed) and yesterday when I wiped there was brownish color and it has continued today, and I starting the inactive pill tomorrow. What is going? (btw I took a pregnancy test this morning and it was negative)

Jane

AskDocWeb: In most cases spotting will correct itself in a few days but if it becomes a concern then talk to your doctor.

Subj: Is it possible?
Date: 3/3/2009
I started ortho tri cyclen lo about a week or so before I was supposed to get my period (taking it for acne), and now my period is late. I had sex about 2 weeks before I started the pill, and now I’m getting worried. Is it possible I’m late because of the time I started taking the pill?

Megan

AskDocWeb: Yes, it is possible that the time you started taking the pill may change the timing of your period but having sex 2 weeks before starting the pill also makes a pregnancy possible. We would use an over-the-counter pregnancy test to find out for sure.

Subj: Period is heavy and clumpy
Date: 3/4/2009
I have been on ortho on and off since I was 17 years old I am 25 now. I never smoked on the pill before until the last two months. My period is extremely heavy and very clumpy now. Is this clotting from the smoking?

Lyndsey

AskDocWeb: Smoking has not been reported to cause such a reaction. Although the clumps, sometimes like cottage cheese, may indicate an infections so check with your doctor.

Subj: Am I at risk
Date: 3/6/2009
So I’m on a birth control called Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, And I got sick recently, I took an antibiotic called Keflex. Am I at risk of getting pregnant if I have unprotected sex tomorrow?

Desiree

AskDocWeb: It is a good idea to ask your doctor about the affect of any antibiotic you may be prescribed while on birth control pills. According to the Mayo Clinic, certain antibiotics, such as amoxicillin (Amoxil), metronidazole (Flagyl), rifampin (Rifadin), tetracycline (Sumycin) and cephalexin (Keflex), may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. They don’t cancel out the protection altogether but a back-up form of birth control is recommended for up to two weeks after discontinuing the antibiotics.

Subj: Forgot to take my pills
Date: 3/7/2009
I forgot to take my pills for 2 days and then caught up…but did this twice in the same month. I got my period, then it stopped for a week, and then I got it again but a lot lighter for another 5 days. I had already decided to stop taking it after that pack was done and I haven’t had my period in a month and a half. Is this normal? Will it take my body time to get back on track? I also feel very bloated.

Kate

AskDocWeb: If you had sex without using a back-up form of birth control during that time then you may want to use home pregnancy test. Not having a period immediately after discontinuing birth control pills is not uncommon. The quality, quantity and timing of your period can be abnormal for up to three months after discontinuing the pill.

Subj: What are the numbers?
Date: 3/8/2009
I was on the NuvaRing on and off for years, and my doctor recently switched me to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, but due to a change in my husband’s project schedule for his work, we’re now trying to get pregnant soon (so that the baby will come a few months before “crunch time” for his project). What are the numbers like for 23 year old women trying to get pregnant after going off BC? For example __ get pregnant after 1 month, __ get pregnant after 3 months, etc…

Becky

AskDocWeb: We found one study that spanned the first year of trying to conceive with the following results:

After one month of trying, 38% were pregnant.
After three months of trying, 68% were pregnant.
After six months of trying, 81% were pregnant.
After twelve months of trying, 92% were pregnant.
The remaining 10.4%, did not get pregnant.

If you look at only the couples that eventually pregnant, and eliminated the women who didn’t conceive, 42% conceive in their first month of trying, 75% by their third month, 88% by six months, and 98% by 12 months.

Subj: Taking the pill and hair loss
Date: 3/9/2009
Hi, I just started the pill today on a Sunday like the doctor advised, but I was caught at the movies and I took it a bit late so I wouldn’t have to start on the following Sunday. I was wondering if I could take it a few hours earlier tomorrow night. Does a few hrs in difference really matter? And does your hair really thin out? Because mine is already thin.

Wendy

AskDocWeb: Taking the pill a few hours earlier or later will not affect its effectiveness. Any hormonal changes in a woman’s body can cause hair loss. Here’s the theory: The estrogen in the pills stimulates and prolongs the growth phase of many hair follicles. This causes more than the usual 10% of hairs to reach the resting phase and then the sloughing off phase about 3-4 months later. The net result of this growth stimulation is more than normal hair loss (normally 50-100 each day) several months down the line. It usually only lasts for a month or two and then the hair resumes a random growth pattern. When you stop the pills, the process is reversed because the growth phase shortens throwing more hairs into a resting phase several months later.

Subj: Worried about bigger boobs and sex drive
Date: 3/10/2009
I just started ortho tri cyclen lo today. I’m a bit worried though. I did some research and I’m starting to wonder why the doctors put me on it when I have a history of depression and trouble with maintaining a certain weight. What I’m most worried about though is the problem of gaining weight. I also have big boobs already and would not like to see them get any bigger. Is there any ways possible that I can prevent this? And also I hear it lowers your sex drive! How can I keep that from happening?!

Holly

AskDocWeb: Not every woman gets breast enlargement from the pill, some report losing a whole cup size. Of course there is no way to predict what side effects you will experience, you may not have any. As for lowering your sex drive, you may not be able to prevent that from happening but there are “marital aids” that can help get you in the mood. Read more feedback

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