Feedback on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, page 143

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: Miss a period but not pregnant?
Date: 10/1/2009
I have been on Ortho Tricyclen Lo for about 9 months and it has worked great. I went from having an extremely heavy and unpredictable period to very light bleeding for only about 4 days. Recently, my period has been very light and predictable. I usually get my period the Wednesday I take the inactive pills. I haven’t gotten it yet but I feel crampy how I usually feel before I get my period. Is there a chance I could miss a period but not be pregnant?

Lydia

AskDocWeb: Yes, missing a period or having a late period does not always indicate pregnancy. There are a variety of things that can cause this. Some of the possible causes include:

  • A high stress level can greatly impact the balance of hormones in your body. When this happens, your period may come late or not at all. This includes major life changes such as starting a new job, a new relationship or ending of one, death of a loved one, and moving.
  • A significant increase in exercise also can affect your cycle because exercise impacts your metabolism and hormones.
  • Changes in your diet, especially if you have had a stable diet for years cause a missed period or start a period late.
  • Stopping or changing birth control pills can also disrupt the menstrual cycle.
  • Some medical conditions are that have been known to cause a missed or late period are thyroid problems such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), turner’s syndrome, mumps, Kallman’s syndrome, pituitary disorders, and seasonal flu.
  • Losing or gaining a significant amount of weight can also cause a missed or late period.

If you have missed a period and your pregnancy test is negative it is generally not a cause for concern. However, if you miss more than 1 period or don’t have a period for several months, this may be a symptom of another problem so check with your health care provider.

Subj: 12th day of being on my period!
Date: 10/3/2009
Hello, I have been taking ortho tri cyclen lo for about 2 months. I was on it before but I stopped taking it due to the fact that I wasn’t planning on having sex for a while. Anyways…now I’m back on it and have been for about 2 months. My skin breaks out soo much less and I seem to still have a sex drive…but I am not going on my 12th day of being on my period! Its driving me insane! Why is this happening? Usually my periods are 4 to 5 days. 12 days is way to long! This has also happened a few times before when I was taking it earlier. How can I fix this? Why is it happening?

Sarah

AskDocWeb: The why may have something to do with your body becoming adjusted to the change in hormones caused by the pill. An over-long period is a common complaint during the first three months that it takes your body to become accustomed to the change. You can check with your doctor but about the only thing you can do is to be patient.

Subj: Missed a few Mercilon
Date: 10/6/2009
Hi, I’ve been taking mercillon (pill) for about a yr now. But recently have missed a few! Recently have been having unprotected sex with my boyfriend although he has never came inside me…could I be pregnant?

Lydia

AskDocWeb: Although the chances are low, missing more than one pill does put you at risk for pregnancy. Remember that ejaculation is not required for conception to take place. The pre-ejaculate fluid often contains a small amount of sperm.

Subj: Tri-Nessa
Date: 10/6/2009
I recently started taking Tri-nessa after having a baby. In the past, I took tri-sprintec for about 8 years without any complications. I don’t know too much about Tri-Nessa. Does it contribute to weight gain? I understand there is no pill that that will help me lose weight but do not want one that has been linked to possible weight gain or an increased appetite. I am having a hard enough time loosing my “baby weight!”

Rebecca

AskDocWeb: A few women have reported significant weight gain, 15 to 20 pounds is not uncommon but that doesn’t happen to everyone. Unfortunately birth control pills and weight gain seem to go hand in hand.

Subj: I missed a whole week
Date: 10/9/2009
I have been on Ortho for over four years now. Ortho lo for about two of those years. There were a couple times that I missed my dosage, and doubled up the next day. One time, I missed a whole week….so when I was able to get the pills…I took the ones that I missed with the current ones. Was I supposed to do that? Now for the past three months, my period has been on and off. They are prolonged and it goes off for about two weeks and then come back on. I’m only 23yrs old…is this because of the way I took the pills? A female told me it sounds like fibroids, but I am too young and I’m hoping it’s not that.

Ortho

AskDocWeb: You can’t “make up” for missing 3 or more pills. Missing a whole week of pills will throw off the schedule of your periods and according to the instructions, you have to start over. Please read the instructions for missing 3 or more pills that came with your birth control pack.

Subj: Polycystic ovary syndrome
Date: 10/9/2009
I had been on Ortho trycyclin low for quite awhile…my periods gradually got less and less and for the past 2 months had no period at all. The doc finally switched me to just Ortho tricyclin. I am on my first month of it(started immediately after my last low pill) and still have not started. Should I be concerned? I have had irregular periods all my life, lots of ovarian cysts(that have ruptured) and the doc said it sounds like I have Polycystic ovary syndrome. I have been on the pill for 3 years. Had my son 3 years ago and before that it was years I was on it.

Amy

AskDocWeb: You have to give your body a chance to get used to the new pill. Switching from one pill to another is known to cause some irregularities. About one in ten women in their childbearing years has Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. It can occur in girls as young as 11 years old. PCOS is the most common cause of women not being able to get pregnant (female infertility). The cause of PCOS is unknown and not all women with PCOS share the same symptoms. Some of the possible symptoms of PCOS are:

  • acne, oily skin, or dandruff
  • anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol
  • increased hair growth on face, chest, back, stomach, thumbs, or toes (hirsutism)
  • infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
  • insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
  • male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
  • not able to get pregnant because of not ovulating
  • ovarian cysts
  • patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
  • pelvic pain
  • skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
  • sleep apnea-excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep
  • weight gain or obesity, extra weight on the waist

For more information on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: http://www.pcosupport.org

Subj: Missed 3 pills
Date: 10/15/2009
I’ve been on ortho tri-cyclen lo for about a year. I missed 3 pills and had unprotected sex during that time. I started taking the pills again but I didn’t double up, just took one every day. Is there still a chance I could be pregnant even though I’m taking the pills still now?

Tab

AskDocWeb: Yes, missing more than two pills does put you at risk for pregnancy.

Subj: Switch birth control in the middle of the pack?
Date: 10/17/2009
I was on ortho-triciclyn lo for the last five months and have experienced low lubrication. The previous BC I was on was the normal ortho-tricyclin. I received the normal packs today because I did not like the side effects of the low version. Is it okay to switch birth control types in the middle of the pack or should I wait until it’s time to start a new pack?

Heather

AskDocWeb: Everything we have read on switching birth control says to wait until the end of the pack, including the inactive pills but check with your doctor to be sure.

Subj: Stopped taking it due to headaches and high blood pressure
Date: 10/19/2009
Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo I’ve been on the pill for over 7 years and just stopped taking it last month due to headaches and high blood pressure. I was always very regular on the pill, but am now 7 days late since I stopped taking the pill last month. Is this a normal side effect? How long should it take to become regular?

Kristin

AskDocWeb: It can take up to three months for your body to get free of the effects of this pill.

Subj: Terrible mood
Date: 10/21/2009
I’m having the same issue, I started Ortho Tri-cyclen 2 weeks ago. and I have been in a terrible mood. I don’t want to be around people. everything make me mad. And I feel bad people around me because I yell at them for everything, I’m stressed out, I feel nausea and feel weak. But I’m not sure if all this is because of the pill.

Vanessa

Subj: My second pack
Date: 10/25/2009
I’m confused about when I switch to my second pack. I just started taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo about a week ago. If I start my period, do I switch to my second pack, or do I continue taking the first one until it is gone?

Lily

AskDocWeb: The instructions in the PDR say to continue taking all of the pills in the pack before starting a new pack.

Subj: How effective is Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo?
Date: 10/25/2009
I have been on ortho tri-cyclen Lo for a month. I wanted to know how effective it is if when having sex he ejaculates inside me?

Veronica

AskDocWeb: The percentage of women who have an unintended pregnancy in the first year of taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is 0.1%, that’s one in a thousand.

Subj: Green tea?
Date: 10/26/2009
I am on the generic version of ortho lo, tri-lo-sprintec, I wanted to start taking slim quick… does it affect the effectiveness of the birth control and also… slim quick with green tea extract.. does the green tea extract make birth control less effective? thank you

Kim

AskDocWeb: The website for SlimQuick says that it should not interfere with birth control pills. Several diet pills, as well as green tea, have been rumored to interfere with birth control however, no conclusive evidence of this interference has been found, probably because it has not been studied extensively in clinical trials. We did find several drugs that are strongly suspected of drug interactions with birth control pills.

  • Amoxicillin
  • Ampicillin
  • Amprenavir
  • Anti-HIV protease inhibitor Ritonavir
  • Aprepitant
  • Barbiturates
  • Bexarotene
  • Bosentan
  • Carbamazepine
  • Cephalosporins
  • Chloramphenicol
  • Cotrimoxazole
  • Dapsone
  • Diazepam
  • Griseofulvin
  • Macrolides
  • Many seizure medications
  • Metronidazole
  • Minocycline
  • Modafinil
  • Nelfinavir
  • Nevirapine
  • Nitrofurantoin
  • Oral yeast infection medications
  • Oxcarbazepine
  • Penicillin
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenobarbitol
  • Phenytoin
  • Pioglitazone
  • Primidone
  • Rifampin
  • Rifamycins
  • Ritonavir
  • Some Anti-Seizure Medications
  • Soy Isoflavones
  • St. John’s wort
  • Sulfas
  • Sulfonamide
  • Temazepam
  • Tetracycline
  • Topiramate
  • Troglitazone

Do not stop taking any medicine without the approval of your doctor or pharmacist first. Read more feedback


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