Feedback on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, page 145

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: I’m really concerned
Date: 11/4/2009
So I used a general pill a month ago with no problems. TriNessa I believe. So this month I’ve been taking the Ortho Tri Cyclin religious, at a similar time every night. I should get my period this week, but I’m really concerned that I haven’t gotten it yet. I’m not pregnant right?

Amy

AskDocWeb: Changing pills does sometimes cause a change in the timing of when your period occurs. That is one of those things that your doctor may or may not have explained to you.

Subj: After the first pack of pills
Date: 11/5/2009
I just finished taking my first pack of pills, after being off ortho for a year, and still have not started my period, should I continue to take my second pack or wait for my period to start. And I only had sex on the green pills and we used condoms just in case, help!

Rayann

AskDocWeb: The instructions say to continue taking one pill each day. That means that you take the first pill of the new pack the day after the last pill in the old pack.

Subj: I’m back to the drawing board
Date: 11/7/2009
I was on ortho tri cyclen low for about 3 years until I started to become nauseated after taking the pill. So I switched to the depo provera shot which lasted another 3 years… until I became severely depressed and had a lack of sexual desire. So I’m back on ortho tri cyclen and now I’m nauseated all the time. I eat a full meal when I take my pill. I always take my pill in the evenings and at the same time. It just seems like ortho tri cyclen doesn’t agree with me. I guess I’m back to the drawing board on what birth control is best for me.

Jessica

Subj: I might be pregnant
Date: 11/7/2009
Hi, I just started back on the pill the 25th of October 2009. I want to know if it is possible that I might be pregnant. I’ve taken the pills for 4 days and I had unprotected sex on that fourth day. For about 5 days now my breast are very tender, my nipples are very sensitive and my both breast is hurting every time I touch them on lay on them, I’m constantly going to the rest room and I’m hungry almost every two hours right after I eat a heavy meal. I don’t know what causing it but can you help me.

Nicha

AskDocWeb: Brace yourself Nicha, you may indeed be pregnant. According to the instructions a backup form of birth control is required through the first seven days when starting the pill. You may want to use a home pregnancy test as soon as possible and if the result is negative, use another one a week later.

Subj: Generic Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo
Date: 11/7/2009
Hello, I I’ve been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for years now and my experiences have been great. I used to have very painful menstrual cramps before I started the pills and I used to have bad acne too. After I started Ortho tri cyclen lo all that went away. No more acne, mild cramps and no weight gain (it actually helped me maintain my weight). My period flow also went from 6 days to about 3-4 days;) But after about 5 years of being on this pill my insurance had to switch me to the generic version of ortho try cyclen lo and now my experiences are back to the they were when I didn’t take anything. My acne is acting up all over my jaw area and my cramps are horrible. Do you think that the generic version of the ortho tri cyclen lo pill is causing this? I see no other explanations and this is the only change that I have done. I am thinking of talking to my doctor so that I can switch back because I was really really happy with Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo! Any ideas? Do you think I should switch back? Thank you!

Marilyn

AskDocWeb: In 2003, Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho-McNeil unit sued Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. to prevent it from selling a generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. As far as we know there is no currently available generic for Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo so you may want to check to see what pill you are taking. A different pill would of course have different side effects. A generic for Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo may not come out until 2019.

Subj: Unprotected sex
Date: 11/9/2009
I’ve been on ortho tri-cyclen lo from since 10/25/09 to now and when I started my pack 4 days after I had unprotected sex. Is it possible that I could be pregnant? My stomach hurt a little and my breast is extremely tender and this is the first time I experience this type of tender it really hurts.

Nicha

AskDocWeb: It sounds like you had unprotected sex on 10/21/09. If that is true then you were not yet taking the birth control pills so yes, you could be pregnant.

Subj: I was never instructed
Date: 11/9/2009
Hi, I am taking ortho tri cyclen. I have been taking the pill for about a month now, I’m on my second pack. I missed one of my pills in the beginning of the pact and didn’t know what to do, I didn’t take it. I also have been taking my pill infrequently (like not the same time each day) I was never instructed to by my doctor. My boyfriend and I had intercourse for a few days in a row since he returned from Tennessee. Around Day 15 in my cycle, unprotected. Is there a chance I could get pregnant? That and I had a question about the pill. I’m not a very emotional person and since taking the pill I’ve been more emotional than I have been in months combined, could that be the pill?

Erica

AskDocWeb: One of the things you have to do for yourself is read the patient information on the package insert. It gives you instructions for proper use of your birth control pills and tells you what to do if you miss 1, 2, 3 or more pills. If you don’t take them exactly as instructed then you could get pregnant. Changes in mood or emotional state are possible side effects of Ortho Tri-Cyclen.

Subj: Generic?
Date: 11/9/2009
I asked for Ortho Tri Lo, and they gave me a generic knock off called “Tri Sprentec Lo”. I was doing fine just before I started to take this pill. I noticed an increase of anxiety, lack of appetitie, and insominia. I have stopped this pill, and do not plan to take it again. I can’t deal with the anxiety that it may cause, and I love to eat, it I’m not hungry as usual anymore.

Kimberly

AskDocWeb: It appears that a company called Teva made an “at risk launch” of a generic for Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo call Tri-Sprentec Lo. Johnson & Johnson filed a lawsuit and Teva has settled out of court. The good news is that we won’t have to wait until 2019 for a generic of Ortho Tri-Cyclen. The bad news is that the generic will not be available until 2015.

Subj: Starting a new pill
Date: 11/10/2009
I had been taking Tri Sprintec for the past 2 yrs, and was due for my annual pap smear this month. However I am in the process of switching insurance, so I have to wait a bit longer to get into the doctor for a refill. My prescription was up, so I had to stop taking it. I would like to get back on a pill, however I had been having problems with serious premenstrual headaches and might be interested in trying a new pill other than Tri Sprintec. Until then, I will be careful and use condoms & keep my fingers crossed until I get into the doc. My question for now is how hard will it be to go back on a new pill in a month or two after being off one completely? Would it have been a smoother transition had I been able to go straight from one pill to the next? How long after starting a new pill will I be “safe?” Is it the typical 7 days after starting it? Or longer? Thx for any info!

Stacy

AskDocWeb: Although the transition would have been smoother had you gone straight from one pill to the next, there is nothing you can do about that now. The length of time it takes to be “safe” when starting a new pill varies depending on which one you choose. With Ortho Tri-Cyclen, if you are a “Sunday Start” the pill provides maximum protection after 7 days. Please read the package insert for up-to-date instructions. They do change from time to time.

Subj: I’m kinda nervous
Date: 11/12/2009
I had a question I have been on ortho tri cyclen for about two months and the first month I have been doing ok taking it at the same time and then it changed a little more later on sometimes I forget or I’m in a hurry but anyway I wondered if my period can start late last time it started after like the second green pill. And I’m on the gonna be on the 5th one today. Should I be worried? I’m kinda nervous that I’m pregnant.

Shayla

AskDocWeb: During the first three months of using a new pill there may be some variation in the timing of your period. It takes awhile for your body to adjust to the change in hormones caused by the new pill. Here is a short quiz to help answer the question,
“Am I pregnant?”

Pregnancy Quiz

• Is your period more than a week late?
• Do you have to pee more often?
• Are your breasts swollen or larger?
• Are your breasts tender, tingling or painful?
• Are your nipples changing color?
• Do you have cravings for certain foods?
• Do you have frequent headaches?
• Do you feel more tired than usual?
• Are you having unexplainable mood swings?
• Do you have nausea or feel sick?
• Does your abdomen feel bloated or congested?
• Is there a sharp pain in your abdomen?*
• Do you feel movement in your abdomen?*

The more yes answers you have, the more likely you are to be pregnant. It is important to note that the above symptoms can have other causes.
*If you feel movement or pain in your abdomen, please see your doctor.

Subj: Problems
Date: 11/14/2009
Ok so I started ortho tri cyclene about 2 months ago. When I first started I started my period it was horribly heavy and it went heavy for the whole first month, the second month I was off my period for about 2 weeks and now it is back to being extremely heavy and it has been ever since. I’m pretty sure loosing all this blood is making me anemic. I have lost my appetite and can bearly take 2 bites of something with out throwing it all up. Its made me nauses, depressed, and tired. I don’t feel like myself at all. I’ve lost alot of weight since I started and I’m sure that’s because I don’t eat cuz I have no appetite. It sucks. I don’t recommend it to anyone. This is just a few of the problems its caused me since I started taking it.

Heather

AskDocWeb: Hopefully you have contacted your doctor about all this. It is up to you to decide how much you are willing to endure before saying, “This is too much, no more.”

Subj: Switching from generic to the original
Date: 11/14/2009
If I switch from Trinessa to Ortho tri cyclen do I need to use a back up birth control method?

Kristen

AskDocWeb: Trinessa is just the generic of Ortho Tri-Cyclen so you are not changing birth control pills just brands of the same pill. There is no mention in the instructions for this drug of any need for a back up method of birth control when switching from the generic to the original drug.

Subj: Horrible headaches
Date: 11/16/2009
I have been taking OTC for at least 10+ years. For the past year I have been very moody, sad, and horrible headaches 2 days before and 2 days after my period. What is going on?

Alison

AskDocWeb: Persistent or recurrent headaches are listed as one of the possible side effects that should be reported to your doctor.

Subj: Switch pills or continue?
Date: 11/16/2009
I have been taking Ortho Try-Cyclen since I was 14 and I am 26 now. I would like to come off of the pill, but am scared that I will gain weight and have acne. Also my doctor found cysts in my breasts and I find I have no sex drive. Just wondering if these are side effects. Should I just switch pills or continue with the ortho.

Tasha

AskDocWeb: Sorry Tasha, that is a decision that you need to make after talking it over with your doctor. Read more feedback


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