Feedback on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, page 161
About Ortho Tri-cyclen®
If you’ve used Ortho Tri-cyclen®, please help others by sharing your experience with side effects. 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: Wondering if this messed me up
Date: 4/21/2011
I was on otc for 5 years and stopped taking them 6 years ago and i was wondering if this has messed me up from having kids i havent gotten pregnant?
HEATHER
AskDocWeb: There are a few reports of delayed conception of 2 to 3 months after discontinuing Ortho Tri-Cyclen. However, Ortho Tri-Cyclen does not cause infertility.
Subj: Side effects are terrible
Date: 4/25/2011
This pill is great for preventing pregnancy, that’s it. The side effects that come with it are terrible. This pill made me turn into a different person. I would cry for no reason, I became overly sensitive to the dumbest sh*t, get mad for no reason, and had a constant bad, depressed, helpless feeling. If someone said something mean, even in a joking manner it felt like the end of the world, when it should be something to be shrugged off.
I took this pill for 4 years and the thing that made me realize the pill was the cause of the problem was that I missed 3 in a row…..and I felt amazing….like a normal person again. When I began taking the pill again, about the 4th or 5th day back on it, the storm cloud came back over my head. If anyone you know is on this stuff or if you are taking it yourself and you can relate to any of this, seriously consider switching brands.
Katie
Subj: Funky underarm smell
Date: 4/26/2011
I started ortho tri cyclen lo and ive started to get a funky underarm smell. I have never had that before in my life and I use deodorant every day. could it be a side effect from the birth control?
Weniki
AskDocWeb: It isn’t listed as one of the officially recognized side effect but a few women have made the same complaint.
Subj: Negative feedback
Date: 5/1/2011
i am about to take my ortho tri cyclen lo for the first time and have read all of the reviews and am freaking out about it. im worried about all of the negative feedback and how the pill will effect me. what should i do? should i try it or not.
Alexis
AskDocWeb: Here is an important fact to keep in mind: The majority of women who have no problems with side effects never see these pages. Most of the women who visit these pages, and leave comments, are those who have had bad experiences. The women like you, who are concerned about side effects need to keep this in mind when reading the reviews. For example, the Physician’s Desk Reference says that for women 20 to 44 about 1 in 2,000 women using oral contraceptives is hospitalized each year because of abnormal blood clotting. This forum is more likely to hear from that 1 woman who had a problem and never hear from the 1,999 who did not have that problem. This is why it is important to pay attention to what percentage of users experience a particular side effect. If 3% have a side effect, hearing from those women may be disturbing but keep in mind that the other 97% never have that issue.
Subj: Late or missed?
Date: 5/2/2011
I have a question, I’ve been looking everywhere for an answer. I just started using birth control, ortho tri cyclen lo to be exact, and I was curious if taking the pill an hour late is considered missed or if it makes the pill not as effective.
Kristie
AskDocWeb: Taking the pill an hour late means that you missed taking it on time but that is not the same thing as missing one for that whole day. Of course the most effective way to take BC is at the same time every day but taking it an hour late will not make any difference in the effectiveness of the pill. If it did then Daylight Savings Time would cause a big problem – but that is not the case.
The level of protection provided by progestin-only or low dose pills starts to drop, although slowly, about three hours after the established time to take them. If it’s a combination pill (most fall into this category), the “window” is four hours. However, this varies between birth control pills so check the instructions that came with your prescription to be sure.
Subj: Skipped period?
Date: 5/3/2011
I am currently on Ortho TriCyclen, i decided to skip my period due to a trip i took. im on the 4th pill on the new pack, and im experiencing heavy brown discharge. the brown sometimes comes out with red blood. Is it normal because of the skipped period?
Denice
AskDocWeb: Using birth control pills to skip a period by skipping the sugar pills may cause a number of problems. Here are some of the comments from those who have tried that:
- “I recently tried to skip a period by not taking the last week of pills in my pack and starting a new one. I ended up getting my period anyways.”
- “…it seems like starting pack 2 right after pack 1 will only lead to spotting and break through bleeding.”
- “I recently decided to skip my period and I’m on ortho tri cyclen 28, I was wondering why I’m getting something like a period but light.”
- “I recently skipped a period cycle to go away on vacation. Now it’s been a week and my breasts are sore and I have been feeling nauseous.”
- “I skipped my period last month. My next period is due next week. A couple of days ago I had bad stomach pains and my stomach felt hard and bloated. I was also getting what I’m pretty sure is breakthrough bleeding, but it was more of a brownish colour. It’s still going on and it’s been almost three days now. I’ve also had diarrhea along with it. “
- “I suppressed my period last month by skipping the inactive pills and going directly to a new pack of pills. I am now on the second week of pills (light blue) and am experiencing breakthrough bleeding and cramping.”
- “I decided to take one white pill then stopped taking it and started taking my next pack of pills so I could skip my period for the month as I had an event I didn’t want my period interrupting. I am on my third day of the new pack and I have had severe stomach cramps since I skipped the remaining white pills. I also haven’t been able to orgasm.”
- “I decided to skip my period for prom. I did it a month prior to test it out and it worked perfectly. This month… not so good. I got my period early on the last week of taking the regular pills. I am currently taking the placebo pills now and I’ve been bleeding for a week. I have less than a week left till I start my new pack of pills. It is sooo heavy and I am having terrible cramps.”
- “I didnt want to get it since I was going away on vacation. I skipped the two pills and the green placebo pills and just started a new pack. the first two days I was in the clear however on the 3rd day at night there was a dark blood discharge which lasted for a day. It’s been 5 days and I’m still bleeding and its more bloody now. When will it stop? It can’t be period, I’m in the middle of the birth control pack! also, every night I’ve been having stomach pain, cramps, and burning down there.”
Trying to skip a period by starting a new pack early has also been reported to result in some unintended pregnancies.
Subj: Switching from Nuvaring to the pill
Date: 5/3/2011
My girlfriend is switching from nuvaring to ortho tricyclen lo. Should she wait until the end of the third week when she normally takes the nuvaring out to begin the ortho tricyclen or can she start taking the pills now?
Matt
AskDocWeb: Typically the ring is removed when it is normally taken out and left out for 7 days at which time the period occurs on that 7th day. If you are a Day 1 Start, the pills are started during the first 24 hours of that period. If you are a Sunday Start, the first active pill is taken on the Sunday after that period starts, even if still bleeding. Most low-dose pills need to be used with a back-up method for the first month so that the build-up of hormone can occur.
Subj: Missing pills
Date: 5/11/2011
I been on tri sprintec alomost a month i dont take my pills at the saame time. I had my period april 13. I missed 2 pills in week 1 but not in a row, had sex after my period went off, always have unprotected sex. SO then i missed 2 in week 2 but not in a row. Had sex after that. Missed 3 in week 3 but not in a row, i missed the last 1 in week 1 it was saturday May 2, 2011 so i took that pill mothers day May 8. I started the new pack like it said, but i couldnt start on may 8 cause the drug store was closed so i took 2 may 9
Tiff
AskDocWeb: Wow, that is a lot of pills to miss in such a short period of time. Please talk to your doctor about this. And you might want to pick up some pregnancy test kits.
Subj: Taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen in the incorrect order
Date: 5/12/2011
HI, I started taking orthotricylen, but started taking it in the incorrect order. I have completed all the dark green pills, and have the all the white pills, and 6 light blue pills. What am i suppose to do to correct my intake of these birth control pills?
Tiffany
AskDocWeb: It sounds like you REALLY need to go over the directions with your doctor to make sure you understand what you have done and what you should do now.
Subj: I took the pills in the wrong order
Date: 5/15/2011
Ortho Tri-cyclen- I took the pills in the wrong order. I started bleeding when not supposed to. It has been almost 3 days. Is that normal? Do I need to see a doctor right away if I accidentally messed up the pills?
Nicole
AskDocWeb: Yes, the directions tell you what to do if you miss one or more pills but if you took them in the wrong order contact your doctor.
Subj: Discontinued after 4 days
Date: 5/19/2011
Hey I started taking at the start of my bleeding of period and then discontinued after four days cuz i wanted to be off it but now its been 8 days i am still spotting my usual period bleeding lasts 6-7 days is it normal?
Debbie
AskDocWeb: Just like missing pills, starting and stopping the pill so quickly is known to cause spotting. This can be very normal as your hormones are balancing out again. However, if you had unprotected sex after stopping the birth control then there is a possibility of “implantation bleeding” so you may want to check with your doctor.
Subj: Want to change the date of my cycle
Date: 5/22/2011
I’ve been on Lo for 9 months, currently not sexually active, but want to change the date of my cycle (for travel reasons in 5 weeks). I have one full week of the regular pills left before the sugar pills start- if I stopped taking it now, would I get my period in a couple days, even though I haven’t finished the pack in it’s entirety? I would start a new pack in a week, thus moving my cycle up a week… would this be harmful to my health?
Amelia
AskDocWeb: Women who have done that report that it made their subsequent period worse; more flow, more cramps, and an “ickier” feeling.
Subj: Tiff’s missed pills
Date: 6/1/2011
I mean i been on tri sprintec a yr. and those missed pills occured after april 13 after my last period. period suppose to came on may 11. June 1st im having bleeding.
Tiff
AskDocWeb: Missing pills may result in breakthrough bleeding or spotting. If too many are missed it can disrupt the menstrual cycle. That may result in irregular periods that are heavier and last a little longer than usual. Of course the more pills you miss the greater the risk of an unintended pregnancy. When in doubt, always check with your doctor. Read more feedback
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