Feedback on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, page 175
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.
Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo hair loss
11/18/2012
I have taken Low-Ogestrel and Zarah (Yasmin generic) before I started Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo. I am currently on my 4th month. During my first week, I felt sick to my stomach and was hungry all the time. After that, everything was pretty normal for me. I still had my sex drive and my period came on time. I noticed some hair loss, but thought it was the fish oil that I started taking. I got off the fish oil and I am still losing hair – A LOT of hair. I have ALWAYS had long, shiny, thick, healthy hair. I get compliments ALL the time. I feel my ponytail getting thinner and thinner. I see big balls of hair when I shower. I’m pretty sure it is because of this birth control pills. I never really noticed hair loss with all the other brands, but with this one, it is very extreme. I will consult my doctor on Monday and will see what this is about.
Sandra
Changes to breast and nipples
11/21/2012
I’m on the generic brand of ortho-tri cyclen. For a month I was on another pill then switch over the second month. For the first week on ortho I didnt use protection and now after a week on being on it my boobs got a little sore for one-two days then went away. Now my nipples have grown a bit and become darker Im scare that its a side affect of pregnancy, or is it just hormones and the pill is causing changes to my breast and nipples?
Alejandra
AskDocWeb: Not using other protection during that first week increased the risk of getting pregnant. However breast tenderness is one of the possible side effects of using this contraceptive so yoy may or may not be pregnant. Time will tell.
Going on a vacation
12/15/2012
I’ve been on ortho tri cyclen generic for over a year. I’m going on a vacation next week and want to skip my period. I’ve read this is hard to do on this pill…but I have heard that if you take weeks 1-2-3..then week 3 of a second pack…you can delay your period by one week. Is this true? And will I still be protected against pregnancy?
Meghan
AskDocWeb: Please read the directions that came with your pack. They say, “Take One Pill at the same time every day until the pack is empty. Do not skip pills even if you are spotting or bleeding between monthly periods…” Please read this post.
New birth control pills
12/15/2012
Pls.help..I started to take blue I didn’t know that it’s really diff.purposes each color.my doctor changed my b control pills cus of bad side effect…so this ortho tri cyclen is new to me my husband picked it up for me..what should I do wats next.? green or white?
Maki
AskDocWeb: Your pills should come with instructions that explain their use. If you can’t read the directions then call your pharmacist. Different manufacturers use different colors so you need to be sure about what you are using.
Wondering why no period
12/27/2012
i was on cammila for 3 months but decided to swich cuz i was no longer breast feeding and went to ortho tri cyclen lo but i didnt wait for my period i was due for it two or three days ago and i just started the ortho tri cyclen lo two days ago but ive been using a back up method cuz ur supposee to. i was just wondering why havent i gotten my period.
Amber
AskDocWeb: Glad to hear that you are using a back-up method of birth control. Switching birth control pills can sometimes alter the timing of your period, especially if they are not started exactly as directed in the instructions.
Foul odor
1/3/2013
For the past year or so I’ve been taking loestrin. And since its so expensive my dr switched me to tri sprintec and I started it this month. Everything seemed to go well, until it was time for the sugar pills. I should be off my period now, but I’m not. I bled for a week and tonight I had a foul odor I’ve never had before. Could it be the tri sprintec?
Kaleigh
AskDocWeb: Changing birth control often affects the timing of the cycle. Also there have been a few reports of unusual side effects related to the sense of smell. However, vaginal odor is often associated with yeast infection so you may want to see your Doctor and get checked just to be sure.
Missed 2 pills
1/10/2013
I have been taking Ortho-Cyclen for at least 3 years now. I didn’t realize that I missed the last two days in the first week. My boyfriend and I had unprotected sex last night and he pulled out. I took the 2 pills I missed this morning, and still have one to take today. Should I wait to take todays pill tomorrow? And use back up for the next week? What should I do?
Sarah
AskDocWeb: If you have sex in the 7 days following missing 2 pills the manufacturer recommends using a back-up form of birth control or you could become pregnant. Please read the instructions that came with your birth control pills or talk to your doctor about the proper way to proceed when missing 2 pills.
Cystic acne
1/21/2013
I have been on ortho tri cyclen for almost two years now. My acne got really scary when I first got on the pill. Than it got even worse with cystic acne that I have never had before. My skin was perfect compaire to how it has gotten. It has been two years and my skin is still really bad and keep getting cistic acne. Do you think that the pill is causing this acne? Sometimes they say it must get worse to get better but its been two years! It’s making me so depreased.
Shauna
AskDocWeb: Cystic acne is the most severe form of acne and powerful systemic medications are usually required for treatment. This infection occurs when oil and dead skin cells build up deep within hair follicles. The resulting ruptures in your skin may look like a form boils. Cystic acne is not caused by Ortho Tri-Cyclen.
Blood clots?
Date: 2/5/2013
Is it possible to develop blod clots after takin ortho tri cyclen for 4 days??
Christina
AskDocWeb: It does appear to be possible. The patient information for Ortho Tri-Cyclen says that you should not use it if you have a blood-clotting disorder, other circulation problems or have ever had a blood clot. Smoking can increase the risk of blood clots caused by Ortho Tri-Cyclen, especially if you are older than 35. Here are some of the warning signs found for Ortho Tri-Cyclen. If any of these adverse effects occur while you are taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen or other oral contraceptives, call your doctor immediately:
- Sharp chest pain, coughing of blood, or sudden shortness of breath (indicates a possible clot in the lung)
- Pain in the calf (indicates a possible clot in the leg)
- Crushing chest pain or heaviness in the chest (indicates a possible heart attack)
- Sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, disturbances of vision or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arm or leg (indicates a possible stroke)
- Sudden partial or complete loss of vision (indicates a possible clot in the eye)
- Breast lumps (indicates possible breast cancer or fibrocystic disease of the breast)
- Severe pain or tenderness in the stomach area (indicates a possibly ruptured liver tumor)
- Difficulty in sleeping, weakness, lack of energy, fatigue, or change in mood (indicates possible severe depression)
- Jaundice or a yellowing of the skin or eyeballs, accompanied frequently by fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, dark colored urine, or light colored bowel movements (indicates possible liver problems)