STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Birth control recs?

halleybird · Hermes

were you on triphasic pills (i.e. orthotricyclen)?

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Yes. Does that make a difference in the side effects?

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Oh, and I'm sensitive to progesterone, but not necessarily estrogen, so I can't use the mini-pills.

blubirde · Chanel

I've never had a problem with pills, so I'm not sure if my advice is good or not. But I love, love, love Seasonale. There are a few spotting issues for the first year you're on it (sounds bad but when you only have 4 periods, it's totally not).

One thing I can say about Seasonale is that I have wicked PMS and since I only have 4 periods a year, it's cut down considerably. (Hmmm, by a third, perhaps?

)

Mitz · BCBG

Halleybird made a good point...it could have been that you were on the triphasic pills...they tend to have more emotional side effects. I was on Ortho-Tricyclin years ago, and it turned me into Psycho-Girl...I started them when I was dating my husband and, well, I'm AMAZED he stayed with me (although he came close to calling quits a few times!!!) I know others who have had similar problems. You might still have problems with a monophasic pill, but you won't know until you try it. I've been on various ones in the past...I did well with Loestrin, but then I started breaking out a lot because of the progesterone in that one. I was on Yasmin for acne, which I did ok with except it made my eyes really dry (making it difficult to tolerate my contacts). I think the one that I tolerated the best was Mircette...really no side effects at all.

halleybird · Hermes

Dizzy wrote:

Yes. Does that make a difference in the side effects?

yep. My dr. said she'd never put me on a triphasic because of the mood swings (I have anxiety already).

relrel · Marc Jacobs

Just curious why your Doc can't prescribe the ring??

But, if your only options are the pill of some sort I would try giving something with a lower dose hormone a chance to start.

Elle · Hermes

Well, all pills contain progestin, and the type varies from pill to pill - most people tolerate different forms of it better than others.

Stay faaaaaaaaaar away from triphasics! They made me ill and crazy too, but I've had great experiences with Alesse and Seasonale (and the generics of seasonale now, too). If your doc can do Seasonale (or generic) I might start there. I've seen a few docs push Yasmin/Yaz, but IMO alot of people are sensitive to the 'fancy' progestin they use in it, so I'd proceed with caution!

I'm also curious as to why your doc can't prescribe the ring? Seems such a shame to be forced to switch from something that works so well for you!

jacL · Coach

I don't understand why your doctor cannot prescribe the ring. This seems extremely odd to me. If I were you, I would switch doctors so I wouldn't have to mess around with different types of birth control, which is always trying. But, if you do decide to go with a pill, I would try a monophasic, as suggested above. I too had major mood swings on a triphasic pill, which drastically decreased when I switched to a monophasic pill.

halah · Kenneth Cole

Someone a while back posted a very helpful picture showing the different brands of pills that use which of the three synthetic hormones. I wish I could find it. Worse case if you have to switch to something else try to find another brand that uses the same synthetic hormone that is found in your current one and maybe that will help.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Thanks guys! And I could get just a prescription for the ring, but it's not covered under my plan and I can't afford to pay full retail In my city, it's now more than $60 a month, and rising - plus the hassle of going to the pharmacy every month because they can only fill one order at a time. I tried it for the last two months and it just didn't work.

lynnie · Chanel

Dizzy- do all pharmacies only fill one at a time? I am considering paying retail for the ring (UGH!!! so expensive- this infuriates me!) but having to go every month might be a hassle. I too am sick of messing with hormones. I've been on ortho cyclen and ortho tri cyclen and didn't have terrible side effects, but didn't love them either. I think it has messed with my body/skin/hormones in other ways though. Going on and off just doesnt sound like a good idea, which is what i've been doing over the past 7 years or so.

Elle · Hermes

There are some mail-order pharmacies that can send you a 3 or 6 months supply at a time, and they're usually cheaper than B&M pharms. I don't have any recs on those, though.

Isn't it ridiculous that BC is still so expensive?! Before Seasonale went generic, it was a little more than $50 a month too (and packaged in a 3 month pack, so each prescription fill cost something like $165!). I was really pissed when I had to switch because I could no longer afford to keep myself unpregnant that way furious

. Hopefully the ring will become generic soon too - do you know when their patent (or whatever it is) expires?

Here's the BC chart too, btw. This version doesn't include any that have the same progestin as the ring, but it hasn't been updated recently. Every doctor's office should have a very updated book that contains a highly detailed chart with alllllll the hormonal bc in it, showing the kinds and dosages of all the hormones. Might start there, hopefully they could point you toward something that has a similar chemical makeup. I personally have great luck with Levonorgestrel (first row, left side), fwiw.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

Re the pharmacy one-at-a-time rule - I think it's because I live in a big city and my neighborhood is mostly ethnic. There are a lot of things that are just inaccessible here. (For example, I had to go to 12 stores trying to find clothes hangers when I moved - in the midwest you get used to Target, but here you either have to head out to the suburbs, or find the right Dollar Store).

However, there was a rule where I used to live that I could only buy three rings at a time for a while, possibly because of the danger of the ring expiring. Three months was ok, though.

relrel · Marc Jacobs

I've used both Express-Scripts and MedCo as mail-order pharmacies, but that has always been with prescription benefits. I haven't had any problems with either of them.

I tried using CVS as my mail-order (just go to CVS.com) since they would ship three at a time but it was during the summer months and CVS won't ship with ice packs and the ring needs to be kept under a certain temperature.

ETA: I just wanted to add that most retail (walk-in) pharamcies won't give you more than one pack simply for econimical reasons. If you have benefits, the mail-order houses want you to use them (since most prescription benefits are set up through MO houses) and other places want you to use thier online setups. That, at least, was what I was told by CVS. You can only get one ring at a time by walking up to the counter, but can get three at a time by ordering online.

-- Edited by relrel at 13:08, 2008-01-16

lynnie · Chanel

Does anyone know what retail $ is for the nuvaring and if any planned parenthoods ever offer it?

relrel · Marc Jacobs

I paid $50 for the Nuvaring for the first one since I was between insurances. I think that's pretty standard, I did a quick internet search and it seemed to run between $50 and $55.

I don't know the deal with PP offering discounted meds but they might have samples.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

I paid $25 for the ring through planned parenthood at school. But I think $50 is standard if you're out of school.