Loestrin: was it good for you?
December 7, 2010 5:00 PM Subscribe
I've just been prescribed Loestrin Fe 1/20, and I'm a little nervous about it. My doctor has given me some good advice ("Negative reviews are always the loudest. You have to try it for yourself!"), but some positive anecdotes would help. Questions below.
1) I've read all the scary-sounding side effects already, but how many of you are/have been on it and actually had a positive experience with it?
2) How did you work out your pill schedule? The Doctor Lady tells me not to miss a dose by so much as half an hour. I haven't started taking it yet, but I'm already obsessing over when the best time would be. Morning? What if I sleep late?! Night? What if I'm out or something?! Ack!
3) How did you remember to take it?
1) I've read all the scary-sounding side effects already, but how many of you are/have been on it and actually had a positive experience with it?
2) How did you work out your pill schedule? The Doctor Lady tells me not to miss a dose by so much as half an hour. I haven't started taking it yet, but I'm already obsessing over when the best time would be. Morning? What if I sleep late?! Night? What if I'm out or something?! Ack!
3) How did you remember to take it?
I've been taking loestrin for three months, so admittedly not very long but I absolutely love it. My cramps are nonexistent, my period is very light, and best of all I don't get horrible mood swings like I used to. I have been getting spotting, which I'm not a fan of but like I said I haven't been on it that long so I'm hoping that will go away.
Right now I take it in the mornings. My schedule is pretty consistent most days and so I just put it by my toothbrush so I can take it when I get up. On the weekends I just put it next to me with a bottle of water and then take it and go back to sleep, if I want. Previously when I tried out another birth control I tried taking it in the evenings, before bed, but I found that it was harder to remember then and I ended up forgetting a little too often.
posted by lucy.jakobs at 5:11 PM on December 7, 2010
Right now I take it in the mornings. My schedule is pretty consistent most days and so I just put it by my toothbrush so I can take it when I get up. On the weekends I just put it next to me with a bottle of water and then take it and go back to sleep, if I want. Previously when I tried out another birth control I tried taking it in the evenings, before bed, but I found that it was harder to remember then and I ended up forgetting a little too often.
posted by lucy.jakobs at 5:11 PM on December 7, 2010
Use a timer on your cellphone to remember to take it at the same time every day.
Different birth control pills work differently for everyone. I'm on Yasmin (well, the generic version) which has a bunch of lawsuits brought against its manufacturer concerning side effects. Some people have had horrible reactions to Yasmin - I wouldn't take any other pill. For me it meshes with my natural body chemistry. I've been on others that made me feel like total shit.
Doctors say to give a pill 3 months to help your body adjust to it, but use your own discretion. If you feel something is really off, then talk to your doctor. I knew that some types of the pill absolutely did not work well with me within 48 hours (but went far longer taking them, unfortunately). Trust yourself. What should the ideal birth control pill feel like? Ideally, it should feel like nothing. You take a pill, you period comes more regularly, but otherwise you should feel as normal, like your usual regular self.
Every pill is going to have bad reviews and negative experiences, and every pill is going to work well for some women. If Loestrin works for you, then wooohoo! If it doesn't, describe why to your doctor, and they should be able to suggest something better based on your experiences. Good luck!
posted by raztaj at 5:13 PM on December 7, 2010
Different birth control pills work differently for everyone. I'm on Yasmin (well, the generic version) which has a bunch of lawsuits brought against its manufacturer concerning side effects. Some people have had horrible reactions to Yasmin - I wouldn't take any other pill. For me it meshes with my natural body chemistry. I've been on others that made me feel like total shit.
Doctors say to give a pill 3 months to help your body adjust to it, but use your own discretion. If you feel something is really off, then talk to your doctor. I knew that some types of the pill absolutely did not work well with me within 48 hours (but went far longer taking them, unfortunately). Trust yourself. What should the ideal birth control pill feel like? Ideally, it should feel like nothing. You take a pill, you period comes more regularly, but otherwise you should feel as normal, like your usual regular self.
Every pill is going to have bad reviews and negative experiences, and every pill is going to work well for some women. If Loestrin works for you, then wooohoo! If it doesn't, describe why to your doctor, and they should be able to suggest something better based on your experiences. Good luck!
posted by raztaj at 5:13 PM on December 7, 2010
I take it! I love it, and have had no side effects over the 5+ years since I started. My period are much, much lighter and my cramps are about %5 of what they once were. I just take it in the morning when I brush my teeth -- that does vary by day of the week, even by several hours perhaps if I'm rising late on a weekend. I've never had any problems with this time issue, and my doc has also never mentioned it.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:15 PM on December 7, 2010
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:15 PM on December 7, 2010
I took Loestrin 1/20 (well, a generic form) for a while and it was my favorite of the 4 different types of hormonal contraception I tried. (OrthoEvra was the worst.)
1) I had basically no side effects (at least none that I noticed) and it made my period much lighter.
2) I think your doctor is being overly cautious -- my understanding is that precise dosage timing is only really important for progesterone-only "mini pills." I would think a range of a couple of hours would be fine. I frequently varied by a few hours, but I was generally using another form of contraception too so I can't really make any claims about effectiveness. And... the solution to "what if I'm out or something?" is to make sure you pick up a refill when you only have a few days of pills left. Good practice in general, right?
3) I take two other medicines at night before going to sleep, so I basically just added another pill to the repertoire. I don't generally have a problem remembering it; after a few weeks it just becomes another part of your bedtime routine, like brushing your teeth. Some of my friends set cellphone alarms so they don't forget.
posted by pluckemin at 5:16 PM on December 7, 2010
1) I had basically no side effects (at least none that I noticed) and it made my period much lighter.
2) I think your doctor is being overly cautious -- my understanding is that precise dosage timing is only really important for progesterone-only "mini pills." I would think a range of a couple of hours would be fine. I frequently varied by a few hours, but I was generally using another form of contraception too so I can't really make any claims about effectiveness. And... the solution to "what if I'm out or something?" is to make sure you pick up a refill when you only have a few days of pills left. Good practice in general, right?
3) I take two other medicines at night before going to sleep, so I basically just added another pill to the repertoire. I don't generally have a problem remembering it; after a few weeks it just becomes another part of your bedtime routine, like brushing your teeth. Some of my friends set cellphone alarms so they don't forget.
posted by pluckemin at 5:16 PM on December 7, 2010
I have not gotten pregnant on Loestrin in the years I've been on it. It also eliminated my painful periods and I haven't noticed any side effects except my periods are short and light.
I take it probably within 1 hour every day, right when I'm brushing my teeth before bed. If I'm going out that night, I'll either take it with me or take it as I'm getting ready to go out.
I remember to take it because I've been on some form of the pill for over 10 years and because it's right beside my toothbrush.
posted by hydrobatidae at 5:16 PM on December 7, 2010
I take it probably within 1 hour every day, right when I'm brushing my teeth before bed. If I'm going out that night, I'll either take it with me or take it as I'm getting ready to go out.
I remember to take it because I've been on some form of the pill for over 10 years and because it's right beside my toothbrush.
posted by hydrobatidae at 5:16 PM on December 7, 2010
Unfortunately, the only way to know how you're going to react to birth control pills is to take them for a few months and see.
Taking it at the same time of day is ideal, but my understanding is that the window is more like several hours (it might even say that on the fine print packaging). Taking it a little earlier or later is not going to affect you very much in the grand scheme of things. Take it either first thing in the morning or right before bed, so it becomes habit.
posted by pourtant at 5:41 PM on December 7, 2010
Taking it at the same time of day is ideal, but my understanding is that the window is more like several hours (it might even say that on the fine print packaging). Taking it a little earlier or later is not going to affect you very much in the grand scheme of things. Take it either first thing in the morning or right before bed, so it becomes habit.
posted by pourtant at 5:41 PM on December 7, 2010
I have been taking Loestrin (generic) for a few years now...maybe 7? I've had no problems at all, I take it in the morning at about the same time on the weekdays, but maybe only within a couple hours of that on the weekends...and like other BC pills, if you miss one you usually just take 2 the next day (depending...check packaging). I've never been told I needed to take it within 1/2 hour of the same time.
I never had super-periods before, but I definitely have a barely-there period now, I can generally get away with no feminine products at night and something for the day when I'm upright. Generally no cramps to speak of.
posted by lemonade at 6:04 PM on December 7, 2010
I never had super-periods before, but I definitely have a barely-there period now, I can generally get away with no feminine products at night and something for the day when I'm upright. Generally no cramps to speak of.
posted by lemonade at 6:04 PM on December 7, 2010
I'm on this pill (the brand name) and have been for about a year. No bad s/e. Feel totally fine/normal. Very light periods when I dont skip the placebos (and my period). The only HBC that caused problems for me was the patch (much higher dose, now has a black box warning) and even that was just breast tenderness, so YMMV if you've been especially sensitive in the past.
posted by elpea at 6:09 PM on December 7, 2010
posted by elpea at 6:09 PM on December 7, 2010
I have tried different birth controls as a means of managing my extremely, extremely painful and ridiculously heavy periods. The docs suspect I have endometriosis but they haven't done the laparoscopy stuff.
I've really liked this stuff so far. The difference is just amazing. Cramps are much, much less and things are way, way lighter, and I haven't noticed a change in either my weight, moods, or my hormonal acne. Other b/c's I've tried have variously caused horrible, horrible acne, bleeding for months at a time, and various other undesirable things.
Like some others, I haven't heard anything about having to take it within 1/2 hour each day for effectiveness. From experience with other birth control, I do know that taking it at around the same time each day seems to reduce stuff like breakthrough bleeding.
Anyway, just another anecdote.
posted by ZeroDivides at 7:00 PM on December 7, 2010
I've really liked this stuff so far. The difference is just amazing. Cramps are much, much less and things are way, way lighter, and I haven't noticed a change in either my weight, moods, or my hormonal acne. Other b/c's I've tried have variously caused horrible, horrible acne, bleeding for months at a time, and various other undesirable things.
Like some others, I haven't heard anything about having to take it within 1/2 hour each day for effectiveness. From experience with other birth control, I do know that taking it at around the same time each day seems to reduce stuff like breakthrough bleeding.
Anyway, just another anecdote.
posted by ZeroDivides at 7:00 PM on December 7, 2010
I've taken Loestrin and I've taken just about every hormonal BC there is. I know many people feel differently, but to me, it didn't matter what pill I was on. They were all just pills, they all worked the same. I used to just take whatever my mom had free samples of in her primary care office. So yep, Loestrin was fine and I don't think you should worry about it.
Remember, the side effects i.e. blood clots are much more concerning if you are over 35 or a smoker. There are vast numbers of women who take these pills without experiencing these issues.
Also, I just took it when I went to bed. I didn't worry about timing it to the minute and whatnot. It's most effective if you take it exactly at the same time, but even if you don't, it's still pretty darn effective. And if you're the type of person who worries a lot, I would suggest that you use two types of birth control together to eliminate any shadow of a doubt about effectiveness.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:06 PM on December 7, 2010
Remember, the side effects i.e. blood clots are much more concerning if you are over 35 or a smoker. There are vast numbers of women who take these pills without experiencing these issues.
Also, I just took it when I went to bed. I didn't worry about timing it to the minute and whatnot. It's most effective if you take it exactly at the same time, but even if you don't, it's still pretty darn effective. And if you're the type of person who worries a lot, I would suggest that you use two types of birth control together to eliminate any shadow of a doubt about effectiveness.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:06 PM on December 7, 2010
I started out on Yaz, had miserable mood swings, very bad. Switched over to Loestrin about 3 years ago and life has been just peachy ever since. My period is virtually to completely nonexistent. I take it right before I brush my teeth as I'm getting ready for bed, which is around the same time every night... but sometimes, yeah, I'm out till 2 in the morning and I take it late. And I've forgotten a couple of times and had to take it the next day. In those cases I just wait a couple of days before having sex - I'm not sure if this actually helps, but hey, I've been married for 3.5 years and no pregnancies yet!
posted by hishtafel at 7:37 PM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by hishtafel at 7:37 PM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
2 years, the first BCP I've ever taken, and I'm happy with it. My cramps and mood swings have reduced to almost nonexistent, flow is light for about 2 days, and I have less acne. I'm pretty lax about the exact time per day thing; it varies within 4 hours or so. I've also skipped the placebo week to avoid periods (e.g. when traveling), with no ill effects.
posted by matildaben at 8:40 PM on December 7, 2010
posted by matildaben at 8:40 PM on December 7, 2010
Don't have experience with that particular pill to add, but re: the half hour thing - I think most versions of the pill are 'most effective' if taken within an hour every day (so, every day between 7 and 8, which is 7:30 plus or minus half an hour). I know that's what the packaging on mine says. However, this is basically a cover-your-@ss thing from the companies - they tested if you take it every day at exactly the same time (99%+ effectiveness), and they tested 'typical use' which has occasional missed pills etc (92% effectiveness). But they didn't test "off by an hour" or "about the same time every day without missing pills". If you're a worrier, I'd recommend backup protection as mentioned above; it's also officially recommended for two weeks after missing any pills.
posted by Lady Li at 8:49 PM on December 7, 2010
posted by Lady Li at 8:49 PM on December 7, 2010
i have taken loestrin for a year now. for awhile i had a lot of spotting throughout the month, but that eventually went away. now, i barely have any sort of period. no cramps or other period-related pain to speak of either. really, there have been very little side effects.
because of my variable work schedule, it's hard for me to find the time to take the pill. i usually hit within an hour or so of the time i need to take it and haven't had anything bad happen from it, but YMMV.
posted by itsacover at 9:25 PM on December 7, 2010
because of my variable work schedule, it's hard for me to find the time to take the pill. i usually hit within an hour or so of the time i need to take it and haven't had anything bad happen from it, but YMMV.
posted by itsacover at 9:25 PM on December 7, 2010
I have just switched from Microgyn to Loestrin, and am very glad I did. Microgyn made me horribly moody & weepy & anxious; Loestrin is definitely much better in those respects. No other effects yet, but I've only been on it for a few months.
I don't find it hard to remember to take it; I have it next to my bed and take it when I wake up (because I have a very consistent schedule). My roommate set an alarm on her phone to remember when to take hers.
posted by bibliophibianj at 12:36 AM on December 8, 2010
I don't find it hard to remember to take it; I have it next to my bed and take it when I wake up (because I have a very consistent schedule). My roommate set an alarm on her phone to remember when to take hers.
posted by bibliophibianj at 12:36 AM on December 8, 2010
I've been on Loestrin 1.5/30 since I was 17, and I'm coming up on 42, so almost 25 years. I've never had any problems or side effects. Instead of heavy bleeding and cramps that occasionally confined me to bed, I have light bleeding and no cramps at all. No pregnancies or pregnancy scares. When Seasonale came out I asked my doctor about it, and he informed me that I could just take my active Loestrin pills for several months at a time, skipping the placebos, to get the same effect. I've been doing that for years and years and am a huge fan.
I take them in the morning when I brush my teeth. Sometimes that's 6am and sometimes that's noon, and it hasn't been a problem for me, but I do understand that it's best to take them at around the same time every day. YMMV.
posted by magicbus at 5:11 AM on December 8, 2010
I take them in the morning when I brush my teeth. Sometimes that's 6am and sometimes that's noon, and it hasn't been a problem for me, but I do understand that it's best to take them at around the same time every day. YMMV.
posted by magicbus at 5:11 AM on December 8, 2010
I took Loestrin 1/20 for about 5 years and only stopped taking it to try to get pregnant (and got pregnant right away, btw). I never had any bad side effects and actually took it for 2-3 months at a time to avoid getting my period and to control migraines. I probably took it within a 1-hour window on most days. I had been on several other pills over the years and this is by far my favorite.
posted by jrichards at 6:41 AM on December 8, 2010
posted by jrichards at 6:41 AM on December 8, 2010
I've been on it for about 6 months and love it. Periods are light to nonexistent, no mood swings or other negative side effects. Morning is the best time to take it -- you just have to get in the habit of setting an alarm even if you plan to sleep late (but like a lot of other people in this thread, I'm not that fanatical about doing it at the exact same time every day -- it's fine as long as I take it sometime in the morning).
I would definitely recommend against taking it in the evening. Even if you set a reminder on your phone, it's often just awkward to have to stop what you're doing and take a pill. In the morning you're either in bed or getting ready, etc. It just seems more logical.
posted by spinto at 1:19 PM on December 8, 2010
I would definitely recommend against taking it in the evening. Even if you set a reminder on your phone, it's often just awkward to have to stop what you're doing and take a pill. In the morning you're either in bed or getting ready, etc. It just seems more logical.
posted by spinto at 1:19 PM on December 8, 2010
I love Loestrin. I too was worried about all the bad experiences online, but I have not had one negative side effect. It has also managed to tame my unpleasant periods, so that's a great benefit. My periods used to be irregular, last up to 10 days, and involved heavy bleeding, clotting and intense cramps. It was so bad that I became anemic! Now they come when they're told (heh), last 3-4 days, and my cramps are easily managed with ibuprofen. I've skipped periods on it too, and had a little spotting but nothing serious. FWIW, I take Junel, the generic version available here.
According to the sheet that came with my (generic) pills, you can miss one day, take two pills the next day and be ok. I personally wouldn't take that risk, but it does mean I don't worry too much about taking it at the exact same second every day. I take them when I wake up.
posted by lunasol at 6:59 PM on December 8, 2010
According to the sheet that came with my (generic) pills, you can miss one day, take two pills the next day and be ok. I personally wouldn't take that risk, but it does mean I don't worry too much about taking it at the exact same second every day. I take them when I wake up.
posted by lunasol at 6:59 PM on December 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I guess that's all I can say. I switched after a few years because I was getting a bit of breakthrough bleeding, but that wasn't really a big deal.
posted by gaspode at 5:07 PM on December 7, 2010