Ortho Tri Cyclen Q

I'm very new here and wasn't sure where else to post this. I just started Ortho Tri Cyclen 1 month ago. I actually have 2 q's related to it:

1) I've read how birth control pills can stop your period. I just started my period today. I'm going out of town on Thursday and don't really wanna have it during then. If I skip the green pills and started taking the while pills(I think that's the color that comes first; there're 4 colors) tonight OR even tomorrow night, will it stop my period?

2) When I saw the nurse practicioner last month, she gave me a sample of Ortho for the first month. The sample came with this little nice, convenient compact...and on it it said to save it for refills. I just got my refill for the 2nd month today. The pill thing they gave me doesn't have the big hole in the middle to put in the compact and doesn't have numbers on it(1 - 28) like the original pack. And the green pills are in the middle where the hole should be. Is that normal? B/C the compact(and the nurse) said to keep the compact for refills, I assumed my refill will look identical to the original one. And on the refills I start with the while ones right?

I would just go up to the campus and ask the nurse but I guess partly b/c of my period I'm in a bitchy mood today and I'm afraid if I go up there, I'll lose my temper or something. So I figured I'd try asking here first.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

The type of pills that you are taking do not stop your period. It has three levels (hence the name tri cyclen) of the pill, each one signified by a different color (at least when I took them they did... light blue, dark blue, green, and white, I think). The last week of pills really don't have much of the birth control in them and allow you to have your period. You are not supposed to skip this week and you definitely are not supposed to start a new pack yet (that messes up the whole cycle and can screw up the effect of the birth control.)

There are pills on the market that allow you to skip your period for a few months at a time and if this is what you want out of your birth control, then you need to ask your provider about switching.

Back when I took this type, the refills did fit in the holder and did have the circle in the middle. Better check to make sure they gave you the right prescription.

I'll check about the refill.

Now I'm soooo confused....I asked the nurse practicioner who's staffed at the health center women's clinic at my college about pills to stop period. She told me there is no such thing. She said the ONLY way to stop them is if u'r taking them already, you can skip the inactive pills and go to the next pack with birth control pills. She said even then there's no guarantee.

Can you please give me the exact name of the pills that's supposed to stop your period so I can research it online a little and then ask her about it?

Thanks.

once you've actually started your period, it's not really possible (or a good idea) to stop it.

you have to be on a mono-phasic pill to be able to skip a cycle.

I'd verify the brand (manufacture) of the prescription. It's possible some generic brand puts out the same pills in different packaging. "Save the compact" from the name brand manufacture is a small way to help keep branded sales. Like razor blade cartriges, give the handle away so they will buy your cartridge as it's the one that fits.

STL-

I don't know about the kind of BC that you're on, but I've started Yasmin and my doctor told me it was perfectly safe to skip my period with those pills. There are three yellow rows and one white row-- to skip my period I just simply skip the white row. I have heard a numerous time from non-experts that it isn't safe to skip your period completely-- not natural, unhealthy, blah blah blah-- but I trust my doctor more than anyone else, even though I still appreciated thier input.

My doctor tells many woman the exact same thing she told me-- it's okay to skip your period if you do it in the right way, and have the right circumstances. If it were completely, out of the question unhealthy, then the shot (Depo Proven) wouldn't be allowed on the market. (You can take this shot once every three months and it will give you everything other oral BC methods would give you, except in most cases it will completely stop a woman from menstrating.)

Personally, I wouldn't change the way I take my birth control without talking to a professional about it first-- especially if you change in the middle of a pack.

Good luck, and be safe.

Crazy

In my experience (and trust me, ol' shereads has been through a couple decades of pill packs) depending on how your body reacts to your pill prescription, it's possible to postpone your period by skipping the final (placebo) ones and going directly to your next pack's starting pills. I agree with the previous poster who said it's not likely to work once your period has already started.

I believe, as a side note, that Depo, the shot, doesn't allow
the body to build up menstrual blood in the uterus, thus no
period.

The pill, on the other hand, allows normal build up of blood, thus
the normal, if usually a bit light and short, period.

So, skipping it on the pill could be not too good for you, at least
on Ortho.. I've been on it for a little less than twelve years, only
that particular brand.

Edited to add: Trying to do it after your period has started
probably won't work, and I agree with Shereads to the point
that skipping one once in a while probably is alright if for some
reason you can't be on your period that week, but I wouldn't
make a habit of it and let menstrual blood build up inside. Ick.

I think color me crazy and shereads are correct. skipping the white ones (and going to the next colored ones) would likely avoid bleeding, provided all three weeks of the others were gone through.** white ones are entirely inactive.

Indeed, I've heard it said that the 'off' period (white ones) is principally to allow the woman to feel normal. Continuous dosing for several months is possible (but don't do this w/o talking to a dr.)

trying to stop the bleeding sounds unwise unlesss you're in trouble, and would require larger doses of the right drugs.

I worked at Planned Parenthood's local clinic as a lay volunteer counsellor for several years.

J.

**provided you are at the right dosage level, i.e, high enough.

Have you considered ditching the pills and trying the shot? I started Depo Provera not to long ago, and while it has some annoying side effects, you only have to get a shot every three months. No daily pill taking, and it has been known to stop your period. I find it convienient, and it has a better birth control rate than almost every other contraceptive.

Don't bother trying to skip your period on Ortho-tricyclin. Go back to the clinic, and tell her that you want to be on monophasic (instead of tri-phasic) pills. Unless there is a special reason that you have to be on tri-phasic pills, there shouldn't be a problem. Go today or tomorrow if possible so you can get the pills before this sunday.

ChromeCollar said:

Have you considered ditching the pills and trying the shot? I started Depo Provera not to long ago, and while it has some annoying side effects, you only have to get a shot every three months. No daily pill taking, and it has been known to stop your period. I find it convienient, and it has a better birth control rate than almost every other contraceptive.

Click to expand...

just have to put in a quick word of caution regarding Depo-Provera....

i went on it and only had one shot, supposed to last only 3 months -
but i ended up having a very bad reaction to it, and bled solidly for 13 months (needed transfusions to rebuild my iron levels).

so make sure you get thoroughly checked out before using it.

my reaction is rare - about 1 in 5000 - but it can, and does, happen.

Sorry to hear that Warrior Queen, hope all is well now?

ChromeCollar said:

Sorry to hear that Warrior Queen, hope all is well now?

Click to expand...

all over now, thank goodness - this happened a couple of years ago.

but definately think i should have been warned about ALL the possible side-effects, not just the common ones.

i will never go on something like that again - give me the pill and it's 50-odd years of history and testing, thankyou!

Color Me Crazy said:

STL-

I don't know about the kind of BC that you're on, but I've started Yasmin and my doctor told me it was perfectly safe to skip my period with those pills. There are three yellow rows and one white row-- to skip my period I just simply skip the white row. I have heard a numerous time from non-experts that it isn't safe to skip your period completely-- not natural, unhealthy, blah blah blah-- but I trust my doctor more than anyone else, even though I still appreciated thier input.

My doctor tells many woman the exact same thing she told me-- it's okay to skip your period if you do it in the right way, and have the right circumstances. If it were completely, out of the question unhealthy, then the shot (Depo Proven) wouldn't be allowed on the market. (You can take this shot once every three months and it will give you everything other oral BC methods would give you, except in most cases it will completely stop a woman from menstrating.)

Personally, I wouldn't change the way I take my birth control without talking to a professional about it first-- especially if you change in the middle of a pack.

Good luck, and be safe.

Crazy

Click to expand...

I didn't see anyone say it wasn't safe to SKIP but Warrior Queen was right about not trying to stop DURING....STL said she's already started, she needs to finish this one and then can start skiping in the furture

I take ortho tri cyclen and have skipped my periods with it by skipping the green placebo pills. My gynecologist said it's possible to always skip the placebos, but recommends allowing yourself to have a period once in a while for some reason that I can't recall atm. Keep in mind you may have breakthrough bleeding anyway.

There are only two big drawbacks to doing this that she mentioned :

1. If you have insurance they probably won't cover the cost of the extra packs of pills.

2. It's still possible to get pregnant on the pill and if you get pregnant and you are not getting your period, you may not realize it until it's too late to do anything about it. (And worse, if you don't know you're pregnant and you drink and/or do drugs you could end up with a brain damaged child. *shudders*)

Once you've started your period there is really no way to stop it, starting the next pill cycle may actually make your period even HEAVIER because of the extra hormones. I have used Stinging Nettle extract to lighten my flow considerably to the point where it's barely noticable. But use care when experimenting with herbal supplements, please, I am not a doctor to be giving advice. I'm just sharing an experience of my own.

Personally I love ortho tri cyclen and i will not switch to another brand without good reason. After a few months of taking it I stopped having breakouts of pimples and my skin is nearly perfect now. For the first time in my life I feel comfortable going out of the house without makeup. (They LIED when they said the acne would go away after puberty, damn them.)

Also, they've made my breasts nice and big. I went through a massive amount of weight loss because of some medication i was on. And while I have been unable to gain it back (docs don't know what's wrong, i'm 5'6" and weigh 105 lbs) the hormones from the pills reinflated my breasts to nearly the size they were before i lost all the weight. (i am a 32 c i was a 34). I was so embarassed about my tiny tits i had stopped modeling for a while. Now i just look like a twig with nice boobs . I'm still trying to gain weight, maybe when i do I'll have the big D-cup breasts I've always wanted!