# Starting the pill -- woman stuff, you are warned, guys **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123 "2004-06-18T22:33:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/1 "2004-06-18T22:33:51Z")
I’ve been on and off the pill (mostly off) for a while. I’m now on my third brand, and I sure hope this works out. (Mircette – I get awful headaches on the other ones I’ve been on, and this one’s supposed to be good for that.) I do have a question, however. Previously I’d been told to start the pills on the Sunday following the start of my period, so I did. This time I opted to start on the first day of a period, and I was told that the first day is when you see anything at all. That was Monday, so I started then. I normally get two or three days of spotting at the beginning of a period anyway, but it’s Friday, and I’m not even really spotting. Yes, I’ll probably talk to the clinic Monday, but it’s too late to talk to them today. I’m not terribly worried (and there is no chance at all that I’m pregnant, seeing as I haven’t had sex in a year and a half) and I’m thinking maybe the hormones sort of short-circuted this period or something. Has this happened to anyone else? Not that I mind not having it, it’s just that I was expecting it… ---
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/2 "2004-06-18T22:40:04Z")
Ok, this is a guy question, so pretend like I’m a talking brick (Always a good idea when speaking to men…) but why the pill issues if you’re not having sex? ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/3 "2004-06-18T22:50:21Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > Previously I’d been told to start the pills on the Sunday following the start of my period, so I did. This time I opted to start on the first day of a period, and I was told that the first day is when you see anything at all. That was Monday, so I started then. I normally get two or three days of spotting at the beginning of a period anyway, but it’s Friday, and I’m not even really spotting. Let me get this straight: normally, you started a new pack of pills on the Sunday _after_ your period started, so you’d basically be at the end of a period. But this time you started on the day you were supposed to start your period, not when you were finishing? If that is the case, you’re probably going right along as you should be - after all, if you did start the pills on the day you were to start the period, you would probably just skip the period altogether, wouldn’t you? I’m not a doctor, but you seem pretty confident that you’re ok, but a little confirmation never hurts, particularly if you’ve been having problems with your pills. Good luck talking to the clinic, and I hope everything works out ok! ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/4 "2004-06-18T23:02:18Z")
If there’s any possible way you could switch to another low-estrogen pill (loestrin, alesse, aviane, etc.), I would recommend doing it as soon as possible. I gained weight while training for a marathon this winter while on mircette. In fact, I gained 10 pounds in the first month after going on it. I went off two months ago and the weight still isn’t coming off. A PhD/Med student friend of mine said that in two women she knows who were on Mircette, both of them had uncontrolled weight gain the entire time they were on it. I would recommend talking to your doctor about another low-estrogen or no-estrogen pill. Mircette had no good effects for me and several bad ones, and I’m not the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/5 "2004-06-18T23:21:37Z")
> [@Shaolinrabbit](#): > > Ok, this is a guy question, so pretend like I’m a talking brick (Always a good idea when speaking to men…) but why the pill issues if you’re not having sex? The hormones in oral contraceptives can help with menstrual issues like too-heavy flow, very irregular times between periods, cramps, and so forth. I went on the pill well before I became sexually active. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/6 "2004-06-18T23:21:52Z")
> [@Shaolinrabbit](#): > > Ok, this is a guy question, so pretend like I’m a talking brick (Always a good idea when speaking to men…) but why the pill issues if you’re not having sex? Well, I have not had sex for 10 years but have been on the pill a year. Its about cramps, it takes mine away, they used to be horrible. I tried 1 but switched to Avianne. I always start it on Sunday, then start my period on a Wednesday. As for weight gain, it happened to me and I am happy about it! I was 130 when I started (I’m 5’10") and now I am 147. I like it, I wish I’d kept taking the pill when I first did at age 15 and was about 5’5" and 90 lbs. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/7 "2004-06-18T23:40:01Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > The hormones in oral contraceptives can help with menstrual issues like too-heavy flow, very irregular times between periods, cramps, and so forth. I went on the pill well before I became sexually active. I have now acquired a new boyfriend whom I wish to have sex with, actually, **Ferret Herder** but this is all true as well, though I haven’t had any such problems, lucky me. Thanks for the warning, **mlerose** ; I’m going to wait a bit and see what happens, though, everybody reacts differently to these things. But I will keep an eye on my weight for sure! I’ve heard similar things about various hormonal forms of BC. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/8 "2004-06-19T01:48:57Z")
> [@mlerose](#): > > If there’s any possible way you could switch to another low-estrogen pill (loestrin, alesse, aviane, etc.), I would recommend doing it as soon as possible. > -snippity- > I would recommend talking to your doctor about another low-estrogen or no-estrogen pill. Mircette had no good effects for me and several bad ones, and I’m not the only one. Well, to counteract that, of all the maybe couple hundred women I’ve spoken to who use Mircette, I’ve spoken with maybe… three? who’ve had complaints. One of those was a woman who was worried because her period was extremely light, and wanted a pill that would give her a heavier bleed. Go figure. By the way, unless you’re an _extremely_ good pill-taker, you probably don’t want to bother with progestin only pills. I work for a certain nation-wide non-profit organization which provides birth control and reproductive health related services 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/9 "2004-06-19T03:02:38Z")
Probably the same organization which prescribed them for me! I wonder if I actually started a couple of days too soon. Backup precautions will be taken anyway, since my hormones are obviously a bit out of whack. My only concern is with pregnancy, but I’m highly paranoid about it. I am an excellent pill-taker, actually, but the combo pills have a slightly higher effectiveness rate, so I’ll stick with them if I can. This girl stuff is a pain sometimes! ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/10 "2004-06-19T03:08:27Z")
Yes, but women are healthier when they are menstruating. Once you hit menopause, I hear your chances of a stroke go up; by how much I don’t know, ayone? So its a bother 3 days out of the month for me. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/11 "2004-06-19T03:42:43Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > I wonder if I actually started a couple of days too soon. Backup precautions will be taken anyway, since my hormones are obviously a bit out of whack. My only concern is with pregnancy, but I’m highly paranoid about it. I am an excellent pill-taker, actually, but the combo pills have a slightly higher effectiveness rate, so I’ll stick with them if I can. It doesn’t matter too much when you start your pill, as far as I know. The only difference is that if you start out of cycle you might have a bit of spotting and strangeness in your cycle this time, since your body is prepared to have a period and you’re interrupting it with the artificial hormone cycle. Nothing to be concerned about, just maybe a bit annoying. Any of that should even out by the second or third cycle, so if you’re still having weird bleeding patterns after the second full cycle, you may want to go in and see about changing methods. I wouldn’t worry about it this first time around, though. Just keep an eye on it. As far as pregnancy precautions go, our protocol says to recommend a backup method for the first seven days–condoms or abstinence or whatever–and then you should be considered protected in terms of contraception, assuming of course you don’t miss any or whatnot. As far as the better efficacy rate of COCs, you’re correct. Progestin only pills are a huge PITA, too. There are several other very good hormonal options out there aside from pills, should you ever decide you want to change methods. Obligatory disclaimer: IANAD, I did not prescribe your pills, I have no ongoing knowledge of your reproductive health history, if you have any problems go check in with your clinic, doctor, whatever, YMMV, not legal in Vermont, New Mexico, or Wyoming ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/12 "2004-06-19T03:47:36Z")
> [@MixieArmadillo](#): > > our protocol says to recommend a backup method for the first seven days–condoms or abstinence or whatever–and then you should be considered protected in terms of contraception, assuming of course you don’t miss any or whatnot. > > [/SIZE] Since youre not protected the week you aren’t taking pills, not the first 7 days, your really only protected for 2 weeks out of the month then? ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/13 "2004-06-19T04:22:49Z")
> [@vanilla](#): > > Since youre not protected the week you aren’t taking pills, not the first 7 days, your really only protected for 2 weeks out of the month then? No, that’s not true. First, you ARE protected during the week you take hormone-less pills/don’t take any pills, as long as you keep on schedule and start up again at the proper time. Second you’re supposed to wait a week to ensure that you’re protected, but that’s NOT for every pill pack - only the first one. If you continue with a new pack every four weeks like you’re supposed to and take your pills properly, then you will not be unprotected at any time. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/14 "2004-06-19T04:39:01Z")
> [@vanilla](#): > > Since youre not protected the week you aren’t taking pills, not the first 7 days, your really only protected for 2 weeks out of the month then? Ditto **elfbabe** , the seven day backup method only applies to the very first cycle. After that, as long as you take your pill every day (same time every day), you’re covered. You are protected for the placebo week, the same as you are at any other time. See, once you take 21 consecutive days\* worth of pills, you’re covered for seven full no-pill days (the placebo week) in terms of contraception. _However_, something like 85% of women will ovulate on day 8 or 9, or days 1 and 2 of the new cycle, if you forget to take your pill.\*\* So you don’t need to worry about the seven days, but missing the first day or two of your next cycle puts you at a huge risk for pregnancy. From what I’ve been told, that’s one of the most common reasons we see unintended pregnancies with pill users. Point being, you’re fine for the week you aren’t taking pills, as long as you start every pack on time. \*Actually, I think you’re covered for the seven days after nineteen consecutive pills, but a full cycle is 21 days, so we go with that. \*\*No cites on hand ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/15 "2004-06-19T04:42:28Z")
> [@MixieArmadillo](#): > > The only difference is that if you start out of cycle you might have a bit of spotting and strangeness in your cycle this time, since your body is prepared to have a period and you’re interrupting it with the artificial hormone cycle. Nothing to be concerned about, just maybe a bit annoying. Any of that should even out by the second or third cycle, so if you’re still having weird bleeding patterns after the second full cycle, you may want to go in and see about changing methods. I wouldn’t worry about it this first time around, though. Just keep an eye on it. That’s what I thought, but it’s nice to hear it from somebody else. Thanks. And she told me to give it three months, unless I start having really serious problems. Since the only problems I’ve had before were monster headaches during my periods only when I was on the hormones, and this pill is supposed to help that, I’ll know by then whether they actually work. I sure hope so. If I had the money I’d get myself fixed. It’d be a lot easier in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/16 "2004-06-19T04:51:40Z")
> [@MixieArmadillo](#): > > See, once you take 21 consecutive days\* worth of pills, you’re covered for seven full no-pill days (the placebo week) in terms of contraception. _However_, something like 85% of women will ovulate on day 8 or 9, or days 1 and 2 of the new cycle, if you forget to take your pill.\*\* **Mixie** , is there any way you could find cites on this stuff? I know you said you don’t have them, but I know a lot of women who would love to have this information - most of the information that the average person can get her hands on is tailored to taking the pill exactly as directed. It tells you you’re protected during your placebo week, but… no skipping a period, no trying to gradually move it back a few days so it’ll finish right before your wedding/tropical vacation, no delaying it a week while you’re camping or visiting your boyfriend… these are things that people want to do, and they can only guess about the safety most of the time. If there’s actually a rule that says that if you have 19/21 days on, you can have up to 7 off, then that would be a big help and a great comfort to a lot of people I know. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/17 "2004-06-19T13:40:20Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > **Mixie** , is there any way you could find cites on this stuff? I know you said you don’t have them, but I know a lot of women who would love to have this information - most of the information that the average person can get her hands on is tailored to taking the pill exactly as directed. It tells you you’re protected during your placebo week, but… no skipping a period, no trying to gradually move it back a few days so it’ll finish right before your wedding/tropical vacation, no delaying it a week while you’re camping or visiting your boyfriend… these are things that people want to do, and they can only guess about the safety most of the time. If there’s actually a rule that says that if you have 19/21 days on, you can have up to 7 off, then that would be a big help and a great comfort to a lot of people I know. Sure, I’ve got a copy of Contraceptive Technology around here somewhere, I’m sure it’ll have the info you want. But, the 21 days on/7 days off model _is_ taking the pill exactly as directed–the 7 days off is your non-hormone placebo week. About skipping periods and all that, I have **no** idea why women don’t do that more often. IMHO there is pretty much no reason anyone should be having a monthly bleed if they’re taking hormonal birth control. The bleed you do have is not a “period” per se, it’s what’s called a “withdrawal bleed”–it’s your body reacting from a sudden drop of hormones when you stop taking active pills. The only reason it exists? Because when the pill first came about, women wouldn’t have wanted to take it otherwise–the monthly bleed made them feel more “normal” as though they were having a normal menstrual cycle. IANAD and all that, but assuming no abnormalities in your reproductive health there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to skip a bleed when it’s convenient for you to do so. Typically it works better if you’re on a monophasic pill, and there are some pills that are better suited for this than others, but next time you see your doctor or go into a clinic, let them know you may want to occasionally, or you know, always tri-cycle your pill, and see what they tell you. Seriously, there is no reason to have that withdrawal bleed other than because women expect to bleed once a month. If you’re on a low-estrogen tri-phasic pill it’s probably not going to work as well, you’re likely to have some breakthrough bleeding, but if it’s something you want to do, talk to your doctor or clinic about it, and they can switch you to a pill better suited. I can say this with a high degree of confidence if you’re on the pill, but the patch and the Nuva Ring haven’t been FDA approved for tri-cycling and blah blah disclaimer. Although the principles are the same, and I know lots of women who do, I wouldn’t personally advise it just for CYA reasons and all that. Anyway let me rummage around Contraceptive Technology and see what I find. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/18 "2004-06-19T13:45:29Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > That’s what I thought, but it’s nice to hear it from somebody else. Thanks. > > And she told me to give it three months, unless I start having really serious problems. Since the only problems I’ve had before were monster headaches during my periods only when I was on the hormones, and this pill is supposed to help that, I’ll know by then whether they actually work. I sure hope so. > > If I had the money I’d get myself fixed. It’d be a lot easier in the long run. Right-o, we give people three cycles and have them come in at three months for a re-check. Reason being, it’s not at all uncommon to have side effects and weirdness in your cycle the first month as your body adjusts, particularly if you’re starting off-cycle. That should really all even out after the second month or so, so if they’re still having problems during the third pack then it’s a pretty good indication that we need to switch them to a different pill. It’s too bad there aren’t better options, but I read an article at work yesterday that said the “male pill” is truckin’ right along and should be available in 2009ish. Actually, they talked most about an injectible. Veeeeery interesting news. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/19 "2004-06-19T14:24:53Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > **Mixie** , is there any way you could find cites on this stuff? Okay, I didn’t find anything specific on the 21 days then you’re covered for 7 thing, but as far as skipping periods or tricycling goes, here’s what _Contraceptive Technology, Seventeenth Revised Edition_ has to say: > [@](#): > > pg 410, The Pill: Combined Oral Contraceptives > **5. Menstrual Benefits.** OCs cause a number of positive effects on the menstrual cycle: > [ul] > [li]OCs tend to decrease menstrual cramps and pain, including symptoms that have been resisant to therapy with prostaglandin inhibitors.[/li][li]OCs decrease the number of days of bleeding and the amount of blood loss. Menstural flow decreases by 60% or more.[/li][li]Women can avoid menstural periods on weekends or vacations by extending the number of days they take “active” hormonal pills or by simply skipping the pill free week.[/li][li]Women who wish to have fewer menstrual cycles (e.g., travelers; women with dysmenorrhea, PMS, or migraine headaches during menses; or retarded women with severe hygienic problems) can _tricycle_; they can take three consecutive packages of 21 pills; after 63 consecutive days of taking a pill, they take no pill for 7 days before beginning another package. (Four packs of pills can be used for 84 consecutive days)[/li][li]Some women note a reduction in premenstrual symptoms such as anxiety, depression, headaches, and fluid retention. For other women, these symptoms became worse. Tricycling or eliminating the pill-free interval leads to less frequent or no PMS symptoms. [/li][/ul] I’ll keep looking for something specific about the fact that missing a pill in the middle of your cycle is bad, but missing seven in a row after 21 is okay. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123/20 "2004-06-19T14:28:11Z")
> [@MixieArmadillo](#): > > I’ll keep looking for something specific about the fact that missing a pill in the middle of your cycle is bad, but missing seven in a row after 21 is okay. All right, that’s what I really want - I already skip periods and feel safe about it, but the stuff on when it’s okay to miss and for how long is what I’m interested in knowing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-the-pill-woman-stuff-you-are-warned-guys/251123.md?page=2)