New to Birth Control Pills

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E.,

Some quick answers followed by some links that hopefully will help out. If the pill set that you have has 28 pills, then you start a new set at the completion of each pack. If you only have 21 pills, then you wait a week and start a new pack. If you are on the basic Tri Cyclen (and not the lo) - and it sounds like that's what you have - then you start a new pack at the end of this one (after your last green pill).

The color change indicates a different formula in each pill. In your pack, it's the green pills that are inert (don't have anything in them), they are there to help you keep with your habit of taking a pill every day. One the first day of your green pill (or, sometimes the next day) your period should start.

It sounds like you started your pack on a Sunday, so you are right on schedule. Start a new pack at the end of this one.

Here is a pdf of the insert you should have received with your pills: http://www.ortho-mcneilpharmaceutical.com/products/pi/pdf...

On page 1, they explain what's in each pill (very technical and not really essential to know what each one is, most start with a low level of progesterone and build with the drop off (taking the inert pills) bringing on your period. On page 4, you'll find the directions for how to take them. Here is an excerpt:

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

Oral Contraception
To achieve maximum contraceptive effectiveness, ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® Tablets and ORTHO-CYCLEN® Tablets must be
taken exactly as directed and at intervals not exceeding 24 hours. The possibility of ovulation and conception prior to
initiation of medication should be considered. ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN and ORTHO-CYCLEN are available in the DIALPAK®
Tablet Dispenser which is preset for a Sunday Start. Day 1 Start is also provided.

Sunday Start

When taking ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® and ORTHO-CYCLEN® the first tablet should be taken on the first Sunday after
menstruation begins. If period begins on Sunday, the first tablet should be taken that day. Take one active tablet daily
for 21 days followed by one green inactive tablet daily for 7 days. After 28 tablets have been taken, a new course is
started the next day (Sunday). For the first cycle of a Sunday Start regimen, another method of contraception should
be used until after the first 7 consecutive days of administration.

If the patient misses one (1) active tablet in Weeks 1, 2, or 3, the tablet should be taken as soon as she remembers. If
the patient misses two (2) active tablets in Week 1 or Week 2, the patient should take two (2) tablets the day she
remembers and two (2) tablets the next day; and then continue taking one (1) tablet a day until she finishes the pack.
The patient should be instructed to use a back-up method of birth control such as condoms or spermicide if she has
sex in the seven (7) days after missing pills. If the patient misses two (2) active tablets in the third week or misses
three (3) or more active tablets in a row, the patient should continue taking one tablet every day until Sunday. On
Sunday the patient should throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack that same day. The patient should be
instructed to use a back-up method of birth control if she has sex in the seven (7) days after missing pills.

Complete instructions to facilitate patient counseling on proper pill usage may be found in the Detailed Patient Labeling
(“How to Take the Pill” section).

At the end of page 5 is some more advice on how to take the pills and what to do if you miss a dose (the "How to Take the Pill" section referenced above).

Hope that helps. Send me a message if you still have questions or need more information.

P.

I used to those several yrs ago and as I recall you take all of them and then start on the new pack just like any other pills. If in doubt call your GYN.

As far as if "You should have sex" or keep using protection.
That is your choice and your choice only. Go with you heart and your gut.
Good Luck!

Hi E.,
I took the pill for 7 years in a row. It was one strip with 21 pills. So you had a stop week of 7 days, and than you start the new strip. I tried to take the pill everyday on the same time (before going to sleep) but many times I forgot and took the next morning. That's not a problem, if you take it within 36 hours of the last pill.

If you forget a pill in the first week, that's the most risky. You have to take the pill, and use a condom the next 7 days. If you had sex 3 days before (or 5 days after without a condom) you have to consider the morning after pill.
If you forget a pill in the second week, just take it later and you are still safe.
If you forget a pill in the third week, you can just take the pill later and go finish your strip, or you can stop and wait for your period and after 7 days that you took the last one(your stop week)take nr 1 pill of the new strip.

also, if you go on a holliday and you don't want to get your period, you can just skip your stop week and start right away with the next strip. (so you're taking the pill for 6 weeks in a row). This is very convienent, and I did this many times.

All this applies to pills with a 21 count strip. Or with a 28 count strip were the last 7 are just fake and the first 21 are exactly the same. In the old days there were pill strips with 28 pills and from week to week the sort and amount of hormones were different. You can't mess with that type,(!!!!) but I believe they don't sell them anymore, because the level of hormones were higher. But I can be wrong, so please check how your pill works.

By the way, is it really possible here in the USA to get a medicine without a 'user guide'? Did you really not get any paperwork about the working and use of these pills? How strange!!!

I never had any side effects, like headaces or weight gain. (and I never got pregnant. In the seven years I only forgot the pill twice) Now I'm using the nuva ring, and that's even more simple. You only have to remember once a month.

Good luck, I.

I took Ortho TriCyclen for a LONG time! Take all your pills as close to the same time a day as possible, everyday! This will keep you as close to the 99.9% effective rate as possible. I did this and we never got pregnant and didn't use any other method of BC.
You should start your period during the green pill cycle. As soon as the green pills are up (the pack should be empty), start the new pack.
Hope this helps!

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this or not, but just in case, I'm going to. It looks like this is your first experience with a pill, and sometimes women aren't a good match with the first pill they try. If you feel in any way funky, out of control, depressed, off balance, etc., after finishing three months of pills, call your doc IMMEDIATELY and request a consultation to get you on a different brand. Do this until you find one that you feel 'normal' on.

I say this because I was hard to match w/ BCPs and took this same kind you took for a very short while. I understand most women have very good experiences with this pill, but I did not. The forced hormone variations made me a complete raging biotch. Moved up to a pill that offered more hormone, at the same dose every day, and everything was fine again.

Anyway. Follow that link that Paula posted to the insert that comes with your pill, and read ALL of it. Somewhere in there it'll say what you should look for, for possible side effects.