TresSugar

Lybrel Birth Control Pills: No Period?

DearSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:00:37 -0700

A while back, I discussed whether or not it was safe to get only four periods a year by using Seasonale birth control pills. It is safe, and here's why: When you take the week of sugar pills while on birth control, the period you get isn't a real period, since the hormones prevent you from ovulating and you're not releasing an egg. It's actually a pill period, and it is your body's reaction to the withdrawal of hormones. Having a pill period every month is just as safe as having one every three months.

OK, but what about having no periods at all? The birth control pill Lybrel is all over this idea. For the details, read more.

This low-dose combination birth control pill allows you to take it 365 days a year with no sugar pills, so you don't get any pill periods. Some women do experience unscheduled bleeding or spotting in the first six months (or longer) but for many, they'll take that over a monthly period any day. So is it safe to take hormones 365 days a year and never get your period?

Since the period you get while on the pill isn't a real period and is unnecessary, doctors feel that it's OK to get it once a month, every three months, or never at all. The FDA approved this pill in May 2007, but since this is a fairly new drug on the market, the long-term effects are unknown. In addition, cancer experts are concerned about the possible health risks of taking hormones continuously, since there are no long-term studies yet about whether it could cause breast cancer or other hormone-fueled tumors.

As with all methods of birth control, you have to choose the one that fits in with your needs and lifestyle. If not getting your period sounds like the best news ever, talk to your doctor about your questions and concerns. If unscheduled spotting and unknown long-term side effects don't bother you, then Lybrel could be your new best friend.

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Are you For it or Against it: Putting a Stop to your Period

DearSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:00:00 -0700

Back in May, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new form of birth control called Lybrel, which eradicates a woman's period! Yes ladies, you heard me correctly. If you're game, you would never experience those dreadful symptoms of PMS ever again (or at least until you stopped taking the medication) -- which researchers are saying could be a huge positive in all aspects of women's lives. According to new research cited by Lybrel’s maker, "menstruating women feel less effective at work and take more sick days". But then there is the topic of money spent on birth control in America, a whopping $1.7 billion annually to be exact. Some are asking if it's even worth it.

So ladies, what's your take on this subject? Do you have a period that effects you so strongly that you would want to banish it from your life all together or is there something almost comforting about getting your period that makes you want to keep it around every month?

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Birth Control Pills: How Do They Compare?

DearSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0700

I don't know about you, but just about every woman I know has been on or is taking birth control pills. There are so many different brands out there and they all offer different amounts of hormones, so I made this handy chart to help you figure out which one may be right for you. These pills are combination pills, which means they contain a type of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol), and a type of progestin (levonorgestrel, desogestrel, norethindrone). The pills with the least amount of ethinyl estradiol tend to offer the least amount of side effects, and the ones that offer the same hormonal dosages each day (monophasic pills) will help to ease PMS symptoms (mainly mood swings). With so many different options out there, it's important to know what's actually in these pills, since every woman's body reacts differently to hormonal birth control. Check out my chart below:

Birth Control	Hormone Dosage
Alesse	.10 mg levonorgestrel and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Brevikon	.5 mg norethindrone acetate and 35 mcg estrogen per pill
Cyclessa	Phase 1: .1 mg desogestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .125 mg desogestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: 15 mg desogestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Jolessa	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Junel 21 Day	1.5 mg norethindrone acetate and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Kelnor	1 mg ethynodiol diacetate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Loestrin 21	1 mg norethindrone acetate and 20 mcg estrogen per pill

Don't see yours on the list? To see the others, read more.

Birth Control	Hormone Dosage
Lybrel	.09 mg levonorgestrel and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Nordette	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Orthro Tri-Cyclen	Phase 1: .18 mg norgestimate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .215 mg norgestimate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: 25 mg norgestimate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Orthro Tri-Cyclen Lo	Phase 1: .18 mg norgestimate and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol (type of estrogen) per pill Phase 2: .215 mg norgestimate and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: 25 mg norgestimate and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Reclipsen	.15 mg desogestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Seasonal	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Seasonique	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Solia	.15 mg desogestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Trivora-28	Phase 1: .5 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcgethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .075 mg levonorgestrel and 40 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: .125 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Velivet	Phase 1: .1 mg desogestrel and 25 mcgethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .125 mg desogrestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: .15 mg desogestrel and 24 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Yasmin	3 mg drospirenone and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Yaz	3 mg drospirenone and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill

Pretty interesting information, huh? So ladies, if you're on the pill, which one works best for you?

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