Birth Control Forum - Is It Ok to Change Pills?

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Q: Is It Ok to Change Pills?

asked by: m on December 17th, 2003

New User

Hi, I have been taking levlen ed for about 4 years, but recently my doctor got me to try microgynon 20 ed to see if it would have an effect on the frequency of my headaches (which I have been getting for 12 years, long before the pill). I have been taking the microgynon for almost 2 months and it hasn't seemed to make any difference so I wanted to switch back to levlen at the end of this pack (its way cheaper Smile

).

Is it ok to switch back so soon? If it is ok, will I be fully protected the whole time I am switching? Also can I just switch straight to the active pills, skipping my period?

Thanks muchly, any advice is greatly appreciated!

Replies(4)

saturn24

replied on December 17th, 2003

Experienced User

You can switch back at the end of your current pack. When you switch pills it takes three months to be "fully" protected. But, no pill is fullproof. You can skip your period as long as you let yourself have a period once every three months. However, I have tried that and it was not worth it for me. I still got cramps, moodiness and breakthrough bleeding. Periods are a normal thing and you really shouldn't mess with them.

replied on December 17th, 2003

New User

Thanks saturn24! I was unaware that it took 3 months to be fully protected! The sheet inside the microgynon packet said 7 or 14 days if switching from another combined pill (which levlen is). But the levlen info sheet had no information about that. I think i'll have to check with my doctor there...
As for the period skipping, I have done it before with no problems, my doctor acually recommended that I try it, but I was just wondering if it was ok to do it running 2 different kinds of pill together.
Thanks again for the info.

saturn24

replied on December 17th, 2003

Experienced User

Yeah, some people say 7 to 14 days, some people say three weeks and some say two months, but my doctor has always said that it takes a full three months for your body to get used to a new pill. But yeah as long as you don't have a problem skipping your period, it shouldn't matter if you do it again now. Good luck.

samarie

replied on November 24th, 2009

New User

hi can someone answer my question I switched to back to my original pack of pills I was on yasmin for 6mths but I switched back to my original pack after my periods what can happen

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