Re: Still need to wait a full month to be effective?
From: William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 4 Aug 2002 09:46:47 -0500 (CDT)
Willa
Definitely protect for a cycle.
You are lucky you have been able to miss a period on the tricyclen the
way you have described. It usually will not work because the dosage of
the pill is the least during the first week, and to go from max dosage
in week 3 to min dosage the next week usually brings on more bleeding
than this. Pregnancy protection is another issue, and I would urge you
to protect during the 'second cycle' with backup method just to be safe.
At Sat, 3 Aug 2002, Willa wrote:
>
>I am 22 and recently had surgery. Following doctor's recommendations, I
>stopped taking the pill before the surgery. I did complete the full
>course of pills, and was even menstruating the day of and a day after
>the surgery. However, I did not start a new pack at the scheduled time.
>Instead I waited the full month and started taking the pills again at
>the scheduled time as if I had been taking the pills. Is it still
>recommended to wait an entire month to ensure safety from pregnancy? I
>have not had intercourse over the past month, but will be taking a trip
>with my fiance during what will be the last week of active pills, and
>naturally we intend to enjoy ourselves in more ways than one.
>
>Also, I plan to skip my period at the end of this course of pills and
>start a new pack so my trip won't be interrupted. I take
>Ortho-Tricyclen, but have done this successfully twice before with only
>extremely minor spotting. Though I did have 'good results' those other
>times, I've never learned if that decreases the protection against
>pregnancy. Would it? I'd assume if I chanced to concieve an embryo
>would have a hard time implanting in the lining if it's shedding, no
>matter how slightly, but then I'd rather find out for sure.
>
> Thanks in advance for any info!
--
William F. von Almen, II, MD, FACOG
Chairman, Editorial Advisory Board
Pregnancy and Birth Section
Private Practice
New Orleans, La.
*Please understand I can not respond to private emails.
*These comments are for educational purposes only. They are
not meant to take the place of an examination by a qualified
health care provider. They are not intended to be the start
of a physician-patient relationship.
![[ Young Women's Health Forum ]](/images/young-women-forum.gif)