Oops, lost pills and then missed pills

[lady-lightning.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone!
I'm back home for spring break and of course, lost my pills in the shuffle. I'm on Tri-Sprintec, or one of the other generics of Ortho. I had just started my last week of active pills on Monday or Tuesday but I think I had somehow doubled up one day and was a day ahead.
Anyway, I'm wondering what to do. As of today, I've missed two pills. Should I just hope for regular withdrawal bleeding? (I'm not overly terrified of pregnancy...this month has seen only protected action) or should I procure another pack and double up until I've completed the week as I would have?

Also, on a completely weird note, I have some possibly expired (only by about six months, I think) Aviane or some purple mono-phasic pills that I never started. Is there any way I could sort of take a few of those and magically not mess anything up? Maybe that's completely insane, but I figured it was worth a shot.
Thanks so much!

Worried over nothing?

[capedsock.livejournal.com]

I think I may have either a UTI or chlamydia, but I won't be able to see a doctor for another two weeks. (I'm currently abroad, insured here only for medical emergencies, and my period is starting tomorrow anyway.) What happened in the past month is:

( cut for length )

Am I just freaking myself out here over nothing, or should I see doctor ASAP? If it's either a UTI or chlamydia, would I be alright waiting until the first week of April to get tested? Does it sound like it could be anything else? (I'm on HBC (microgynon 30), if it's relevant at all.)

(no subject)

[honouxhagane.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone! For the past two months I have been taking Phentermine, which is a weight loss prescription medication. It is the generic of Adipex. I have been experiencing irregular menstrual cycles. I find it strange because usually my HBC (ortho tri cyclen lo) regulates my period to the exact same day. I have stopped taking the phentermine for around 3 weeks now. My period is due today and there are no signs of it. No cramps, spotting, nothing. There is no documentation on the pill on whether or not it interferes with birth control. I never miss a pill and I take them within an hour of when I am supposed to. I was just wondering if anyone had any information or experience with this as it is beginning to worry me that I may be pregnant. Oh and I have asked two doctor and a pharmacist and none were veru helpful. Thanks!

Yeastie or something else

[niccles.livejournal.com]

G'day VPers! :D

I'm getting pretty bloody frustrated! Cutting this as I'm rambling >>( Read more... )

cyst/ingrown hair...pads the cause?

[edge-ofthe-sea.livejournal.com]

( probably nsfw )

sterilization options...anything better?

[pour-vrai.livejournal.com]

Is there any method of permanent sterilization, other than Essure, that does not involve cutting the patient open? I've wanted Essure for about 6 years now, but it's only been around about 8 years, and a lot of bad experiences, side effects and regrets are starting to surface. It's also pretty frustrating/maddening how the medical establishment tends to respond to women (especially younger and/or childfree women) who want sterilization, and my nulliparous 24 year-old self has no patience. (haha! patience...patients! whoo.)

The concept of permanence is beyond ideal for me: if reproductive rights in the US were to become seriously eroded, at least I wouldn't have to worry about my own access to birth control; and in the unlikely event that my biological clock ever starts ticking and trying to override logic, god forbid, I won't be able to change my mind.

Right now I'm looking into yanking the NuvaRing out and shoving a Mirena up there instead. In the past I've always shied away from them, since that T-shape looks awfully pokey, but after learning that the Essure coils can be even more pokey and cause some major problems, it doesn't seem so bad. It might not work out, though, and in any case, I still won't be totally at ease until I've found something permanent.

(I have two concerns to share here today, but to keep things straightforward [I hope] each will get its own post.)

external YI?

[miss-almost.livejournal.com]

It's been several months since I last had a yeast infection. i self-treated with yogurt for a day or two and everything cleared up.

since then off and on ive had this...spot on my left labia, outside of the mucus membrane. so its regular old skin. and this patch (quarter sized) will get itchy as hell and i itch it (probably too much) and then it goes sore from the scratching, so i leave it alone for a few days and then the patch of skin will flake off. sometimes in one or two large pieces, or other times it will come off as im itching.
there is no discharge, or any kind of smell. when the skin flakes off theres new healthy skin underneath so theres NO sore, no scarring, no way to tell anything happened there.

i dont think it could be HSV as there are no open sores, this has only happened in the same spot as its never spread/multiplied.
i dont think it could be any kind of wart as the skin looks/feels totally normal between itchy phases. the skin is not raised, textured, colored. when its itchy it gets a little pink, but i dont know if thats from my touching it or from whatever it is thats irritating the area.

ive not changed soaps, detergents, diet, birth control, etc.

ive never had any experience with an external yeast infection. does what im describing sound like an external yeast infection? if not, any guesses as to whats going on?

lamictal + hormonal bc/period = ?

[pour-vrai.livejournal.com]

Anybody here on lamotrigine (Lamictal) and find it affected by your cycle?

To complement the Adderall I take for ADHD, and in an effort to target other problems I have, my new doc has started me on lamotrigine. It's meant for epileptics and bipolar people; I am neither. He seems to be a big fan of it, and says in addition to helping me focus, it can also decrease my migraines and regulate my lifelong wacky sleep patterns and do some other ambiguous good stuff. Read up on it. It's a weird drug.

Tomorrow is my fourth appointment, and at each previous visit he's tried talking me into stacking my NuvaRing. ( rant: I don't hate my period. Honest. So stop trying to sell me the benefits of skipping it. )

The thing he hasn't mentioned re: period and meds is something I read on Wikipedia. (Yeah, I know, it's Wiki...but this part has citations, dammit.) It's very medical and sciencey, but the gist of it is that the variation in hormone levels can interfere with the effectiveness of lamotrigine. Whether it's because he's unaware of this, he doesn't find it a concern, or he doesn't want to confuse me, I'm not sure. He's an okay doc, and does a good job of avoiding jargon, but as a patient I wouldn't mind if he brought up some of the more complicated stuff. I've also just recently worked up to the full dose of lamotrigine, and am about to get my first period at this dose, so those results might be interesting. So yeah, feedback from other lamotrigine patients would be helpful :)

cervical polyp?

[sothis-is-love.livejournal.com]

hi there, im currently trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage in december. my cycles went right back to 31/32 days and i get my period 15-16 days after ovulation. im currently 9 or 10 days after ovulation and have been checking my cervix (im new at this part of ttc) so im just having a touch now and then to see if i can tell differences.

Anyway, i started bleeding lightly today (i just notice it when i wipe but its not there all the time) and i got excited thinking oh maybe its implantation bleeding as ive never ever had such a short luetal phase. So i had no blood so decided to touch around my cervix to see if any blood was there and i could feel a little lump thats never been there before. from what i can tell by googling its a cervical polyp, could this cause brown/pink stringy blood or would this cause red blood as in if youve cut yourself blood? im obviously going to see a doctor but its 9.45pm here so cant see anyone till the am.

has anyone ever experienced this?
im really panicing thinking all sorts so any advice is very welcome.


ive also done pregnancy tests- all negative and had smear tests with no problems. im 24.

Pregnancy Tests

[wifeybuddy.livejournal.com]

If the test line doesn't show up, does that make the test invalid? I lost the paperwork for my test I took earlier, and the pregnancy part of the test was negative but the test line never appeared.