Question from a friend about pregnancy/the pill

[shanneeluee.livejournal.com]

Hey all-

I'm talking to a friend right now on AIM....she is concerned about pregnancy/taking the pill. Here's the scenario in her words:


Her: If I am experiecning like 8 pregnancy symptoms, should I cease taking the pill just to be sure?
Or could it just be side effects of the 2nd month of the pill?
Symptoms:
weight gain
back pain (intense)
IBS
pain/tenderness under both arms
feeling irritable/like PMS
feeling bloated
oh yeah, had a touch of feeling a little stomach upste this morning
and lots of twinging cramping
I'm on the 2nd week of the 2nd month of the pill
Mircette
I missed two pills in the first pack; not back to back tho and I bled for two weeks straight - although not heavy at all it was still very irritating tho so I am concerned about being on the pill - i've been cramping lightly for at least one whole week I've just put two and two together about all these other symptoms. I had horrible insomnia and back pain last ngiht. oh, and DH thinks my boobs look bigger
i worked out at the YMCA this evening, and had LOTS of cramping while working out - like last time around.

Any advice, websites, help? I told her to call the doctor, but being Friday evening, no one is at the office. Thanks! x-posted to maing_babies

Comments

[arymabeth.livejournal.com]

So-called pregnancy "symptoms" don't mean a thing. They can be caused by anything from the pill to PMS to a plain old cold. If she followed the instructions in her pill pamphlet about the missing pills, she should be okay. I would reccomend a pregnancy test just to put her mind at ease. By no means should she stop taking her pills until she KNOWS she's pregnant. She can take a pregnancy test as soon as she misses a period or fourteen days after sex. She should use her first pee of the day to make sure the hormone is most concentrated.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

questions like this are much better suited for amipregnant

[shanneeluee.livejournal.com]

I figured since this was a question pertaining to the possibility that these could be related to taking the pill that it would be fine in here.

However, I will post to amipregnant as well.

Thanks!

[tirlasutaa.livejournal.com]

I'd recommend a home pregnancy test as well as calling the doctor. Some are in on Saturdays or at least others in the same "group" are (although it may not be her normal doctor, a doctor in the same group should still be covered by her insurance if she has any). Also, some planned parenthood locations are open on Saturdays, so it might be worth calling around. If the first one isn't, call the next, etc. Good luck with it.

[jennifer.livejournal.com]

IBS is not a symptom of pregnancy. It's a disease to itself.

[pirogoeth.livejournal.com]

Tell her to NOT stop taking the pill unless it's guaranteed she's pregnant. Tell her to wait till she officially misses a period, then take a home pregnancy test.

[pirogoeth.livejournal.com]

ETA: All those things could also be side effects of the pill, not just pregnancy.

[dial-zero.livejournal.com]

If she bleeds for two weeks on every pack (not just her first couple/three packs) she should consider asking her doc to switch her to a higher dose pill...

[moochar.livejournal.com]

Don't just stop the pill. Take a pregnancy test if a period is missed, but until then she really shouldn't worry about being pregnant. The more you think you're pregnant, the more likely you will FEEL pregnant. Besides, all those symptoms could be from the pill or PMS.