Confused about mini pill

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Confused about mini pill
6
Mon, 02-23-2004 - 11:52am

Ok, can someone help me sort out the conflicting information I am getting

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Mon, 02-23-2004 - 5:29pm
Hi Becky, welcome back!

The difference between the need for 7 day backup often referred to on the board and 2 day (48 hrs.) back up for Micronor is because most of the questions on the board are about combined pills which do require a minimum 7 day back-up period.

The bracketed quotations were taken from the full prescribing information for Micronor available from

http://www.orthomcneil.com/healthinfo/womenshealth/products/orthomicronor.html

The manufacturer says:

The most recent source I have access to (the Planned Parenthood links http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/bcfacts2.html and http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/cchoices.html that have been updated with effectiveness figures from the 18th ed. of Contraceptive Technology which is currently in press) says that the effectiveness of both combined and progestin only pills can vary between 92% for typical use to 99.7% for perfect use and even 99.9% for perfect use of the mini-pill. I think what may be of concern is that Micronor prevents ovulation far less (in non breastfeeding women) than do combined pills. In addition progestin can enter and leave the users body faster than estrogen and therefore a progestin only pill is more easily susceptible to user error.



What's the truth here? If I was considering using Micronor I would try to determine how likely I was to be able to take the pill exactly on time each day. If that will be a problem I would go with the lower figure and decide if that was acceptable or if I wanted to use a barrier in addition to the mini-pill or use something else entirely. Personally, I wouldn’t consider a pill that I had to take very close to the same time each day to be anywhere near foolproof. Did that cover everything?

I hope this helps.

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 02-23-2004 - 6:02pm
I used Micronor for about 8 months (and was not breastfeeding-some will say it isn't as effective unless you're breastfeeding--I asked my dr and she said it wasn't true)....Once I got to looking at the posts here about micronor I was very confused too....I talked with my dr and went with her advice and information....I used it for 8 months as my ONLY form of birth control (due to chronic high blood pressure problems) and did not get pregnant-I took the pill every day at the same time never missing a pill....Now I'm not saying that the information given HERE isn't helpful and informitave....but it's always a good idea to check with a real expert (your dr) and go by what they say....good luck.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 02-24-2004 - 8:36am
The two-day backup for Micronor is accurate.
Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Tue, 02-24-2004 - 10:25am

Thanks to all. This makes sense.


but for those women who need more progestin to control ovulation, that's where a woman might be relying pretty heavily on thickened cervical mucous.


I wonder if this is me. My doctor agreed that maybe I didn't respond as well to the combination pill (at the time, it was OTC) as some women do, because I was pregnant after missing ONE (just one. I went about 48 hours w/out a pill) in the beg. of the second week. I guess I was thinking I didn't maybe respond as well to estrogen, but maybe it was that it's just the progestin amount....OR maybe I'll never know. LOL


Can you tell me, does the IUD work the same way as the progestin only? By primarily thickening the cervical mucous?

Becky

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2004
Tue, 02-24-2004 - 11:02am
Just wanted to let you know that I have had a great experience with Micronor. I have been taking it as my only form of bc since October 2001 and have not gotten pg. And believe me, I am more what they refer to as a "typical user"; in other words, I am hardly perfect.

And I was not breastfeeding during this time. I did take Micronor while breastfeeding as well which is how I knew that it was a good method for me and why I asked my dr about it.

I decided on Micronor because a) I was having some issue with high blood pressure and b) after being allowed to return to combination pills, I didn't like my body's reaction to them. Since, I was not sure if we were going to have another baby and I am in my mid-30's, I did not want to use a "long-term" method such as an IUD. And, I like you, cannot stand condoms!!!

My doctor did warn me that risk of pg is definitely higher with Micronor that with combo pills or an IUD, but I was in a place in my life where I was willing to accept the risk for a method of birth control I was happy with.

The other advantage is Micronor is that you don't have to worried about antibiotics interferring with its effectiveness. Some people will tell you otherwise, but I did my homework, and it is not an issue.

Hope this helps you! --Lisa



iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Tue, 02-24-2004 - 11:55am

That does help, thanks. I am on it for the same two reasons you cited.


If this works (and if I can remember to take it every day at the SAME time. So far so good, but we're only 4 days in!) then even when my doc gives ok to me w/regards to blood pressure, I may not switch it up. I appreciate that it's not a tri-phase (my mood swings were HORRENDOUS! My DH and I are both much happier now that I am not on one) and that it doesn't seem to have the same breakouts and breakthrough bleeding issues as the OTC. My face was terrible on that, and I felt like I bled most of the month.


We'll see how it goes I guess!

Becky

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