Switching from OTC to Diane-35
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Switching from OTC to Diane-35
| Wed, 06-02-2004 - 7:05pm |
Hey Gals!!
I am hoping that you can shed some light on this question with your experiences. I have been on Orthotricyclen for well over a year, and had a doctor's appointment today to renew my perscription and to see what I can do about improving my acne. While it has been better while on Tricyclen, it still hasn't been good enough, I still get frequent breakouts. ANYWAY, I reasearched Diane35 before I complied to take it, and I know the extra cautions while taking it... I asked my pharmacist how I should go about switching from OTC to Diane 35, and she said that I should take Diane 35 just like my OTC, in place of it. So when I am done my inactive pills this week, she said to start taking Diane 35. When I asked about whether or not it would be effective for this month, that she said I should be extra cautious for the first 7 days, but then afterwards I should be pull protected from pregnancy, if I take the pill correctly (I know, there is still the 1% chance, even if). However, she said for peace of mind I should abstain from sex till I finish one pack. Has anyone else done a switch such as mine and does anyone else know of the effectiveness when switching pills? I know that I can just use condoms as extra back-up (which I already do... I am a paranoid, super-safety girl), but I don't think I could go a whole moneth without sex, seeing as how I am spending the next month with my boy toy.
Any responses would be appreciated, especially before next friday, as that is when I am expected to start Diane 35.
Thanks all!!
I am hoping that you can shed some light on this question with your experiences. I have been on Orthotricyclen for well over a year, and had a doctor's appointment today to renew my perscription and to see what I can do about improving my acne. While it has been better while on Tricyclen, it still hasn't been good enough, I still get frequent breakouts. ANYWAY, I reasearched Diane35 before I complied to take it, and I know the extra cautions while taking it... I asked my pharmacist how I should go about switching from OTC to Diane 35, and she said that I should take Diane 35 just like my OTC, in place of it. So when I am done my inactive pills this week, she said to start taking Diane 35. When I asked about whether or not it would be effective for this month, that she said I should be extra cautious for the first 7 days, but then afterwards I should be pull protected from pregnancy, if I take the pill correctly (I know, there is still the 1% chance, even if). However, she said for peace of mind I should abstain from sex till I finish one pack. Has anyone else done a switch such as mine and does anyone else know of the effectiveness when switching pills? I know that I can just use condoms as extra back-up (which I already do... I am a paranoid, super-safety girl), but I don't think I could go a whole moneth without sex, seeing as how I am spending the next month with my boy toy.
Any responses would be appreciated, especially before next friday, as that is when I am expected to start Diane 35.
Thanks all!!

Even though you say you know about the risk of taking Diane 35 I am including the Health Canada warning. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/tpd-dpt/diane-35_dhpl_e.html
The information below is from the Diane 35 Asia website: http://www.diane35.com/
Diane-35 tablets contain: active substances cyproterone acetate (2 mg) and ethinyl estradiol (0.035 mg)
“When no hormonal contraceptive has been used in the past month.
Start taking Diane-35 on the first day of your cycle, i.e. the first day of menstrual bleeding. Take a tablet marked with that day of the week. For example, if your period starts on a Friday, take a tablet marked Friday. Then follow the days in order. You may also start on days 2-5 of your cycle, but in that case make sure you also use an additional contraceptive method (barrier method) for the first 7 days of tablet-taking in the first cycle.”
“When changing from a combined Pill.
You can start taking Diane-35 the day after you take the last tablet from your present Pill pack (this means no tablet-free break). If your present Pill pack also contains inactive tablets you can start Diane-35 on the day after taking the last active tablet (if you are not sure which this is, ask your doctor or pharmacist). You can also start later, but never later than the day following the tablet-free break of your present Pill (or the day after the last inactive tablet of your present Pill).”
Many women use condoms when switching pills (even when the mfg says they are not needed) just for peace of mind. If I were you I would use condoms for at least the first cycle on Diane 35. I hope Diane 35 helps with your Acne problem.
Good luck
Jill
Does anyone else there know about switching, or have experiences with it? Side effects? The process in which they switched? Thanks all!!!
I never used backup or followed any different regimen when switching pills (was on 6 or 7 different ones in 10 years), because no one ever suggested I should! I always started a new pack of new pills at the time I would have started a new pack of the old kind & never had a problem doing so. The concept of worrying about backup when switching never occured to me until I came to this board about a year & a half ago.
I do think you should do whatever the pill package/your doctor tells you to do when switching, but just wanted to offer a little reassurance that everything should be fine during the switch.