Benefits of taking ortho tri- Lo?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2004
Benefits of taking ortho tri- Lo?
9
Thu, 07-22-2004 - 7:10pm
I was just wondering what the benefits are of taking ortho tri cyclen lo as oposed to the original. I am currently taking the lo and don't know if I like it.

Any info on this would be great!!!

Luv

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2003
Thu, 07-22-2004 - 10:46pm
Otc Lo has less estrogen than Otc. It has 25mcg of estrogen opposed to 35mcg. It may lessen any estrogen related side effects.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2004
Sat, 07-24-2004 - 3:29pm
do you what the estrogen side effects are?

thanks

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2003
Sat, 07-24-2004 - 10:01pm
The following link has alot of info. You can also click on estrogen in the side bar also. Hope this helps.

http://www.fpnotebook.com/GYN94.htm
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-16-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 2:26am
I agree with ilv2cook because it does have a lower strength of estrogen, which is responsible for a lot of annoying side effects. However, I just want to make sure that you are aware that triphasic OC are more tricky. A triphasic pill attempts to mimic the natural fluctuations of hormones by using three distinct hormone combination for a 28-day cycle. You've probably noticed that your pills are different colors, an indication of what I mentioned earlier. It sounds like good idea, but actually triphasic pills are more likely to cause side effects, because of the ever-fluctuating hormone levels. Also, since most women do not take the pill as indicated, exactly at the same time, it can increase the risk of getting pregnant.

When I first got on BC, I was going to try Ortho, but when I came upon this info, I decided to go with a monophasic (a steady hormone combo). I just wanted to let you know.

Good Luck!

Avatar for i_lucyvanpelt
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 1:59pm
Delurking here- I took the regular Ortho for a few years and did fine with it- no side effects. After my last baby was done nursing and I was ready to go back on the pill, my doctor put me on the Ortho low, only because I was concerned about long term effects. My body did NOT like that at all. I tried it for 3 months, using the office samples she started me out with, but never filled the script for the Lo that she gave me. So it could just be the same in your situation.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2004
Sun, 07-25-2004 - 5:31pm
wow, good to know! Thank you, what kind of pills are you taking now? (name)
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-03-2004
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 12:42pm
I also was on ortho tri cyclen for a few years. Recently I switched to the Lo and I am going to switch back. I've been on the Lo for about 10 months and I have noticed I have more breakouts on my face, as well as a little weight gain I never had with the regular. I am getting a prescription written so I can go back to the regular one but I'm wanting to get the generic (TriNessa I think it's called) because my insurance won't cover nearly as much if I go for the brand name. Anyone have any experience with the generic one?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 07-27-2004 - 6:23pm
hi all...

i was on otc for about 2 years before going off. the most noticeable side effects i had were weight gain and lowered sex drive after time. anyway, i recently tried ortho-lo and had SERIOUS break-through bleeding. i basically had a really light period for my entire cycle. NO THANK YOU!

anyway, i just started trinessa over a week ago. so far... i have already noticed a little weight gain (which i guess would be expected since it is the same as ortho). as far as cost... the ortho-lo was $37.50 and the trinessa was $9 under my insurance plan. i really think there would be no reason to get the ortho now that trinessa is around. i could be wrong though!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-16-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 2:16am
I'm glad you found that info helpful!

Right now I am currently using the Nuvaring, and before that, aviane and alesse (all low-dose monophasic bc). I love the ring, its wonderful. I have been on it for a full year now and it has been a very liberating experience. I don't need to worry about taking the pill at the same time every day, or taking the pill when I'm out to lunch. It's a flexible ring that you insert once a month, which allows your body to absorb the hormones at a steady rate.

At first I was skeptical and thought it was gonna be very uncomfortable because I didn't have a good time using tampons. I was pleasantly surprised. You can even keep it in during sex, and your partner won't feel it. Or if you prefer, you can remove it before intercourse and reinsert afterwards (within 2hrs) will no effect on contraception.

My gyn told me that the ring actually contains 4 weeks of hormones and suggested I try using them for a full 28 days and then insert the new one and have no period. I have been doing that for some time now and its great.

I would highly recommend for anyone to try Nuvaring. They have a website (nuvaring.com). I recommended this to several ivillagers and a new friend at college and they all loved it, especially since they got a voucher for a free ring from the site. If you are interested, I would visit your gyn and he/she will probably give you a free sample at the office to try it.

BTW, it is recommended that anyone on BC use the lowest dose possible, which reduces side effects. If you want a pill, I would recommend something like Levlen or Levlite(again monophasic and low-level). And try to steer clear of generics, because the FDA allows a 20% difference as a generic equivalent... I wouldn't recommend skimping on something like this.

Hope this helps. Let me know how it works out for you.