Switching to a new pill

[theatrebug]

I was recently on Alysena 28. I was experiencing breakthrough bleeding and went to my Dr who prescribed me a high dose pill, Mirvala 28. I was 8 days into a new cycle and my Dr said to just take 8 pills out of my new prescription and start my new pills on day 9 so my cycle stays the same.
Does this approach with switching pills make sense? I'm reading different things online.

[Sam W]

Hi Theatrebug,

If this approach is what he recommended, then it's sound to follow it. It doesn't sound like there will be any gaps in your taking the pill (be it the old pill or the new one), which would have been my concern.

[theatrebug]

Nope, no gaps at all. Just different pills for the first 8 days. And then my new pill for the rest of the active pills. I'm wondering what this will do to my withdrawal bleed this month...

[Sam W]

There's not really a way to predict what will happen. You're withdrawal bleed could come when you expect it, or it might be slightly off.

[theatrebug]

I was talk to friends and they are told me I should have started with pill 1 of my new prescription, but i started on day 9 because that is what pill day I was on and my Dr. said to just keep my cycle the same so my periods come at the same time. My pamphlet also says to do what my friends say. Now I'm wondering if I should take 8 pills out of the extra pack I have and take those before I have a withdrawal bleed?

[Alice O]

What Sam said before still holds true--if this is the approach your doctor recommended, and there isn't any gaps in your taking the pill, you should be all set.

[theatrebug]

Thanks Alice

[Sam W]

Hi theatrebug,

Given some of the questions you've been asking, it sounds like there's some anxiety for you around sex (and particularly around pregnancy). Are you feeling comfortable with the level of sexual behavior you're engaging in? And do you feel like you're comfortable with the pill as your primary method of birth control, or are you feeling like a different method might be a better fit.

[theatrebug]

I am on day 4 on my placebos. Still no period. I'm worried that taking 8 pills from alysena and 13 mirvala may have really messed with my period. Is this possible or should my body react normally. I know its unpredictable..I just wish I had asked my doctor when he prescribed me my new pill.

[Redskies]

Really, you'll want to put a great deal more stock in what your doctor advised you to do than in what your friends have said. It's your doctor's job to correctly advise patients about how to take medication, after all. When a doctor's advice differs from what's in a pamphlet, the doctor's advice is the one to go with, because it's tailored for you as an individual, for your own health and your own circumstances.

(What you report your friends as saying is also not what we would advise when switching pills. Taking one week of your old pill and then immediately starting with the beginning and going through a whole pack of your new pill would be alright for your contraception, but the extra week of active pills would make temporary cycle wonkiness more likely, not less. Your doctor's advice sounds perfectly sensible.)

You also asked:

Is it normal to skip a period when you switched from one combo pill to another? Or should you get a withdrawal bleed like normal?

(I'm combining it in here because it's basically about the same thing, and keeping the same topic together will be easier for us and you to follow)

Some people have some menstrual wonkiness for maybe one to three cycles after switching pill: that might include skipping a bleed. There's no way to predict what one person's body will do. If you do skip a bleed, or it's different from usual, it's no cause for concern, it's just one of those things bodies do.

[theatrebug]

Thanks redskies. I really appreciate your thought out answer. It picked up on everything I was worried about

[Sam W]

Hi theatrebug,

I'm glad Redskie's answer helped you out! You may also find this article addresses some of the things that are going on for you right now: Have a Little Faith in BC

[gatesy08]

So if I don't get a period this break week I shouldn't worry? I can't be pregnant. I only had sex once this month with a condom and I've taken multiple tests and they are all negative.

[Sam W]

gatesy/theatrebug, it's against the user agreements of the boards to have multiple accounts. If you're going to continue to post here, you need to select one to post from and delete the other.