Conference turris::womannotes-v2

Not from personal experience:

    When an  ex-girlfriend  went  on the pill she lost interest in sex
    over  the next month or two. She regained her interest after going
    off  the  pill. That also took a month or two. She was on the pill
    for  about six months before we realized that it was the pill that
    was  causing her lack of interest in sex. Loss of libido is a well
    known side effect of the pill.

    As for diaphragms, I'm told they can be painful. You might try the
    "Today"  contraceptive  sponge,  it  is softer, so it is sometimes
    less  painful, but it can sometimes be irritating, and it can't be
    used  during or near the time of your period. Another advantage of
    the  sponge  is that it can be inserted longer in advance, and you
    don't  need  to  add more spermicide if you have intercourse again
    while it's in  (It can stay in up to 24 hours.)

    And if all else fails, condoms are still on the market.

--David
    (who  spent  a  while  feeling like a guinea pig while we tried to
    find a contraceptive that we felt comfortable with)

    
    
    IMHO, your diaphragm should not hurt.  If it does, it is either
    not fitted properly or you have not inserted it properly.  If you
    gain or lose weight (I believe that it is more than 5 lbs either
    direction) you need refitting.
    
    I used Demulen for 14 years without any of your side effects.  Sorry
    to hear of it.  I did have unbelieveably awful cramps as a young
    woman (first menses to pregnancy).  A small light at the end of
    the tunnel - if you ever decide to have children, you probably won't
    have cramps as severely after the birth.  
    
    Best of luck to you.    Alison
    

    
    Re 1
    
    Just a note on the Sponge.  Myself and several of my friends have
    used it, but the reliability isnt the best.  Some of the problems
    we have seen are having the sponge pop out, turning itself inside
    out making it very difficult to retreive, and tearing.  Sure it
    is convenient, but I would use a condom with it just to be sure.
    
    Michele

    I've used a diaphragm for years, without problems or pain.  Once,
    though, my practitioner at the time fitted my incorrectly (too large)
    which did result in pain (like cramping) when the diaphragm was
    in.  One of the previous notes suggested that the fit might be the
    problem, and I second that.
    
    Another thing I've found - some brands of the spermicidal jelly
    I've used with the diaphragm sting or irritate.  You might try
    switching brands if this is the type of pain you're having.
    
    Good luck finding a solution to your problem - it must be very
    frustrating for you and your spouse, but there *is* a birth control
    method out there that's right for you.  Keep experimenting!
    
                             ...Lisa V...
    

    I too suffered from horrible cramps (before I was on the pill).
    My doctor prescibed Anaprox, which was extremely effective in
    helping the pain, and I did not notice any side-effects.
    The cramps stopped when I went on the pill, so I stopped taking
    Anaprox.
    
    Dee 

    Although I have not experienced the side-effects of the Pill which
    you mention, I can definitely relate to the severe menstrual cramps!
    I used to be totally out of commission for 1-2 days at a time, sick
    to my stomach (vomiting), really experiencing a lot of pain and
    discomfort.  Though I'm not masochistic or into pain, in a way I
    learned to look forward to those quiet times alone.
    
    My advice for dealing with the pain starts with #1 - Attitude. 
    You know from experience that you'll be non-functional, and there's
    nothing you can do about it for a day or so.  Accept that, and don't
    feel guilty for not being able to do what others normally expect
    of you.  That's just the way it is.
    
    For the pain, take the painkillers, sit in a tub of hot water, use
    a heating pad, listen to music with headphones, drink some hot soup
    or hot tea (it helps you to relax).  I took that time to just baby
    myself - the rest of the hectic world didn't exist.  I tried to
    relax, and sometimes succeeded.  Be good to yourself.  Sleep, watch
    an old movie, or read a good book if you can.  Sitting in a tub
    of hot water really helps - take a cup of hot tea with you.  Devote
    that time to making yourself feel as good as you can.  After the
    pain becomes tolerable, take a few more hours just for yourself
    to relax and recuperate - that you can enjoy.  For me, the time
    away from responsibility and the rest of the world became a haven
    that I almost looked forward to (except for the pain).  When I was
    in college, I spent a day or two in my room with a hot pot for
    cooking Lipton's Chicken Noodle Soup with Real White Meat, and
    listened to music with my head phones (the music in your head helps
    take your mind of the pain in your abdomen).
                                                
    Yes, the severe cramping goes away after childbirth.  Now Midol
    or Tylenol is sufficient.  I, too, was prescribed birth control
    pills to avoid the cramps, but I didn't like the weight-gain and
    other unknown side-effects (this was around 1970), so I generally
    didn't take them for more than 6 months at a time.  (Birth control
    wasn't an issue then).  At that time, I took Ortho-Novum - yellow
    pills dispensed in a dial-a-pack.
    
    Later, after my first child, I took them again, and they made me
    too sick to my stomach to continue with them - certain hormone
    levels were then too high for me to tolerate, I guess.  I've taken
    Lo Ovral off and on since then, and have experienced no real problems
    other than a little weight gain I've always noticed when on the
    Pill.  If you can stay off the pill long enough for your body to
    get back to normal, you might ask your doctor whether the Lo Ovral
    would be appropriate to try.
    
    If you need any moral support to get you through the cramps, feel
    free to contact me.  My DTN is 522-4897.  Good luck!
    
    Paula  

this is moved from topic 411, in order to merge the discussions....
    
    -Jody
    
               <<< MOSAIC::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 411.0                  Weight Gain on The Pill?                   6 replies
TLE::KRUGER                                          11 lines  24-JAN-1989 13:23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       I plan to start using "THE PILL" within the next few months,
    and I was wondering how much weight I should expect to gain.
    
       Did any of you on the pill not gain weight?   
    
       Do most people get nauseous?  How frequently?
    
    --Sharon
    
    I don't want to gain any weight -- I need to fit into my wedding
    dress!

           <<< MOSAIC::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 411.1                  Weight Gain on The Pill?                      1 of 6
FSHQA1::CGIUNTA                                      13 lines  24-JAN-1989 14:28
                             -< I always got sick >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I didn't gain any weight while on the Pill.  I did, however, experience
    nausea and would sometimes get sick.  Forturnately, I eventually
    noticed that this only occurred on the first day of my cycle when
    I would start the Pill, and that I would get sick approximately
    6 hours after taking the Pill.  So I started to take it around dinner
    time, and as long as I did not wake up through the night, I would
    not experience the nausea.  If I did wake up, I would be sick the
    rest of the night and the next day.  I'm not sure why it worked
    like that, but it was like that for about 6 years.  And I even tried
    different brands and different dosages, though typically changing
    the dosage is supposed to help alleviate some of the side effects.
    
    Cathy

           <<< MOSAIC::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 411.2                  Weight Gain on The Pill?                      2 of 6
CSC32::L_CHUMBLEY                                     8 lines  24-JAN-1989 14:45
                          -< I didn't gain an ounce! >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Congratulations!!!
    
    I have been on the pill for several years (Ortho-Novum 777, 28 day
    cycle) and did not gain an ounce from the pill.  It helps to keep
    my skin clear.  I do experience diaherra (sp?) and stomach cramping
    the first day of my period, so consequently, I make frequent trips
    to the bathroom.  I have throughly enjoyed the convience of the
    Pill, and if your system can handle it, I recommend it.

           <<< MOSAIC::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 411.3                  Weight Gain on The Pill?                      3 of 6
BAGELS::MATSIS                                        6 lines  24-JAN-1989 15:19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I didn't gain an ounce either.  I also have been on the pill for
    several years.  I've never gotten sick from it either.  No side
    effects at all.  It all depends on the person.  You may be one of
    the lucky ones too.  
    
    Congrats on the wedding.

           <<< MOSAIC::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 411.4                  Weight Gain on The Pill?                      4 of 6
TARKIN::TRIOLO "Victoria Triolo"                      9 lines  24-JAN-1989 15:32
                           -< no weight gain either >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    
    I didn't gain any weight either.  (however, I did gain about
    10 pounds after I got married due to eating more often - easier
    to cook for two than one.)
    
    I used to get slightly nauseous but found that if I took the pill
    before going to bed that I didn't have any problem.
    
    Congratulation on the wedding.

           <<< MOSAIC::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 411.5                  Weight Gain on The Pill?                      5 of 6
STOKES::WHARTON                                       3 lines  24-JAN-1989 20:10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I experienced no weight gain, no nauseous feelings, no hair loss,
    no side effects except improved sex life and I will not complain
    about that. :-)

           <<< MOSAIC::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 411.6                  Weight Gain on The Pill?                      6 of 6
VLNVAX::OSTIGUY                                      17 lines  25-JAN-1989 10:11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well,   I gained 20 pounds the first year I was on the pill.
    And I have never been able to get rid of it.  I believe the
    pill changed my metabolizism because I now gain weight very
    easily when before I couldn't gain it even when I tried!..
    I was nauseous also but worked around that by taking the pill
    before I went to bed.  I had my pill changed a few times (3?)
    because my periods never seemed normal.  When I was on Low-oval
    (the pill with 'no side-effects') I had a period for 2 hours.
    I stopped taking it then.  
    
    I guess everyone is different.  Maybe to be on the safe side
    (wedding dress fittings) you should use a diaphram until after
    the wedding day so you can be sure you fit into that dress.
    Good luck with the wedding!!!
    
    Anna
    

    When I was on the pill, I didn't permanently gain any weight, but
    every month I would gain and loose 10 lbs, which my doctor said
    was water.  Eliminating salt from my diet helped some (I only would
    gain and loose 8 lbs.), but I had to keep 2 sets of clothes - one
    for my "light" time of the month, one for my "heavy" time of the
    month.
    
    Elizabeth

         Well, i'm on the pill because if I wasn't I would have my
         period (ie, bleed) for about 3-4 months at a time.  I'm on
         the highest possible dosage. I've always taken my pill in the
         evening before going to bed, and I notice there are many
         times that I feel nausea if I wake up in the middle of the
         night.  Weight gain...well, I contribute the weight I've
         gained to sitting on my butt instead of exercising, but I
         have noticed since being on the pill that it is VERY
         difficult to lose the weight...I can exercise myself into a
         frenzy and still lose very little at a time...  Losing
         interest in sex....well, since it always hurts anyway (many
         many female problems besides just this one) I have never much
         enjoyed it.  I do notice that in the last year or two,
         though, I have a VERY hard time getting excited at
         all.....before it just took a LOT to make me orgasm...now I
         can't seem to do it at all.. 8^( 

	 kathy
	 

  To the author of .0 - 

  I have one suggestion for your cramps that might be worth trying. I
  never had really bad cramps, but I notice for the relatively mild ones I
  have, that they are much worse months when I don't get enough calcium.

  Years ago, I read in a book by the nutritionist Adelle Davis that the
  level of a woman's blood calcium drops after ovulation and continues to
  drop til the onset of her period. She said that the drop in calcium
  caused stress-related symptoms such as fluid retention and emotional
  upsets and further that it caused muscle cramps. 

  She recommended taking calcium tablets that had a 2:1 ration of calcium
  and magnesium for reasons having to do with your body's ability to use
  the calcium. Also, she said some forms of calcium are more soluble than
  others.

  Anyway, what I noticed after I started taking calcium was that I didn't
  retain as much water, my pre-menstrual emotional state was *MUCH*
  calmer, and my not-very-severe menstrual cramps were usually 
  unnoticeable. Furthermore, I didn't wake up in the middle of the night
  any more with charleyhorses in my legs.

  I don't usually get a lot of calcium in my diet. I take probably about
  1000-1500 mgs over the course of a day as tablets of calcium lactate
  with magnesium. I've been doing this for about 20 years now with no
  apparent bad side-effects. I'm probably taking more calcium than I used
  to, since my mother has bad osteoporosis...

  More recently, I've read similar advice on cramps in Maggie Lettvin's book
  called Maggie's Woman's Book. She has advice about menstrual pain caused
  by things other than cramps, like Vitamin E and/or exercise for backed-up
  blood flow. I can xox the relevant pages for you if you want.

  Another source you might find useful is Our Bodies, Ourselves by the 
  Boston Women's Health Book Collective. 

  Both these might have useful suggestions about your problems that resulted 
  from the pill.

  I agree with the women who said pain with a diaphragm is not usual.
  It's certainly not my general experience. It may be misfitted. Also, I
  have noticed sometimes that it gets mispositioned and then it's
  irritating and painful.

  I hope this is of some help. I hope you start to feel better.

  in sympathy, 
  reg

    Does it matter what time of the day you take your pill? I have been
    noticing lately that if I forget to take it in the morning, by 
    2 or 3 in the afternoon I have a god-awfull horrible nasty 
    headache (just like my PMS headaches.)
    
    Is this normal ? Does this happen to anyone else ? If I go off the
    pill will I have these everyday ? 
    
    Enquiring minds want to know....
    
    Dee
       

    You're not weird.  I get terrible headaches by the end of the week
    I'm off of the pill.  I don't usually get them if I slip taking it by
    a few hours.  I have a hormone imbalance anyway so I attribute the
    headaches to that.  It's sort of like my body is addicted to those 
    extra hormones and doesn't know what to do without them.
                               
    Jan

>< Note 385.18 by PHAROS::RYAN "Some days you eat the bear" >
>                   -< Another side effect, or am I weird ? >-
>
>    Does it matter what time of the day you take your pill? I have been
>    noticing lately that if I forget to take it in the morning, by 
>    2 or 3 in the afternoon I have a god-awfull horrible nasty 
>    headache (just like my PMS headaches.)
    
I used to get a mild cramp.


>    Is this normal ? Does this happen to anyone else ? If I go off the
>    pill will I have these everyday ? 
    
This didn't continue when I went off.  Just happened that first day.

       

    I have a hormone imbalance, too, but I never get headaches that are
    related to it (just sinus headaches from allergies - luckily mostly
    under control these days!).  But then again, I was told years ago to
    take the pill right before going to bed, and I almost always do that
    (sometimes tricky when on vacation) - I wonder if that matters for some
    people?  years ago when I was a kid and my doctor was trying to get my
    period into some semblance of order (this after twon months of
    continuous heavy bleeding - I got really anemic!), I was supposed to
    take it with a glass of milk at bedtime, but this didn't last long
    since I have lactose intolerance.  of course, when I was in grade
    school, the pills had much higher hormone levels than those most of us
    are taking now.  Apparently some people got intestinal cramping from
    them, which they might not notice as much if they were asleep anyways
    or had a full stomach (the milk caused me to have intestinal cramping,
    but that was nothing new for me anyhow).

    This note started out as topic 503.  The author deleted their basenote,
    but the discussion was about Ortho-Novum vs. Trilevlin, and whether
    they had the same side effects.  The two responses to the original
    note follow, having been moved here because the topic was redundant.

    -Jody    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
               <<< RAINBO::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 503.1        Ortho-Novum vs. Trilevlin? Same side effects?           1 of 3
MEWVAX::AUGUSTINE "Purple power!"                     8 lines  15-MAR-1989 17:41
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    hi pat,
    
    a really good resource for questions of this sort is the Physicians'
    Desk Reference (PDR). It's available at the ASO, MLO, and UCF5
    libraries at DEC. it's also available in public libraries, doctors'
    offices, and probably at pharmacies. good luck!
    
    liz

           <<< RAINBO::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES-V2.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 503.2        Ortho-Novum vs. Trilevlin? Same side effects?           2 of 3
ULTRA::WITTENBERG "Secure Systems for Insecure Peopl" 9 lines  16-MAR-1989 11:17
                            -< PDR is only a start >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The problem  with  the PDR is that it lists every side effect ever
    noticed.  As  a result, it's often difficult to tell the dangerous
    medications  from the relatively safe ones. I suspect in this case
    that  the  list  of side effects will be the same, but perhaps the
    incidence might be different. That information isn't always in the
    PDR,  and  the real issue is what side effects *you* find, and the
    only way to tell that is to try both drugs.

--David

    

    I have decided to stop taking the pill ( I have been on it for 5
    years). Aside from the headaches (see .18) that I am expecting, 
    are there any other side effects of going off the pill ? Will 
    my horrible, violent, nasty, awful period cramps return ? I've only
    been off for a day now, but I would like to know if there if there
    is anything else I have to look forward to (besides the headaches and
    cramps)
    
    Dee
    
    

-1...

Just my experiences.  Before I was on the pill, my periods were painful
and irregular.  After the pill (for a few months, before I went back on
again) my periods were *slightly* more regular and somewhat more painful.
I never had headaches or anything of the sort (was on the pill for 4 or 5
years before I stopped.)  Oh yeah, my sex drive increased, but whether
that was due to the pill change, or due to other related circumtances in my life
(getting out of a bad relationship) has yet to be determined.  :-)  

D!

    D!
    
    one of the side effects of the pill for many women used to be
    diminished sex drive (something to do with decreased lubricaton
    I think). 
    
    and once I went off the pill I did not have a return of the bad
    cramps that had plagued me nor 'mittelsmerchz' (middle pain sp?)
    - toxic reaction to ovulation - that had also been an infrequent
    problem. I was off the pill for over a year before I conceived and
    have been off it pretty much ever since. However, I realize that
    my having been pregnant would also have had a mitigating effect
    on both kinds of cramping.
    
    Bonnie

    I was on the pill for over 10 years and got taken off it because
    of 'increased risk due to being over 35' - much to my displeasure.
     I too had horrible cramping and irregular periods before the pill.
     Post-pill the cramping is gone, although there is occasional
    discomfort, but my periods are irregular again and the flow is heavier.
     I also *gained* weight when I went off the pill, but that may have
    been due to a coincidental decrease in activity level, and wasn't
    bad in my case.  (The weight gain got me up to the Met Life recommended
    weight for my height.)  I also find that my complexion is flaring up
    more now that I am off it. :-(   I wish they'd let me take it again,
    for me it was great.
    
    Alison 

    
    Well, Dee, I felt great when I went off the pill.  Just marvelous!  I
    didn't have to worry about getting pregnant when I was taking them but
    I didn't have to worry about being happy either -- they depressed me a
    bit.  They also depressed my sex drive.  (The weird thing was that I
    didn't realise either of these till I went off the first time and found
    myself to be unusually happy-go-lucky and obsessed with sex!  It was 
    kinda fun... :-)  Vitamin B complex helped when I went back on.)
    
    I was on the pill for a long time, from about 18 to about 32, with
    breaks here and there when I wasn't having sex or when I wanted to try 
    another method.  I don't really remember what my periods were like when 
    I was young, so I can't compare "now" with "then".  Also, my body has 
    changed so much over the years (in how it reacts to stress, for instance) 
    that I don't think it matters what my periods were like then, or even 
    five years ago; they'd very likely be different now regardless.
    
    I have periods of varying severity now, but they are thankfully short. 
    (When I was teen, it lasted 5-6 days; now it's 3-4 days.)  I get a 
    little zitty the week before, I bloat a little, sometimes I have low back 
    pain a day or two before and the newest symptom is tender breasts a day 
    or two before.  This is a new one this year; it never used to happen and 
    I think it might be replacing the lower back pain which doesn't seem to 
    happen so often anymore.  I cramp up very badly about once every three 
    cycles; the other two in between it's tolerable but extremely
    uncomfortable and I basically live on ibuprofen for one or two days a 
    month.  It works great for me. 
    
    CQ

    Well, as far as I can tell, the Pill suppresses the sex drive *by*
    suppressing ovulation.  Now that I'm off the Pill, I *know* when
    I am fertile.
    
    So I mark it on my calendar, and also mark that my period should
    start 13.5 days later.
    
    							Ann B.

    
    	I went off the Pill a few years ago for 12 months.  During that
    	time, I only had a couple of periods.  I knew I wasn't pregnant
    	but the fact that my system took so long to become regular sort
    	of worried me.
    
    	Does anyone know how long it should take to flush one's system
    	of the Pill?
    
    	Carla
    	

It's amazing that with so much information available about being ON the Pill, 
there doesn't seem to be any record of what happens when ones goes OFF it.  I've
looked in "Our Bodies..." and asked at the women's clinic I use, to no avail.  As
a matter of fact, when I asked one of the nurses there about what to expect, 
"side effects" if you will, she replied, "Nothing."  Well,  I had already lost
some weight, enough to notice a difference in the way my clothes fit.

I've been off it for about 7 weeks now.  At the clinic I was told that two or 
three periods on my own was a sufficient time to wait before getting pregnant.
(Confirmed by "Our Bodies...".)  Five weeks passed before I got the first period.
Judging by the pain three weeks before, I'd say I ovulated on time.  Same this 
time around.  My period lasted all of maybe two days and was very scant.  It was
obvious that the endometrium was not yet fully built up.  Other than that and 
some reduction in breast size, I haven't noticed anything unusual.

Took me a while to figure it out but the first Pill I was on made me slightly
depressed--just enough so that I didn't feel quite as excited about life in general
as I normally do.  This had a SERIOUS effect on libido, as you can imagine.  Of
course, I thought there was something wrong with ME for a while, because I had 
very little interest in sex. What, me frigid?  All it took was changing the Pill
and within a month I and my octopus-of-an-SO could tell the difference.  So, vive
la difference!  And be ready to blame the Pill for just about ANYTHING. 

    There is a note you may also want to look at (few replies, though)
    which is in the MEDICAL notesfile - topic 529 - "getting off the
    pill".
    
    I have had to change my pill prescription twice.  Once because I
    needed to up the hormones (break-through bleeding - some spotting
    between periods - indicated the one I was on was no longer strong
    enough).  The second time was because I wasn't menstruating (terror!
    panic!  Fear!  No words can describe the utter angst that hits when
    some women skip their periods.....it's too terrifying when it's the LAST
    thing you want to worry about).  Actually, with the pill, it's possible
    to not menstruate and still not be pregnant for long periods of
    time if the dosage is just this shade of wrong (and your body's
    needs can change).  But a small increase in the estrogen level of
    the pill adjusted this.
    
    -Jody
    

	.30:
    
    	>I went off the Pill a few years ago for 12 months.  During that
    	>time, I only had a couple of periods.  I knew I wasn't pregnant
    	>but the fact that my system took so long to become regular sort
    	>of worried me.
    
    	>Does anyone know how long it should take to flush one's system
    	>of the Pill?
    
	I had this problem too, I used to have a period about every 2 months.
	I assumed that it was because my body was adapting to not being on 
	the pill. I mentioned it at the clinic when I wanted to start taking 
	the pill again, and was told that this was NOT a 'normal' effect of 
	coming off the pill and that I might have problems if I ever did
	want to become pregnant, but I didn't pursue that issue since it
	seems highly unlikely that I ever will.

	(Annoying to think that maybe I don't need to take it anyway!)

	June.

The following note is being entered for a member of the community
who wishes to remain anonymous.

_____________________________________________________________


I was having some side effects of the pill so my doctor gave me 
another prescription for a different pill.  And it got rid of my bad 
side effects, but it gave me other side effects too!  Now I've got a 
drive of 9.3 on the ricter scale and nowhere for it to go! I mean I'm 
grateful for getting rid of the old side effects, but I didn't intend 
to trade them in for more!

I guess its always something.

sign me
-Technovixen 

    
    	Dear Technovixen,
    
    	By "drive" I assume you're not referring to your golf game,
    	correct?  =8-)
    
    	Carla
    

    Heard on the news this morning:

    	Women on the Pill should check the manufacturer of the brand
    they're using.  Warner-Lampert (out of NJ) is recalling some of
    their pills because the placebo pills got placed in the wrong
    spots.  

    	Unfortunately, they didn't tell which brands, or give any sort
    of hot-line number to call.  I would guess that the pharmacists
    would have more info on this.

    	amy

According to a RON who sent me mail:

The birth control pills being recalled are made by Parke-Davis and are 
called Loestrin and Norlestrin.  "The company is recalling its Loestrin and 
Norlestrin contraceptive tablets because brown iron tablets were placed in 
the first row rather than the fourth row of the 28-pill dispensers."  The 
article in my local newspaper also said that they were misplaced in les 
than 100 dispensers but it decided to recall all of the product as a 
precaution.  

    In light of the previous note, if you're NOT going to return them for a
    new pack, PLEASE make sure that the pills you take the first three
    weeks of the cycle are LIGHT (white, pink, whatever), and NOT rusty
    brown (these are the ferrous pills - the ones that contain iron (the
    placebo's for the week you are not taking hormones)).  Also, make sure
    that you have three rows of light pills and one row of dark, as usual
    (even if they may not be in the right order)...and take the rows in the
    color-order you usually would (dark row last).
    
    -Jody