Birth control

[angelia]

hi sheepy,
i'm not too sure if it's spelt "tranquiler" or "tranquilar". will check it out tonite n let u noe on monday. i still hv 1 pack left fr my previous prescription.

u mind send me ur email so i can email u?
mine's [email protected]

 

[sheepy]

Actually, I get my prescription of Diane-35 from my GP. Thanks for the tip about JB

I know how 'lax' it can be when it comes to buying prescription drugs across the causeway. I think I am going to check out Marvelon the next time I visit my GP/Gynae.

 

[cowie]

Hi girls,
All contraceptives in Singapore are prescription only medicine. That is, you will need a prescription to be able to purchase it.

As to whether the pill you are taking can give rise to hypertension or not depends on the active ingredient of the pill you are on. Most pills differ slightly when it comes to the content of the active drug component. However, your doctor will be able to advice you on which brands are suitable for you, and which brand are not so suitable. Eg. some brands contain more of a certain component which can cause acne problems for those who are acne prone, etc. Don't be afraid to clarify any doubts with your doctor. BTW, I'm a pharmacist

 

[ugly face]

Hi Pharmacist Cowie

May I know how soon will antiobiotics start to 'react' when I take the pill? Because I want to cure my pimples fast. It says take 3 tablet per day, can I take 3 tablet at once? Pls advise.

 

[cowie]

Hi ugly face,
Please DO NOT take 3 tablets at once unless this is the instruction given to you. It WILL NOT work if the medicine is to be taken 3 times a day and you take it at one go instead. The reason why you need to take it 3 times a day is to maintain the medication level in your body such as it is always high enough to stop the bacteria from multiplying. If you take three at one go, the medicine level will be sky high for a while and when the level drops to too low, the effects will not be there. Moreover, it can be dangerous to your kidneys also if you overdose yourself this way (the seriousness various from antibiotic to antibiotic). But this is in general. If the instruction is 3 tablets at one go, then it will be safe enough because the doctor may have given you one with a very low dose.

So, do take your antibiotic regularly until you finish it. Do not stop halfway, it will make your condition more difficult to treat the next time round. Where antibiotic is concerned, you have to be very patient. I took antibiotics for a long long time also for acne treatment.

 

[belanda]

Hi all,

I am looking for a good and very nice gynae to take care of my needs. Anyone with recommendations ? Does anyone know a good one from Mount Elizabeth ?

 

[lyn]

Hi Belanda

You can try Dr Kowa Nam Sing from Kowa Clinic and Surgery. He is at Mt Elizabeth. Very patient, nice and gentle.

 

[belanda]

Hi Lyn,

Thanks for the info. Is he your personal gynae?

 

[lyn]

Yes, he is. I was actually recommended to him by my colleague when I was pregnant who said he's very good. I decided to give him a try and I didn't regret it. And he always have a very smiling face when he sees his patients.

 

[how??]

Hi,

I had an abortion abt 3 yrs ago and started on pills as the form of protection. Now i am wondering if i should get off the pill. But i really have no faith in the other methods of prevention and not ready to have kid, but would like to try like another 3 yrs later.

BTW I am still with the same man n we are getting married soon. Dun wish u all to think i sleep around....

 

[troubled]

Hi juliet,

I was prescribed Gynera by my GP recently but ve not started taking it cos still quite scared abt its side effects, if any.

He has said that there should not be side effect, but ve read in this forum that some do encounter side effect.

How long ve u been on Gynera? Have u experienced any side effect thus far?

When do u take it, after ur period? I was told to take it on the 5th day of my period.

After how many days will the period come after the 21st pill has been taken?

Thanks in advance.

 

[troubled]

Hi juliet,

ve missed out a few qns.

Can we get Gynera from outside besides the GP? How much did u pay for 21 pills?

Thanks.

 

[juliet]

hi troubled, i'm currently on mercilon, only tried gynera

 

[troubled]

hi juliet,

Did gynera give u any side effect?
Is mercilon better?
Can we get it outside without doctor's prescription?
How much is it?

 

[juliet]

I really can't remember, more than a year since i was on gynera. mercilon has been oki. cannot get without prescription, its about 16-18 dollars per month

 

[checking]

hi girls,

anyone of u have tried ortho tri-cyclen?

read abt it in magazine that it not only works as an oral contraceptive, it is also gd for the skin cos it has an ingredient to reduce acne and maintain clearer skin.

 

[jus ask]

Hi gals,

Are pills really safe? I mean in birth control, will have "accidents" and get pregnant or not? Thought condoms are more effective in preventing unwanted prenancies?

 

[joyce]

pills are definitely more effective than condoms in preventing pregnancies. COndoms can have holes punched in them you know?

 

[victoria]

Hi troubled,

I tried both Mercilon and Gynera. Mercilon did not give me any major side effect besides weight gain. However, Gynera gave me major problems - spotting every day and pimple breakouts. I am now on Diane-35 and I have definitely gained some weight but it clears up your complexion which is cool.

Hey checking, FYI, "ortho tri-cyclen" is not available in Singapore. Check out Diane-35 as it improves complexion as well.

 

[troubled]

Hi Victoria,

Have started on the Gynera (less than a week) that I was prescribed and it gave me major breakouts. So sad now but don't know should I stop taking now cos if I do stop now, my period will come a few days later. Should I continue till the last pill?

Can a switch in pill type be done half way thru?

Saw from another thread in this forum (sex issue, i think), it said that a gp said Diane 35 is not a true contraceptive pill. It is for acne. Is this true? Has anyone got pregnant even on Diane 35?

 

[joyce]

troubled, i would advise you to continue to the last pill,sometimes your body just needs time to adjust to new stuff, in the beginning, mercilon gave me some problem, but later my body got used to it i guess.

 

[victoria]

Hi troubled, try it for a full month to determine if you are suitable. No, it is not true that Diane-35 is not a true contraceptive pill. It is a contraceptive pill with properties which gives you a clear complexion. I am on Diane-35 for 1 year and I am definitely not pregnant ! Talk to your Gynae. if you are still unsure.

 

[momoko]

Anybody tried contraceptive injections before? Considering that cos pills are making me sick.

 

[troubled]

Hi Victoria,

May I know the doc who prescribed you the pill?

Thanks.

 

[shocked]

hi all out there,

was browsing the web for info on Diane 35 and was quite shock to find the following. Don know if it's true. Anyone has anything to comment?

"An unnecessarily risky drug
Berlex has been running ads on bus shelters and in movies for an acne drug, Diane-35. This hormonal drug was sold for birth control in Europe in the ’80s and early ’90s, until a long-term user died of liver cancer. First Germany and then the rest of Europe reviewed its safety and restricted it to a second-line acne treatment. It may or may not cause liver cancer, but one of the ingredients can cause liver injuries and liver failure at higher doses. In Canada, it’s only approved as a second-line treatment for severe acne when other options have failed. The product is not sold in the U.S."

URL is http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/hcare/mintzes.html#Anchor-Twenty-52971

 

[green]

any idea whether if contraceptive pill will lower sex drive or cause arousal difficult?

 

[pill lover]

hehe... the pill increases sex drive. one becomes more horny

 

[green]

pill lover,

mind if i ask which brand of pill are u on? any side effects?

 

[pill lover]

mercilon, works fine for me-- no visible side effects

 

[help]

Hi all Mercilon lovers,

May I know how do you get your monthly supply of Mercilon? Do you get it from doctor or from pharmacy with prescription?

Is prescription usually being issued for 1 time use only? Can one that last for gd be issued?

Has anyone got a lifelong prescription from your doctor? If do, pls tell me where is the clinic so that I can get it.

The doctor I saw does not have Mercilon and he wrote me a prescription but it's only for a mth. That's to say I would have to see him to get a prescription every mth before I can buy it from pharmacy. Got to pay for consultation. I felt that this a time and money wasting way.

 

[merci]

your doctor was obviously trying to cheat your money. oh well, so far, i have not found any doctor who's willing to write me a prescription coz all their clinics carry the product and of course they all want me to get it permanently from them. so if anyone out there knows where to get a doc willing to write a permanent prescription, pls share. Thanks

 

[gal]

Hi,

I get my Mercilon supply from the Singapore Women's Clinic at Clementi. You have to pay for a first time consultation with the gynae and subsequently just visit the clinic to get your supply.

 

[inki]

Hi,

Read that all these pills cause weight gain. Can someone please elaborate how much weight do you gain (1- 2kg more?) and is it visible ? Will excercising help to bring down the weight gain ?

Do different pills cause different weight gain ?

 

[clueless]

Hi gals,

Has anyone tried taking Microgynon 30 or heard any friend taking it?? Juz read thru this threads but it seems tat no one took this pills b4. Any feedbacks?

Went to visit gynae today at NUH by referral in polyclinic. I have irregular periods & I had excessive bleeding (heavy periods) recently thus need to go for a scan to check for any fibroids?? Found out that i have cysts in my ovary, in future, i may not get pregnant that easily.

What the gynae can do is that he has to put me on birth ctrl pills to regulate my periods and will monitor my progress. He advised that it can improve my skin and prevent ovary cancer. But when i collect my pills, the pharmacist warned me abt the side effects and told me to take note of my breasts if there's any lump (breast cancer) coz it will stimulate my breasts tissue, any migraine, hypertension??

Stop the pills if there is any side effects.

I'm quite worried abt the cysts in my ovary and the side effects of the pills.

This is my first time taking birth ctrl pills as my FH and i are still virgins, we wanna to save it for marriage.

Well, i juz wanna know will it gain weight (been trying to lose weight), mood swings, acnes (i hv clear skin)?? Has anyone been in my situation b4 especially the cysts? Will it turn cancerous??

Thks!!

 

[celia]

Hi Clueless,

actually the pills is to help lessen the amt of bleeding every mth. cyst is cos by the backflow of blood during your menses, and in fact it is quite common for women. i just had a cyst removed early this year, my gynae monitored the cyst for a period of 2-3 mths b4 they suggest that i remove the cyst. as long as the cyst does not grow bigger it is pretty safe, but the danger is when it is found in the ovaries, this could cos u to lose ur ovary, ovaries is where your eggs are stored. once the cyst grows too big it will be veri dangerous thats y i had mine removed. there is still the chances of it coming back, thats y my gynae also suggested i go on the pills. if not is to do a yearly checkup.
one other way is to get pregnant, cos there would not be any bleeding n the cyst will not grow further. but i did heard of a case, whereby a pregnant woman had a cyst and it grew at almost the same rate as the baby. imagine how painful it is for the pregnant mother and the pressure it has on the baby.
my cousin also had the same problem,but hers was an emergency case, cos hers is abt to burst already, lucky she was admitted in time. if not u can imagine the consequences.
Hope this helps you to understand better, i think it is quite scary, but do check with your gynae on this. anyway the surgery is simple one, 1-2hrs only.but i do prefer to go to private gynae than govt.

 

[clueless]

Hi celia,

Thks for sharing ur experience. Told my mum abt it and she told me that a relative in JB had one of her ovaries removed (coz of cysts) and cervical pregnancy a few years back. Now she's a mother of 4 kids. I wonder is it considered a relief for me? My mum consoles me not to worry too much since our family history (my mum also hv irregular periods in younger days) has no problem in giving birth.

Gosh, i hope i dun hv to be operated on. Do u hv to stay in hospital for a few days or it's an outpatient surgery? How much did u spend? I really hope my cysts will not grow and the pills i'm taking now can help to regulate my periods.

 

[celia]

Hi Clueless,
actually it is not necessary to stay in the hospital...it is a day surgery, by noon u can discharged already, but i opt to stay overnite. by the next day should be able to move around liao.
actually i don't need to operate but since it is still small, might as well remove it first rather than let it grow. the doctor will then do a check and see if it is cancerous loh. the estimated cost is about 4k plus, if you have company insurance or personal hospital insurance can claim also...but check with the agent first on what are the procedures and paper documents required.
hope the above information helps you understand better.

 

[clueless]

Hi celia,

U mean u really had one of ur ovaries removed?? I'm not sure whether one of my ovaries got cysts or both?? What if both? that means i can't have a baby in future??

I really hope mine is not tat serious. Thks for the info.

 

[celia]

Hi Clueless,

No,i did not have my ovaries removed cos the cyst is still small and have not occupied the whole ovaries yet. the cyst was found on my left ovaries, the doctor told me that if it grows any bigger the ovary would be affected cos it is inside. so to save the hassel n trouble, i opt for the surgery loh. but it is not 100% confirm that it will not occur again, just have to take care and do go for yearly checkup.

had a friend who removed one side of her ovary cos the cyst became too big, and she didn't know abt it, no pain, nothing. she went to see a gynae cos her tummy swell, thats how they found the cyst, but too late liao. now she's married with 2 kids, even though she only have one ovaries. but she found out recently that the other have cyst, so she is on the pill to help control the situation.hopefully don't have to operate loh.

 

[naturally]

Hi to all!
Just want to offer some clarification on an alternative contraceptive method: natural family planning (NFP). I was reading the previous postings, and i read that somebody mentioned that NFP is not accurate. Has it occurred to anyone that the reason for the inaccuracy could be due to insufficient knowledge of how NFP works?

Firstly, irregularity in periods doesn't matter, 'cos the thing to look out for is the change in mucus, and once you've gone through the proper course and done all your chartings, u shd have the confidence to predict correctly.

Besides the method of checking mucus, you can also chart your temperature (early morning), though this shd not be done alone without checking mucus, as temperature change can be due to other factors (eg. fever).

I think most people opt for pills for convenience's sake, too lazy to bother to track your own ovulation... but i've got some plus points for learning to use NFP, hope u all will seriously consider:

1) Contraception. U'll know when it is safe to have sex, and when it is not safe, u can plan some outdoor activities, like watching movies etc... btw, that's what i do to distract my hubby, otherwise he always sulks when i say no

2) To conceive. When u're ready to have a baby, u'll know which are the best days to have sex (don't need to try everyday, hee!)

3) Sex of baby. Of course, there's no guarantee for this, but u can increase the probability of the prefered gender for your baby. Generally, if u want a boy, intercourse shd take place on or one day before ovulation. The rationale is that the Y chromosomes in his sperm (for making little baby boys) last only abt 1 day. But the X chromosomes can last for abt 6 days inside u, so if u want a little girl, have sex abt 6-2 days before ovulation, and refrain from sex 1 day before or on day of ovulation. Having said that, let me emphasize that unless u're sure abt your ovulation, u can't pre-determine your kid's gender, u only increase the odds... and even though u know your ovulation period, u can still get a baby girl instead of a boy if the Y is weak... however u can be fairly certain of a girl if u have sex 6-2 days b4 ovulation, as the Y shd have died already by the time your egg is released.

4) First day when period starts. Very useful for me as i also have irregular periods, i used to dread if it'll suddenly come, i have ranged from 29-40 day cycles! But my charts are quite consistent in that i always have my period 15/16 days after ovulation, so now i'm more prepared

Of cos it differs for everyone.

wow... i didn't know i can be so long-winded, but i guess it goes to show that NFP is not that simple as some may think, but it is still worth it to learn!

I never trust pills, and guys if u see this, don't risk your partner's health by asking them to go on the pill for YOUR convenience! Just my personal opinion lah... no hatemails pls, okie?

Enough said, if anyone's interested, can leave me a msg, 'cos I don't want to bore others with information on where to learn NFP (it's free, btw...)

Have a nice weekend!

 

[crumpet]

Hi,

If I need to get birth control pills, should I go to any doctor or must it be a gynae? What's the difference??

 

[guitar]

naturally.. thanks for the great sharing on rhythm method. as you pointed out it requires lots of discipline.. at least 2 levels:

1) the woman has to know what, how and when to check mucus, temperature etc.. this implies technical knowledge and a deep understanding of the method.

2) the man has to understand that his needs may not always be met because it is the risk period. This implies discipline and control from the male's viewpoint.

Looks very hard but congrats on your success.

 

[naturally]

Hi guitar, u're welcome!

But really, it isn't as hard as people imagined? I wouldn't even say it's "technical", it's really easy to understand the concept, u just need time to do up your charts, until u get consistent results lor!

For the part abt male understanding (or un-understanding)... come on lah... pardon me for saying this, i really dun think we shd view our guys as uncontrollable sex freaks, yes, they like to appear spontaneous in sex, but most of the time, it's because they think we like them to be macho!!

So think abt it lah... i know we love to please our men, but if only they also know how much we love them enough to risk our health to be pills for the sake of giving them spontaneous sex, i'm sure they would rather exercise some control rather than poison their brides.... any males here would like to give their opinion?

I think the primary factor here is generally males are unaware (or choose to ignore) the potential dangers of birth control pills, and since their partners also never complain, then even better for them lor!

But fertility is such an impt thing to us girls, would u want to continue the risks simply for you and your partner's convenience, or would u rather heed the warnings? I know the studys are inconclusive, there are not enough evidences pointing against the pills, but my hubby and i would rather treasure our health for the sake of our future children, and i know one day they'll thank us for that!

 

[naturally]

Oh by the way, the rhythm method is kinda outdated... i think most people still think NFP refers to the counting of days from the start of the period, and yes, that requires regular periods, most unfortunate for those like me with irregular ones...

But i was lucky to have a catholic friend who "dragged" me to accompany her to the sessions (believe it or not, i was initially very resistant to the idea, i didn't want some catholic nuns to tell me abt how much sex i shd have! haha, turned out i was the crazy one, 'cos the counsellor was more open abt the subject than i was!! But knowing how the catholic churches work, they are mostly quite low-key, so only church members know abt NFP. Either that, or u prob need to have a doctor or nurse friend/relative before u'll even hear abt NFP...

 

[joanne]

hi all

may i know how do we know whether we have cysts in our ovaries?? any syptoms???

thanks

regd
joanne

 

[naturally]

Hi joanne,

i was curious too, so i did a search on the internet, found this article which u might be interested in:

http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZEB8EN97C&sub_cat=9

I dunno abt u gals, but i get the goosepimples while reading the article... esp the pics on ovarian cysts... eeks! Says most ovarian cysts are benign (non-cancerous), some go away after a while, but even for the cancerous cysts, u may not get any symptoms in the early stages... but one thing to look out for would be spotting (light bleeding) in between periods, 'cos that could be due to a burst cyst.

The safest way is to have regular check-ups with your GP, cure the problem before it has a chance to worsen! Hope this helps!

 

[joanne]

hi naturally
thanks for it. i did a research in the web too.. and seems that some syptoms are there.. so i decided to book an apptm to see a doctor in kk.

hope everything turns out well.

regd
joanne

 

[naturally]

Me hope all's well for u too!

 

[celia]

Hi all,

Just a check, do i need to wait for my mense to come b4 i can start the pills, or can i start taking it at anytime of the mth.

Pls advise.

 

[clueless]

Hi

Anyone know wat are the side effects of taking Microgynon 30 or any other birth ctrl pills?? Ever since i took this pill, my breasts is extra tender (sensitive)...it is so painful even without bras on or when i turn myself in bed. I have a sharp pain in my breasts and cramps once a while.

Is it a normal symptoms?? I oni encountered this symptoms when my periods is coming but now it's a everyday pain. My first time taking birth ctrl pills juz to regulate periods...

Went to see the polyclinic doctor... she was so unhelpful at all...told me tat the pills i took is a lower dose and it's a normal symptoms unless i want to change the brand or stopped taking it. Stop the pills and continue to hve cysts or Con't to take pills to regulate it!!!

Is it true tat we all encounter this kind of symptoms as i'm taking it for the first time?? I almost finish the 1st course soon...still got 2 more course to go.....

anyone can advices??