A More Affordable Birth Control

[Rose]

Lily wrote:

There is an article in shape magazine (online) that makes the pill sound very good, supposedly the exact same pill. I have a question for you ladies. During the time I have been taking Yasmin I noticed a decrease in sex drive but figured it had to do with all the issues my significant and other and I have been having. In the back of my mind was the possibility that it maybe the pill. NOw that I have looked online I came across other people who have experienced a decrease in sex drive since taking yasmin. Have you??

I changed from Levora to Ocella and noticed a decrease in sex drive right away--anyone else with this problem?

[Cat]

Cassie wrote:

<quoted text>
--I switched to Ocella about two weeks ago also and I've noticed the same thing! My face is starting to get little bumps everywhere and it was fine before I switched...I guess next month I'm going to return to Yasmin. I hate that it is 20 dollars more a month but I'd rather pay then have acne!

I am two weeks into my first run on Ocella...i have sooo many little bumps all over my forehead; it's so upsetting! im stopping right away!

[bri]

I just wanted to remind people this, since it is what most obgyn and family practitioners say about birth control...

to see the best results, stay on a BC for more than just two weeks. Our bodies have to re-adjust to new medications, so jumping off of them right after starting won't aid in the situation. Only after a few months of being on (unless there is sever physical pain) should be the test to see if it works and if the initial side effects retreat.

Some people were commenting on the difference between Yaz and Yasmin (Ocella being the generic version of the latter). Yaz is a BC that you take for 3 months straight, allowing for only 4 periods a year. Each 3 week cycle has an increase in estrogen, so the first week is low estrogen, the second week a bit higher, the third even higher. Because of this weekly increase and only having 4 periods a year many people have either sparse periods or a lot of spotting. Yasmin on the other hand has the same steady amount of estrogen being released all three weeks of the four week cycle, and can be taken for 3 months straight but isn't often recommended.

Again as a reminder. The generic version has the same ingredients as the name brand, the difference is that the name brand was the first to come out of the prescription, meaning it had rigorous testing done on it by the FDA. A generic comes out after the name brand because it can have the exact same ingredients without having to have the testing, because the medicine in name brand for has proven itself viable through it's extensive testing.

Also, my obgyn told me that most BC can decrease your sex drive, when I was on the NuvaRing it did. I am starting Ocella soon, and hope that I don't have any of the side effects, but here's to hoping! Some people can psych themselves out by reading about the side effects, then creating them through stress... others actually have the side effects from the medicine. I hope I experience neither. Thanks for all the useful personal info from this forum.

[pleased]

I have had my share of problems while on different kinds of bc. I am irregular as irregular can get!! I was always moody and the week I had no pill ( Period week ) I would be absolutly fine,,,, No mood swings, no stupid thoughts, no dumb fights with my husband, etc. After talking to my doctor, she prescribed Yasmin, but I received the generic Oscella. I have had the opposite reaction than most of the other girls have mentioned. I feel like I'm not even on bc at all because my hormones feel in check,,I even have more sex drive!! I chose to stop taking my other bc pills ( I don't remember what it was called ) since I was going to the doctor anyway.

I believe that if you jump right into a different prescription, no matter what it's is for, ure gonna have some kind of difference in ure body. I've been on it now almost a week, and have had no stomach issues, headaches, bloating, etc. Maybe it just happened to be coincidence like the stomach bug for the others who experienced vomiting and nauseasness....

[Tina916]

Here in Cali all birth control is free through a state run program for low income women.

[Get Informed]

I find it hilarious that all of these posts are negative. People that need info about the product need to ask a pharmacist and/ or physician..Most of these posts are negative because : 1) People assume generics don't work as good as brands, when in reality, all prescriptions need to be approved by the FDA and they wouldnt approve them if all these problems were consistent with EVERY patient like it is presented here, 2) Other companies posts fake comments to make you switch to their drugs.. Like I said, get a unbiased opinion from someone who knows- GO TO YOUR PHYSICIAN and PHARMACIST, they wouldn't put you on a drug that doesnt work for their other patients!

[Rachel]

I tried Ocella but instead of being physically ill like everyone else, I sunk into crazy emotional depression that I could not get out of and was not normal. Big emotional change for me. My gyno said that to be a generic, it has to work the same on 80% of the people that the brand name does, and warned me that it might not affect everyone the same. Needless to say, I switched back to Yasmin.

[elaine]

my daughter (17) started taking Ocella and after one month was experiencing severe anxiety attacks. She could not even attend her classes in high school. She stopped taking it and only started to feel like herself today which is approximately a month after she stopped the pill. I wish someone had told me this could happen. She had problems with her periods and acne (never anxiety) and we were told this would help and that it was the same as the Yaz. These pills turned out to be the cause of a terrible ordeal for her and I hope that no other girls or women will ever have to go through this. I cannot explain why she may have had this awful experience with anxiety except to attribute it to the Ocella BC. The symptoms appeared suddenly when she started the pills and discontinued after she stopped the pills. Putting her on the Ocella was the worst advice I have ever been given.

[Crying]

I took Yasmin for 3 years and was great. The doc gave me a new script after being off of it for a while. The pharmacist gave me OCella and said it was the same.
Day 1: I feel dizzy, nauseous,(severe diahhrea), shaky, anxious,a nd "not myself"
This is NOT the sam efor me. I am going back and asking can I just pay for the real stuff..

[caitlyn]

i found this of side effects of ocella. to be honest really people are different of how they react to the birth control. im going on oceela because i was taking the shot and it was giving me problems. These post dont scare me bc you just dont know .
heres side effects of ocella
http://women.emedtv.com/ocella/ocella-side-ef...

[chloerichard]

i can help those in need of very very affordable fertility drugs .....times' running out first come first serve basis.....chloerichard@gmail.c om

[Jessica]

I have been a complete and total mess. I do not know when I started Oscella but I was so excited to be getting 3 months worth for $10! A huge savings! A few months ago I was in a terrible depression, always crying and getting upset over anything. I gained 10 pounds and could not lose it. I have been constipated all the time. I eat healthy and work out and yet still can not lose the weight. Every week is different with my moods and I am called the "crazy psycho" by my boyfriend, family, and friends. I yell over anything, I am not fun anymore and I just get very cranky. I do not feel like myself and I swear these pills are controlling me. I am switching as soon as possible!

[tchray]

I was on YAZ for 2 years and I never had problems, but my insurance only covers generics so I switched to Ocella. BIG mistake. I am an actress/model, have always worked out and ate right. I've never had problems before. Two months into taking Ocella I've gained 13 pounds, went from a B to a DD cup, extreme bloating, fatigue, and overall yucky feeling. DO NOT try it. I'm going back to YAZ!!!

[Kristin]

WOW! I thought something was seriously wrong with me before visiting this site. The past month I have been completely out of my elemetn and didn't even realize that it was the switch of birth controls! I just finished taking my first pack of Ocello after being on Yasmin for roughly 6 years. I have been through a month of pure emotional hell on Ocello and cannot wait to switch back to Yasmin. Ocello has given me major mood swings, swollen breasts, bloating, water retention and significant weight gain! I am a small girl only weighing in at 100 lbs on a good day and packed on 6 lbs in a month (mind you my diet and strict workout regimen stayed consistent as previous months on yasmin). They are clearly not the same medication as stated on the pack. Maybe the fillers are different, or the hormone levels...who knows? All I know is it is totally worth the extra 30 bucks to avoid these nasty side effects. Hope this helps.

[Ashley]

I started talking Ocella almost 7 months ago.I am on the pill because I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which mess up my hormones and causes secondary amenorrhea. The first three months were horrible. I had headaches/migraines, severe cramps, serious bloating, mood swings like you wouldn't believe and a decreased appetite. After a few months though the symptoms start to subside. Generics are always a little different than the brand name whether is dish soap, paper towels, or birth control. My suggestion is wait it out. Everybody reacts differently to the pill. The last few months have been great. I have had a very light period and little to no cramps. I still get mood swings but they are really minor. The only side effect that has stayed is my boob size. I went from a C to D. Nothing to major but something to keep in mind.

[concerned]

For a lot of people it takes a long time to notice these side effects. Just be aware of yourself. It slowly and slowly turned into a much bigger problem for me. It took almost 8 months for it to blow up into a huge panic attack problem.

someone concerned wrote:

<quoted text>
Ok, I must stop you there. I know for a fact that generic pills are not the same as brand. They are not tested in the same manner as the brand either.
Generics only have to have 80% of the same active incredients as the brand pill. Yes, they both have the same progesterone and estrogen, but not the same amount. One pill may have too much or less of either one of the hormones. The pharmacuetical company making the product is also not required to have a study of people using the product for a certain amount of time before its FDA approved. It only has to be bioequivalent to the brand. So, the generic is not the same as the brand and thats why many will have side effects.

[-LSF-]

I'm so glad I went online and read about the problems some people are having switching from Yasmin to Ocello. A few months after I switched, I had heart palpitation, bloating, weight gain and even breakouts on my face and I hardly every break out. I am switching back to Yasmin despite the costs.

[bridgette]

i take orcella and i have these wierd headaches which my friends think there migranes. like only one half of my face hurts [i know sounds wierd] and i feel like someones pulling out my eyeball.

[Shar]

I too have been wondering why I feel like hell, bloating 24/7, moody and constantly tired.
It's not in our heads, IT'S OCELLA. I was on Yaz for over a year, and after I got laid off and had to take on a crappy low paying job, my OBGYN suggested I try the "cheaper" version of Yaz.
So for $5 hell yeah. Then after a month, the instant bloating came on. Then month 2, even more
bloating and severe tiredness. By month 3, I knew it wasn't just me, it was the damn pill.
It sucks, but it's worth it to go back on Yaz at $40 a month. I just can't take falling asleep at work and never being able to fit in my clothes cause I'm too damn bloated. Plus I'm super moody and have absolutly NO sex drive. It's killing me and my relationship.
It's true! Ocella sucks.

[kasey]

Disagree. I have been on Ocella for well over a year and a half now and have had no problems with it at all. Never tried Yaz or Yasmin, but I have had bad experiences with Ortho Tri-Cyclin and Seasonale. Both either made me severely depressed or killed my sex drive. Ocella has stabilized me completely. Face it guys, different or not, everyone is going to react differently to these pills.