Switching From Loestrin 24 Fe To Minastrin 24 Fe (Page 4)

Updated

Hey Guys!
So I went to the pharmacy to pick up my monthly pack of LoEstrin 24 Fe two weeks ago, only to find out that the makers of LoEstrin 24 Fe discontinued the pills and are replacing it with Minastrin 24 Fe. (I am VERY disappointed to report that I was NEVER notified of the discontinuation, as my reproductive health care is apparently not a priority of my pharmacy or my doctor). My pharmacist says it's the same pill as it is made by the same company and contains the same amount of hormones in it, the only difference is that this pill is chewable. The pharmacist then proceeded to tell me that she would be happy to fill in the prescription for me expect that since she could not get a hold of my doctor to approve the Minastrin, I could not purchase it which caused me to start my pack late. I was supposed start the new pack on a Sunday at 9pm but did not start it until Monday morning at 10:40am when the pharmacist finally got a hold of my doctor (this would put me at taking the pill roughly 13 hours late). I then proceeded to take my normal dosage for Monday night at 9pm. When my boyfriend and I are sexually active we always use condoms and pull out, in addition to taking the pills but since I started my pack late, I'm very worried that my birth control pills aren't effective. I haven't been sexually active at all this month because I'm too nervous about an unplanned pregnancy. The pharmacist told me that as long as I double up on taking two pills on Monday (which is what I did) I should be fine and no additional contraceptive is needed but the nurse at my gyno's office says that the pills won't be effective for two weeks and that during that time I need to use another form of contraception. I don't know who to believe! Does anyone have any insight on this, or has anyone been through something like this while making the switch from LoEstrin 24 Fe to Minastrin 24 Fe? Is there a high possiblity that a pregnancy could occur if I decide to become sexually active this month, as I started the new pill pack late? Thanks for your help!

289 Replies (15 Pages)

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61

I started taking Loestrin and about threee months ago switched to minastrin. I haven't had any issues while taking the medicine. I completed the whole pack of pills this month and missed my period. I've had unprotected sex, but haven't missed a pill. So I'm wondering if I could possibly be pregnant? Or just happened to skip a period and if that is normal?

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62

I'm so glad I found this forum. I've been taking Minastrin 24 FE since October (when loestrin 24 was discontinued). I have not had a period since then. The first month I had some light spotting in the middle of the month, but I have had nothing since then. Out of sheer panic, I took a pregnancy test, and it came back negative. I have had increased headaches and fatigue, and very vivid dreams where I see something that seems real. I've also had swollen breasts and bloating. Any suggestions for switching pills?

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63

I am so happy I found this forum, I thought I was going insane. This is my fourth month on minastrin and hopefully my last. I am literally angry ALL THE TIME, and just starting this month I've been feeling depressed everyday which is not like me at all, I just want to cry all the time for no reason what so ever, (god bless my boyfriend for putting up with me). I've been outrageously bloated and experienced acid reflux to the point where I needed to have an endoscopy done. I have never had acid reflux a day in my life before I started this pill. Also my eyes have been getting blurry randomly since I've been on this pill, and I feel like I've had a constant yeast infection since I've started! This is by far the worst pill I have ever been on, if anyone has any suggestions for a replacement please let me know!

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64

Good news ladies -- looks like the exact generic of Loestrin 24 FE will be available in just a few short weeks!

finance.yahoo.com/news/generic-equivalent-loestrin-24-fe-221800092.html

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65

OMG!! That's great! I never had a chance to start Loesterin 24 Fe as it was already discontinued. I am wanting to try the generic though. Ministries was as close as i could get. Thanks for this amazing info!!!

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66

I was on loestrin and that was amazing I had no cramps no acne got my period on time and was light I switched to ministrin worst thing ever, since being on the pill I've called out of work frequently I've been on this new pill for almost 3 months now and by far this is the worst month severe cramps to where I can't even get out of bed I've taken most of the over the counter meds and nothing works, nausea and vomiting , acne, headaches , acid reflux , bloating and lots of gas, feeling full all the time , and high anxiety and crying all the time over nothing you should be crying about and yes I took 4 pregnancy tests and they all came back negative

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67

@Ashley

Iam so sorry!
I am affected more on the psychological level more than anything.
-Rage(extreme), violent outbursts, extreme lethargic depression and night terrors, spent 7 days in bed. Also the CRYING and ANXIETY extreme extreme IRRITABILITY. The noise of people's voices or even the TV NOISE sets me off.
Absolutely insane and cruel if this company to do this to us.
I did have PHYSICAL symptoms such as the ACID reflux, sweating at night,aching muscles and bones,headaches,Yeast infection, on and on.... I am so so so not myself. IT's scary.
I had to send in a letter of resignation to work so I feel you there girlfriend.
I'm 30 years old and Loestrine Was my miracle drug for the past 3 years.

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68

I am in my fifties and was started on Lo-estrin in September because of heavy bleeding. It worked, stopping the bleeding and I felt like a million bucks. Then the change to Minastren. I cry a lot, particular,y one week before My oeriod, my breasts increased a whole cup size and I have had clumps of hair falling out. My gynecologist said she hadn't heard of anything like this, but obviously, there has been a significant change in the way this new formulation of the drug is behaving in our bodies.

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69

Girls I just read that a GENERIC LOESTRIN 24 Fe will be coming soon!!!!! The name will be Lomedia 24 Fe. I just hope this is true. I hated Minastrin and now I am hating Generess. Here is the link: empr.com/generic-loestrin-24-fe-coming-soon/article/320120
I will pray for this to be true. I really need Loestrin 24 Fe back. Good luck with your treatments and never lose faith! Everything will be better

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70

I also switched from Loestrin 24 to this. I've had bad cramps since I started taking it. I started spotting the second week of second pack, then it went into a full period bleeding. I'm supposed to have my period now, and I'm STILL bleeding. I have to go back to gyno in a few weeks so I'm going to talk to my doctor about switching. How can someone be bleeding for this long?

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71

I found out about the switch when I went to refill it. Just as a friendly suggestion, ladies, go refill your Rx when you get to the brown pills. That way you have it on hand when you need it! I have a hard time feeling bad for late refills when you take this every day, every month and are using it for birth control- there's no surprise that you're running low.
As far as my review, I've noticed no change at all. I don't like chewing it, but it's a minor inconvenience(a sip of coffee, and I forgrt all about that).
This is still the best Pill I've used. I've tried everything out there having started the Pill 17yrs ago to control debilitating cramps. It's the only one that had NO side effects at all for me. I also love not getting a period at all and no spotting either. Good luck to everyone looking for an alternative- I commiserate with you since changing pills really sucks :(

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72

I am so glad I googled this issue. I was taking Loestrin for 7 years and having no issues. Periods were on time, minimal cramps, treating my ovarian cysts well, no acne, and no mood swings. I was also not told that my pills were switching to Minastrin. I just went into the pharmacy and was given a new pill which is a bit scary when you've been taking something for so long. I have been taking Minastrin for 4 months now and have had similar issues as the rest of you - irregular bleeding, late periods, missed periods, acne outbreak, etc. I even bought a pregnancy test thinking that I might be pregnant because it is messing with my cycle so much. Fortunately, I also heard that Loestrin should have a generic coming out shortly. I hope that everyone who has blogged has found comfort in knowing that, and is not experiencing symptoms that are making life too entirely uncomfortable.

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73

I was just prescribed Monastin 24 FE and haven't started taking it yet. How do you feel now that you've been on it for a bit. I haven't been on birth control pills for many years but due to fibroids I have heavy bleeding and due to perimenopause I have well.............horrible mood fluctuations. Anybody have any help for me?

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74

I would definitely ask your obgyn if they would be willing to prescribe something else to you in order to help. Like many of us have said on here, it just isn't what we're used to or what we'd like to be taking. Loestrin worked great for me and I am very glad that they are having a generic of it soon. Maybe you could just ask for some samples to take for a bit, and see how it works for you. If it works okay, then great. If not, maybe you could switch to the generic of Loestrin if it is out by then.

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75

I'm so glad to hear that not every single person is experiencing horrible symptoms on Minastrin. What I'm seeing is that most everyone is switching from LoEstrin. I actually just spoke to my doctor after reading all these negative reviews and told her I'm afraid to take it now. She reminded me that I have not been on birth control pills for over 10 years and that most of these reviews are from women that are switching pills not just beginning them after a very long time and that she feels fairly confident that because I will be taking them for perimenopause, that I may feel some great benefits just by adding a low dose of hormones back into my body. During perimenopause our bodies hormones are constantly fluctuating so trying the pill may even out some of the erratic mood swings and lack of libido. Dear GOD I hope so because if these pills make me worse, I may next be writing from jail because I will have killed some poor unsuspecting stranger.........or family member! I'm willing to try anything at this point because I have been so miserable the last couple of years.

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76

You could ask her about Lomedia if you're at all worried. Lomedia offers the same benefits as Loestrin and is a low hormone for people who aren't just using birth control as a form of protection. Lomedia is the generic for Loestrin and is reported to be hitting the market this week. Most of us are people who have taken something and had to switch to Minastrin; however, I have read several case studies and reports of complications for women who are just beginning it as well. Like most things, our bodies tend to react to foreign substances. If you body doesn't know what it's coming in contact with, it wants to react somehow. So that is what's happening to most of us. I just know from experience that Loestrin was a great, safe brand of an oral contraceptive that works. I hope Minastrin works for you. If not, keep in mind everything that you've heard.

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77

I got a prescription for loestrin 24 around Nov 2013 to help with my periods that had started going over 7 days. The one before I saw the gyno was 10 days. I got to the pharmacy to find out that they don't make it, so had to call the dr to get a script for minastrin 24. I look it up to see that it has to be chewed with 8oz of water... I can't drink that much water EVER. I tried for the first month, and had a 4 day period. About halfway through the second pack, i got lazy and just chewed it with a sip of coffee. Started spotting 4 days before the placebos. I have been calling Amneal to see when Lomedia will be in pharmacies, and all they know is it's being shipped. Oh I've been a 34 full D all my life (years on and off bc never changed) , and my bra cups are loose now. Does anyone know if I could take any monophasic pill like aviane for example, and add 4 active pills to make my own 24 day non chewable pill? Does anyone know of a reason why it wouldn't be the same thing? Did anyone experience boob shrinking on Minastrin that didn't occur with loestrin 24? I'm just wondering if it's the chewable form causing it, or the specific hormone.

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78

Hey Rhonda. I called my obgyn because I had noticed that Minastrin said to chew the tablets; however, you can actually swallow them and they work the same as other pills. I was a little concerned because I was worried it wouldn't be as effective, but to my knowledge, they are. I've been swallowing mine and still have had horrible symptoms. I know someone who works with pharmacies and stuff who is a reliable source, and says that Lomedia should be out this month sometime. All articles and updates that I've read make it seem like they're arriving this week, but you know how new products can be sometimes. I would definitely take into consideration what you've read from others, along with what your doctor has told you. I did not experience a breast decrease or anything, but just about everything else that could go wrong has gone wrong. I actually contacted my ob earlier this afternoon to see if she knows of any news about Lomedia. Pending I hear something, I will update my post with any news. Good luck to you.

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79

I can't figure out how to edit my post. Nov is the wrong date, I'm at the end of the 3rd pack, and I meant can I add 3 pills to any monophasic? Like copying a minastrin pack. Really bad day today, also dealing with side effects from trying to regulate my disabled daughter's period. If I can figure this out, maybe I can help her more. (just switched her from junel to sprintec because of super heavy breakthrough) Not fun.

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80

Thank You Sarah! Will watch for an update.

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