I started Loestrin24 Fe about 3 weeks ago. My gyn gave me two packs to take back-to-back to prevent my painful period during my vacation.
I've got my fingers crossed that my body doesn't rebel and decide to have a period on time despite the BCPs. It would have come this Thursday or Friday if I hadn't intervened, so I'm not out of the woods yet.
Loestrin24 was introduced in early 2006, and is supposed to make your period shorter and lighter because you take 24 active pills and 4 placebos. When you take more active pills, over time, it thins the lining of your uterus. It may take up to 6 months for the shorter, lighter periods to begin. They are supposed to be good for women in perimenopause to control unpredictable periods (often too close together) and bleeding for too long.
They have the lowest estrogen available in a BCP (unless you take a progesterone only pill). Be sure to take the pill at the same time everyday. It is so low in estrogen that if you miss a pill or take it at a different time, you might have breakthrough bleeding.
Breast cancer runs in my family, and I'm not sure I should be taking any estrogen, but I could not have functioned during my vacation otherwise. However, I've been tempted to continue taking it for awhile because I've noticed it has gotten rid of the morning soreness in my lower back and hips. I thought I was getting arthritis, but maybe it was lack of estrogen. I'm also very tempted by shorter, lighter periods. I've had painful cramps accompanied by IBS-like symptoms my entire life!
Now as to how they've affected me. I had a major upper back ache the first day and was pretty tired & queasy the first few days, but nothing to keep me from functioning. I also woke up a couple of hours early for at least a week.
Tomorrow will mark 3 weeks taking the pills. My breasts have been sore for about a week, and my uterus has been feeling vaguely crampy like I have PMS. Everything I read tells me that these are all normal symptoms of getting used to the hormones, and usually will go away by the 2nd or 3rd month.
So far they haven't raised my BP, and that was my fear since I am on blood pressure medicine. I think I've noticed a little more swelling than usual in my ankles, but I'm not having any swelling in my fingers, so water retention is minimal.
I had some very slight spotting this past Sunday. I think it might be related to very little sleep on Friday night, and maybe my hormones dropped out.
Yaz, by the maker of Yasmin, is another new pill that works like Loestrin24. The Loestrin manufacturer has sued the Yaz manufacturer because they say they have a patent on the 24 day formula. Yaz has a different type of progesterone that does not have any androgenic properties (won't raise your testosterone). The progersterone in Loestrin is a little androgenic. There is a link at the top of this board that tells you the different androgen levels of the progesterones.
This was my original post when I first started taking them 3 weeks ago.
Loestrin24 Fe
Loestrin 24 
