Loestrin24 Fe

JosieFB · 06-02-2006, 12:43 AM

I posted a little of this on the Do You Have This Problem board, but thought it might be helpful here too. I needed something to prevent my painful period and the IBS-like symptoms that come along with it from messing up my vacation at the end of June. I called my gyn's office, and the nurse tried to tell me there was nothing to be done, but at my insistance made me an appointment with the nurse practioner. The NP suggested two straight packs of BCP. I haven't been on BCPs for 10 years, but had been reading up on what those of you on this board have posted about all the different kinds. I asked about low estrogen because of my family history of breast cancer.

The NP gave me two sample packs of Loestrin24 Fe. It was just approved by the FDA this year. It has 24 active pills instead of 21, so you should only have a 3 or 4 day period. It is recommended for anyone who needs a low estrogen BCP, and for women in perimenopause who are having hormone swings that cause hot flashes, night sweats and/or have long, heavy periods.

You should take it at exactly the same time each day to lower the risk of breakthrough bleeding that low estrogen pills can cause. Skipping a day or not taking it at the same time can also cause ovulation quicker than some of the more potent BCPs. The lower estrogen may also make it more androgenic, and it may cause hirsutism, so I hope mine won't get worse in just two months.

Most of the people who have tried it on this and other boards had very few side effects. I did run across a few who had nausea or breakthrough bleeding, and one who had to stop because it raised her BP.

I took my first pill last night before bed. I woke up about 90 minutes early this morning, and that is very odd for me. I did manage to go back to sleep though! Today I have been very tired, fuzzy, and my upper back is aching. Sometimes my upper back aches like that about a week before my period. So far no nausea. I took triphasic pills about 15 years ago, and had nausea every month after taking the first pill where the hormones were increased. After about 4 months, the doc switched me to monophasic, and I never had problems with them. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that in 24 days the BCP side effects won't be worse than AF!

guineapig · 06-02-2006, 10:22 PM

Just wanted to throw in that less estrogen is not always androgenic. Rats that had excess amounts of unbalanced estrogen rubbed on them (or pills, I forget which) lost their hair. When they were given aromatase inhibitors (like Letrozole, stops production of estrogen in body) they grew hair back. IMO too much estrogen (or unopposed estrogen in the tricyclic pills or HRT) is androgenic...I was always bloated & batty & acne-fied on the tricyclics myself.

YAZ has the same progestin as Yasmin (direspoinine or something?) and a lot less estrogen: 20 mcg vs Yasmin's full 35. I think it has 24 active pills also, probably shorter AF. So if the Loestrin24 doesn't work out, maybe YAZ would?

JosieFB · 06-02-2006, 11:02 PM

Thanks for the info on YAZ. I think it is a competing product with Loestrin24. Both have 24 active pills. YAZ has the same amount of estrogen as Loestrin24, but it has a different kind of progesterone. According to http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm, Drospirenone is the progesterone in YAZ, and it is the least androgenic of them all. Norethrindrone acetate is the progesterone in Loestrin24 and the other Loestrins, and it is slightly more androgenic.

Per http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm :

The pills that are likely to cause worse acne and hair growth side effects are those pills high in androgenicity and low in estrogen content. Such pills might include:

Loestrin® 1.5/30
Loestrin® 1/20 Fe
Estrostep® Fe
Levlen®
Alesse®
Ovral®
Norlestrin® 1/50
Keep in mind that MOST women on these above pills DO NOT have acne problems, just those that have a tendency toward androgenicity.