Loestrin 24 & constipation

**Sadiebug** · 11-28-2009 11:49 PM

Hey ya'll!

New to the site but am experiencing a bit of a health crisis this week so thought I'd pop in.

My problem? I became EXTREMELY constipated this past week to the point where I couldn't even urinate. I ended up in the ER and was told the likely culprit was the iron pills in my Loestrin 24 pack. (I just finished them on Sunday, as of this past Tuesday I hadn't gone in 6 days and was in physical pain) It's been almost 5 days since I was treated at the ER and I'm STILL not having a bowel movement or urinating without the help of medical devices. Let me tell you, having to catheter yourself every time you need to pee can suckerpunch your dating life right in the gut.

Has anyone else ever experienced this with this pill? Aside from this side effect (I've only been on it for 3 months) I love this pill so I really don't want to switch. The ER doctor told me if I took colace or miralax every time I got to the iron pill part of my pack, I should be ok. But now the constipation has messed up my system so badly I'm going to have to go to the urologist and GI doc to try to get everything regulated again. Has anyone else ever gone through this and if so, did you stay on Loestrin or switch pills? How long did it take you to get your system functioning normally again?

Whew. Long post. Any insight is appreciated!!

**mom30** · 11-29-2009 09:18 AM

Have you talked to your doctor about skipping the iron pills? I don't mean going straight to a new pack (unless that's something you'd want), but simply not taking the iron pills for those 4 days and then starting your new pack. If the iron pills are causing you such problems for those days, then that would seem like the logical thing to do. Or, perhaps switching you to regular Loestrin, that doesn't have the iron pills.

**rdk2008** · 11-29-2009 06:17 PM

I started loestrin back in june and i'm getting crazy side effects as well..
I've had like 4 yeast infection since then && never had one before starting the pill. I have become very emotionally unstable and i cry at the drop of a hat. && I was also constipated and still are from time to time, where as before getting on the pill I never had a problem with going to the bathroom.

**Mes T** · 11-29-2009 06:48 PM

Wow. Switch pills!! All birth control pills are "lovely" for the same reasons (i.e., light periods, protection, etc), it's just the side effects that differ. There's absolutely no reason to be attached to THIS pill in favor of countless others out there. Also, consider a non-hormonal IUD if you haven't already.

And whatever you do, stay away from yaz.

**Beautiful Disaster** · 11-30-2009 03:21 PM

Id give up sex before I gave up my ability to urinate and have bowel movements. No sex, no man is worth your health.

I was on Loestrin 24FE for 3 months. Very irritable, zero sex drive, no periods. I switched. I think mild constipation is fairly common in women right before period time, but not constipation to that extreme, and not cathetarization to urinate.

Talk to your gyno. Get off that pill.

Side effects that extreme, not normal. Good luck!

**Fish** · 12-01-2009 07:32 AM

It sounds like the side effect you are experiencing is from the iron pills. Why can't you just skip them? Throw the iron pill away at the time you would normally take your pill and you'll stay on track. I don't see a point to changing pills if you have no side effects from the actual active pills. I'm on Loestrin (first month) and I love it too so far so I can see why you wouldn't want to switch.

**morean2929** · 03-13-2010 11:32 PM

im new to these pills and i started my pill on a sunday after my period.. its been two days since i took the pill and i had unprotected sex... How will that effect me? will i get pregnant? what should i do?

**CHANDLERS WISH** · 03-14-2010 12:04 AM

Hi morean,

Your best to start your own thread, when you have a problem, not post the same thing on various threads.

You are meant to wait a month, before un-protected sex, after your next period but given that you just had your period, you should be safe.

But, don't have any further un-protected sex until you have had your next period....

Also, your period may be a tad late because you've just started the pill, so don't stress on that note.

Let us know how you go.

Welcome to the Forum.

CW