Hi everyone, I have been on Loestrin fe for 8 months and I am 45 ...

Hi everyone, I have been on Loestrin fe for 8 months and I am 45 years old - taking the pill again after a four year absence. I have found that all of the posted side effects are true - but are greatly minimized by taking the pill EXACTLY at the same time every day.... if you are off by even a half hour you WILL have breakthrough bleeding - sometimes with clots and with drawl-like headaches... my gyn says no way - but I actually tested my own theory this month - much to my regret - I am right... I am ready to quit as I am at the end of my rope. Fortunately for me my blood count has come back into the normal range after the last two years of horrific bleeding every 11-26 days without a break. I am going to go off next month - and I may have RESET MY SYSTEM so to speak - if no I will take a hysterectomy please... straight up with a tummy tuck to match!!!!!!!!!!!! Please email me if you ever want to discuss - I am a nurse anesthetist and have a great deal of sympathy for all of you out there. I am not sure if this drug is a bad one - but I think it is so low dose that timing must be precise for it to work properly. I have stayed on it only to reduce the bleeding (perimenopausal/estrogen dominant I am sure) twice a month periods that last 7-8 days. It has worked for me in that regard - but the first 7 months were plagued by horrific (and I mean really bad) right sided headaches that scared me. I had relief from NSaids (Motrin) so I almost overdosed on that stuff. Not good. My next strategy is to do saliva testing for cyclic hormones OFF the pill to see what kind of hormonal swings I really am having - and to adapt a more natural approach - possible progesterone cream to alleviate the misery of it all.... Much Love, Ellen M