Birth Control Pill ratios! I did it! LOL

[Guest guest]

Ok---I thought I would find out about his E:P (estrogen/progesterone)

ratio that Dr. Vliet talks about and how Ovcon 35 is the best for

ratio. I wanted to compare the others.

First--I converted all the forms of progestin to the Norethindrone

that Ovcon has and this is the progestin that is used as the basis

for comparing others. There is a site that shows the strength

comparison to Norethindrone:

Norethindrone 1.0

Norethindrone Acitate 1.2

Norgestimate 1.3

Ethynodiol Diacetate 1.4

dl-Norgestimate 2.6

levenorgestral 5.3

desogestrel 9.0

Norethindrone has the LEAST amt of progestin activity. Any pill with

desogestrel will have more progestin activity.

The top 3 for testosterone activity (libido improvment) is:

Norgestimate

Norethindrone

Norethindrone Acetate

in that order

Ok--then I changed mcg of the estrogens to mg since progestins are in

mg. I multiplied it by 10 so a 30mcg pill is 3.0mg

Now for the ratio. To get this I divided the estrogen by progestin

Example: Ovcon 35 3.5 mg ethinyl estradiol .4 norethindrone.

3.5 divided by .4 = 8.75 so the ratio is 8.75 : 1

estrogen/progestin

Here is the completed list in order of best ratio to least:

Ortho Cyclen 10.5 : 1

Ovcon 35 8.75 : 1

Brevicon 7 : 1

Modicon

Aleese 4 : 1

Levlite

Levlen 3.75 : 1

Levora

Nordette

Lo/Ovral

Necon 3.5 : 1

Norethin

Norinyl 1/35

Ortho-Novum 1/35

Demulen 2.5 : 1

Zovia

Desogen 2.2 : 1

Ortho-Cept

Loestrin 1.5/30 2 : 1

Mircette 1.5 : 1

It looks like Ortho-Cyclen is better than Ovcon 35 but remember is

even lower in progestin so if break through bleeding is a problem,

don't try it. Go to the lower ratio to break through bleeding.

Just wanted to help clear things up for those of us confused by all

the BC pill talk lately.

Dr. Vliet said higher progestin ratio is worse for vulvodynia.

Lynn

[Guest guest]

Hi, Lynn! I just printed that out! Thanks a

bunch. You must have spent a lot of time on that!

Suzy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

One quickie, Lynn. A microgram (mcg) is smaller than

a milligram (mg). A microgram is 1 millionth of a

gram, while a milligram is 1 thousandth of a gram. So

to get miligrams from micrograms, you would divide,

not multiply - right? It actually doesn't affect your

conclusions, though, because you were looking for a

rank order, and the rankings would be the same, even

if the actual numbers were of a smaller magnitude.

Here's what rxlist.com says about Modicon, as one

example:

" Modicon: Each white tablet contains 0.5 mg of

norethindrone and 0.035 mg of ethinyl estradiol. "

So the E/P ratio for Modicon is .07 (.035 divided by

0.5), not 7.

Jeez, I must be extra anal-retentive today. LOL

Suzy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

> Hi, Lynn! I just printed that out! Thanks a

> bunch. You must have spent a lot of time on that!

>

> Suzy

>

>

>

Not really --AND my hubby said I converted from mcg to mg wrong!! :-(

BUT the ratio's will stay the same--just different numbers I think.

I times the mcg by 10 to get mg---anyone out there know if that was

wrong or what?? Hubby isn't always right (he doesn't know that yet!

LOL)

Lynn

[Guest guest]

> One quickie, Lynn. A microgram (mcg) is smaller than

> a milligram (mg). A microgram is 1 millionth of a

> gram, while a milligram is 1 thousandth of a gram. So

> to get miligrams from micrograms, you would divide,

> not multiply - right? It actually doesn't affect your

> conclusions, though, because you were looking for a

> rank order, and the rankings would be the same, even

> if the actual numbers were of a smaller magnitude.

> Here's what rxlist.com says about Modicon, as one

> example:

>

> " Modicon: Each white tablet contains 0.5 mg of

> norethindrone and 0.035 mg of ethinyl estradiol. "

>

> So the E/P ratio for Modicon is .07 (.035 divided by

> 0.5), not 7.

>

> Jeez, I must be extra anal-retentive today. LOL

>

> Suzy

>

>

I just wrote about that little slip up!! DARN, hubby is right!!!

I hate that!!

The rank is the same he said--just different numbers.

Just remember to always convert the progestin to the norethindrone to

get the " norethindrone equivalant " as this is the one they are based

on for strength.

When I asked for Ovcon 35 yesterday my MD said it was TOO much

estrogen for perimenopause. Since 3 docs have said NO vulvodynia and

only 1 said " maybe but how do you know for sure " , he said the

progestin won't matter. He said since a recent try at estrogen had a

positive effect on my burning (bladder irritation, urethral pain (no

burn just an ache) and anal burning, I probably have atrophy. No one

has ever taken me serious on that since my age (39 soon to be 40).

I have too many other low estrogen symptoms to NOT be peri. I have

skipped 2 periods in the last 4 months! I had a bone density (whole

body) done and I show strong spine and one hip but the right hip is

showing a decline already!

We shall see---I am going to ANOTHER gyno 2.5 hours away since I was

" kicked out " of my current gynos with orders to not return. I go

Monday. I have all my papers and the current med which I haven't

started yet. The MD gave me CombiPatch which is .05 estradiol/.14

norethindrone acetate and it's a patch. Use that day 24-28 then stop.

Use Estrace INTERNALLY day 1-14 2gms a day but I think I will use

1gm every few days.

Then again, this new gyno may say to change the whole shabang. I

tried BiEst natural estrogens but it was too inconsitant. Compounded

meds are not as standardized when made so you can have more in one

capsule and less in another.

My burning is getting worse while I wait though since I am on nothing

right now.

Thanks for fixing the numbers!

Lynn

[Guest guest]

Wow thanks Lynn, you are a math wiz!

I knew there must be a reason why I feel so great now that I am on

Ortho-Cyclen...and terrible when I was on Alesse.

thanks again,

[Guest guest]

> Wow thanks Lynn, you are a math wiz!

> I knew there must be a reason why I feel so great now that I am on

> Ortho-Cyclen...and terrible when I was on Alesse.

> thanks again,

>

Hey !! Haven't seen you for a while.

Did you have any breakthru bleeding on the Ortho Cyclen? The

progestin is the lowest on that pill so I wondered.

Lynn

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn,

Yes I have been working alot lately and not able to visit the lists

as much. Hopefully things will ease up at the office and I can post

more now : )

I don't have any breakthrough bleeding problems on the Ortho-Cyclen.

I *was* having a lot of breakthrough bleeding right after I started

the hormone (LH and estradiol) desensitization drops and was on Ortho-

*Tri*cyclen. I was bleeding two weeks out of the month. Within a few

months of switching the breakthrough bleeding went away and I started

feeling really good, falling asleep faster, skin clearing up, glowing

actually, less anxiety...I could go on and on. The bleeding stopping

may have been a result of going to a monophasic pill rather than a

tricyclic pill, but I didn't feel nearly as good on the Tricyclen as

I do on the regulr Cyclen. Just to put this in a frame of reference

all, I am only 26! Nowhere near perimenopausal, yet seemed to be low

on estrogen because of the hormone allergy, and feeling great now

that I am on a pill with high estrogen to progestin ratio and

treating my hormone allergies.

Good luck with the hormone replacement Lynn, it sounds like you are

having positive results so far. Keep us updated.

in SF

> Hey !! Haven't seen you for a while.

>

> Did you have any breakthru bleeding on the Ortho Cyclen? The

> progestin is the lowest on that pill so I wondered.

>

> Lynn