If you're a Modern Girl, you're always on the hunt for tips and tricks to help you succeed. That's why Ortho Women's Health & Urology™, Division of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and maker of ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO (norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol), has asked Modern Girl expert Jane Buckingham* for her Top 10 Count on Me Tips to help you improve your relationships and your health!
According to Jane, Modern Girls are returning to core values like reliability, especially in their personal relationships. They also want to take charge of their health and their bodies, and seek out information about the health issues that are important to them – including their birth control pill.
To get more out of your relationships and your health, try a tip or two from Jane's Top 10 Count on Me Tips:
- Buddy up to exercise and have fun – You'll get fit, together! Exercise can be boring, but there are some great new classes, like spin boxing, that can add diversity to your routine and allow you to have fun with your friends. You can keep each other on track to meet your goals, while getting in some one-on-one time.
- “B” healthy during that time of the month – Need help relieving premenstrual cravings, fatigue, mood swings, fluid retention, and bloating? Try Vitamin B6, which can be taken in supplements, and by eating fish, eggs, nuts, bananas, potatoes, and the white meat of turkey and chicken.
- Take the Pill at the same time every day – When your healthcare professional tells you that the Pill is 99.9% effective when taken at the same time every day, that's exactly what he or she means, every day, at the same time. Many women take their Pill in the morning, but some find it easier to take it at night. For example, if you don't have a regular morning routine, you can still remember to take the Pill before your head hits the pillow each night.
- Make H2O a constant companion – Drinking 8 glasses of water a day will not only improve your skin and help move toxins out of your body, but it can also help you eat less by keeping you fuller. Although it may sound strange, drinking water actually causes the body to release excess fluid, helping to relieve bloating.
- Don't eat alone – Some of my best relationship-building time gets squeezed in over lunch with a friend, or a quiet dinner with my husband. It is a quick and easy way to catch up with those you care about, even if you're grabbing takeout together! If you view eating as a social occasion, you'll also take a little more time over your food. Give it 20 minutes – that's the time it takes to fully digest your meal – and you'll find that cravings may pass, and you're eating less.
- Bring back ladies night – Enjoy a night out. You deserve it! Modern Girls need their girlfriends. Sometimes, we forget to feed our friendships, which is why I like to schedule some quality female bonding time at least once a month. Pick whatever you fancy – dinner, movies, books, yoga – and make it a date, with your best friends.
- Don't forget your partner – If you've been in a relationship for a while and it feels like you're taking it for granted, invite your partner on a date! No matter how crazy life gets, we need to show our partners that we are still willing to put in the effort to keep the relationship exciting and new. I love to get my hair done or put on a new dress and hit the town with my husband. It really helps to look forward to alone time when I am traveling, or busy with work.
- Create a health checklist – Remember those health issues or concerns you brushed aside last year, maybe because you were embarrassed or didn't know how to talk about them? This year, address these concerns by creating a written list to take to appointments so you don't forget to bring them up. Web sites like www.thepill.com offer tools to help you do this, as well as other ways to help voice your health concerns in an empowering manner.
- Adopt the 5-second rule in your relationships – Remember the saying “If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all?” Easier said than done when a friend, family member, or partner comes to you for honest advice. Don't be so quick to respond with your opinion when asked. Instead, wait 5 seconds and think about how this person will receive what you are saying. If it is going to hurt their feelings, you may want to edit your response. This applies to e-mail, text, and in-person interactions.
- Make your daily planners work harder – Not only will you be able to map out appointments and get there on time, but you can see who is relying on you each day. I love to check my planner each night so I can prepare for the next day, appropriately set my alarm, and start my day right!
Important Safety Information
Serious as well as minor side effects have been reported with the use of oral contraceptives. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke and heart attacks, and are increased if you smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially if you are over 35. Women who use oral contraceptives are strongly advised not to smoke. Some women should not use the Pill, including women who have blood clots, certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as those who are or may be pregnant. The Pill does not protect against HIV or sexually transmitted diseases.
Visit www.thepill.com for full Product Information.
* Ms. Buckingham is a paid consultant for Ortho Women's Health & Urology™.
What is ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO?
- ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO is a prescription oral contraceptive used for the prevention of pregnancy.
- ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO does not protect against HIV (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases.
- ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO is not indicated for use in emergency contraception.
What is the most important information I should know about ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO?
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from hormonal contraceptive use. This risk increases with age, with heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes per day) and in women over 35 years of age. Women who use hormonal contraceptives are strongly advised not to smoke.
Who should not use ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO?
You should not use ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant or if you have any of the following conditions:
A history of heart attack or stroke, blood clots in the legs, lungs, or eyes, a history of blood clots in the deep veins of your legs, chest pain, known or suspected breast cancer or cancer of the lining of the uterus, cervix or vagina, unexplained vaginal bleeding (until your doctor reaches a diagnosis), yellowing of the whites of your eyes or of the skin (jaundice) during pregnancy or during previous use of hormonal contraceptives, liver tumor (benign or cancerous), or if you plan to have surgery with prolonged bed rest.
Tell your healthcare professional if you have ever had any of these conditions, he/she can recommend a safer method of birth control.
What are the possible side effects of ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO?
- Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting. If bleeding occurs in more than one cycle or lasts for more than a few days call your healthcare professional
- Problems wearing contact lenses such as change in vision or inability to wear your lenses. If these occur, contact your healthcare professional
- Fluid retention with swelling of the fingers or ankles and may raise your blood pressure. Contact your healthcare professional if you experience fluid retention.
- Spotty darkening of the skin (particularly the face). This may persist after you stop using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO
- Other side effects include nausea and vomiting, change in appetite, headache, nervousness, depression, dizziness, loss of scalp hair, vaginal infections and allergic reactions.
Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of these side effects while you are using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO:
Sharp chest pain, coughing blood or sudden shortness of breath, pain in the calf, crushing chest pain or tightness in the chest, sudden, severe, headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, disturbances of vision or speech, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, sudden or complete loss of vision, breast lumps, severe pain or tenderness in the stomach area, difficulty in sleeping, weakness, lack of energy, fatigue or change in mood, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eye along with fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, dark-colored urine or light-colored bowel movements.
What should I tell my healthcare professional before using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO?
- Tell your healthcare professional if you: Smoke, are breast-feeding, or are taking any other medications.
- Also, tell your healthcare professional if you have or have had:
Breast nodules, fibrocystic disease of the breast, an abnormal breast x-ray or mammogram, a family history of breast cancer, diabetes, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, high blood pressure, migraine or other headaches or epilepsy, depression, gallbladder, liver, heart or kidney disease, history of light or irregular menstrual periods. - Tell your healthcare professional about all of the medicines you are taking, before starting and while you are using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, herbal and dietary supplements such as:
Barbiturates, bosentan, carbamazepine, phenybutazone, drugs used to treat HIV or AIDS, antibiotics, phenytoin, rifampin, topiramate, St. John’s Wort (a herbal supplement). - Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure if any of your medicines are listed above.
These medicines/herbal supplements may make your contraceptive less effective and you may need to use a barrier contraceptive when you take these drugs or products.
Also, tell your healthcare professional if you take lamotrigine (LAMICTAL®), an anticonvulsant used for epilepsy. This may increase the risk of seizures so your healthcare professional may need to adjust the dose.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see the Detailed Patient Labeling from the full Product Information.
Capitalized product names are registered trademarks of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
