There are a number of contraceptives available to couples here in the Philippines depending on their need and preference. Among women, the most popular form is oral contraceptive pills.
One favorite among Filipinas because of its price point is Trust contraceptive pills. But before you go ahead and try it, read on to see if this contraceptive is suitable for you.
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What you need to know about Trust contraceptive pills
For women, taking oral contraceptive pills is the best form of birth control because they can count on its 99% efficacy just as long as they take it religiously.
However, birth control pills can be expensive (around P500 to P1000 per pack).
Here in the Philippines, there’s one brand that gives Filipinas the chance to use oral contraceptive pills without the hefty price – Trust contraceptive pills.
According to its website, Trust is a form of combination pills that contains Ethinylestradiol (estrogen) and Levonorgestrel (a progestin).
Estrogen and progestin are two female sex hormones that when combined, work together to keep the ovaries from releasing eggs. It also changes the lining of the uterus to prevent pregnancy from developing, as well as the mucus to prevent sperm from entering the fallopian tube, thus, no fertilization takes place.
21 yellow pills from one pack contain the combination of estrogen and progestin, while the seven brown ones contain Ferrous fumarate, an Iron supplement that prevents low blood levels of Iron or Anemia, which is helpful in regulating one’s menstrual flow.
Trust contraceptive pills are indicated for contraception and treatment of menstrual disorders such as dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and menorrhagia.
One pack of these contraceptive pills (to be taken for 28 days) cost around P50 to P55.
Image from Unsplash
What are the benefits of taking Trust contraceptive pills?
Aside from contraception, here are some of the benefits of taking combination pills like Trust:
- Lowers risks of ovarian and endometrial cancer, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, and benign breast disease.
- Clears acne
- Less severe menstrual cramps from dysmenorrhea
- Helps reduce migraines caused by the drop in estrogen
- Reduces production of androgen (brought about by polycystic ovarian syndrome)
- Regulates menstrual cycle leading to shorter, lighter, and more predictable menstruation
- Controllable monthly cycle with fewer hot flashes for those nearing menopause
- Reduces heavy menstrual bleeding from uterine fibroids and lessens the risk of iron-deficiency anemia
Image from MIMS
Trust contraceptive pills – side effects and contraindications
Like any other combination pills, taking Trust pills also come with some disadvantage. Here are some common side effects that you may experience:
- Breakthrough bleeding or spotting
- Breast tenderness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- High blood pressure
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Hair growth in unusual places
- Lack of appetite for sex
However, these side effects lessen or go away within a month of taking the pills and having them acclimatize to your body.
Combination of birth control pills like Trust also increases the risks of the following conditions:
- Blood clots on the legs
- Heart attack & stroke especially for smokers
- Liver disorders
- Gallbladder disease
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience the following symptoms after taking the pills:
- Abdominal pain
- Breast lump
- Chest pains
- Depression
- Difficulty speaking
- Extreme tiredness or lack of energy
- Eye problems like blurred or double vision, or loss of vision
- Fainting
- Fever
- Jaundice
- Severe mood swings
- Severe headache
- Seizures
- Severe allergic skin rash
- Severe leg pain
- Swelling of hands, feet, ankles or lower leg
- Two missed periods or signs of pregnancy
What to remember before taking it
Before starting on Trust contraceptive pills or any form of birth control, it’s best to ask your doctor for her recommendation and a prescription.
She would need to check your medical history or if you have any pre-existing conditions to determine if combination pills is the right birth control method for you.
Combination pills are not for everyone. Your doctor might suggest going on a different direction if you are any of the following:
- Are breastfeeding (the doctor would recommend progestin only pills that are safe for breastfeeding moms)
- Are 35-years old and above
- Have a history of high blood pressure
- History of or current deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism
- Have a history of stroke, heart disease or breast cancer
- Experience having migraines with aura (flashes of light or vision changes)
- Have diabetes-related complications, such as nephropathy, retinopathy or neuropathy
- Has a liver disease
- Have unexplained uterine bleeding
How to take Trust Pills
While it’s affordable and available in most drugstores, one would need a prescription before buying Trust pills.
Image from MIMS
A pack of Trust pills have 28 tablets. For first-time users, drink the first pill on the first day of your period and continue for 21 days. This is followed by the 7 brown tablets that you would drink every day.
Generally, bleeding is experienced after taking the third of the 7 brown tablets.
It is essential to take the 7 brown tablets because these contain the ferrous fumarate which will help regulate menstrual flow.
After finishing a pack, start with a new one immediately even if you’re on your period or not. This is to make sure you would not get pregnant.
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What to do if I miss a pill?
Like other birth control pills, the protection from pregnancy weakens if the user does not take the pill regularly. It’s best to take the pill at the same time every day to establish a routine and keep you from missing it.
If you miss an active (yellow) pill, take it as soon as you remember — even if it means taking two active pills in the same day, then take the rest of the pack as usual.
If you miss more than one active pill, take the most recently missed pill as soon as you remember and discard the other pills you missed. Resume taking the next scheduled pill and either abstain from sex or use a backup contraception (like condoms) for the next seven days.
Count the pills left in the pack. If there’s only one to six active pills left, finish all the remaining active pills and discard all brown pills. After that, start a new pack and abstain from sex or use backup protection for the next seven days.
If there are more than seven pills left, take the rest of the pills including the seven brown ones and start the next pack immediately after that.
Trust contraceptive pills – is it for you?
Oral contraceptive pills like Trust promise over 99 percent effective if used accurately and taken religiously.
If you’re the type of person who can stick to a schedule (especially when it comes to taking pills) and is great at following instructions, then this form of contraceptive is for you.
But if you’re a forgetful one and you think you’ll have a problem remembering to take a pill at a certain time, then you might want to explore a different birth control method.
The key to achieving the benefits of Trust pills is consistency. Always remember to take one each day (that’s what the numbers on the back are for), note if you have missed a pill, and follow the instructions. Always have your next pack ready before you finish the last one.
Most of all, consult with your doctor or OB-gyne before thinking about starting a pack so that she can guide you with the proper way of taking these oral contraceptives.
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. TheAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.
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