can i smoke whislt on the pill 'Dianette'?

[snow_white18]

Im going on holiday and i like to smoke while im away.. but this holiday is different cause im now on the pill 'Dianette' and im not sure if smoking will effect anything if i do??

[stonekicker]

smoking while on the pill (google this - or read the instruction manual that comes with the tablets - that's what its for!) increases the risk of:

high blood pressure, so therefore strokes, circulation problems, varicose veins, thrombosis, aneurisms (burst blood vessels/arteries etc.), heart disease etc

some studies also say smoking lowers oestrogen levels, so makes the pill less effective (i.e. the pill is 97-99% effective against pregnancy, so smoking may lower this rate)

smokers also reportedly have heavier and more painful periods

on a lighter note - its all down to the individual. you may or may not develop these problems and it is all down to risk perception. you could be perfectly healthy and not smoke, take the pill and still develop these issues. millions of women take the pill (i do and i smoke) and it is a good contraception to use.

for me, i'd rather smoke, take the risk and not have a baby (the pill is the only method of contraception i can reliably and comfortably use and have done for 10 years now) - if i got pregnant again i think it would be about the worst thing that could happen! as long as you are aware of the issues you can make an informed choice about what you want to do. just be prepared for your gp/nurse to nag you about smoking every time they see you if you tell them!

have a nice holiday!

[Velvetee]

Yes you can smoke whilst on Dianette, but you will be at more risk of deep vein thrombosis and may die as a result.

[China Doll]

I've used dianette and did smoke while I was on it. It certainly didn 't effect how good a contraceptive it was although that wasn't the only reason I was taking it and I didn't think it was given out as just a contraceptive.... Anyway, as I said, it did the job but obviously you run the risk of much worse side effects as already stated.

[lajohn]

of course you can. i imagine you're over 16.
who's to stop you anyway.

[~max~]

Lajohn, I don't think she was using "Can I" as in "Is it physically possible".....

It is not recommended, as it increases the risk of DVT especially, and some other things as stated above.