I have heard many women talking about the difference between monophase pills and triphase pills...honestly this confuses me. I have never heard of that before. How do you tell which one you are on? I am on loestrin 24 fe and I was wondering how I would find out which one it is? Also which is better as far as side effects and long term usage...tri or mono?

Ok, usually the way you can tell if your mono, bi, or triphasic, is how many different colors there are pill wise. Take Ortho TriCyclen - it has four colors (or the generic i had did) Light blue, medium blue, dark blue, and green. Each different blue represented a different level of hormones in the pill, to somewhat mimic the natural fluctuation of the hormones in your body. Mono only will have two colors, one for the three weeks on, and one for the week off, and bi would have three. As for the kind you're on, i honestly have no clue...sorry about that. Side effects wise, i don't know. Supposedly, monophasic are better for people over 150lbs., because they produce more natural estrogen...or something like that, im still working on understanding that part. It really depends on your body type...I couldn't handle Orth Tri-Cyclen, into the second week, right after the increase in hormones, i hurt sooo bad all over, i was constantly crying, freaking everyone out, and i though i had gotten a liver cyst/tumor because i started having this killer side pain right after the start of the second dose of hormones. I just finished my first month of Alesse (monophasic), and so far, im doing ok. My legs are having slight cramping on my off week, but i had legs cramps before, so im not too worried, or that what i tell myself at least. But again, it all depends on the body type, and i'd say the best way to determine of you're on mono, bi, or tri phasic, is to look at the number of colors your pills are, or else do some research online. :)