Thanks for informing us about Macrobid not having interactions with birth control. In this case, if you continue to spot for the next 2-3 cycles, I would advise you to see your primary doctor and look for other factors.

The spotting is most likely from Macrobid because Macrobid reduces the effectiveness of birth control pills. I would advise you to finish the pack as you normally would and use back up contraception during the time you are on Macrobid up until a week after you have stopped taking Macrobid. If you did have sex while on Macrobid, take a pregnancy test in a few weeks to see if you are pregnant.

Last month, as you know, it came extremely early and finally stopped two days before I finished the pack.

I now have 9 active pills to go in this pack and I have some very minor brown spotting. Is it just my body adjusting to the pills again (I have been on Tri Cyclen for about 5 years) or do I maybe need to switch brands?

I’m on Macrobid for bladder infection prevention and took one rather close to my BC pill a few days ago. I’m confused about what to do.

Should I finish out this pack and see if things go back to normal on the next pack? Or could this be caused by the Macrobid being taken too closely in time to my BC?

So, in short, should I space these two pills farther apart and see what happens next month or could it just be my body readjusting to the pill schedule after day light savings messed up my schedule last month?

During the first 3 months of being on Loestrin 24 fe, your body is adjusting to the pill. Your period should be only 4 days long when you are on the 4th pack of Loestrin 24 fe. If it you are still bleeding past the 4 inactive pills period, make an appointment with your doctor and let him/her know.

Start your new pack of pills when your old pack is finished.

Am still spotting although dark brown with very little red. Very dry discharge. I figure it is safe to assume this is withdrawal bleed now as am on my placebo week. I start my new pack of pills on Sunday. Correct?

It takes your body up to 3 months to get used to the pill so the spotting was normal. The heavy bleeding should go away when you do start your next pack or get back on the active pills.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my message. Happy to report that my period has lightened up a great deal. Just some very minor brown and trace amounts of pink, not enough to even fill a “light day” tampon. Minor spots on the tampon after having one in for five hours. Looks like an end is in sight!

Thanks again for your response!

Once you start your new pack your period should stop.

Two weeks ago daylight savings time began and the clocks were moved ahead one hour. I forgot to adjust my pill time to go along with this. I continued to take my pill at the same time but to my body it was like I was taking it an hour early. I started spotting and then started to have light bleeding which has been continuing for the past two weeks.

I took my last active pill today, tomorrow starts the seven day placebo week. Will my period stop and return to normal once I start the new pack after the placebo week is finished? My doctor is on vacation for the next two weeks.

I don’t think you are pregnant yet. It is too soon to tell. If you do want to get pregnant, stay off the pill and wait for your period in a few weeks. If your period is late, take a pregnancy test.

Yaz is a low dose pill and if a pill is missed you will experience bleeding. This is normal.

Are you taking any other medications that can possibly cause this? Stress can be a factor that can cause unwanted bleeding. I would wait until you complete this pack and start your next pack. If the bleeding continues after you have started your new pack, make an appointment with your gyno.

When you say you had unprotected sex, did you mean use back up contraception on top of being on the pill? OR did you mean you came off the pill? If you are using back up contraception (ie. condoms or spermicide) on top of being on the pill, then you should still be protected by the pill because by using back up contraception as well as being on the pill, you are just taking extra safety precautions to ensure you don’t get pregnant. If you came off the pill, then chances of you becoming pregnant is very high. The reason you are spotting is because you came off the pill and you are experiencing withdrawal bleeding. This is normal. I would advise you to take a pregnancy test to make sure you are not pregnant.

If you haven’t missed any pills during your pack you should be protected while on your placebo week.

I would advise you to first take a pregnancy test to confirm your pregnancy. If you are not pregnant, then your body may still be adjusting to your new set of pills.

If you have completed an entire pack of pills (including the placebo pills) and there is still bleeding, I would advise you to either wait it out or talk to your doctor about prescribing you to a higher dose birth control pill.

Spotting during the first 3 months of being on the pill is normal. Your body is adjusting to the hormones from the pill and it takes about 3 months to get used to. The spotting should subside when you finish you first or second pack. If the bleeding continues after your 4th pack, talk to your doctor about prescribing you to a higher dose pill.

I feel your anxiety! Bleeding non stop for 6 months is pretty crazy. Which pills have you tried so far? Have you considered trying other methods including the patch, the shot, the implant, and the iud? The patch and the shot are both higher doses and many girls have claimed that the shot had stopped their period entirely. Definitely talk to your doctor about these methods to see if they benefit you. Make sure you do go over all the precautions with your doctor with whichever or all those different birth control methods so that you are aware and well informed.

I am completely confused by my body and its ruining my life. I have been bleeding NON-STOP for 6 months, I have been on several different bc’s and non seem to stop it. I haven’t had a break from bleeding and its driving me crazy. I have a app with a new GYN on wed to see what can be done. I am just wondering if this will ever end? The emotion and physician problems from this has caused alot of hate in my home and I need to end this. Oh yeah I’m only 26 and my mother’s side all have to have early hyster. although they put them off til their 40′s cause of insurance, thanks for your time and the support I don’t feel so alone.

Have anything changed in your lifestyle recently including taking new medications/vitamins, changing diet, etc? If not then I would advise you to take a blood test to test your HCG levels to confirm you are not pregnant.

You have to consistently take the pill every single day and at around the same time every day so that you will have a more regular period. Every time you miss any pills, you will start to have your period again. Also, irregular periods are normal during the first 3 months of being on the pill, so if you continue to have irregular bleeding on your 4th pack I would advise you to talk to your doctor about another birth control method ie. the patch, the shot, the ring, iud, etc where you do not need to take a pill each day.

Irregular bleeding during the first 3 months of being on birth control pill is normal. This is because it takes up to 3 months for your body to adjust to the hormones coming from the pill.

I have been on Necon 7/7/7 (combination birth control pills) for over 4 years now and I am 19. I had sex with my boyfriend at the end of September for 3 days in a row. I was on birth control pills during sex, take them on time, and he used the withdrawal method. Never finished inside me. After that I received my period on time, but it was black and dry blood that was really flakey. It ended after 4 days and my period usually last 5-7 days and are heavy. After that, I went to the clinic where the nurse told me it was probably old blood and gave me a urine test which was negative. I had been experiencing sore boobs, fatigue and bloating before that period which stopped when it came. A week after I had sore boobs and bloating again which lasted til my next period which was definitely normal. This period was heavy and lasted for the next 6 days. Since then my stomach still looks bloated but no sore boobs. I also have red mucus from my nose when I blow it, like there has been nosebleeds. I have taken numerous tests which are all negative, but some have shown faint thin lines after the time limit sometimes days later. Do you think I am pregnant? I am still on my pills and take them normally.

Whenever you forget a pill, spotting will occur. Next time you miss a pill, make sure you take the missed pill right away and the continue the pack as normal.

If you are taking the pills everyday without missing any, then you should be protected. I would talk to your doctor about this continuous bleeding if this continues past your 4th pack (4 months into the pill).

During the first 3 months of being on birth control, it is very common for girls to experience irregular bleeding. This is totally normal. Unless the bleeding doesn’t stop throughout the entire 3 months and continues to bleed during the 4th month, I would then advise you to see a doctor. Don’t worry, your bleeding would most likely go away by the time you start your next pack.

There are many reasons you could be breakthrough bleeding. It may be from the morning after pill, stress, and if you have only been on Estelle for less than 3 months, abnormal bleeding is common. If you have been on the pill for more than 3 months and this abnormal bleeding occurs, you should talk to your doctor about switching to another high strength birth control pill.

I would recommend you to stay on the pill for two more months. The bleeding can be from your body getting used to the pill. If the abnormal bleeding continues after being on the pill for 3 months, then I would advise you to see your doctor about the bleeding. He/she may recommend for you to try a higher dose pill and/or perform tests to see what is causing the bleeding.

I know that I’ve been very stressed. The period that I had started on had come almost a half a month late as it was and it has been normal for me to miss periods before. Though, I had pregnancy results that came out negative. I’ve never taken drugs or had a tattoo, and I’ve pretty much had one partner that has came out negative for all the standard STD tests and I came out negative for Chlamydia. I know that I do get Yeast Infections quite a bit and had just got though one before I had sex.

I’m not sure if this is something I should be worried about since I see a couple of real possibilities (like Yeast Infection) on the list, but I’ve been bleeding probably 4 weeks out of the month and a half that I’ve been on birth control and that worries me… Can I please have some help…?

The more thorough you are, the more helpful it would be for me to assess your situation. The pain you are experiencing should be the first indicator for you to come off of Norinyl 1+35. You should let your doctor know about the pain because it is a serious side effect. If the pain does not go away after you stop taking Norinyl 1+35, you should check with your doctor to find out where that pain is coming from. If the pain does go away after you stopped taking Norinyl 1+35, talk to your doctor about trying a different pill.

During the first three months of being on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, you may experience spotting and irregular periods. This is normal during the first 3 months of being on the pill because your body is adjusting to the hormonal changes. If the bleeding continues after the initial 3 month period, make an appointment with your doctor and let him/her know about the bleeding.

At the moment, use back up contraception (ie. condoms or spermicide) while you are on the sinus medication. I would advise you to talk to your doctor to find out if the Flunarizine Hydrocholoride reduces the effectiveness of your birth control pills and if so have him/her prescribe you to another sinus medication that doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of your birth control. If this is a very temporary medication, continue to use back up contraception up until a week after you have stopped taking that medication.

Yes, this is breakthrough bleeding. It will stop after you have your next period. About the abdominal pains, I would still advise you to see your doctor about that.

Are you taking any other medications other than the MonoNessa? If not, I would suggest you see your doctor and let him/her know what is going on.

The sugar pills are just pills without any active ingredient in it so you can have your period. If you are still bleeding when you start your next pack, I would advise you to meet with your doctor to talk about a higher dose pill.

I would suggest you to take the sugar pills from the last pack just to get it over with. The bleeding should stop once you start taking the active pills again. If the bleeding continues I would advise you to see a doctor.

Just to be safe, you can always use extra protection. As long as you continue to take the pill every day at the same time every day, you should be protected. If you do decide to keep taking the active pills, the bleeding will stop eventually but we do not know how long it would take.

When you say you decided to switch methods of BC, which method did you switch to? If you were switching methods, why were you still on the patch?

I would advise you to just get your period over and done with. Usually after you have had your period, there shouldn’t be anymore breakthrough bleeding. It is better to have your period for 7 days and to know it will stop than to not get your real period and continue on your active pills not knowing when the breakthrough bleeding will stop. You can take the inactive pills from the last pack and then carry on where you left off with the new pack.

How long have you had the Implanon for? About 5 percent of women who are using Implanon experience irregular periods. If you continue to have irregular periods for over 3 months since you have had the Implanon inserted, you may fall into that category. In this case, make an appointment with your doctor to find out what other birth control options are available for you.

You should talk to your doctor about taking a higher dose or a continuous birth control pill to better control your periods.

Chances of you becoming pregnant is small, but you can always take a pregnancy test to make sure you are not pregnant. Spotting is a very common side effect for continuous birth control pills such as Quasense, especially during the first 3 months of being on the pill. Stress can also cause spotting as well.

The light bleeding you are experiencing are from the missed pills.

Your body is adjusting to the new pill so the irregular bleeding is just temporary. As you get closer to the 3 month mark of being on this new pill, your body should have become accustomed to the hormones from Loestrin and the bleeding should be more regular.

If you would like to have less periods in a year, I would advise you to talk to your doctor about going on the continuous pill (ie. Seasonale/Seasonique). This pill gives you 1 period every 3 months. When you first go on it, irregular bleeding does occur during the first 3 months of being on this pill. Your body is adjusting to the hormones, but after the first pack, the irregular bleeding goes away and you will get a period every 3 months.

The bleeding you had should be followed up by your primary care physician. There may some local cause or possibly a hormonal one as you recently restarted your pills and it is not uncommon to have some irregular periods in the first several months of restarting the pill.

Sounds like your body was adjusting to the pills and while you were bleeding you stopped the pill which may have confused your body some more. During this time of transitioning pills, I would advise you to use back up contraception (ie.condoms and spermicide). Hopefully the new pill would help control the bleeding.

You should and see if you get your period at the end of the pack. If you don’t get your period at the end of the month, take a pregnancy test. If your test comes out negative then you should be fine. The missed pill and late pills probably threw your body off a little. But if your test comes back positive, make an appointment with your doctor to get a more accurate pregnancy test to confirm your pregnancy. If you are pregnant, your doctor will let you know what your options are.

You may be pregnant from having unprotected sex during the two days you missed the pill. The bleeding was from the missed pills, it was not your actual period. I would recommend you take a pregnancy test at the end of your pack.

The bleeding sounds like it is a side effect from Implanon. If the light bleeding really bothers you, you can talk to your doctor about trying other birth control options.

It sounds like you got the Implanon. Irregular periods are common in 5 percent of women who are using this method of birth control type. Are you doing regular check ups with your doctor? That would be highly recommended. You should also take a pregnancy test just in case as well before you go in for your check up.

When first starting birth control pills, your body is adjusting to the hormones from the pill and you may get lighter or heavier periods. In your case, you have lighter to no period. This may continue during the first 3 months of being on the pill. Just keep track of when your last period was, when you started the pill, and how long has it been since your last period. When on your 5th pack you still haven’t gotten your period yet, talk to your doctor and see what he/she advises.

To answer your second question, if you have been diligently taking the pill every day around the same time every day and have not missed a pill, then yes you can have sex during the placebo week.

Thanks for the response,
Pixy

Yes you can definitely try to to see if the bleeding stops, but if it doesn’t stop, I would suggest you talk to your doctor about trying another pill he/she suggests that will help stop and control the bleeding.

You’re right, I had to go back to find out what we have talked about before. Since you are only getting a discharge as your period, I would highly recommend you take a home pregnancy test.

Can you please give us a bit more information? For example, which pill you are on, when did you start the pill, did you miss any pills, etc.

Yes you can. This is one of the benefits of birth control pills

Cramping is definitely normal

Did your gyno check you in for ovarian cancer first before prescribing you on the pill to reduce your periods? One of the less common symptoms of ovarian cancer is unusual vaginal bleeding including heavy periods. If you have a family history of ovarian cancer, you should definitely get that checked first before you try anything else.

I would recommend you to come off the pill. Why were you on the pill to begin with? If you have a history of ovarian cancer, it is not recommended for you to stay on the pill.

I was on Lo LoestrinFE now I am on Loestrin 24FE. I want to continue my daily life routines, but I can’t. There is a history of ovarian cancer in my family and I feel that perhaps something is terribly wrong with me. Should I continue the pill…can I continue exercising…is this normal???

You can try another birth control. Make an appointment with your doctor to find out what other birth control options are right for you. There are many other types available such as the ring, shot, iud, pill, patch, etc. Definitely know what your options are and see if those options can help you not get your period.

You may have gotten pregnant on the 9, 10 or the 11 because you had unprotected sex, but a home pregnancy test won’t be able to detect the pregnancy this early. For more accurate results, I would advise you to wait a couple of weeks before taking a home pregnancy test.

As soon as you stop taking the pill and have unprotected sex, your risk of pregnancy is very high. To find out if you are pregnant or not, wait a week or two to take a home pregnancy test. Also make a doctor’s appointment to get a more accurate test done to confirm your pregnancy or non pregnancy. If pregnant, talk to your doctor about your options, if not pregnant, also talk to your doctor about other birth control options that will work for you.

Your spotting and cramps can very possibly from the unknown missed pill. If you want to be sure that you are not pregnant, take a pregnancy test at your doctor’s. He/she should be able to confirm with you whether you are pregnant or not.

The side effects you are experiencing may be temporary and should go away after being on the pill for 3 months. The home pregnancy tests are not as accurate as the tests you get at your doctor’s. If you are still worried that you are pregnant, take another pregnancy test at the doctor’s to confirm that you are not pregnant.

Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect of depo provera. Continue getting the shot as normal to see if the bleeding goes away. The longer you use the shot, the more likely the spotting will stop.

When a girl starts a new pill, irregular bleeding is a very common side effect during the first 3 months of being on the pill. Your body is getting used to the hormones from the pill so spotting or irregular bleeding is normal and should go away as you reach the 3 month mark of being on the pill.

Your body is used to having a period so breakthrough bleeding does occur if this is the first time you are skipping the sugar pills to skip your period.

It may be too early to tell. You may have to wait another week or two to take the hpt again. Since you are on Seasonique, it will take too long to wait for your period to come to find out if you are pregnant. You can also book an appointment with your doctor in a week or two to get a more accurate pregnancy test there to be sure.

Breakthrough bleeding is very common for girls on Seasonale, especially when this is your first pack. Continue taking the pills as normal.

It sounds like you are getting some breakthrough bleeding, which is normal for girls who are starting the pill. If you are taking the pill everyday at around the same time every day, the breakthrough bleeding should stop after being on the pill for 3 months.

Bleeding and cramps may be side effects that will subside after being on the pill for 3 months. These side effects should stop, but if it doesn’t and it really bothers you, make an appointment with your doctor to see if he/she can prescribe you on another pill.

If you have been taking this OCP for awhile now, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor and let him/her know about the light bleeding and cramps. If you have just started taking other medications as well, then it could be the two medications are interacting and decreasing the effectiveness of the microgestrin FE 1/20. If you have just started taking this pill, then it could be your body adjusting to the pill. If this is the case, continue taking the pill for another 2 months and see if the bleeding has stopped. If you are still bleeding by your fourth pack, make an appointment to see your doctor about your situation.

Don’t worry, breakthrough bleeding will definitely occur when you miss 2 pills. It should stop when you start the next pack for sure.

Are you taking any other medications? Some medications when taken with birth control can decrease the effectiveness of the pill which may be causing the bleeding. The breakthrough bleeding can also be caused by stress. I would recommend you to wait it out. If it has not stopped on the 4th week, make an appointment with your doctor and let him/her know about your concerns.

Irregular bleeding is normal especially if you are on the continuous pill such as Seasonique or Seasonale. The bleeding may also be caused by stress. Using back up contraception is also good to ensure that you are not pregnant. I would advise you to only use the Plan B pills if you had unprotected sex. Wait for your period to come at the end of this pack. If it doesn’t come, then take a home pregnancy test. If it does come, then you are fine.

You are not supposed to stop taking the pills. You will get your period every time you stop the pill. Stay on the pill and continue taking it every day at the same time of day until your pack comes to an end and you start the next pack.

The bleeding can be from the 2 missed pills as well as getting back on seasonique. One of the side effects of seasonique is also irregular bleeding. I would recommend you to stay on the pill because as soon as you come off it, your period will come. Continue taking the pill as you normally would and if the bleeding stops, great. If it continues, then at least you are protected from pregnancy.

It could be from stress or maybe from another medication you just started taking. Just continue taking the pills as you normally would and see if this occurs again next month.

It is not recommended to go on and off the pill. Whenever you stop taking the pills you are at the highest risk for pregnancy. The heavy bleeding is from stopping the pill. To find out if you are pregnant, wait for your regular period to come. If your last period was on August 3 to 7th and if you are regular (you have regular periods), then wait for your period in September 3 to 7th. If you do not get your period, take a home pregnancy test. If positive, make an appointment with your doctor to get another test to ensure you are pregnant. If the home pregnancy test is negative, you are not pregnant. If you are still worried, get another more accurate pregnancy test from your doctor. Hope this helps you.

The activities you do does not affect your periods. It sounds like you need to check in with your doctor and to find out if you need to switch birth control so that you can regulate your period again. Yearly PAP tests are done to find out if you have ovarian cancer, so if you haven’t had a PAP test done, you should definitely book an appointment with your gyno to get that done as well.

Girls who are on loestrin24fe usually do have much lighter periods. The other list of symptoms you have mentioned sounds like they are regular side effects. If you are worried, take a pregnancy test.

I can only advise you to continue taking the pills. If you go off the pills, you’ll get your period. If you don’t go off the pills there is a chance that the spotting will stop.

The heavy bleeding and dizziness sounds normal. The side effects should go away after being on the pill for more than 3 months. If the side effect continues and it is disrupting her daily functions, then definitely get off the pill and try another pill or contraception method.

I think you should wait it out. When is your period supposed to come?

It doesn’t sound like you are pregnant. Stay on the pill for another month and wait for your period this month. If your period comes in the form of dark red, then it can be safe to say that you are not pregnant. If you are worried, get a pregnancy test to be sure. Does the nausea and the cramping come only when you have your period or is it all the time while on the pill? Definitely ask your doctor to see if those side effects are normal for Necon 1-35-28.

Bleeding on your 4th week of being on the pill is completely normal. You are supposed to get your period once a month while on the pill.

I would highly recommend you to go to your doctor and get that checked out as soon as possible. Tell them your story in full detail.

Since you have been on the patch for 5 years and have never had any issues, you may want to book an appointment with your doctor about this bleeding. If this bleeding is abnormal to you and you have not had any changes to your medications or lifestyle, I highly recommend you see your doctor about it because you shouldn’t be bleeding while on the patch (even if it’s the last 5 days before your last patch of the month is supposed to come off).

Ps: im a healthy 21 year old under normal stess and no changes to diet/ fitness, but I had a uti 2 months ago (cleared up fine)

If you suspect that you may be pregnant, take a pregnancy test and or make an appointment with your doctor to get your pregnancy test done there to double check that you are or are not pregnant. Whenever you miss any pills, chances of you becoming pregnant will increase to 50/50 and if you miss more than one pill, your period will start again. Levora will only prevent ovulation if you continue to take the pill.

Since you forgot to take your pill for 3 days now, you should take plan B if you are still having unprotected sex to ensure you won’t get pregnant. Stop taking the birth control pills because you have missed too many pills now and just use condoms and/or spermicide for protection. On the last day of your period, start a brand new pack.

Whenever you are in doubt, take a pregnancy test to see for sure if you are pregnant. Girls do not only bleed because they are having their period. You may be bleeding because you are taking antibiotics. Read this article about antibiotics and how it affects your birth control because Penicillin does interfere with your birth control. You may also be bleeding for other reasons, for an example, check out this article on post sex bleeding. I don’t want to scare you or anything but it is best to know for sure from your doctor if this is post sex bleeding or if you are bleeding because you are on antibiotics.

I don’t think you are pregnant, but just to confirm this with your partner, you can take a pregnancy test. Bleeding after sex on the other hand you should be a little bit more worried about. When the spotting stops entirely, see if it comes back every time after you have had sex. If it does, you should definitely check with your doctor about this. We have written a couple of blog articles on this topic Is it normal to have bleeding after sex and Post sex bleeding.

How long have you been on Lutera now? Are you still forgetting to take pills? Are you on any antibiotics? After a month of continuous spotting/bleeding, you should see your OB/GYN again and try another pill, because it looks like Lutera is not working for you. If your spotting/bleeding continues the following month with you on the new pill, there might be something else wrong. Make sure you keep your OB/GYN up to date with everything that is going on so they know when to start running tests to see what else could be causing the bleeding.

Janine

Is there something wrong that I should see a doctor about or should I just wait it out?
I haven’t been taking asprin because everything I’ve read has said that it will make it worse. Instead I’m taking Tylonol for the cramps that I keep getting on and off (noting: it’s not uncommon for me to have cramps between cycles)