Two Periods?

Hi K.,
I had this problem once a few years back. I started taking the pill back when i was 16 because my periods where irregular. We all know that we have to go every year to have our exam to make sure everything is good in that area. Well about 5 to 6 yrs of taking the pill and i was on Ortho Tri Cyclen, I started to get break through bleeding they called it about 2 weeks before my period was suspose to start. Well at first I thought it was just stress cause that will cause you every once in a while to start sooner the you should. I thought well I will just wait to see if it happens again next month. It did and the month after as well so I thought it was a good idea to make sure nothing was going on. So I went to the Dr. and told them what was going on, they got out their handy little book and looked up my systoms and told me I wasn't getting enough of the progestrian (spell)hormone and put me on another pill Ortho Novem 777. Once I started taking that the problem went away. So you might just want to ask your dr. and see what they have to say but all I can say is something isn't right if that is happening. I hope you find this helpful and good luck!!

K.

Hi K.,
It is very normal for some women but if you have never had it happen to you before just keep an eye on it next month. One thing is if you are under any stress. Sometimes stress and emotions can have you start early or have spotting mid cycle. Don't worry right now. If you do it can lead to more spotting. Like I said just see if it happenes again next month and then go from there. If it does just give a ring to your doc. I am sure nothing is wrong. My prayers are with you.
Christine

Wait a couple of weeks, and if you don't start your period, you could be pregnant. Sometimes women have implantation bleeding when they get pregnant. Good luck.

Are you taking any antibotics, or have you recently? They can effect the way your pill works...making it less effective. Like someone else said see if you get your period at the end of the pack. From experience I have just stopped taking them for the week, like taking the inactive ones and started a new pack on sunday or what ever your start day, call the doc and she/he can give you an extra refill to make up for the pack you didn't finish.

Hello K., When I was in my 20's I had the same thing. It is called break-through bleeding. What it means I don't know. The doctor told me that it was from being on the pill for too long. Call the doc and make an appointment. Good luck.

K., I would be VERY careful if you do NOT want to get pregnant at this time. A friend of mine got pregnant because of your same issue. Use extra precaution every time you are intimate until you get your cycle regulated through the doctor, and possibly different pills. I would make an appt. with your doctor immediately. It's not a big deal, your body may have just become too adjusted to the pill and you may need a little stronger dose to prevent pregnancy. Breakthrough bleeding is usually a sign that your hormone levels are not high enough for protection. Only the doctor can tell you if this is the case though. Consider yourself VERY fertile until you talk to him/her though.
Hope this helps.
A. (;

If you're on one of those 90 day pill packs where you get a period every 3 months, you can have break through bleeding. That happened to me in March. I was on Seasonale or Seasonique (I forget which) and had been taking the 90 day packs for over a year. Suddenly one day I had this episode of bright red blood and some clots and it only lasted a day. I was horrified because I'm a very light bleeder for my menstrual cycles, so #1 it was a lot of blood for me, and #2 it was unexpected -not my time of month. I went to my doc. because I thought maybe I'd gotten pregnant and was miscarrying. (I'd missed a couple pills here and there and could have theoretically gotten pregnant). Anyway, turns out I wasn't pregnant, but it was just breakthrough bleeding.

Have you been on antibiotics or any other meds that can lower the effectiveness of the pill? Even if you never miss and take it at the exact same time, you can still get pregnant on it, especially if you've been on antibiotics. If you think you may be pregnant, go to your doc. ASAP b/c it's best not to continue taking the pill when you're pregnant (obviously) so you want to find out ASAP if that's a concern.

I think my doctor called it "mid cycle spotting" it is like a mini period exactly in the middle of your pills....lasting about 3 days. My doctor ended up changing my pills, something about the hormone levels being different and causing it, or possibly my body getting used to the same pill and creating its own hormone levels or something (i can't remember what he said...hahahha)
But changing to a different Birth Control pill fixed the problem. I've been on 5 different kinds of pills over the last 20 years, and it's happened twice.
Nothing to freak out about...just discuss it with your doctor.

Hi K.- I have been on the pill for 15 years- a few different kinds. It is very common to have breakthrough bleeding in the middle of a pill cycle, even when you are consistent in taking it and have been taking it a while. In fact, last month I had the same thing happen to me in the middle of a pill cycle and the bleeding lasted for almost a week. My doctor told me I can "double up" on the pill for one or two days to stop the bleeding if it lasts more than a couple of days. I also noticed stress sometimes seems to be a factor in breakthrough bleeding.
I hope this helps!

How long have you been taking them? (is it the same brand, also?)

Have you any reason to suspect pregnancy?

Have you contacted the doctor also to check in?

The body does go through many changes and when we mess with it by adding other chemicals and hormones... it will react in odd ways! (It is not meant to be controlled by drugs, but this is coming from someone that suffered from many ill effects and has crossed over to using natural methods for most things.)

Good luck and it is most likely your body adjusting. ;)

This has been happening to me for over a year. And I was also on birth control pills. I got to the point of being so tired of having two periods a month that I stopped taking the pill to see if it would help. Some months it is better, but then some months my period lasts for 2-3 weeks. I've been on the pill for about 14 years, except for when I had my son. I've never really had any issues like this with my periods. As far as I know, there is nothing physically wrong with me. Maybe this is just part of getting older... (but I'm only 31). Good luck.

Breakthrough bleeding is common, but some people also have those same symptoms when an fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall. I wouldn't do anything yet and wait to see if you get your normal period this cycle. If you don't, stop the pill and call your doc!

~L.