First time on BC... multiple periods or breakthrough bleeding?

[chantalzola.livejournal.com]

**MODS - It told me I wasn't allowed to add tags to entries to this journal? I tried to put these tags: IC Microgestin FE, Break-through Bleeding, Multiple Periods, 1st time on BC. I'm probably doing something wrong?**


I started IC Microgestin FE six weeks ago. It's the first time I've ever been on BC. I'm 26 years old and have a history of missing periods. I've gone 6 months without having a period and it is rare for me to have my period two months in a row. That being said, I started BC while I was having one of my periods (like the directions said) and since then, including that first period, I have had my period 4 TIMES.

Now, is it possible some of those were breakthrough bleeding? I have never had breakthrough bleeding before. For all 4 of those periods (Three of them lasted for a week each, though obviously not heavy all of those days) I have been able to wear tampons for at least one of the days. One of those weeks the whole period was pretty light and could only wear tampons for a couple of the days (and I probably only should have for about one or two days).

The current period I am on now, it is the third day. I could have worn tampons the first day, but definitely not today. Is it possible this period is a breakthrough bleeding, even though I was bleeding enough to be able to wear tampons the first and possibly the second day? Also with one of those periods where it was light, but lasted for seven days, could that have been breakthrough?



I know absolutely nothing about breakthrough bleeding or all that much about periods since I never had mine regularly. I do know that 4 times in 6 weeks is extreme =( Has anyone else had this problem when starting BC for the first time? I just moved to Boston from NYC a little over a month ago and don't have a gynocologist here yet. I plan on getting one ASAP, but until then, any thoughts on my situation would be much appreciated.

Any experiences at all with IC Microgestin FE would be much appreciated.

My first three months of IC Microgestin FE are sample packs and are actually called FemCon FE. And they are... chewable. Minty Fresh tablets. What the hell? Does that seem weird to anyone else? The sugar pills taste like crap. I got my first month RX just in case (didn't want to run out of the three months before I forgot/lost my RX) and saw that they changed their name and are no longer chewable, heh. Birth Controll candy? eesh! Also, even the 'minty' ones don't taste too hot.

Thank you every one for your help and advice, this community rocks!

Comments

[jmnstars.livejournal.com]

Chewable? Uh...weird...I haven't heard of chewable BC and that might be part of the problem. Perhaps you're not getting the hormones in the bloodstream in the proper way? I don't know. I tend to deal with break through bleeding all the time, but I stack my pills and only have a "real" period every three cycles and sometimes my body just wants a period and breaks through the hormones. Maybe the sample pack was old (I think that because you said they had changed their name)? Maybe your body is just getting used to having hormones introduced? There could be a lot of reasons why this is happening. What I would do is go ahead and fill the RX and try the non-chewable ones and see what happens while you search for another gynecologist. Also, if you are near to the end of a pack of the chewable ones, maybe just finish those and then transfer to the non-chewable ones and throw away any the rest of the BC candy. Keep in mind that you will need to use a back up BC for the first week of the new pills if you plan on being sexually active. Even though they are essentially the same - the name change and the non chewable aspect makes me think that some of the active ingredients might have changed. It's just best to stay safe.

Oh and I think only the moderators can tag stuff. I tried to also and the website yelled at me. LOL You're not doing anything wrong.

[theladykatarina.livejournal.com]

I've never taken Microgestin, but I looked it up and I see that it's a combination pill (estrogen/progesterone) with one week of placebos. So, if I understand correctly, you've taken one round of sugar pills and are two weeks into the second pack, right?

Technically, then, you've only had one withdrawal bleed or "period" (during the placebo week, when your body was withdrawing from the absence of hormones) and the rest of the "periods" are by definition breakthrough bleeding -- you're bleeding despite the hormones, "breaking through" the influence of the hormones. So, yes, you're definitely doing plenty of breakthrough bleeding. None of the bleeding you've been doing is a real period at all -- you don't have cycles on the pill, so even if the flow is heavy enough for a tampon, it's still just breakthrough bleeding or a withdrawal bleed.

In my experience, there's nothing wrong with breakthrough bleeding except for the incredible annoyance of it all. It sounds like you're doing a lot of spotting, which I do all the time on HBC.

The most recent pill I started, I started on the first day of my period, too. I think that really confuses the body -- you're getting the signal to not bleed (from the new hormones) but your body wants to get rid of the lining it's built up. I had about eight "periods" (i.e., days-long bouts of bleeding) in the first two months being on this pill. It's a completely different kind of pill (progesterone only), so my experience may not mean much, but the take home message is that it can take your body a long time to get used to the pill.

In my situation, I called my doctor at the three month mark, and she encouraged me to just keep waiting it out. Knowing how it worked out for me, I'd give it until then and see if things stabilize (they have for me at around six months).

I'm not sure this is really helpful. I just wanted to clear up what breakthrough bleeding is, but I'm not sure my advice is specific to your case.

[e-moo1.livejournal.com]

Yes, femcon fe is a minty chewable tablet. It freaked me out at first when I was on them. You can just swallow the tablet instead of chewing it and it has the same effect, really. Same awful taste, same amount going into your bloodstream, etc.
I also had the break through bleeding with femcon fe (along with every other type of BCPs I tried previous to it but that's a whole other story) but the BTB and period itself was... heavier than normal. The BTB was almost like the type of period I was used to, and then the actual period was like the floodgates of niagra falls opened up. I think it all happened because it's a higher dose than the "low-dose" pills we're all used to hearing about. It did lighten up a little for me later.
However, you're on your first few months of pills, and it is considered an adjustment period. Your body's just freaking out a bit over this synthetic hormone stuff. It takes ~3 months to get everything settled. Really, if you stick it out, you'll probably adjust just fine and the BTB will lessen or go away completely.