vaginapagina | Antibiotics + HBC + Bleeding for a long time, and the smell of blood.

HBC Question: I started bleeding half-way through my last birth control pack. Now I'm done with the pack, and I'm currently on antibiotics, so I'm holding off on starting my new pack until I'm finished with the antibiotics. I will be taking two a day for 7 days. I know that once I begin my new birth control pack, I'll need to wait 7 more days to be fully protected again. My question is about timing of starting my new pack.

Once my course of antibiotics is over in seven days, should I go ahead and start my birth control? I'm thinking that this would be fine because it would give the antibiotics time to leave my system while I'm abstaining from sex.

Or after my course is over in seven days, should I wait an additional amount of time before beginning my birth control? I'm not quite sure. I don't even know if these antibiotics interfere with HBC, but I don't want to take my chances.

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Blood Question:

Ever since I began taking HBC, the bleeding during my withdrawal week smells like steak. You know the way a steak smells when you first begin to cook it and the bloody juices pool around the top (which is an indication that it's time to flip it, if you like it rare)? That's exactly what it smells like. Am I correct in thinking that this smell can be attributed to the lack of uterine lining during my "periods"? I assume that the ratio of blood to uterine lining is much higher now that the HBC keeps me from building too much lining.

Is there anything I can do to help with the smell? It gets overwhelming. I've had issues with BV in the past, so I do not wash the inside of my vulva, but I really don't like how the bloody smell just seems to be in everything. I smell it when I'm simply sitting on the toilet, whereas my vulva normally does not emit a strong smell or taste.

Thanks, ladies and gents.