Missed a pill or two and whacky period?

[xalifesochanged.livejournal.com]

 Hey everyone. I've been on Loestrin 24 Fe since March.

This past month (June), I took my pills as usual, however, during the first two, weeks, I believed I miss two (non-consecutive) pills and followed the "take it as soon as you remember even if you have to take two pills at a time" rule. I also wasn't sexually active during the first 1.5 weeks.

In the third week, I missed one pill and took it as soon as I remembered the next day. During this week, I also started to have light bleeding, spotting, and pink discharge for about 1.5- two days. Ever since I started Loestrin, my period generally comes about 3-7 days before it should. I then took the placebo pills with no sign of bleeding at all. 

Part of me is thinking my cycle might just be whacky because I stacked this pack with last months to prevent bleeding during a vacation. 

Basically, has anyone experienced this? What are my chances of being pregnant given the situation?

Menstrual Cramp Relief Tips

[karenoh.livejournal.com]

Hello you wonderful VPers!

After some great, helpful feedback from the VP community, I am quite excited about getting the Paragard IUD. All of that said, I'm trying to go ahead and stock up on some supplements and ibuprofen beforehand, in anticipation of increased bleeding and cramps.

I've read here in the VP community about the 3 x 3 x 3 ibuprofen regimen, and I've also heard mentions of Vitamin E and evening primrose oil.

I've used a supplement from a company called oona that contains ginger and cramp bark with some success, but it can get pricey over time.

Does anyone have any other supplements or other pain-managing tricks that they recommend for heavy cramping (and potentially heavy bleeding)?

I have some red raspberry leaf tea, but I never really think to take it often enough in advance of my period. Anyone have success with red raspberry leaf, and if so what regimen would you recommend?

Blood in toilet water? Flakes of blood after BM.

[justforapicture.livejournal.com]

I really need to stop posting here. But you all are more helpful than doctors...
I just had my Mirena insertion and D&C last Thursday.
I've been feeling ill, but I have a bleeding disorder, so all of the blood loss has caused me to feel as if I'm anemic again.
Today I woke up dizzy, nauseous, and irritable. I had a BM around 9 am, and another one just now. I have a history of internal hemorrhoids and possible anal fissures. I haven't been able to tell if Ive been bleeding with BMs lately because of the vaginal bleeding/use of pads (can't tell which hole, i guess!). Anyway, I'm posting a graphic picture of...my poop. It looks fine, but I have tiny flakes of what seem to be blood clots (?) because its not just regular liquidy blood. I just need some help. I don't know if I'm having internal bleeding or something (I'm a worrier). I'll post the picture of the whole thing first, then a zoom of just the clot things.

The big picture (Don't click if you don't like poop.):
http://tinypic.com/r/20f54p0/7

The flakes (The doodle is a big black squiggle...looks like a terrible BM, but I swear, is just a cover-up):
http://tinypic.com/r/wwanur/7


Please help :(

(I apologize greatly for being the most common poster on this thing. I feel totally dumb and incompetent but nobody here believes my issues and it's all I really have.)

What would you do?

[noon30.livejournal.com]

Between a year and a year and a half ago I had an abnormal pap that the doctor told me required a colposcopy. I didn't have the money to get it done, moved around a bunch and then forgot about it.

Before forgetting about it, I did a little bit of research and found that most of the problems that cause an abnormal pap in women my age resolve themselves. So that eased my mind a little.

Fast forward to now, I'm applying to the Peace Corps and one of their automatic deferrals is an abnormal pap that hasn't been followed up on. I also now have insurance, so I decided to have my records sent over and have another pap to see if having the colposcopy at this point was still a desired course of action. It was all expedited because my insurance coverage is ending in a little less than two weeks now, but will more than likely resume in September. The doctors here reviewed the records to see if the results would have been something they would recommend a colposcopy, and the previous results are something they would recommend a colposcopy for. However, my most recent pap came back normal as so their recommendation is to still get the colposcopy OR get another pap in 6 months and 12 months.

I already have an appointment made for a colposcopy. I'm just wondering what you would do in this situation. I'm leaning towards cancelling my appointment and getting another pap in 6 months and 12 months.

off HBC

[caligogreywings.livejournal.com]

So I had some issues with blood pressure, and chest pains. The doc took me off of HBC. I've been completely off of it for... almost 2 months now.

My question is mostly curiosity. If you've gone off of your HBC, did you notice an upswing in libido? It never really used to affect me much when I was younger, but here lately, the HBC almost seemed to have been doing more harm than good. FWIW, I'm 30 years old now, have been on HBC for probably 10 years, though not solid. I had periods of being off of it, due to money mostly.

I'm sort of irritated at being off it, but at the same time, I kinda feel... different now, and different from the younger me that wasn't on HBC. Because previously, I needed it for that estrogen boost. But it seems like I got worse mood swings while on the HBC. This last time I'd been on HBC for 2-3 years.

I'm hoping in the next couple years to be able to have a kid with my husband, and afterward, I'm going to seriously consider an IUD.

Any anecdotal stories would be welcome, I'm just sort of wondering if age has changed my reaction to HBC.


Also, how early is too early to be considered pre-menopausal? Is it normal to have hot flashes this early?