spotting on the pill

[anthologie.livejournal.com]

I've been on the pill for a little more than four years now. For that period of time I've been on the single-hormone pills, usually fairly low dosages. I went on them because I was having wildly irregular periods, and was having pregnancy scares because of them. I've been happy with them, and for the most part haven't had periods at all especially the past couple of years. (I have them maybe 3 times a year, light at most, and maybe one heavy one every year or so).

Every year or so my HMO seems to switch me to a different pill, whatever's most like what I was taking already that's currently available. They switched me a few months ago, and the past couple of months I've had some spotting during the third week of my regular pills (rather than the week of my "blank" pills). Along with the spotting is some mild cramping.

So I don't know if it's the new pill or something else. I wouldn't be worried about it, except I've caught some posts here recently suggesting that mid-cycle spotting on the pill may indicate that the pill is no longer 'working.' I've never heard of that being possible before, and would be curious to see some hard evidence that its effects 'wear off' over time. I'm more likely to think that my current spotting is being caused by the amount of stress I've been dealing with lately, and the fact that my immune system has been fighting something off. I'd like to ask my doctors about it but would like to know what the prevailing concerns are before I launch into it with them. What could be going on? Should I be concerned?

Comments

[junni.livejournal.com]

Spotting mid-cycle isn't too uncommon, but I don't know about the third week. Spotting shouldn't reduce the effectiveness of the pill as a contraceptive, however--it's just annoying, and sometimes disconcerting. When you get your period (not the spotting), do you get it right at the start of the 4rth week, or later? (I guess I am trying to ask, is this spotting happening 2 weeks before your usual period?) If the answer is yes, it's probably just that mid-cycle spotting, and a pill switch would fix it. Also, this _might_ just clear up on it's own, since you did say that you just switched pills a few months ago, and spotting can be a side effect there, too, as I understand it.

[a-typical.livejournal.com]

When I was on a particular pill I started getting spotting because the dose wasn't strong enough. So I just went up to the next level (from Norimin, to Norimin 1 - I'm in Australia). My doctor assured me that spotting didn't mean it wasn't working. I'm seeing her in just under an hour, I'll ask :)

Re:

[a-typical.livejournal.com]

No worries. She said that "isn't acceptable", because it's just not pleasant for you. It means that that type of pill doesn't have the right combination of hormones for you, and so it's not making the lining of your uterus stay put. And that's not the way it's meant to work.

She also said that whilst it's probably the pill, you should see your doctor, because you should always have any unexplained bleeding/spotting checked out.

Her advice : see your doc, have a check-up and try a different pill.

Re:

[a-typical.livejournal.com]

:) Glad I could ask for you.

Re:

[a-typical.livejournal.com]

ISn't it amazing how much stress can affect our bodies? I'm glad you talked to your nurse, it sounds like a good plan :)

[geminigirl]

When I switched from the brand to the generic version of the Pill I used to take, I had some unusual side effects, more bruising and bleeding gums, which I'd never had before. I switched back to the brand and all was fine.

[minniemoonshine.livejournal.com]

I was on a low-dose pill (minestrin or allese??) and after about 6 months stopped getting a solid period, and had mid-cycle spotting instead. My doc said that this meant that the estrogen dose wasn't high enough and did say that it meant it may not be working effectively for birth control. I really didn't get too much more into it though, so I'm not certain if this is accurate.
just thought I would pass that experience along!

[najalaise.livejournal.com]

On Alesse, I had my period continuously for about a month and a half. (This was the first pill I'd tried; before that I had periods every 2-4 months or so, without any discernable pattern.) When I finally got fed up and made an appointment to switch pills, they asked if I was sexually active, as that level of menstrual irregularity would indicate that I wasn't protected. I switched to Lo-Ovral (another low-dose monophasic... if anyone here's on Alesse and having problems, you might try it. My gynecologist says that for some reason they don't yet fully understand, break-through bleeding is common with Alesse) and have been regular since, with no mid-cycle spotting.