(( VaginaPagina ))

I don't take Seasonale, but I do take Min-Ovral back-to-back for usually at least six months at a time and I sometimes get a period. I'm sorry, I don't know the reason why, just wanted to let you know it's happened to me. I chalk it up to the fact that we are basically messing with our hormones artificially by postponing our periods...and sometimes it won't work out exactly like we want. Our bodies overpower the pills.

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That's exactly what seasonale is. It's just a bunch of consecutive hormonal pills with no placebos in between until every three months. So you're essentially doing the same thing I'm doing.

Ugh, I've been thinking about switching to a normal pill. This might have pushed me over the edge :/

At least with a normal pill, I can still skip my period when I want to.

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Yeah, I know about Seasonale. I must admit I never really understood the point to it because you can do what you do on Seasonale with ANY pill. Then again, maybe there is a reason for it - maybe you do need x number of periods per year. I often wonder if it's bad for my body that I hardly ever have a period but doctors seem to have no clue. They just tell me it's better than suffering (I have bad endometriosis).

However, I've recently learned that my sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, FSH and LH) are severely suppressed (moreso than normal on BC) and my cortisol (the stress hormone) is severely elevated (almost 5x normal) and my doctors think it may be due to the BC. So the only thing I would say is if you decide to skip periods with a "normal" pill...make sure you don't skip too many and perhaps see if your doctors will keep an eye on your blood levels. I was being diagnosed with psychiatric disorders before they released how messed up my bloodwork was!

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Haha yeah exactly. But with other pills, you actually have control over whether you want to have your period or not. It seems even more convenient than Seasonale.

I hear 4 is a safe number, which is why they chose that for Seasonale.

What else can they do to treat that?

Oh wow, yeah I don't think I'd skip it that often, only if it was extremely inconvenient.

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Unfortunately there isn't really any great treatment for endometriosis - skipping periods doesn't even work for everyone but I'm lucky I guess...as long as I'm not bleeding I don't really have pain (knock on wood).

Surgery can help if you get an experienced surgeon who properly removes all the endometriosis, however it does come back...usually anywhere from 6 months to 5 years. It's ridiculous really, there's just no getting rid of it. Some people think a hysterectomy will cure it but it's actually the estrogen produced in your ovaries that causes it to grow, so you'd have to have them removed too...and even then, if you take hormone supplements (and who wouldn't at 24) it'll still grow. Or, if ANY endometriosis lesions are left behind they can generate their own estrogen and cause more. It's a nasty situation.

There are some stronger medications like Lupron that put you into a menopausal state - but IMHO they are more dangerous than skipping periods like I do because they cause bone loss and all sorts of other problems. Basically it's just something you have to learn to live with. Oh, and apparently having children can sometimes really help (too bad I don't want kids) :)

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Yeah, I was going to say, it seems like it would just grow back after surgery :/ My mom's friend had a hysterectomy because of that and it worked for her, but it might not for everyone. That really does suck though, I'm sorry you have to have that.

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Thank you, and it's ok. I know it could be a lot worse and I'm willing to try a hysterectomy because while doctors will tell you it's not a cure - it does work well for some women and so I figure it's worth a shot if it comes down to that.

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Oh the joys of having endometriosis huh?

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Yeah, no kidding. I used to always joke with my Mom (she had it as well) that if it were a disease that affected MEN as well as women, they would probably have better treatments by now. Sadly now I don't think it's much of a joke.

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It is very rare, but a few men have contracted endometriosis which is really the only strong basis on the whole cells being misplaced in utero theory.

Though I agree, if the disease wasn't primarily affecting women and also dealing with such a "specific,private" area we'd have so many more options.

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Wow...you know I consider myself fairly well educated when it comes to endometriosis but I was not aware of some men having it. That's really interesting.

What types of treatments have you tried? (if you don't mind me asking).

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I read it awhile back on the endoknow website I believe. If I weren't so doped up on benadryl I'd find the link tonight - but I'll dig it out tomorrow.

I've had two laps since my 2004 diagnosis (both cautery), two hysteroscopies (at the same time as the laps), the LUNA procedure (during my last lap in February), Lupron for 3 months but had to stop due to some irreversible problems my doc believed it caused, a ton of birth control pills (I've been on some form or another since I was 14 - and I'm almost 22 so hah) and I've currently been on Depo since August 05. I'll probably being heading the IUD route later this summer.

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Wow...you've certainly tried a lot. We've been on BC about the same time...I started at 16 and am now 24. I've only had one surgery and the bloody doctor who did it didn't tell me they had no equipment to remove any endo, so it was literally exploratory only. I was so mad because I really thought I had (and was right)...and every other woman in my family has had it, and I would have only had to travel 1 hour to a hospital that would have had the appropriate equipment.

So since then it's just been BC pills and really strong painkillers for me. I'm certain I don't want children (always have been for some reason) and I'm engaged to a man who feels the same way and is comfortable with adoption if I change my mind, so if I have to go off the BC because it's messing up my body I may try a hysterectomy with this awesome doctor I found through the endometriosis association. I have to travel a bit but he's really good ... he uses the excision method and I would be fairly comfortable that he would get it all.

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Breakthrough bleeding is very very common on any type of pill - and your odds increase when you take Seasonale or use another form of bc pill to delay periods. There really isn't any need to worry - this doesn't mean your protection has been compromised (unless of course you miss a few pills, but you didn't so haha) .. it just means your period is here early. You should keep taking your pills as directed.

I have endometriosis and I absolutely hated Seasonale. I spotted most of the time I was on it.

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Yeah, I'm just worried about it lasting untli I go on my placebos because I spotted for the first three weeks before I got my first Seasonale period. I just don't want that to happen again because I haven't had any problems since then :/

Aah, you do?, I'm sorry. My mom had something similar and it seems like such a pain.

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