Bleeding for over 2 weeks while on Seasonale....between periods...

[nima-skysong.livejournal.com]

Alright, I've flipped through the archives, the VP site, and the menstrualhut community, and I'm STILL not sure what to do, other than call my gyno the day after Christmas.
I've been bleeding for about 16 days, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, and I'm on Seasonale, and I'm not due for a period/hormone-free week for another month. I was put on HBC to control my crazy periods in the first place (10 days, VERY heavy bleeding, hormonal mood swings like whoah) and I took Yasmin for about 3 years till it stopped keeping my hormones in check between periods. Started Seasonale....in March? I think that's about right (I really should keep better track of this stuff). Perhaps it's still too early for my body to be totally used to only 4 periods a year, and I have had breakthrough bleeding that's lasted about a week while still taking the active pills, but this is starting to scare me. I'm bleeding A LOT and it keeps tapering off, like it's going to stop, and then starting up again. I'm not really getting any cramps or hormonal mood swings, just...lots, and lots, and lots of bleeding. And it won't stop.
Oher important info: I am sexually active, but we always use condoms (hey, less mess, no fuss!); I started taking 150mg of Wellbutrin XL in mid-November (though I can't find anything to suggest that these drugs interact with each other) and started taking Claritin and Prilosec OTC about a week and a half ago. I take a multivitamin every day but don't think that'd do much. I also have had my gallbladder out and have chronic gastritis (yeah, my body's a mess).
Could I be: having a miscarriage, having uterine hemorrhaging, having a drug interaction, or should I just chill out and wait for it to stop?

Comments

[blue-werd.livejournal.com]

To be honest, what I would do, if I were you, I would go to the hospital, just to be on the safe side.
I don't really have any idea what it would be, but I would be a little concerned if it were me. And, plus, I am one of those really health paranoid people. I wouldn't be able to relax, knowing something like this could be going on. But, that's just me. I could totally be over-reacting.

[lucidtheory.livejournal.com]

This is normal, I would say. I had this exact same thing happen to me on Seasonale. My gyno told me it takes a while for your body to adjust to it, and that this 'breakthrough bleeding' should stop eventually.
If you are having pain, weakness or other strange symptoms however you should call your doctor. Bleeding like this on Seasonale should be pretty much pain-free and like a mild period.

Because of this problem like you're having, I switched off of Seasonale. I had been bleeding/spotting for three months or more and I was sick of it - my body never decided to "get used to it." I now use Yaz, except I take it like Seasonale (take it for three months straight then do my placebos). My body reacts MUCH better to it and I don't get breakthrough bleeding anymore. You might want to talk to your gyno about this option. Lots of birth control pills can act like Seasonale, and they may get along with your body better. I used to get lots of breast tenderness on the other pills I was on, but now with Yaz, I have no symptoms. (I love this pill, haha.)

Something else you can do to stop the bleeding is go ahead and take your placebos now, then start the pills again in a week. This is what my gyno recommended to me to stop breakthrough bleeding. As long as you have at least 3 weeks between bouts of placebos (like normal birth control pills) you will be fine protection-wise.

[creativexangst.livejournal.com]

Oh god, no advice, but im dealing with the same thing. I've been bleeding like that for about a month and half now...but when i went to the gyno i have "perfectly healthy vagina". Ugh. Just wait it out till after the "Real" period and then see. Im not due for....2 weeks either.

[childofmetis.livejournal.com]

I'm sure a lot of people have responded, but when I was on Seasonale, I bled NONSTOP for three or four months.

[aechei.livejournal.com]

bleeding like that on seasonale is REALLY ocmmon, and a reason why many people stop using it. it may improve after a couple packs, but...
if you decide you can't handle it, nearly all monophasic birth control pills and the nuvaring can be used to reduce the number of periods. the difference is, you can decide to skip just one period if you want, which your body might tolerate better. on the ring, you can extend the time between periods to 4 weeks, or use 2 in a row with no break which gives you 6-8 weeks without a period. with pills you just skip the placebos. most people take two packs back to back, but i can't think of any reason why you couldn't take 5 weeks of pills and then a break and 4 more weeks...i'd do it, but whether you are willing to experiment is your business. I have a hormonal iud that has stopped my periods completely, but i have extended my period spacing on both the patch and the ring successfully.