bleeding while starting new pill

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2004
bleeding while starting new pill
1
Fri, 05-21-2004 - 8:03pm
I have been taking a BCP for the past 6 mths. Of which I was very regular and without breakthrough bleeding through the first 4-5 mths. I was originally on Ortho-Novum, but missed my period last month, took a pregnancy test (which was negative), so my doctor switched me to Ortho-Tricyclen. She advised me to start taking the new pack right after finishing my last active pills and skipping my inactive pills. So I have been taking the new pack since Sunday and I have sense began what seems to be my period. It started Wed and (sorry for being graffic), but is fairly heavy and really dark brown(no red blood yet). I thought I should have skipped this period until the end of my pack of pills, but I feel like I am having my period, with cramping, bloating and bleeding. I'm just confused and wonder if this might be normal. Has this ever happened to anyone?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sat, 05-22-2004 - 10:46pm
Sure it does! You're switching from Ortho Novum to Ortho Tri Cyclen, right? And you were probably switched to OTC because it has a lower progestin activity than ON (lower progestin activity will allow more lining to develop in your uterus and you would be less likely to skip periods). The thing is, when you drop the level of progestin in your body, that can cause bleeding to start--that's why you have periods both on and off the pill. You may not have been going to skip a period this month, and the lower level of progestin in OTC compared to ON may not have been enough to keep the lining of your uterus intact and now it's leaking. If you haven't had spotting like this before, when blood is exposed to the air for a little while, it turns from red to brown (chemical reaction with oxygen), and if you're not bleeding much, it can take a while for the blood in your uterus to actually leave your body, long enough for the color change.

Make sense or no? Irregular bleeding is very very common when you switch pills, especially when the formulation is significantly different. You still might call your doctor and see what his/her opinion is, but odds are that it's not a big deal.

I hope that helps, if not, just holler back!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control