Worried... again!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Worried... again!
5
Tue, 06-29-2004 - 9:30pm
So, I usually start my period like clockwork on Tuesday mornings (I take my last active pill in each pack on a Friday), and here it is Tuesday night, not even a small sign of AF and I am freaking out. My BF says I shouldn't be worried, and he's probably right, but I am obsessive. LOL! I take my pill on time every single day, AND we use condoms. Sometimes we do it for maybe a couple of seconds before he puts the condom on, but I shouldn't worry about that because of the pill, right?

The only thing I can think of that could have affected it is I had diarhea (sorry if TMI) right before I took my pill one night, but that was like a week before my period last month. Thinking back, last month's period seemed pretty normal, but now that I'm all paranoid, I'm thinking that maybe it was a little shorter than normal -- like two heavy days and one light day instead of three and two. Sigh. Do I need to take an HPT, or am I freaking out for no reason?

I've been on the pill for years, and it never comes this late in the day. If I'm a basket case now, I can't imagine if it's a whole day late!

Avatar for mistressskywalker
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Tue, 06-29-2004 - 9:51pm
Honestly, I wouldn't be worried yet. I've been on birth control for about two and a half years now, and I also used to get my period every Tuesday morning, every single time. Then for no reason at ALL I just started getting it later..first Tuesday night, and now sometimes not until Wednesday morning. And let me tell you, I was FREAKING out, especially the time that it was a whole day late! I can't even begin to explain why that happens sometimes, but it did happen to me too. :) I guess maybe it just has to do with your stress levels and stuff like that. Really, I wouldn't be worried yet. If you say you take your pill on time and use condoms, the chances of you being pregnant are microscopic. Just relax and keep us updated.

Hugs, M
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Tue, 06-29-2004 - 10:00pm
Thanks for your help. I'm going to try to stop freaking out tonight, but I'm not sure if I'll succeed. I guess the lateness seems even more magnified since, last month, I started my period even a tiny bit earlier than normal, spotting a bit on Monday night. So in comparison, this seems really late. ugh.

Do you think the diarhea (again, TMI) could have affected my pill even though it happened right before I took the pill? If so, I would have missed my period last month, probably, but I always hear about people having a period when pregnant the first month or something. I wonder if it's a normal, bright red period or just a tiny bit of spotting when that happens?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 06-30-2004 - 8:27am
If you had diarrhea *before* you took a pill, you don't have to worry about it--diarrhea is an issue if your body is purging your digestive system and there's an unabsorbed pill in it. If you took your pill and you know it stayed in your body for 2 hours, you're good.

Several years ago, when I'd been on Loestrin for about 3 1/2 years, my Tuesday morning period moved to Tuesday afternoon...Wednesday morning...Wednesday afternoon...Thursday morning... My body's response to the pill was changing. It wasn't that it wasn't protecting me, that's easy to control, but how the hormones were affecting my uterus wasn't the same as it had been due to what I assume to be a change in my own hormone production. Sometimes that happens! As long as you've been taking your pills on time and especially because you've been using condoms as well, you shouldn't have anything to worry about (I only use condoms when I *have* to for backup).

Good luck! I bet your period shows up any hour now... ;)

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Wed, 06-30-2004 - 9:25pm
Whew! You are so right... AF showed up late this morning. What a releif. I know, I am insane for freaking over a few hours, but I'm a worrier. :) Well, I guess I'm 26, so it's not out of the question that my hormones might be shifting. Regardless, I'm releived. Thanx to all for your support!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Wed, 06-30-2004 - 9:44pm
I'm glad AF came. I had the same thing happen just about 2 years ago, after 3 and a half years on the pill. It always came like clockwork, down to the minute, at 10:30 sunday morning (my first inactive day was friday), and then it started coming at like 3pm, then one Sunday it didn't come at all! AF woke me up around 7 the next morning, thank goodness. I was freaking out that entire sunday. I remember my BF was out with his parents because they were visiting from out of town, so he wasn't around to reassure me. When he got home that night and called me I was like "what do i do?!" and he tried to talk me down but nothing would help. I ended up spending the day and evening researching my options if I was pregnant. I barely slept, it was so stressful!

After that, my period started coming either sunday evening or monday morning, but usually stuck to sunday evening. I think all my stress about not having a period pushed it back a little that time.

So, you're not the only one who freaks out about these things, you're not alone. :)

For what it's worth, a couple months ago I had some signs that my pill wasn't strong enough for me anymore, I had some spotting during the third week. I've since switched and my first period on the new pill is in a few weeks. I know I'm going to be stressed out for the first few inactive days, waiting for it to come. wish me luck. ;)