Help!! bleeding on the patch 3 weeks

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Help!! bleeding on the patch 3 weeks
1
Wed, 08-11-2004 - 7:06pm
Hi i am hoping someone out there can give me some advice. I tried posting on another site with no luck. I have been on ortho evra for about a year. My GYN just changed my prescription so that I am on a 3 period a year cycle. I use 11 patches for 11 weeks and on the 12th week go without same as you would with the pill. I am on my first cycle and on my 10th patch i have had breakthrough bleeding for 3 weeks. At first it was really lite and then got a bit heavier. Now it's is on and off. At week two i called the nurse and she said it was normal and it was my body getting used to it. I am finding that hard to believe at week three of bleeding. has anyone out there had any similar type of reaction?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 08-11-2004 - 8:48pm
Hi citychick27, welcome!

Irregular bleeding seems to be a normal side effect for some women using their pills in an extended cycle regimen. We have heard mostly from pill users but I would think the same thing should apply when using the patch for extended cycling. What we hear from women using the pill that way is that often the irregular bleeding disappears when their bodies adjust to the hormones after several extended cycles. On the otherhand, it might be that there isn't sufficient progestin in the patch to control your endometrium after 7 or eight weeks and that will be the longest interval you can get from that combination of hormones. You aren't going to know which it is unless you continue on with your extended regimen for several cycles to see. I hope your bleeding stops soon. Let us know how you're doing, ok?

Good luck,

      Jill