bleeding & Lo

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-06-2004
bleeding & Lo
1
Wed, 10-06-2004 - 11:24am
Sorry if I'm repeating questions, but I started Ortho-Tricyclen Lo this month (I'm on day 18) and had breathrough bleeding starting yesterday. I was on Ortho-Evra over a year ago, for three months, and had no side effects besides a lack of mood swings, which my GYN(RN) said was a good sign that I'd have no bleeding with OTCLo (she said the hormones are very similar). It's not even "bleeding," but the dark, brown blood that always starts off my period, so this is worrying me a bit.

Is this an indication that I'll continue to have breakthrough bleeding if I stay on the pill? The reason I'm on it is to regulate a very, very irregular and stressful period. (THe kind that skips four months, then shows up for every exam or vacation and lasts two weeks.) I've been very careful to take the pill on time (although this morning and one morning in the first week, when I was still getting used to it, I took it about 45 minutes after my target time, but all other mornings were never more than 10 minutes before or after). Should the bleeding stop happening eventually, if so, how soon did everyone adjust to it?

I guess I'm adding a second question: my GYN told me that with low-dose hormones, within 30 minutes is considered safe, but I keep reading here that two hours is the limit. If I oversleep and take it 45mins - an hour after my time, should I consider it a late pill?

Thanks!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 10-06-2004 - 3:58pm
Hi qwertish, welcome!

>> I started Ortho-Tricyclen Lo this month (I'm on day 18) and had breakthrough bleeding starting yesterday. ... Is this an indication that I'll continue to have breakthrough bleeding if I stay on the pill?

Irregular bleeding is very common when starting or switching pills. It usually takes 3 or so cycles for your body to adjust to the hormones in your pills. The bleeding should disappear over time. No one can say for certain but you will probably do fine on OTC-Lo.

>> my GYN told me that with low-dose hormones, within 30 minutes is considered safe, but I keep reading here that two hours is the limit. If I oversleep and take it 45mins - an hour after my time, should I consider it a late pill?

With the mini-pill, progestin-only-pills (POPs), it's a must to take them less than 30 minutes either side of your pill time to retain their effectiveness. With combined pills like OTC-Lo +/-2 hours is usually considered on time. Taking OTC-Lo less than an hour from your normal pill time you should be fine. Let us know how you’re doing, ok?

Good luck,

      Jill