pill questions
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pill questions
| Mon, 11-08-2004 - 2:34pm |
Question: I had taken pills for about 3-4 years but stopped this august. I began taking pills on a monday (Oct. 25) and was sexually active thurs thru mon of that week ( oct 28- nov 1). i started taking the pills the day i got my period and that stopped it. and now yesterday(nov 7) i began spotting a bit. is it safe for me to stop taking the pills today so i can have my full period, or should i finish the pills out? i'd rather stop, but not if its risky. however, I'm thinking if i started bleeding than maybe thats a good sign? a bit confusing, but if you have any idea, please help. thanks

If I were you I'd continue taking my pills. Missing a period shouldn't be harmful (otherwise the FDA wouldn't have approved Seasonale) and it is not a good idea to stop mid-pack. It takes 2 or 3 cycles for your body to adjust to the hormones in your pills. Irregular bleeding is a very common side effect when starting or switching hormonal contraceptives. It isn't harmful to stop mid-pack but it might be uncomfortable. If you are going to continue on the pill you need to get past the adjustment period and if you are going to stop taking them you might bleed until the time you would normally get your period.
If you do decide to stop mid-pack (for your period) be sure to use back-up until you have taken 7 active pills in the next pack consecutively and correctly. The reason for back-up is that if you haven't completed taking 21 actives correctly you might not be protected completely during your pill free interval. When you start your next pack be sure to use a new and complete pack of pills. Your partial pack can be used as a source of spares in case you loose or vomit a pill. Since you are new to BCPs you might want to read the posts: 'How the pill works', 'Taking your pills correctly', 'Common pill side effects' and 'Irregular bleeding anyone?' in the FAQs. Let us know what you decide, ok?
Good luck,
Jill
Good luck,
Jill