Breakthrough bleeding and hormone levels

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-24-2004
Breakthrough bleeding and hormone levels
1
Wed, 11-10-2004 - 11:56am
Hi I am currently on Yasmin (the seventh birth control pill I've tried because of breakthrough bleeding after about four months). If I get breakthrough bleeding with this one, I would like to try Nuvaring or an IUD. My question is, I know that Nuvaring has the lowest amount of hormones than any other bc, so will I definately get breakthrough bleeding with it? I've had a nurse tell me that I'm having bleeding because the hormones in whatever pill I was currently taking weren't high enough for me. Thanks for you help! :)

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-11-2004 - 7:34am
It depends on which hormone she's talking about! If the progestin dose isn't high enough or the estrogen dose is TOO high, then yes, you'd be more likely to have breakthrough bleeding. Progestin tends to restrict bleeding, estrogen tends to promote it (until you get into a way-high progestin level, then you need more estrogen to stop bleeding). So if you have bleeding on this pill, moving to a lower-estrogen pill or the ring (the lowest level of estrogen) might help. How the progestins in the ring and Yasmin compare, I'm not sure, but I know I have the lightest periods I've ever had with the ring.

Hope that helps!

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