Cramps, UTI, and bleeding

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Cramps, UTI, and bleeding
5
Wed, 11-08-2006 - 6:09pm
On Sunday night I missed my pill because during the weekend on Saturday night I went the movies and took my pills along and they fell out of my purse. I went to the pharmacy on Monday and I had to pay for a new pack, so I made up for the missed pill that day. Ever since Monday I've had cramps and kind of heavier bleeding than I had experienced before with BTB/spotting. I go to the dr. in a few weeks and I'm going to ask him if I can switch to a different pill again because I'm still having BTB. Oh, I'm also still getting over a bladder infection, I only have two antibiotic pills left for that, and I'm hoping that it will go away after I finish them all. I'm wondering why I'm cramping though and having this bleeding. Is it a side effect from missing a pill? I've been on the pill since late August/early September, and the pill I'm on now is the 2nd type my dr. has switched me to because I had BTB on the first one, but I'm still having it so would it be okay to ask him to switch me to another one again?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 11-08-2006 - 11:13pm

Hi again Stephanie,


      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Wed, 11-08-2006 - 11:17pm
I've been on it for three cycles. Well, I'm not having a regular period though, I'm just taking active pills nonstop and not the placebos because my dr. said I don't need to have a period every month.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-09-2006 - 8:09am

While you don't -need- to have a period every month, sometimes your body makes the executive decision that you're going to have one whether you like it or not.


Because you're taking active pills and skipping the placebos, you are going to be more likely to have breakthrough bleeding when you miss a pill (after this long without a period).

Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Thu, 11-09-2006 - 2:43pm

Should I ask my doctor when I should have my periods then, since he did say 4 periods a year is safe, but he didn't tell me when I need to have them and how I go about doing that. Is the bleeding a sign that I need more progestin? How long does it take after you miss a pill for it to go back to normal?

I'm still a little confused on the effectiveness. When I read the leaflet that came with my BC and from the way people explain it, it sounded like it meant that when you miss a pill, your bc doesn't work as well as it normally does and it will remain that way for forever, which scared me. Then someone told me that it will only be less effective than it normally is until you take 7 active pills in a row after you've missed a pill if you've missed one.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-12-2002
Thu, 11-09-2006 - 4:58pm

Hi stephanien719,


While having your period four times a year might be "safe", if your body doesn't like that because the hormones can't stabilise your lining, and reacts with breakthrough bleeding, then you might be one of those women that has to have a period every month.