Can Rx meds cause irregular bleeding?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Can Rx meds cause irregular bleeding?
5
Mon, 06-11-2007 - 8:52pm

I have a Paragard IUD, and am on a bunch of meds for migraines...some of which are new, or doses increased recently. My last period stopped about a week ago, and a couple days ago a started spotting really bad. (needing a tampon; much more than any usual spotting)

Is there somewhere I could find a list of meds to see if any of mine are on there, and this can be explained? When googling I couldn't really find anything on the subject.

I know some of my meds can interfere with birth control pills. Because they could interfere with the pill, could that mean that they could cause the bad spotting even when I'm not on the pill? I just want to see if there is an easy explaination for this before going to the gyno!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Mon, 06-11-2007 - 10:12pm

Hi tortoisegirl, welcome back!


      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
Tue, 06-12-2007 - 7:14am
I was on a medicine that caused very heavy bleeding, and it was because the prescribing doctor and pharmacist did not know that while it was fine with normal birth control pills, it was not fine with progestron-only-pills. After being miserable for a couple months i did my own research, and it said on the bc control packet not to mix with that type of medicine, so I visited my gyno, and we decided that while i needed that medicine, i was better off without it, and so then visited that doctor and told him that I was going off the medicine. There were other side effects that were undesirable, so i am not sugggesting for a minute you go off your medicine. I think anything is possible, especially with types of birth control that may be uncommon.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Wed, 06-13-2007 - 6:11pm

Thanks for the replies! This has pretty much been the last straw for me with the IUD...I'm going to try and find a new gyno so I can get it removed. (I've moved) Hoping it can just be done during a regular exam. Would there be any removal problems? I know to abstain for a few days before I would want it removed because of the pregnancy risk, but besides that?

I've had spotting after a week-long period that lasts another week, cramps when I never used to get them, and a very unpredictable heavy flow that starts out of nowhere so I'm constantly worried. The cost of tampons a month has probably doubled for me, lol.

I've changed meds enough that only one of mine interferes with the pill, so I'll get that one switched and hopefully get on the pill again! I'm so excited, because my periods were really easy to deal with, and acne cleared up, when I was on it for a year. I do have to be careful when getting a doctor to Rx it for me because some won't let people with migraines take it because of the increased stroke risk, but from what I've read, the stroke risk only increases a lot when you get an aura with the migraine. (and I don't) And, I've been on it before...hoping it won't be a problem since I don't have any other options I can think of that work with my lifestyle.

I'd probably try the Mirena if I had the cash to do so, or insurance covered it. Speaking of that, the $400 or so I paid for the Paragard worked out to less than $40 a month for the time I'll have had it in. Not too horrible I guess, as some pills cost that much. =)

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Thu, 06-14-2007 - 1:11am

>>This has pretty much been the last straw for me with the IUD...I'm going to try and find a new gyno so I can get it removed. (I've moved) Hoping it can just be done during a regular exam. Would there be any removal problems? <<


      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Thu, 06-14-2007 - 7:27pm

Thanks for all the helpful info Jill, as always! On the pill before I had the occasional spotting, but what I'm getting on the IUD is literally gushing flow with no warning...not so fun with summer clothes now. I don't really care about "normal" spotting. I also think I found out which med was the culprit when I looked back through my notes and saw I've been taking ir way more than usual. (a pain med) It's the same one I'd have to stop before going on the pill, so that works quite well. (Butalbital)

The gushing has stopped for the moment...just in time for me to have a week free before I expect my period, lol.

I found a new gyno and the receptionist said taking it out during my annual is no problem. I sure got lucky becuase it's the only office that excepts my insurance here! I'll probably be posting back here when I'm hopefully back on the pill. Best wishes everyone.

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