Abnormal Period

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2004
Abnormal Period
1
Sat, 06-19-2004 - 12:08pm
In the 7 years I've had my period, it has never lasted longer than 6 days. In fact, I think it has always only lasted 6 days. Whether I wasn't on birth control, or I was on the pill, or on the patch (as I am now and have been for about 9 months now), it has always been no more than 6 days long. I'm on my period right now and it is day 10 of having it. Is this something I should look into? The only thing I could think of is that I decided to change my patch change day. I went from a Sunday to a Wednesday (following the instructions that come with each box of patches, I did not wait longer than 7 days). Could putting the patch on 4 days early have triggered this? When I changed, I put my patch on on Wednesday, got my period Thursday, it stopped for a day on Monday, and then came back on Tuesday and has been going strong since. It doesn't look like my normal period, it's very dark brown and thick. Should I wait it out or should I go ahead and call my gyn to be checked?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
In reply to: agvpm
Wed, 06-23-2004 - 10:25pm
Hi agvpm, welcome!

If I were you I’d call the Ortho Evra helpline and ask your question. The Ortho Evra Customer Care Center can also be reached by telephone at 1-877-323-2200

The Ortho Evra website http://www.orthoevra.com/ has a good list of FAQs that might be worth looking at as well. Shortening your patch free week may be the cause but I'm not sure. I think I remember cl-marrymeflyfree mentioning something about patches overlapping that could add hormones from the new patch to levels from the old patch thus causing a peak that could cause irregular bleeding. However I don’t know if your circumstances are the same so, please call the helpline and ask. Let us know what they say, ok?

Good luck,

      Jill