Birth Control Question

jade23

Hi Ladies,

This is not Starting Over related persay, but I started the birth control pill 2 weeks ago when I started my period. I had a normal period but I am still bleeding a bit and spotting and it does not seem to be getting better. In fact it is getting worse. At first I was annoyed, now I am worried. I have a Dr. Appt next week but I just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this and just how much I should freak out. I have this irrational fear I have an STD.

MintChocoChip

Most STDs don't make you spot.  Your body is probably getting used to having extra hormones.  Spotting is normal for some people on some pills. 

kippersophie

The same thing happened to me when I started on Lybrel, I told my dr. and he switched my meds. I'd say don't worry about the STD, it's mooost likely the BCP.  

UDscoobychick

It's most likely the BCP.  That being said, I think someone posted a link here the other day that a bunch of BCPs got recalled for defects (too many placebo pills or not enough), so I'd double check the manufacturer's lot to make sure that you didn't get one of the bad packs!

arborgold

UDscoobychick:

It's most likely the BCP.  That being said, I think someone posted a link here the other day that a bunch of BCPs got recalled for defects (too many placebo pills or not enough), so I'd double check the manufacturer's lot to make sure that you didn't get one of the bad packs!

Ditto this. Here's the drug that was recalled:

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 31, 2012 - NEW YORK, N.Y. ? Pfizer Inc. announced today that it has voluntarily recalled 14 lots of Lo/Ovral?-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol)Tablets and 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets (generic) for customers in the U.S. market. An investigation by Pfizer found that some blister packs may contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredient tablets and that the tablets may be out of sequence. The cause was identified and corrected immediately. " 

I would say that the spotting is most likely due to the BCP, even if it's not one of the defective packs. I started back on an extended regimen BCP (seasonale) about 8 months ago (I was on it a few years ago, and stopped when the STBXH and I were talking about kids - dodged a bullet there!), and honestly spotted randomly for the first 6 months.  It kinda sucked.

I didn't spot at all the first time I was taking it, and I didn't spot at all when I was on depo provera, but it's definitely a very common side effect, especially with extended regimen BC, so maybe I was just lucky with those.