Hi Dee,
I might be slightly confused on your information, so I hope to hear back for some clarification, so I can provide the best answers.
Background Info/Answer to One of Your Questions:
1. You will not cause your body long-term harm/damage by stopping and starting a few different brands of pills in the same month, but it will cause your irregular "periods" as you are experiencing.
2. The "periods" you are experiencing are actually "withdrawal bleeding" from stopping the pills, and not a true menstrual period. (The pill works to prevent pregnancy by prohibiting ovulation, and the ovulation process is what "triggers" a menstrual period).
My questions for you:
1. When you say you are "stopping" using the pill each time, do you mean you just quit taking the active pills...or are you referring to the "stopping" as the inactive pills ("sugar pills") in the 4th week of your pack?
2. When (what date) do your inactive pills start in your current pill pack, if you were to keep taking your pill consistently every day?
Depending on your answer to my above question, here are some possible responses in advance:
1. You will most likely experiencing withdrawal bleeding (what is referred to as your "period") once you stop taking your pills, but if you abruptly stop taking active pills, it is more of an unknown when withdrawal bleeding will occur.
2. The short-term consequences that you are causing from stopping/starting and not following the pill instructions will be what you are trying to prevent: unpredictable bleeding (and breakthrough bleeding..see below).
There is a better way to "control" when your period/withdrawal bleeding occurs!
1. Stopping/starting pills can cause "breakthrough bleeding" which is exactly what you do not want, as it is unpredictable, can resemble a period or spotting, and occurs during the active pills without much notice.
2. Many women have talked with their doctors about how to use two pill packs in-a-row (active pills only) to prevent bleeding (they omit the inactive pills), and you hear about this primarily during a honeymoon (or other related event). You can call your doctor's office and speak with a nurse about how best to do this with your particular prescription (and they will know if it's contraindicated due to your medical history). One warning---this can cause breakthrough bleeding, so weight the pros/cons.
I'm reading your question again, and just to clarify the dates:
- Your period began Oct 11th (does not matter when it ended)
- You took a new birth control pill for just a week, starting at the end of your period (I believe your prescription says to start it on your "first day of bleeding", or does it say to "start on a Monday or Sunday, regardless if you are bleeding or not")...which instructions did you follow
- You abruptly stopped taking birth control pill (active pills)
- You had (most likely) withdrawal bleeding on Oct 26th
- You started taking the pill again that week while bleeding
You now want to know if your next withdrawal bleeding/period will occur on November 4th or November 26th (approx), based on the above info. Correct?
Also confusing: you want to continue taking your pill through November 4th, and then stopping the pills abruptly. Is this the date that the first inactive pills begin for 7 days, or are you wanting to stop taking the active pills on this date? Depending on if your body is bleeding from withdrawal from the synthetic hormones in your pill, or if your body is bleeding from an actual menstrual period from its own hormones and ovulation process...will determine when you experience bleeding. The problem with using the pill in an unpredictable matter is that your bleeding will be unpredictable, too.
Thanks for clarifying my questions above, and I will get back to you soon after your response.
Comment Reply
Hi Dee,
I might be slightly confused on your information, so I hope to hear back for some clarification, so I can provide the best answers.
Background Info/Answer to One of Your Questions:
1. You will not cause your body long-term harm/damage by stopping and starting a few different brands of pills in the same month, but it will cause your irregular "periods" as you are experiencing.
2. The "periods" you are experiencing are actually "withdrawal bleeding" from stopping the pills, and not a true menstrual period. (The pill works to prevent pregnancy by prohibiting ovulation, and the ovulation process is what "triggers" a menstrual period).
My questions for you:
1. When you say you are "stopping" using the pill each time, do you mean you just quit taking the active pills...or are you referring to the "stopping" as the inactive pills ("sugar pills") in the 4th week of your pack?
2. When (what date) do your inactive pills start in your current pill pack, if you were to keep taking your pill consistently every day?
Depending on your answer to my above question, here are some possible responses in advance:
1. You will most likely experiencing withdrawal bleeding (what is referred to as your "period") once you stop taking your pills, but if you abruptly stop taking active pills, it is more of an unknown when withdrawal bleeding will occur.
2. The short-term consequences that you are causing from stopping/starting and not following the pill instructions will be what you are trying to prevent: unpredictable bleeding (and breakthrough bleeding..see below).
There is a better way to "control" when your period/withdrawal bleeding occurs!
1. Stopping/starting pills can cause "breakthrough bleeding" which is exactly what you do not want, as it is unpredictable, can resemble a period or spotting, and occurs during the active pills without much notice.
2. Many women have talked with their doctors about how to use two pill packs in-a-row (active pills only) to prevent bleeding (they omit the inactive pills), and you hear about this primarily during a honeymoon (or other related event). You can call your doctor's office and speak with a nurse about how best to do this with your particular prescription (and they will know if it's contraindicated due to your medical history). One warning---this can cause breakthrough bleeding, so weight the pros/cons.
I'm reading your question again, and just to clarify the dates:
- Your period began Oct 11th (does not matter when it ended)
- You took a new birth control pill for just a week, starting at the end of your period (I believe your prescription says to start it on your "first day of bleeding", or does it say to "start on a Monday or Sunday, regardless if you are bleeding or not")...which instructions did you follow
- You abruptly stopped taking birth control pill (active pills)
- You had (most likely) withdrawal bleeding on Oct 26th
- You started taking the pill again that week while bleeding
You now want to know if your next withdrawal bleeding/period will occur on November 4th or November 26th (approx), based on the above info. Correct?
Also confusing: you want to continue taking your pill through November 4th, and then stopping the pills abruptly. Is this the date that the first inactive pills begin for 7 days, or are you wanting to stop taking the active pills on this date? Depending on if your body is bleeding from withdrawal from the synthetic hormones in your pill, or if your body is bleeding from an actual menstrual period from its own hormones and ovulation process...will determine when you experience bleeding. The problem with using the pill in an unpredictable matter is that your bleeding will be unpredictable, too.
Thanks for clarifying my questions above, and I will get back to you soon after your response.
October 29, 2009 - 12:05pmThis Comment
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