Prolonged Period while on the Pill

I had the same issue. I was on the patch for years and I didn't like the way it looked (people asked if it was to quit smoking) so I started the pill. I tried three different kinds of pills and they all made me have my period for three weeks instead of one. My doctor called this "spiking". I told to try the ring or the patch again because it's a constant flow and does not do that to me. So... back on the patch. It's easy and I'm used to it. Hopefully one day there will be something even better! ...Like a pill to take once a week! Who knows?

Anon, I'm so sorry. Having a constant period for that long a stretch of time is so stressful.

I have a couple of questions for you that will make our answers a lot more complete.

-- What brand and strength of birth control pill are you taking now?

-- Is it a pill you take three weeks on and one week off?

-- What strength of NuvaRing were you on (and if it is relevant, why did you stop using it?)

-- What does your ob/gyn say about why the pill affects you this way?

The answer to your first question is yes, if you have not stopped taking your pills, you are still protected from pregnancy. (I am assuming that you continued taking your pills as normal even though the bleeding did not stop).

The answer to your second question will differ depending on what pill you are on now -- we need to know that before we can compare the two for you. Please write back and let us know and we'll see what else we can find out for you.