Damn it! My period...Question?

[Polkadot369]

Wow. So today is just not my day. Ontop of a lot of things, this happened:

 

Okay, so I just finished my first pack of YAZ, and I start up again with a new pack tomorrow. My boyfriend comes back into town on monday after being away for weeks. I really miss him - just being with him. And to be honest, I've been craving sex with him for the past week. I've been planning a sexy, fun welcome home kind of thing.

 

And I just got my period.

 

And I feel gross having sex on my period.

 

I've heard that this pill can makes periods shorter and lighter. Anyone have any such experience with YAZ?

 

I'm praying that my period will only last a day or two...

[whymeagian]

I've been told that if you dont want a period one month (for whatever reason) you can just take pills continuously and miss your period all together one month. I believe you're just supposed to start your new pack directly after you finish the active pills in your first pack (ie dont take the white pills, just start the new pack of active pills). By doing this, you shouldnt be getting your period at all that month without any problems (maybe some light spotting)

 

I would call the advice nurse at the hospital you go to and double check this, but that was what I was told by a sexual health educator.

 

Hope this helps!

[Polkadot369]

So the doctor origonally told me to start a new set of active pills the first day the I get my period for this month. But I already took one of the nonactive ones today. Should I take an active one? Does it matter if I take an active and a non active all in one day?

 

Or I could just wait till tomorrow? I'm due to start active pills again tomorrow at 5 pm anyway. If I just start then, do you think my period will disappear rather quickly?

 

I think I will call the nurse, thanks, but no one is available over the phone until monday...

 

Sorry if I sound whiney, but this is SO frustrating...

[whymeagian]

Yea, the best thing to do would be to call a nurse. I go to Kaiser, and I know they have a 24 hour advice nurse. If your doctor's office is closed, you can also try planned parenthood or somethign like that if they're still open (i dont know their hours)

 

OR call your pharmacy, thats what I did teh last time i had a BC question. They would know best, and if they dont they can refer you to someone who would.

[Mythical_Suicide]

Even if you did start the new pack right away you will probably still have some spotting or bleeding. But I agree with the others, the best thing to do is contact a doctor or nurse line

[Jess...]

Just a word of warning about skipping your period - from someone who's done it.

 

I was due around Christmas one year, so I skipped the white pills and just took the active ones. It worked great, no period that month. BUT I got it for *2* weeks the next month. I don't know if that's normal or not - lol - but I guess my body thought it had to make up for missing it by going twice as long. I haven't skipped it since, as I don't want to risk that happeneing again (and its not good to mess with your period anyway) but just keep that in mind.

[Mythical_Suicide]

Just a word of warning about skipping your period - from someone who's done it.

 

I was due around Christmas one year, so I skipped the white pills and just took the active ones. It worked great, no period that month. BUT I got it for *2* weeks the next month. I don't know if that's normal or not - lol - but I guess my body thought it had to make up for missing it by going twice as long. I haven't skipped it since, as I don't want to risk that happeneing again (and its not good to mess with your period anyway) but just keep that in mind.

 

 

I dont think that had anything to do with your period lasting that long, periods aren't really something that keeps track of timing nor have I ever heard of it coming longer the next time because you skipped it 1 month.

[Polkadot369]

Okay, since I couldn't find anyone to call, and those nonactive pills are basically sugar pills, I decided to take an active one last night and get back on my normal time today.

And pray that my period will be gone by tomorrow....

So thanks for the help!

[Jess...]

I dont think that had anything to do with your period lasting that long, periods aren't really something that keeps track of timing nor have I ever heard of it coming longer the next time because you skipped it 1 month.

 

I've been on the pill for years now, and my periods come like clockwork. They last the amount of the white pills, and then stop. I have never heard of the coming twice as long the next time either, (so you can imagine my shock when I got a 'double lot' so to speak) but not once have they ever lasted that long, and that's the only reason I can put to it. It might not have anything to do with it, no, but it seemed strange coincidence that the one time I messed with my body, the next time it messed with me. And its never happened since.

[Mythical_Suicide]

I think it was just a huge coincidence, your body may be like clockwork but that just seems so far fetched for that to happen. If that was the case, the people who are on other forms of BC where they don't get periods for long periods of time would be screwed when it did come to getting their periods.

[Pappers]

if you have a pill pack with the 'week off' then it is more then ok to just continue with the next pack if you want to skip a period.

 

however, it doesn't always work. you will probably find you have intermittent bleeding that week. it also depends what pill you are taking and how it works in your body.

 

might as well try though if you really want to skip it this month. it won't do any harm whatsoever.

 

i've done it for about 3 / 4 months at a time, then just go back to the normal cycle of things.

 

head to the doctor if you want to try the new pills that purposefully skip periods.

[Jess...]

I think it was just a huge coincidence, your body may be like clockwork but that just seems so far fetched for that to happen. If that was the case, the people who are on other forms of BC where they don't get periods for long periods of time would be screwed when it did come to getting their periods.

 

I wondered if it was huge coincidence too. It may be far fetched, but that's what happened. Like I said before, I don't know if that's normal (obviously not) or whether it had anything to do with it, but as I can't find any other explantion for it, I guess I just have to put it down to that and bad timing probably. It never happened before, and it's never happened since. Hmm.. Maybe I should try it again to see if it happens again.

[RayKay]

Jess, I think it is quite possible that happened, as your body probably built up more lining during the month you skipped the "period" (they are not true periods anyway, but ones brought on by the hormone withdrawal) and so it took longer to shed the lining.

 

I know for example that other birth control methods that "stop" periods have this effect at times too - like Depo. Seasonale for example which is the pill that gives you four periods of years can cause extending spotting and bleeding during "period" and also during active pills too - I think their patient information states something like 20 days worth is common in first cycle.

 

Anyway, point is, when you mess with the hormones your body is "used too" it can have some odd side effects!

[RayKay]

Some pills don't work well to skip periods with - triphasic pills (like Tri-Cyclen) tend to not work as well as they "stage" the hormone doses, as opposed to monophasic pills.

 

Some pills like Seasonale can have you skip periods three months at time, but I personally am a little leery of the idea and the effects of that much hormones on your body.

 

In other words, you need to talk to your doctor or a nurse about best option for you.

[RayKay]

To original OP - hormonal birth control generally makes periods lighter and shorter but it can take some time for that to take effect. A month is still pretty early as it will not be at maximum effectiveness yet.

 

But different pills have different effects on different women. Some have shorter, lighter periods, some have longer, lighter ones, or shorter, heavier ones, others have a terrible time with certain pills and lots of breakthrough bleeding/spotting (which means it may be time to look at a different option).