(no subject)

[oh-so-quiet.livejournal.com]

i have a question.


today is the day that i usually get my period, but it normally comes at 8:00 pm. and when i say "normally," i mean every single month for the past two years or so. but this month, i started having a tiny bit of brownish discharge a couple days ahead of time, and my period started early, at 10:00 this morning.
usually i start my period off with a moderately heavy flow, and the color is consistent; but this time it's a darker red, in very small quantities, with some brown in it. like, brown discharge of a very not-blood-like consistency.
i am also having different cramps, they're more of a dull ache than usual. i don't know if this is related, but yesterday while sitting i had very sharp, stabbing pains so intense that i had to curl up to ease them, but they went away abruptly and didn't come back.
my stomach is also slightly upset.

so my question is, is this normal? i'm on ortho tri cyclen lo, but i've been on otc for a few years, and i've never had a period like this while on it. i did have sex without a condom for the first time in a long time today, but he did not ejaculate inside of me. does anyone have any insight? is this probably normal, or should i check with a doctor? and could it be pregnancy related?

thanks for your help.

Comments

no worries.

[sulingsi.livejournal.com]

hi-
i thought i'd post as reassurance. you are asking if this strange period could be pregnancy related, but then you say that you had sex for the first time in a long time today, though the strange period started a few days ago. that, combined with the fact that you are on the pill and that you just started your period (not a likely time to get pregnant) would make me think that there is less than zero chance that this is pregnancy related. however, i know how things can be when you get worried, and pregnancy tests are an easy way to end the stress. there are a million reasons, including no reason at all, why your period might have changed time slots this month, and i would say it is no cause for concern unless the pain is bothering you, in which case make an appt. with your doctor. lots of us, including myself, changed over to periods that are 'brownish, with a not so bloodlike consistency' at some point or another. it doesn't mean anything bad necessarily! try to stay calm and see what happens, and i bet your body will either go back to normal or start a new pattern.
on a side note, if the pill plus the withdrawal method give you a side effect of too much pregnancy scare-related stress, maybe you should consider combining the pill with a different method... like condoms. keep in mind that the pill is 99% effective all by itself! hope you feel better.

Re: no worries.

[oh-so-quiet.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for leaving such a thoughtful comment. it made me feel a lot better.

since i posted, my period itself has gone back to normal, but i've been pretty sick to my stomach, which never happens. so i'm not sure. maybe i just have a flu along with my period, or maybe it's a really bad one, or maybe my periods are just changing (but i hope not!) anyway, i suppose i'll stay calm, like you suggested, and make an appointment if it keeps up. again, thank you so much!

[editgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow, your description of your not-normal period sounds a lot like my regular ones! As the other kind commenter pointed out, your body might be changing a bit, even on the pill. My periods are often brown at first, with a full day or two of spotting (I'm not on the pill anymore, so this is my "warning sign"). I often get very sharp, stabbing pains on occasion... sometimes when I ovulate, too. I liken it to getting "stabbed in the coochie with scissors." They do fade abruptly, but wow, they can make your eyes water for a few seconds, can't they?

My stomach gets upset around my period too, sometimes. I sometimes get the 'runs' around that time of the month, but not so much anymore. Sometimes just taking a birth control pill, back when I was on them, would make me queasy, even when I had been taking them for years.

Do you spend a lot of time outside? If so, it's possible the full moon could be affecting the timing of when you start, I don't know. My cycle synched up perfectly to the full moon this month.

I would say it's probably in the range of normal, but this if this is a very sudden change for you, by all means, see a doctor or CNM if it will make you feel better. And do consider using condoms as well, if pregnancy worries you. They are cheap and easily available!

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

dude, how do you tell what time it starts? I just notice blood spots in my underwear at some point with no real indication of how long they've been there.