Seasonale Weirdness -- or WTF?

[jessant.livejournal.com]

I'm taking Seasonale, and I thought that I wouldn't get my fake period until I started taking the placebo pills, but I've been having a period now for two weeks. I'm a week away from when I start taking the placebo. I was just wondering if anyone else had periods that lasted this long or is taking Seasonale and experiencing this kind of problem. Should I go to the doctor or is this normal? Thanks for any help. Also, the first week of my fake period the blood was very brown and thick.

Oh, and hi, I just joined. :)

Comments

Welcome

[stratyllis.livejournal.com]

This is just my personal opinion, but I don't think that Seasonale is very good for you. One is supposed to have a period every month. Not every three months. That's why you are having a weird period. At least, that would be my guess.

Re: Welcome

[jessant.livejournal.com]

Many women choose to control their periods without any ill effects. I pretty much have too, because I have a medical condition which makes having a period very, very painful. People with disorders like anemia also choose not to have regular periods for obvious reasons. I just really want to know what's normal for this kind of birth control before I get off something that's really been helping me.

Re: Welcome

[stratyllis.livejournal.com]

It's normal to have long breakthrough bleeding. If it's not heavy you should be fine. I actually just started taking the pill and I've been spotting for over a week and I haven't started the sugar pills yet either.

Re: Welcome

[geminigirl]

When people don't alter their menstrual cycles on the pill, we still menstruate far more frequently than women in the past. Once a month is not normal for everyone-some women have longer cycles, where they menstruate closer to once every six weeeks, others menstruate on shorter cycles closer to three weeks.

Skipping periods has been prescribed as a treatment for medical conditions like endometriosis, or dysmenorrhea and other conditions for many years. The difference between Seasonale and other pills is in the packaging-Seaosnale is packaged specifically for the three month use, rather than a single month at a time. It's the same combination and doseage of hormones in Levlen, Nordette and Levora, repackaged.

The OP is probably having an unusual period because her body hasn't gotten used to the length of time between periods yet, and the breakthrough bleeding usually will taper off some time during the first year of using Seasonale. People on Seasonale (or who skip periods for long periods of time) tend to experience more breakthrough bleeding as the body gets used to the length of time between cycles.

OP: It's normal and nothing to be overly concerned about. Continue taking your pills as you have been.

Re: Welcome

[stratyllis.livejournal.com]

I did say that it was only my opinion.

[jessant.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the help. I just thought the length of time was strange. Two weeks seems like a lot of time to have break through bleeding.