(no subject)

[nothing7.livejournal.com]

this might be a little long, but here goes...

i started taking depo-provera in october 2003. no side effects, no bleeding, nothing. absolutely wonderful, until july 2006. i started bleeding -constantly-. there was slight spotting a handful of times in may and june 2006, but i didn't think anything of it. so after bleeding for about a month straight, my doctor perscribed ortho 7/7/7, which helped a bit, but didn't completely stop the bleeding. i'd still get breakthrough bleeding at the start of each week, and near the end, and the withdrawl period as well. so i didn't get my next shot of depo, i took only the ortho 7/7/7 until the end of the december, which would be 3 months off depo. i got my dose (150mg), and was fine for about a week or two, and then the bleeding started again. so my doctor perscribed micronor (progesterone-only pill), which i took for two weeks, but nothing changed. he then perscribed ortho 1/35, which helped a lot. infact, i didn't bleed at all the whole time i took it. i went to see him on friday, and we decided that i should stick with depo, so i got my next shot. yesterday (saturday), i started bleeding. a lot. i'm really at a loss of what to do. perhaps this is just going to be a normal period, and it'll go away in a few days. i really don't want a repeat of bleeding for a month like i have over the past 9 months. i start feeling really sick, weak and dizzy after about 3 days of bleeding, even if i'm taking iron supplements.

i've asked my doctor about taking depo with the pill, but he doesn't think that would be a good idea, especially considering my age (i'm just about 19), nor depo plus progesterone. that seems to be the only thing that works, though. depo is also the best option for me, the pill, patch, nuvaring, etc arn't the greatest choice.

so i guess my questions are:

1. what's going on? why did i take it period free for almost 3 years, and then suddenly my body goes crazy?
2. how can i stop the bleeding?

i should probably also add that i have some weird panic over having a period. like, it absolutely CANNOT happen. having a period is like a death sentence to me. i was fine with it until about grade 9, when this panic started (i got it in grade 5). i can't even really describe how much panic bleeding causes me. and it's not the blood itself, i'm ok with blood.

sorry for the length, and i checked the memories, but didn't really find anything. thanks for any help.

edit - at the end of march 2006 i went off antidepressants, which i had been on for 5 years. shortly after is when the spotting started. perhaps that is related? i was on effexor xr and then zoloft. in august i went off a mood stabilizer.

Comments

[dindin.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you're having problems. Our bodies don't really stay the same - especially at your age, you're still very much changing. A medication (Depo) that worked great for you for a few years, now isn't working well for you. I had been off and on the same pill for 15 years when it stopped working.

You don't say why something like the patch or Nuvaring aren't good options for you, so it's tough to recommend other options to talk over with your doctor, but there are other long term progestin methods such as Implanon or a Mirena IUD, or a Copper IUD. Some doctors are more willing than others to give IUDs to young women. Most progestin only methods have irregular bleeding as a common potential side effect, but with an Implanon or Mirena many women find that their periods disappear altogether.

Your doctor will prescribe something to help stop the bleeding right now.

Good luck.

[nothing7.livejournal.com]

i just remembered something as well, that might have to do with the changes in my body, at the end of march 2006, i went off antidepressants (which i had been on for 5 years), perhaps that had something to do with it? since shortly after i had spotting occasionally, before my uterus went crazy.

the patch doesn't seem like a good option because it's so obvious, and i would be afraid of it falling off. i move around a lot in my job, and it would likely happen. (a lot of crawling around in cars, etc)
and in general with birth control, except for progesterone only kinds, i get really bad headaches that won't go away, even with twice the dose of OTC painkillers.
and IUD isn't an option for me right now according to my doctor. he wouldn't perscribe one for someone my age he said. i looked at the website for implanon, and they don't seem to have a canadian one, so i'm not sure if we even have it yet. but it seems like essentially the same thing as depo. i will ask though...

i just can't be leaving work all the time to go to the doctor's. we work with full staff all the time, so i can't get someone to fill in for me, and it's busy season.

perhaps i should just see what happens? despite the fact that bleeding = death to me. :/

thanks for the advice!

[dindin.livejournal.com]

If progestin only methods are your only hormonal option, and your doctor isn't willing to give you an IUD, what's left is barrier methods: condoms or condoms + spermicide will give you a high level of protection when used correctly. Unfortunately it won't affect your period. You may want to ask over in iud_divas for someone in your area who knows a doctor who might be more willing to give you an IUD at your age.

If you've seen your doctor before, especially for this problem, you should be able to call the office and explain the situation and have them prescribe something without an appointment for the bleeding, for instance what you took last time..

[nothing7.livejournal.com]

yeah, i'm going to try to call them during my lunch break this week. it's absolutely out of control now. i thought it had stopped earlier, but now it's like what feels like gallons pouring out of me. like, literally 5 minutes without a tampon, and it's gushing all over me. (sorry if that's a little TMI).

definitely going to look into an IUD and the implant though. thanks for all your advice!

[dindin.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Take care. :)