SweetPea83
06-22-2006, 06:32 PM
Hello everyone!
I'm having some birth control problems and I hope someone can help!
I began taking Ortho-Tricyclen when I was 18 (I'm 22 now). It worked fine for me, but when Ortho-Lo came out my gyno wanted me to try it. So I did, and I really didn't have any side effects other than bleeding during sex that occurred ONLY the week before my period. I never really gave it much thought since it was always right before my period. But I mentioned it to him at my next appointment so he switched me back to Ortho-Tricyclen (Trinessa actually, the generic version).
After being on Trinessa for a while I came down with anxiety/depression and thought it was the pill so I asked my gyno to switch me to see if that would help. So currently i'm on Yasmin, my 2nd month. I also was prescribed Lexapro by my family doc for anxiety/depression, which has improved. However, this past week (7 days before my period) I bled during sex (only during!) again! This hasn't happened since I was on Ortho Lo so i'm just wondering if maybe I need to go back to a higher dose pill? What do you think?
I'm really worried but I keep telling myself it only happens at that certain time of the month so it must be related to the pill. All of my paps have always been normal. Thanks for any advice you can offer!
I'm having some birth control problems and I hope someone can help!
I began taking Ortho-Tricyclen when I was 18 (I'm 22 now). It worked fine for me, but when Ortho-Lo came out my gyno wanted me to try it. So I did, and I really didn't have any side effects other than bleeding during sex that occurred ONLY the week before my period. I never really gave it much thought since it was always right before my period. But I mentioned it to him at my next appointment so he switched me back to Ortho-Tricyclen (Trinessa actually, the generic version).
After being on Trinessa for a while I came down with anxiety/depression and thought it was the pill so I asked my gyno to switch me to see if that would help. So currently i'm on Yasmin, my 2nd month. I also was prescribed Lexapro by my family doc for anxiety/depression, which has improved. However, this past week (7 days before my period) I bled during sex (only during!) again! This hasn't happened since I was on Ortho Lo so i'm just wondering if maybe I need to go back to a higher dose pill? What do you think?
I'm really worried but I keep telling myself it only happens at that certain time of the month so it must be related to the pill. All of my paps have always been normal. Thanks for any advice you can offer!
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mayam
06-23-2006, 03:43 AM
I would suggest you have vaginal swabs taken to rule out infections. They can cause bleeding after sex, although probably not in your case, but I would want it checking out. If everything is clear then you may want to consider another pill. If your depression symptoms are under control, however, and you like the Yasmin, I would stick with it a bit longer.
SweetPea83
06-23-2006, 09:10 AM
Thanks! I just really think it is the birth control. It's weird that it NEVER happened the whole 2 years I was on Ortho Tricyclen or the year I was on Trinessa. Just the 6 months I was on Ortho Lo and here recently on Yasmin.
SweetPea83
06-25-2006, 12:33 AM
I called my gyno's office yesterday. He said I haven't been on Yasmin long enough to see if it will work out for me. So I guess I'll take it another month, but if the bleeding happens again I'm going back to Trinessa.
SweetPea83
06-25-2006, 05:04 PM
I've been doing a lot of reading and I still can't pinpoint the cause of this bleeding. Every website I go to says it's cervical cancer. I had a pap in October and it was normal. This bleeding was going on at that time because I was on Ortho Lo. Plus, if it were cervical cancer wouldn't it bleed more than just the week before my period during sex?
SweetPea83
06-26-2006, 06:05 PM
PLEASE! Can anyone help me?
ace8484
06-26-2006, 07:10 PM
Breakthrough bleeding right before your period is probably due to not enough progestin. Ortho tri cyclen lo has lower amounts of progestin this last week. If you have talked to you doctor and ruled out other causes of the bleeding (aka they did an exam and a pap smear and everything came out fine). Maybe sex is just enough motion to your cervix to let the breakthrough bleeding slip through, when otherwise it would just stay above your cervix in the uterus until your period. Maybe try a pill with a higher progestin content?
Kszan
06-26-2006, 07:21 PM
I don't think it's cervical cancer if your paps came back normal. Isn't that the reason why we have to subject ourselves to a pap smear every year to rule out cervical cancer?
I was on the pill for a lot of years and I sometimes had a little bleeding after sex. It's not that big of a deal, I didn't worry about it too much because I have read that being on the pill can cause any and every problem known to mankind, so I just assumed it was because of that.
And while you're at it, I'm sure that the pill is also causing your depression and anxiety. Coicidentally, my panic attacks started when I was 18. I also happened to start taking the pill then. Gee? Interesting. I decided to quit the pill about 6 months ago, since I'm in my early 30s. I haven't had a panic attack or any issues with depression since then. Gee. Interesting. Just some food for thought. But I know that for me, any form of birth control that involves hormones is a bad idea. I'm staying away from it from now on.
I was on the pill for a lot of years and I sometimes had a little bleeding after sex. It's not that big of a deal, I didn't worry about it too much because I have read that being on the pill can cause any and every problem known to mankind, so I just assumed it was because of that.
And while you're at it, I'm sure that the pill is also causing your depression and anxiety. Coicidentally, my panic attacks started when I was 18. I also happened to start taking the pill then. Gee? Interesting. I decided to quit the pill about 6 months ago, since I'm in my early 30s. I haven't had a panic attack or any issues with depression since then. Gee. Interesting. Just some food for thought. But I know that for me, any form of birth control that involves hormones is a bad idea. I'm staying away from it from now on.
SweetPea83
06-26-2006, 09:08 PM
What about Trinessa? Do you know how much progestin it contains, in comparison to Yasmin? I'll look that up now... That could be the problem.
My last pap was in October, and it was normal. But I now remember the doctor saying I bled a bit when he took the swab. Doesn't blood sometimes mess up the true results? I know, I'm worrying, probably for nothing.
As far as the anxiety...I've never had a problem with it up until I started on Trinessa. Had my first anxiety attack when I stopped Trinessa and started Yasmin. I always believed it was the Trinessa, that's why I asked my doc to switch me. But I'd rather be anxious than have this annoying bleeding anyday!
My last pap was in October, and it was normal. But I now remember the doctor saying I bled a bit when he took the swab. Doesn't blood sometimes mess up the true results? I know, I'm worrying, probably for nothing.
As far as the anxiety...I've never had a problem with it up until I started on Trinessa. Had my first anxiety attack when I stopped Trinessa and started Yasmin. I always believed it was the Trinessa, that's why I asked my doc to switch me. But I'd rather be anxious than have this annoying bleeding anyday!
Kszan
06-26-2006, 09:25 PM
What about Trinessa? Do you know how much progestin it contains, in comparison to Yasmin? I'll look that up now... That could be the problem.
I'm not sure. I don't know about the different amounts of hormones in each pill, but I'm sure you could find that info somewhere on the internet.
My last pap was in October, and it was normal. But I now remember the doctor saying I bled a bit when he took the swab. Doesn't blood sometimes mess up the true results? I know, I'm worrying, probably for nothing.
Ok, now THAT is TOTALLY normal!! Every time I've ever had a pap smear, my gyne always told me "you'll feel a little cramping and don't be surprised if there's a little bleeding afterwards when you leave the office." She told me this every single time I had a pap done. So if your doctor didn't tell you that, and didn't indicate that it was completely normal, then he's obviously a quack and you need to find a new doctor. Why are you going to a male doctor, anyway? They're so unfamiliar with the female body and all of the studying in the world won't make up for the fact that they will never in their lives know what a cramp feels like. Find a female doctor and you'll see you will feel a lot better about your health care in general.
As far as the anxiety...I've never had a problem with it up until I started on Trinessa. Had my first anxiety attack when I stopped Trinessa and started Yasmin. I always believed it was the Trinessa, that's why I asked my doc to switch me. But I'd rather be anxious than have this annoying bleeding anyday!
That's why I'm saying it's got to be the pill. Maybe you only have that anxiety problem with a certain pill and not another. But I can't answer that question for you either, because I think that you probably have a different reaction to any of the pills I've taken in the past.
I was glad when I got off the hormones because I felt like I got my life back. It's hard to explain, but as you get older, you realize that getting your period (your real period that is, not the fake one you get on the pill) is the most natural thing about being a woman. When you keep faking it with the pill it's like you're denying yourself the whole experience of being a woman. Sure the bleeding and cramping sucks really bad, but to bleed and cramp once a month means that you're a healthy and fertile woman who can create life (if you choose to) inside of you. The realization of how the woman's monthly cycle is totally tied in with the cycles of the moon and the tides and everything else made me want to get all of that back again. And I did. It just took some time for me.
Sorry this is a little long-winded, I just happen to be very happy with my decision to quit bcp's and I like to tell other women about it.
I'm not sure. I don't know about the different amounts of hormones in each pill, but I'm sure you could find that info somewhere on the internet.
My last pap was in October, and it was normal. But I now remember the doctor saying I bled a bit when he took the swab. Doesn't blood sometimes mess up the true results? I know, I'm worrying, probably for nothing.
Ok, now THAT is TOTALLY normal!! Every time I've ever had a pap smear, my gyne always told me "you'll feel a little cramping and don't be surprised if there's a little bleeding afterwards when you leave the office." She told me this every single time I had a pap done. So if your doctor didn't tell you that, and didn't indicate that it was completely normal, then he's obviously a quack and you need to find a new doctor. Why are you going to a male doctor, anyway? They're so unfamiliar with the female body and all of the studying in the world won't make up for the fact that they will never in their lives know what a cramp feels like. Find a female doctor and you'll see you will feel a lot better about your health care in general.
As far as the anxiety...I've never had a problem with it up until I started on Trinessa. Had my first anxiety attack when I stopped Trinessa and started Yasmin. I always believed it was the Trinessa, that's why I asked my doc to switch me. But I'd rather be anxious than have this annoying bleeding anyday!
That's why I'm saying it's got to be the pill. Maybe you only have that anxiety problem with a certain pill and not another. But I can't answer that question for you either, because I think that you probably have a different reaction to any of the pills I've taken in the past.
I was glad when I got off the hormones because I felt like I got my life back. It's hard to explain, but as you get older, you realize that getting your period (your real period that is, not the fake one you get on the pill) is the most natural thing about being a woman. When you keep faking it with the pill it's like you're denying yourself the whole experience of being a woman. Sure the bleeding and cramping sucks really bad, but to bleed and cramp once a month means that you're a healthy and fertile woman who can create life (if you choose to) inside of you. The realization of how the woman's monthly cycle is totally tied in with the cycles of the moon and the tides and everything else made me want to get all of that back again. And I did. It just took some time for me.
Sorry this is a little long-winded, I just happen to be very happy with my decision to quit bcp's and I like to tell other women about it.
SweetPea83
06-26-2006, 09:38 PM
Yeah, but no bleeding afterwards, just during the pap. He has told me about bleeding afterwards, but I just remember him saying I was bleeding a little as he did it.
I started out with a female gynecologist, but she moved from the area so the doctor she worked for took over her patients. A lot of women I know go to him, and he really is a good doctor. I guess I just worry about things a lot and I doubt what EVERY doctor tells me. Bad habit!
I'd love to go off of birth control. I totally agree with you about that. I never had problems with my periods being irregular or anything like that. I basically just started birth control to keep from getting pregnant. I'm 22 and not quite ready for a child.
I started out with a female gynecologist, but she moved from the area so the doctor she worked for took over her patients. A lot of women I know go to him, and he really is a good doctor. I guess I just worry about things a lot and I doubt what EVERY doctor tells me. Bad habit!
I'd love to go off of birth control. I totally agree with you about that. I never had problems with my periods being irregular or anything like that. I basically just started birth control to keep from getting pregnant. I'm 22 and not quite ready for a child.
Kszan
06-26-2006, 09:42 PM
That's cool, if you want to stay on bcp's for now, that's fine. But I guess the bottom line is that all of this irregular bleeding is a very common side effect of the pill, regardless of which one you're on. It's very common and it happens to tons of women all of the time.
I'd only be worried if your paps came back weird. But since they're normal and they've been normal, then I wouldn't worry about it.
I'd only be worried if your paps came back weird. But since they're normal and they've been normal, then I wouldn't worry about it.
SweetPea83
06-26-2006, 09:46 PM
Well, thanks for all of your help! It's great to find someone to talk to about this. Every time I look up "bleeding during sex" on the internet, it doesn't say anything about birth control. So confusing!