Well I've been doing pretty bad on my birth control pills. I've been taking the pills since January '06 and I've been taking it right on time until last month or so. I take Ortho-Try-Cyclen and I'm still a virgin. I don't have sex. I take it for my period/cramps. I know I shouldn't be missing pills and I've been missing 1 or 2 pills every day and that's really bad! But I take it as soon as I remember it. So this past week on the dark blue pill, it looked like I've already started my period or something! I skipped the green pills cuz it look like I just got my period so I took the white pill last night and i'm still bleeding!! Is there something wrong with me? do i need surgery down there? I'm like freaking out and I want to call planned parenthood(where i got my pills) but im scared they gonna say something like some time of disease or something. I haven't done anything wrong but missing pills and i haven't had any sex at all. Is it because I miss so much pills that my body is so confused or something? I've been bleeding for a week now. It happened mid-way of the dark blue pills. Is this spotting? break-through bleeding? help asap!

First of all, don't panic. Secondly, women on the pill experience breakthrough bleeding and spotting all the time, because it's the most common side effect - and that's when they're taking it like they're supposed to every day. But since you keep missing pills all the time, your body is freaking out and doesn't know what to do with all of these hormone fluctuations that are happening. I'm frankly not surprised that you're having bleeding problems, since you keep missing pills so often.

What you need to do is just force yourself to remember to take it at the same time every day. When I was still taking them, I took them at 10pm every night before going to bed. I set a watch with a very loud alarm to remind me every night. I never forgot to take it. You have to make this a habit that sticks with you, if you intend to use the pill at all. You're lucky you're not having sex, too, because otherwise you probably would have gotten pregnant by now with your poor track record of taking it.

But there's nothing wrong with you, you just have to let your body have a steady dose of the pill every day. You're probably going to have this bleeding problem until your next pack of pills when you start taking them regularly every day, and the hormones get leveled off. I'm telling you, you have to take them at the same time every single day and not forget any, because your bleeding is being caused by the hormones not being properly leveled off in your body right now. But there is no reason to think you need any kind of surgery or have any kind of serious problem. You are experiencing the same breakthrough bleeding that happens to majority of women who are on bcps, because they cause it all the time anyway.

The previous poster gives good advice. Also, if you take your pill perfectly and the breakthrough bleeding continues, you need to call your doctor and see if you can get a prescription for a different pill. Now, I've had breakthrough bleeding on almost all brands of the pill I tried, but some were worse than others. Like on ortho-lo, I was bleeding 3 weeks out of every month and it didn't improve after 3 months on it, and I had to switch pills.

thanks so much for the information. i was freaking out! my bleeding is now become a lil lesser on and off. somedays be heavy, and some days be light. so i have to wait until my next pack? i just started a new pack and i skipped the green pills cuz it seems like i'm already having my periods and yeah, i've been taking it on time after i got the bleeding thing. i take it 10:35 pm. i wish my cell fone has an alarm but it doesnt =/ so if it bleeds more than 3 weeks on this pack i'mtaking then there's something wrong wtih me and i need to call the doc. right? or do i need to finish the whole pack and if i'm still bleeding, then i need to call the doctor?

Yes you should call your doctor, but there's still nothing wrong with you, don't make that assumption. The reason why you would need to see your doctor is because that particular pill may not work for you, you may need to find a different pill.

Some women have non stop breakthrough bleeding on certain pills. Seasonale comes to mind. But other women have nothing. It just depends on the woman and the pill.

Please don't worry, because I'm telling you, when you're dealing with fake hormones, you're going to have these kinds of problems. It's not because there is anything wrong with you.

so if it bleeds more than 3 weeks on this pack i'mtaking then there's something wrong wtih me and i need to call the doc. right? or do i need to finish the whole pack and if i'm still bleeding, then i need to call the doctor?