Regular period symptoms and conditions

I started Quasense early in August 2009. About a month later, when I would have normally started my next period, I started spotting. It started out light but has only gotten heavier as time goes on. I finally stopped taking Quasense four days ago and now I'm having a regular period. So, essentially, I have been bleeding for 11 weeks and counting.
When I first starting reading about the side effects, I thought that there would be no way I would put up with having a period for more than two weeks. Then I started to experience it. I kept telling myself to wait it out - enough people have had good experiences on this pill, my body will adjust eventually, it's probably because I'm older (36), blah, blah, blah - but I can't take this anymore. I'm anemic and tired all the time. I've made an appointment with my doctor so she can prescribe something else.

I am at the end of my first packet and due to start the end cycle two days later. And to be honest i am utterly confused. I have been having late periods for the past few months and also suffered from mood swings. I was prescribed this Loestrin 24 mainly for some hormonal dis balance which was presumably causing these problem with menstruation. And now i have had more mood swings than ever, cried without reason felt depressed more often than ever. I have also had spotting at least 3 times over the month but not my regular period till date though it's been well over a month. to make it worse , i have eye pain and headache over the past few days. Sex has been rare this month!! dry vagina and almost no interest in sex , and I am just 28.
wasn't I better off with the small hormonal problem?
-P.

I've had the mirena for only about two months now and about two weeks after it was placed my stomach ballooned to over twice the size it was before and I've gained about seven pounds that are unexplainable. I have not had a regular period which is understandable but I cant deal with the weight gain and bloating. I just had a baby four months and am trying so hard to loose the remainder of the baby weight,and I was doing extremely well until I got the mirena, and nothing drastic has changed about my diet or exercise routine.Does anybody have any idea how long this is suppose to last or what I can do to combat the bloating/weight gain besides getting it removed?

I am 42 years old and have the Mirena IUD for almost 4 years, that is until Tuesday, October 6th....yee haw! I finally had it removed. After 14 lbs of gradual weight gain, despite not changing my diet AND increasing my workouts, heart palpitation (sp) and higher blood pressure than normal and a bout of bleeding that I have never experienced in my life, I went to the gyno. In the changing room the nurse asked me if I had a Mirena IUD, I responded yes, in her broken English, she said, lots of weight gain, huh? Side effects, huh? I was mortified. I began doing research and made the decision to have it removed. Let me say, in a week I have lost 5 lbs, my stomach is not bloated, my breasts do not hurt, I have had my regular period, I am back to myself again. It served its purpose for me, but I wish I would have been told the side effects so that I could have made an educated decision.

At 32 years old, this is my first experience with birth control and I have to say that I'm completely miserable. I'm eleven days into my first pack of pills, have been bleeding (like my regular period, maybe even worse!) since Tuesday, and decided this morning that i'm DONE. I'm taking this pill for contraceptive reasons only - and if I keep taking them, I won't need them anyway because my boyfriend will surely have dumped me. I'm moody, I'm tired, I have headaches, I can't sleep, my cramps are horrible today (and I've never had cramps in my life), and this out of control blood loss is a little concerning. I called my doc's office yesterday to see if I can stop abruptly, and they told me to finish the whole pack and THEN stop - but I cannot take one more day of this nonsense. My biggest concern with stopping midway through my pack is that I'll be really screwing up my cycle, but something is definitely already screwed up, so how much worse can if really get? Does anyone have any experience with just stopping birth control abruptly, and if so, what should I expect? THANKS!

I have been given three procedures with kenalog injections. First was in May when I has an epidural for my work related back injury. Though I received little pain relief from the epidural, I began to have menstrual spotting only a week after my regular period ended. This spotting continued every day for about three weeks. I had a normal end of June, beginning of July period. I started my next period the Friday before my first SI joint injection with Kenalog which was Wed. Aug 5th. Well from there my period never ended. Since then I've spotted everyday and all day long. I am sore from having to wear pads all the time. I went next to my f/u appt where they gave me another SI joint injection. I did tell them about this bleeding, but they weren't concerned. So here I am still spotting until today. This morning I woke up feeling fine besides my usual spotting I've had. Got to work, was working for about an hour to so and began to cramp. Went to bathroom and passed a clot about the size of the palm of my hand. And then consisted to have heavy bleeding soaking a pad in about 1.5-2.0 hour time. During the whole spotting I've had, I took preg. tests, with most recent one a week ago and was neg. My other concern is I have an IUD-the copper Paragard. Called my OB-GYN and she wanted to see me right away. Left work and on my way there (45 min. drive) I began feeling lightheaded and weak. My mom ended up driving me the rest of the way. Anyway, everything checked out fine-IUD ok, neg preg test, no chance for tubal preg. Was told must be side effect of the Kenalog. I've been bleeding for like 6 weeks and am soooo sore from pads all the time. I am on light duty due to my work injury and I feel I should be covered for today and tomorrow because OB-GYN wants me on bed rest to stop this heavy bleeding. I feel I should be paid under Workers' Comp since these missed days are related to a complication from the treatment of my work related injury. Any suggestions or comments from anyone?

I'm 29 years old, and this is my second time trying Loestrin 24 FE. I took it a couple of years ago, and stopped. I couldn't remember WHY I had stopped, until now. My side effects are probably mild compared to what some women experience (as I can see from reading these posts), but still, they have caused me to have to take the day off work today, which I am not happy about. I'm on my fourth week of the pill, and just a couple of days ago I started the light bleeding. Although the bleeding is light, the sensation in my uterus has been terrible - almost the feeling of having cysts burst. Stabbing achiness that has lasted for a couple of days, and caused me to lose sleep (Not something that I normally have with a regular period). I have also been more bloated than usual, (which seems to come and go), I've been slightly nauseous, and have had this dull headache for the past couple of days. (Whether the headache is simply due to lack of sleep, I have no idea, but I normally don't EVER get headaches.) I realize that it takes a few months to adjust to the pill, but I sure hope my symptoms aren't going to continue on this way or get worse, as I understand some women have experienced. Comparing how I feel to what others are reporting here is helping. I realize it's not just me, and it's not just in my imagination. We'll see how the next couple of months go.

Reading your comments has really put my mind at easy. I'm 23 and on day 4 of my third pack. My first month I got a regular period, but I didn't get a period during my second month on the pill (which means that I am a little over a week late right now). In the past I have been on Ortho Tri Cyclen and Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, and my period has always been on time. And in the 10 years that I've been having a period, it occasionally been early, but never late, and I have never once missed a period.

I've spend the last couple days terrified that I was pregnant (even though I have consistently been taking my pill at the same time every day), but this forum makes me feel a lot better. I think that I will still go out and take a home pregnancy test to be on the safe side, but hopefully my missed period is just my body's reaction to Loestrin.

I will give my body a couple more months to adjust to the pill, but if irregular, late or missed periods continue I am definitely going to switch birth control pills. It is not worth the anxiety of thinking I might be pregnant.

On the bright side, I haven't experienced any of the other side effects that you guys are mentioning. This pill has helped with my cramps, and I haven't experienced any change at all in my moodiness, energy level, acne, or weight.

Hello all - I just wanted to say that when I had Mirena inserted, no one mentioned any negative side-effects. I have several friends who sing its praises - one of the main the reasons I got it. So after the birth of my third and last baby, I had it put in. I was fine for a while, but after about 5-6 months I noticed the greasy skin and acne (even under my arms! Sorry if TMI!), weight gain around my waste and nagging anxiety and depression. I took Tryptophan at night to sleep, or I probably would have had insomnia, but nothing would help the stubborn anxiety/depression. I went to three diff. doctors including an allergist to get everything tested. I was all-good except now I know I'm allergic to dust - who isn't!? So my last resort was to take the Mirena out. I was all prepared for a fight w/ the gyn to have it removed, but she said actually a lot of women have the same complaints?!?! Really wish I'd known this BEFORE I had it put it. It's been five days now and the bleeding has started and I'm pretty tired. Feels like a regular period. I have had glimses of my old self, but am not completely there yet. Hoping to see a full recovery soon. And I too think that just because you're having a great experience with Mirena, doesn't mean it's for everyone and that websites like this one are a joke. Everyone's bodies are different. I just think you just have to weigh your options and be fully informed before you decide.

ok so i just started loestrin 1 week ago. i took my first active pill the day my period started. the first 2 days were fine. my period almost stopped completely. then, on the 3rd day i had as much bleeding as i would during my normal period. im on the 7th day and still have a pretty heavy flow. i know breakthrough bleeding/spotting is normal, but how long? they say up to 3 months but this is so annoying! has anyone completely stopped spotting/bleeding between periods? also, i feel very tired and irritable. help! should i stop taking the pill? and if i stop will i get my regular period?

Like everyone else, I am SO glad I came across this web-site. I had the Mirena put in about 4 months ago, and it’s been quite a journey since then. I don’t have a horror story like some of the women have, but my experience hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. I gained 18lbs in 2 months, I feel nausea all of the time, I look to be about 4 months pregnant, and I no longer recognize my period…it’s been different every month. The first month I think I bled 23 out of 30 days, the second month was 17 out of the 31 days, the third month I had light spotting for 6 days, then a regular period for another 7, and this month….well, we’ll just have to see what happens. Oh, and the nonexistent tolerance level, I can relate with that one, too. Of, course the doctors say “it’s normal” or “it’s not the Mirena”, but I know my body and this is definitely NOT normal!! Having a baby is not part of me and my husband’s 5 year plan, but we may just have to take our chances and go back to condoms.

I have been on yaz for about a year. My period has never been regular before which is why I was put on yaz. It helped me a lot and made it regular for the passed year I have been on it, except this month. I got my period and it started out spotting, for about a week. After that, it turned into a regular period which has been doing on for almost 3 weeks. That's almost a month of spotting and period. Has this happened to anyone else on Yaz? It's getting awfully annoying.

I have been on loestrin for 4 months now. The first three months i did have a lot of spotting (which almost seemed like a regular period) my gyno said this was normal. After the three months the spotting stopped and my regular periods are very light and only last about 3 days. My only side effects are minor mood swings right before my period (which is normal for me anyway) and slight breast tenderness. I haven't gained any weight due to the pill and my skin is about the same as it was before i was on it. I would suggest for those that have been on the pill for less than 3 months to wait and keep taking it until after the 3 months time. I have found it is a lot different after 3 months. It's such a low dose of hormones that once your body has regulated to it, your a totally normal person again.

I started taking Loestrin24fe on Sunday June 7th. That was the first day of my peroid. It is now 13 days later and I am still on my period. I am 44 yrs old and was put on this pill because my periods were so heavy. This is defeating the purpose. I want to quit taking them. I am anemic and think this is doing more harm than good. I am going to Hawaii on July 23rd and do not want to be on my period then. If I stop now, I am wondering when I will start my period again. I am really fed up.

I had the Mirena put in December of 2008. My baby was 6 months old at the time, and I am a fertile mertile! lol so i had it put in so i wouldn't run the risk of getting pregnant too quickly again! i am happily married, but as of lately i have had trouble with my husband. i have no LIBIDO what so ever. I have no desire to have sex or make love with my husband. i have gained a ton of weight, and i feel depressed and tired ALL THE TIME. i feel like i don't get enough sleep. does anyone else feel the way i do? please send me an email at ******. i would love to hear the feed back, because i may have it removed, because my marriage is more important.

If I can feel the string inside, can I pull it out myself??

I had my Mirena inserted in July of 08 i bleed continuously from July thru end of September. since then I get a regular period every month. I have terrible pain on my right side to where i cant stand sometimes and burning down my right leg. I have had several cysts on my ovaries. Last visit in December I had a pap done and the doc could feel the cyst so I had a vag ultra sound and i had numerous cysts on both ovaries - the left side looked normal the right side did not. Follow up visit was sched for January to do another vag ultrasound which showed the same, as my doctor called it "funky looking cysts" still on my right side. They said i would need surgery, however I have no insurance so now instead of surgery they sched a follow up visit in March to do another vag ultrasound to see if any changes. I have told the doctor office about the burning in my leg and the pain on my right side since it began and they don't seem concerned at all about it. I also haven't been sleeping well since this was inserted and my joints are killing me. My hands are so swollen in the morning I can hardly pick up my daughter. My toes and knees hurt as well. I did not know that these were side effects though.

I'm surprised at all the comments about Mirena...about how painful the insertion was and how horrible the side effects are. I can honestly say that I've had NONE of those issues.

I'm 28, and I've had Mirena for 2 years now. I have NO children, but the procedure was NOT painful. It was slightly uncomfortable for a few moments while she inserted it, but I did not receive any anesthetic. I had slight cramping for a few days, which is normal. Over the course of several months after having the Mirena put in, my periods began to subside and after about 4 or 5 months, I had no period at all.

I have noticed absolutely no difference in my sex drive, weight, mood, hair growth, etc. I recommend Mirena to anyone who is interested in it.

Of course, every woman is different! And, our bodies all react differently. So, if you're interested in Mirena, please don't make a judgment call based solely on this message board or any other message board, for that matter. Some of us have had horrible experiences. Some of us have had great experiences. But, your decision should come from the ONLY two people who know YOUR body best: you and your doctor. Good luck!

Thank god i found this site, honestly i never had a problem with loestrin and thought it was great for my first time on birth control. well, a few months back (October) i had started spotting randomly during about the 2nd week of white pills then that bleeding lasted for about 2 weeks. when it came time for my regular "period" (brown pills) there was hardly anything there at all! now here we are months later after getting my period since then (November, December) with very light bleeding for about one day, i only had to use one or two tampons honestly. i was due to get my period this past week and NOTHING! i have been FREAKING out the past 2 days where i couldn't eat, sleep, or function at work because i thought i was pregnant. i have heard of some women getting pregnant on the pill so thats why i was so freaked out. i took a test today and it was negative but i just don't understand how i could have gotten my period every month since i have been on this pill for the past 2 1/2 years and this month i got nothing at all. my friend is on loestrin also and she has the same problem and her doctor told her as long as you take the pills everyday and if you miss one take it a.s.a.p. then you are fine. i am due for my anual exam very soon and i am definitely going to bring this to her attention because i had no idea this was a side effect. trust me i don't mind not having a period but i don't like being scared half to death either! not to mention even with my insurance this pill is so expensive!!!!!

I had my Mirena put in on 12/23/08. That was just a little over one month ago. Thus far, I have had almost constant bleeding, or spotting, almost every day since I got it put in. That is expected, so I've been told, so I'm not too concerned. However, last week, my first real "period" started. Since then, I've had headaches, have been crabby and completely fatigued. I could sleep forever. I'm not sure if these problems are going to subside. Most of the postings on here have had the Mirena for over a year. Can anyone recommend how long I should give this thing a chance before getting it removed? There is no way I can live life this crabby and tired.

Hello everyone: Just let me say that i feel relieved to know that i am not the only one going through hell with the Mirena. When i first heard about this birth control I thought it was too good to be true, and after talking the side effects over with my dr I was assured that this was the right choice for me. I have two beautiful daughter 3 and 1, I do want a third child but not until i finish my Masters. So i decided to have the Mirena put in after the birth of my second baby, she was born in Aug07 and i had the Mirena inserted in Oct07. Keep in mind that i had already lost all my baby weight by this time. Well a couple of months later i had already gained 15pounds, i exercise, eat healthy and those 15lbs did not budge. I began getting these awful headaches and by back feels like i am getting an epidural all over again. Acne is a major issue, i thought that maybe it was stressed related, i have never had a issue with my skin until now, i recently discovered dry patches on my arms. I have a regular period every month, but I have a awful discharge with a horrible odor. I have to wear panty liners every day. I feel dizzy all the time and i have to pump my self up just to clean my house. This is not my idea of living a healthy life. I think a lot more research should have been conducted before this product was put on the market, or maybe we are the research? Depression and anxiety attacks are major for me, i don't sleep and when i do i wake up having an anxiety attack. Memory loss is bad i can be in mid sentence and completely forget what we are talking about, that scared me to the point to where I thought i was going crazy!!! I went ot my doctor and told him everything that was going on and he just put me on an anxiety med and did blood work to make sure my thyroid was functioning properly. All test came beck ok!! So I need an explanation of what in the hell is going on. I had none of these issues before i had mirena, but now i feel like I am someone else. I am calling my doctor on Tuesday to schedule an appt to have this evil device taken out of me. My health is far more important!! And I would rather use condoms and prayer as my contraceptive!!! Good luck to all you ladies and i pray you all make the right decision concerning your health~!~

I had the Mirena IUD in September 2008. At first I thought it was great. No cramping, regular period... everything was normal. Now, I'm calling my doctor to take it out. I feel depressed, angry, emotional... I feel like I'm crazy. I'm acting like I'm 15 and just got my period.

I thought I was the only one going through this but I guess I'm not. Thank you to everyone for posting this information. All the insight has made me feel like I'm NOT crazy... it's just the Mirena IUD.

I'd be thrilled to skip a period. Heck, that's why my doctor prescribed Seasonale. The pharmacist, however, gave me Quasense instead. Let's see. It's 2am on Christmas Eve. I have basically been bleeding since HALLOWEEN. This is beyond ridiculous, and I really can't see myself "hanging in there" and waiting for it to stop. If I'm not all-out cramping, then it's just annoying, brown spotting. On top of that, my face has been breaking out since like, the second week of starting it. The insane thing is, I'm on Wellbutrin at the moment-- that pill is noted to decrease appetite and increase sex drive. I'm pretty sure Quasense is canceling THAT out entirely; I'm always hungry, and if I never had sex again I'd probably be thrilled. Worst. Birth Control. Ever.

Wow and I thought i was the only one having issues. I've been on loestrin now 4 months. 1st month regular period, 2nd month had it twice in the same month not heavy very light spotty. Am not accustomed to not having a period my periods consist of heavy 10-14 days flow I would go thru a pack of overnights in about 3-4 days. Now this is month 4 and I was due to have my period 2 days ago and no sign. I've had leg cramps and spasm in my back the last couple of night didn't know where that came from. Mood swings my husband is having trouble with doesn't know if it's post parturm depression or from the pill. Am gonna give it 2 more months if it doesn't regulate itself I think it's not for me. Oh and I had hair loss the first 3 months. It started growing back recently. No migraines thank god. And my sex drive is like a yoyo one moment I want to rip my cloths off the next I don't want my husband anywhere near me??

Tomorrow will be my last day of the first pack of Loestrin, but during my 3rd week I got a period. Is this NORMAL? I am not used to taking a daily medication and I forget to take it at the same time everyday, even though I normally try to take it when I wake up in the morning. I wear a panty liner because I have been spotting for the past few days, even after the "regular" period was over