Spotting between periods symptoms and conditions

I had been on Yaz for about a year and a half. My doctor just switched me to Loestrin 24 Fe because I started to experience spotting between periods. This is my 3rd week on Loestrin and I have gained 5 lbs, have experienced bloating, and spotting. I am also breaking out. I am assuming this is because I was on Yaz for so long and my body is not used to the new pill. Hopefully the symptoms clear up after I get my period next week (though reading these posts I am just hoping I get one or I will freak about pregnancy).

Anybody experience anything similar? Did it clear up after a cycle?

Now I am personally freaking out. I went to see my gyn this morning because I have had terrible anxiety and depression (I suffer from anxiety and depression anyway). I was hoping that it was due to a hormonal imbalance. Well..we didn't do any tests. She put me on the nuvaring to balance out any hormones...to give me a constant flow of hormones.
I am freaking out. I don't feel bad right now. I want this to help not hinder me.
Does anyone have anything good to say about it? I can't take any more anxiety or depression.

I used NuvaRing for 6 months, and during that time i cried all the time. I was very depressed, I would get upset for every little thing, and i was not in the mood for sex. My boyfriend told me that i should take the NuvaRing out and i did. I felt better, but i gained weight while using NuvaRing, and even more after i stop. I always weight 120 pounds and right now i have 138. Its been 6 months since i stop and did not lose weight. While using NR i had painful periods, spotting between periods, headache, nausea, and depression, and i thought i was pregnant. I went to see a doctor and everything was just fine. The food i loved had different taste while using NR. I would get sick from some food that i loved before using NR. It felt like food poisoning. My doctor told me it is going to take some time until my body adjusts back to normal. I am afraid that my weight is not going to get back to normal. I look like during my period. I always had flat stomach, and now my stomach looks like i am 4-5 months pregnant. I would not recommend NuvaRing to anyone. I would recommend pills, my friends that are on the pill did not have bad experience that i did.I only hope my body is going to get back to normal.

See my earlier post (from concerned mother on 8/5/08 at 8:29pm) regarding my daughter's severe reaction to the Gardasil vaccine during October - December 2007. As stated, she continues to experience menstrual problems (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe cramping) which incapacitate her. In October 2008, her annual pap test showed precancerous cells. She is going for a re-check in February (I will post the outcome once it's known). The doctor wanted to wait 6 months for re-check but we are not comfortable with that. Just wanted to remind everyone to get their annual pap exams!!!

Well, I personally have had no problems AT ALL with NuvaRing. Actually, it is the ONLY birth control that my body has handled without side effects. I've tried SO MANY different kinds of pills and even Mirena (IUD). I either had VERY heavy periods with awful cramps, or I had random spotting between periods. I have 2 kids and can't handle periods like that every month and when it comes to random spotting, my husband won't touch me when I'm bleeding cuz it grosses him out. And let me tell you...if Momma ain't happy...ain't NOBODY happy. It really depends on the person so don't be afraid to try it. If I never tried NuvaRing, I'd prolly have 5 kids and pregnant again.

Commenting on the post earlier today. I decided to look into the Norplant (see below for more details) Now i found that development of my Mirena was done in part by the maker of the Norplant? Which has been pulled in the US and the UK after 50,000 people filed a class action suit (which was settle out of court)

Development and studies of the Mirena Coil began in the 1970s. Schering Health distributes Mirena outside the United States, while Berlex distributes it inside the United States. Both companies have worked with the Population Council, a that has worked with other contraceptive manufacturers (including Wyeth, maker of Norplant).
Mirena was first marketed commercially in Finland in 1990, but not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until 2000. It is intended to initially release 20 micrograms of levonorgestral per day and may be used for five years. Sound familiar?
Norplant is a form of birth control was first approved in 1983 in Finland. The original Norplant consisted of a set of six small (2.4 mm x 34 mm) silicone capsules, each filled with 36 mg of levonorgestrel (a progestin used in many birth control pills) implanted subdermally in the upper arm and effective for five years. The original (6 capsule) Norplant's production has been phased out; USAID's contract ran until December 2006.
The original (6 capsule) Norplant was approved by the FDA in 1990 and marketed in the United States in 1991 by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Norplant distribution in the United States ended in 2002; limited supplies still remained in the U.S. until 2004. Norplant was withdrawn from the UK market in 1999.
Side effects
After three months of using Norplant, women will need to schedule a follow-up appointment to monitor blood pressure and discuss any concerns. Side effects may include irregular menstrual periods for the first approximately three months, including periods lasting longer than normal, bleeding or spotting between periods, heavy bleeding, or going with no period for the mentioned period of time. Common side effects include weight gain, nervousness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, mastalgia, dizziness, dermatitis/rash, hirsutism, scalp-hair loss, headache, depression, and acne. Sometimes, pain, itching or infection at the site of the implant will occur. Ovarian cysts may also occur, but usually do not require treatment, although they can cause pain even if benign.
Norplant discontinued in the United States
By 1996, more than 50,000 women had filed lawsuits, including 70 class actions, against Wyeth and/or its subsidiaries, or doctors who prescribed Norplant. Wyeth never lost a Norplant lawsuit.
On August 26, 1999, after winning 3 jury verdicts, 20 pretrial summary judgments and the dismissal of 14,000 claims, Wyeth offered out-of-court cash settlements of $1,500 each to about 36,000 women who contended that they had not been adequately warned about possible side effects of Norplant such as irregular menstrual bleeding, headaches, nausea and depression. Wyeth said that most of the plaintiffs experienced routine side effects described in Norplant's labeling information. About 32,000 women accepted the out-of-court $1,500 settlements.
At least they warned the user of these side effects and the no longer offer Norplant in the US

Hello everyone. After getting my period two weeks ago I have been bleeding for the past 5 days as well. I have tremendous breast tenderness as well. However, I have been on the pill for 15 months now. The spotting between periods has been going on for about 6 months now. I mentioned it to my primary dr about 4 months ago. long story short I have a cyst on my right ovary, and a complex cyst on my left ovary. Needless to say I will be having surgery on November 12th. First to remove the cysts, possibly the ovaries. If I can tell any one message this is it..."Listen to your bodies ladies!" You know your body better than anyone else. I originally went on the pill because I had polycystic ovarian syndrome and here I am getting ready to have cysts removed. I am not trying to scare anyone, but make sure the pros out weigh the cons while considering staying on this pill. I have to wear a pad everyday because I don't know when I am going to have breakthrough bleeding. This is very frustrating and I hope it will be resolved after surgery? Not sure if I will continue on birth control following surgery. I am 36 yrs old and I am at my wits end. When I heard about everyone being sensitive, or crying at the drop of a hat I have to say I was relieved. Maybe I am not crazy! Good Luck and please take care of your bodies! You are your best advocate. Thanks for listening.

Hey guys, quick update from my last post, I went to my doctor yesterday and she said that although the spotting between periods is normal, I shouldn't be spotting all the time. She said I need a BC with a higher dosage, and now she's putting me on Desogen, which is a generic version of Ortho-Cept. If anyone has been on this, please let me know your thoughts.

Have any of you developed Leukemia after taking Yasmin? Or do you know some one who has developed it and they just happened to be taking it at the time? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Spotting between periods

As others have pointed out, BCs affect everyone differently. Before my children, I took Ortho Tri-Cyclen without incident. Loved it. Then after my children, I had a tubal ligation and was not on BC for over 7 years. But due to the onset of adult acne and extremely oily skin, I asked my GYN to put me on Yasmin to clear up my face and chest. What a disaster that was!! The first two months were OK, but the next five months were agonizing. My symptoms included significant weight gain (15 pounds), larger but painful breasts, sleeplessness, anxiety, anger/irritability (more than my normal septic self), heavy spotting between periods, slight vaginal dryness and an unpleasant body odor. I quit the pill this past September out of sheer frustration. The interesting part was that I did not tell my husband that I quit taking them and he asked me about a month later if I was still taking them. I answered no and he said that he could tell because now I smelled and tasted "normal". So ladies, be aware that aside from the anger issues, your partner may be suffering in other ways. I'd rather have blemished skin than deal with the side effects. And now that I have been over 3 months free of BCs (I am not taking any chances with trying others), I lost almost ten pounds and all of the weird smell. My period is longer than I'd like but has gone back to normal and although my skin is still very oily, I have found a facial product to combat the acne. Email me if you liked because there is more to this story than I have time to write.

My experience with Yasmin was awful!!! I had been on BCPs before with no problems(both were Ortho-something). I'd had no problems with depression, I was never one to cry much and I was very active. Well, I had a little spotting so my doctor switched me over to Yasmin thinking it might help and the spotting between periods did stop. For me, everything was fine at first. The depression came on slowly, but once it did it just got worse and worse. I was always exhausted, I never wanted to do anything, I felt out of shape and my heart would race when I tried to go hiking. I was suddenly crying all of the time and getting terribly upset about nothing, instantly. I began to seriously dislike myself and I was watching what had seemed to be the perfect relationship fall apart before my eyes due to the strain that had been put on it. I FINALLY realized that something was terribly wrong when I was standing in the middle of a beautiful forest on vacation at a resort with the love of my life and I was screaming at him for a reason I could no longer remember. Then I broke down into a hysterical fit of tears. I dug out the pamphlet I got with my pills and somewhere in the back it finally listed depression as a possible side effect. I rushed down to the computer and found so many women with experiences just like mine. I called my doctor to switch my perscription back to the pill I'd been on previously; she wouldn't do it. I finished my pack and haven't gone near the stuff since. That was in April/May. After a month I was feeling better--like a fog was starting to clear from my mind. By three months the mood swings were mostly gone and I was concentrating better and smiling a lot more. Now, I'm finally me again and my boyfriend and I managed to save our relationship (thanks primarily to his patience and understanding) and I'm excited about living again. Yasmin may work for some people but in my opinion it's just not worth the risk.

good for about two years, then horrible cramping, headaches, and horrible spotting between periods...it was like i had a period year round. I then switched to Orthotricyclen-lo and didn't have much luck there, same problems. I'm currently on Yasmin and I am dealing with the side effects, but overall unhappy!

I'm not 100% certain that Alesse has been causing my major health issues recently, but after going through all other tests, my doctor has suggested I stop taking it. I pray that it is the answer.
I have been on Alesse for two years, (this past Aug 2007) but it was last March that I really noticed some of the typical impacts. Moodiness, lack of a sex drive (which I missed) and then the dreaded splotches. I had these dark type of circles appear on the top of my cheeks, which appeared overnight. I soon found out that any type of birth control can cause these to appear. Great. Just great. Then I had spotting between periods, which wouldn't be so bad except they came along with those tiny tummy cramps. This didn't add much fun to my current IBS issues.
I'm diabetic (but have been for 30+ years) so it never impacted me regarding blood sugars etc.
Then along came May. I had a bad bought with IBS one morning then I had the panic attack hit at the very same time. I've never hypervenatlated before so I had no idea what was going on other than I felt like I was dying, at home, and alone. For the first time ever, I called 911 and took an ambulance trip to Emerg. After being there for a few hours, they didn't find anything and I had calmed down. Since then, I've been experiencing on different levels from '1 - 10':
- small tremors through my neck and should areas (they can worsen to the point that others can see me shake)
- burning sensation in the same area
- numbness in my jaw / face area
- fullness in my right ear
- lightheaded but not *dizzy* as if I'm going to faint
- overall not feeling right as if my head is detached
- weakness in lower body and legs
- numbness in right leg and foot (not all the time, it comes and goes)
- panic attacks when my digestive system kicks in
- lack of an appetite
- nausea (sometimes)
- a few other items which I am too tired to think of....

When I try to sleep, as soon as I feel like I'm about to doze off, I have the symptoms flood over me big time and I'm 'shaken' awake. I can also been in a deep sleep, having a pleasant dream, when if feels like someone has grabbed the back of my neck/shoulders and has shaken me violently awake. I have to sit right up and bring my knees up to my chest and try to relax myself. Sometimes I stay awake all night.

I have every test you can imagine since May, as this is ongoing with no relief. I have had a head MRI (made my tremor and head detachment feeling worse), Spine MRI, Chest CT Scan (bad reaction to the dye), colonoscopy (I'm convinced my IBS triggers the symptoms to be worse), heart monitor, blood test for thyroid (one of the first things since I'm diabetic), along with many other blood test. I have two in for Mercury and Lead poisoning, but the results aren't back yet. More and more I'm starting to believe that it's all attached to the birthcontrol, although I've been on it in the past without issues, and this time around it was just over a year and a half when these symptoms all kicked in.
If this is all caused by the bc, I will be very relieved as this has been causing me a lot of grief. Thankfully I am able to work from home on my laptop, otherwise I would be out of a job. Getting up, showered and out the door is impossible. I had one good day last weekend where I was able to go out with my very supportive and adoring boyfriend, and we fed a few squirrels in a park. It's taken away my summer so far.
I'll come back to post an update if I find that stopping Alesse has helped any.
I wish everyone well!!!!
Stacey

I was having a really awful time with Yasmine and having extremely long periods. So my Dr. switched me to a different pill and that didn't work, and then he put me on Femcon. Well I've been on it for about four months for the past three I've had a regular period, but right now I still have a week left on my pills and I'm spotting, and have had horrible stomach cramps for the past two days. My Dr. says I should keep on the pill at least for a couple more months.

I have been on ortho tri-cyclen for almost ten years and have experienced very little weight gain or other typical side effects. i do suffer from restless leg syndrome and have noticed a couple light shaded spots in my t-zone on my face. i have read that this is thought to be a side effect from long term use of birth control (in general).

PROLONGED PERIOD:
(Previously posted erroneously on the Loestrin FE24 page, but this relates to Nuvaring)

I have had a nonstop, heavy period for 9 straight days since using nuvaring. There is next to nothing in the materials they give with the product that warns of this, so I have spent the last two days reading all kinds of stuff on the web trying to figure out what is going on. They mention possible "breakthrough bleeding" which anyone other than a doctor would think of as spotting between periods. But this has been heavy bleeding for 9 straight days with no apparent "end" in sight.

I used nuvaring once about 3 years ago and did not have this problem. In fact, then it viirtually stopped my period. That concerned me, so I stopped taking it. I went back on after my doctor assured me the reduced bleeding was not a concern, and the main PURPOSE for my using it was to reduce my heavy periods and related anemia, Apparently they have changed (lowered) the hormone dose in the nuvaring, and for some of us it is insufficient, causing the "breakthourgh bleeding." (It has taken EXTENSIVE web searching to glean this information.)

I finally removed the nuvaring last night, and while I guess it may take some time, I want my body to normalize from this shock. I've had nausea, and now I am very fatigued from the extended heavy bleeding. This is NOT what I signed up for. Some responses out there suggest that this problem may "correct" itself in 1-3 months once the body adjusts to the hormone levels dispensed by the nuvaring, but personally I cannot endure this level of interference with my life that long, and the fatigue is becoming debilitating.

I think there needs to be improved warnings and disclosures with this product. Hope this helps someone searching for answers as I was. KN

severe breakthrough bleeding,nonstop bleeding for 2 weeks

After taking another brand of oral contraceptives for 7 years, my doctor advised me to switch to Yasmin, as I was beginning to experience heavy spotting between periods. After a while on Yasmin, I began to notice some pigmentation/discoloration especially on my forehead, later on on my cheeks as well. For a long time I didn't make the connection between the oral contraceptives and the pigmentation - I put it down to being much exposed to the sun as a child without protection. As the pigmentation increased, I did some research on the subject, and found that in a small percentage of women, this was a side effect that could be produced when taking oral contraceptives. I stopped taking the pill about a month ago, and it seems to me that the pigmentation is beginning to decrease somewhat (hope it isn't just my imagination!)

I am so frustrated and yet releived at the same time. I am a 25 yr old mother of two beautiful children. I started taking Yasmin right after my daughter was born and have been on it for over two years now. In January, I started having a lot of the symptoms described here: Panic attacks, dizziness, vision problems, anxiety, headaches, chest pain, muscle weakness (my legs feel like slabs of meat), spotting between periods,etc... I loved the Yasmin at first. I had no problems AT ALL until a few months ago.
I thought I was going crazy. I have been doing a lot of research online trying to find out if maybe I had a hormone imbalance or if I was just doomed to suffer in silence for the rest of my life. I had been in the ER three times thinking my life was in serious danger during one of the horrendous panic attacks. Every doctor I have seen has wanted to put me on anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax.
A big thank you to whoever started this site! I am going to throw this pack of pills away today and stop taking Yasmin forever! I cannot believe something like this would be marketed to women. I just wonder how many others out there are suffering and still do not know that it's the Yasmin. Thanks a million times! What a relief!

I started taking 50 mg of Zoloft about 1 year ago and eventually went up tp 150 mg. I gained 20LBS in 4 months!!! My doctor specifically told me that these meds would NOT MAKE ME GAIN WEIGHT! She had NO IDEA WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT!! I started tapering off the meds a month ago and took my last dose on the 22nd of June. Since then I have felt so tired, but the worst part is the electric zaps. It feels like I am being hit with a tazer gun or lightning or something. ALmost everytime I move I get a jolt through my whole body. I want to cry!!
While I was on the meds, I had heavy spotting between periods. My doctors couldn't figure out why it was happening. I have been trying to get pregnant and I think that Zoloft is the reason I have not been able to conceive.
I would also wake up with terrible night sweats and developed Hypothyroidism while taking this medication. I am 28 years old, and thought I was starting to go through Menopause!

I can not wait for these side effects and withdrawal symptoms to end. I will NEVER take this type of medication again. It is not worth it. I told my doctor that I would rather be depressed than feel the way I did while tkaing this medication.

Good Luck to everyone on this board.

Hello,
I have been on Yasmin for 7 months now and have experienced weight gain,yeast infections(which I never had until Yasmin), severe mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, continued headaches,a feeling of being tired all the time, spotting between periods,random abdominal cramps not related to PMS, breast tenderness and an increase of at least a cup size, face acne and feeling thirsty all the time. I have taken BCP's for 6 years now (including Loestrin) and never experienced the above side effects until I took Yasmin. I knew these pills were bad for my body when it turned this very happy woman into a crying, hurting, spotting mess. I'm so glad that this message board exists so that we can all share the good and bad effects of this pill.