Loestrin 24 Fe and alarms

I am so glad to know it is not just me! I've been on the pill since I was 16. Loestrin for almost two years now. I went on it originally to lessen the length of time I had my period. Each time I had spotting, I've been told it's normal and that it's just my body getting used to it. I found that if I took the pill an hour later then I took it the previous day that I'd start spotting. I felt like I was spotting ALL of the time! or like I was getting my period twice a month at least. I was told that it’s just my body and hormones adjusting.

Over this past summer I actually set timers on my phone and blackberry to take it at 11am every day out of fear of taking it 15 minutes late and starting spotting again. In October I skipped the brown pill week due to a vacation. I thought it was ok to do this. I started to feel depressed, tired all the time, like I was getting sick, I was anxious about my relationships, edgy and completely over emotional- I attributed that to stress at work and maybe just PMS, or again my hormones just adjusting. In November out of fear of getting my period when I shouldn't have it due to the time change, I actually switched the times of my alarms and started taking the pill at 10am. In December after finishing that pack, I actually switched it to noon with the start of my next pack. Then mid-month I started having a lot of spotting.. for over a week before I actually got my period. Again, I figured this was due to my switching times. Since then I haven't changed the times I take it, and I'm not due until Jan 26th and yet I started spotting again this weekend- and still am.

After reading these blogs I'm starting to wonder if EVERYTHING I've been experiencing is due to these pills. I had read an article last week that stated the low dose birth control pills cause a decrease in Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, B12, Magnesium. A Vitamin B6 depletion can inhibit the production of serotonin, which increases a woman's risk of becoming depressed. A magnesium deficiency is associated with insomnia, anxiety and depression. Since reading that article I've been taking a multi vitamin- Woman’s One a day brand, and have felt 200% better emotionally. The article also links taking pills and having an increased risk in cervical cancer and/ or dysplasia cells- Which I’ve had the cells, and had them removed about 6 years ago. I’m also wondering if my levels of Progesterone are low, and that’s why I’ve been spotting so much. These pills contain progestins, which block the action of natural progesterone. Low levels of progesterone are what make you start your period every month.

My appointment with my Dr. isn't until next month, but I will be sure to bring up that article and this blog and get my pills changed. I seriously can’t take this anymore.