Seasonale (vent)

[robbie3982]

AGH! I got on this pill with the hopes that it would regulate my period to just 4 times a year like it''s supposed to, but so far it''s just really pissing me off.

I''m on my 5th month with this pill (so, second pack) and it''s giving me so many problems! With the last pack, everything was fine with the first sheet of pills, but once I started the second sheet, all hell broke loose. I had my period for 4 weeks straight. It was horrible. And it wasn''t just spotting either. I called my dr. and she told me to finish that sheet of pills and then take a week long break to have a "real" period (the 4 weeks wasn''t real enough?!) and then start on the next sheet of pills. I did this and then the next month was fine.

I was really nervous when I started getting to the end of the first sheet of my second pack because I really really didn''t want to have my period for so long again, but when I started the second sheet this time around, everything was fine...until yesterday. I''m spotting. Again. AGH! I have about a week and a half left on this sheet. I guess I should be happy that it''s not as bad this time, but I''m still upset. The dr. told me that it could take up to 3 full packs (9 months!) for my body to get used to it and that some people just never do and have to try something else. I''m so upset! I really wanted to just have it 4 times a year

Did anyone else have problems like this on this pill??

 

[coda72]

I''m sorry to hear you''re having such problems with Seasonale. Unfortunately, I can''t be much help for you. I started taking Seasonale a couple of years ago, and I had no problems whatsoever. I had no breakthrough bleeding or even spotting. My gynecologist was amazed because apparently many people have problems when they start Seasonale. So don''t think that you''re alone in this. I would try one more pack of pills if I were you. It can take a while for some people to get used to this pill, but if you stick with it, and it works, 4 periods a year is a great thing!

 

[sumbride]

Were you on another pill before? Maybe you''d have more luck if you took a regular pill but skipped the placebo weeks. I know that''s what seasonale does, but maybe the forumula isn''t right for you. You may have to pay more out of pocket because you''ll need a couple extra packets of pills each year, but it may be worth if to you.

 

[robbie3982]

Sum, I''ve actually been on many different kinds of pills. I started on ortho-tricyclin when I was a senior in high school but after a couple of years it just stopped regulating and I would sometimes get my period for 2 weeks at a time and sometimes not at all. My Dr. switched me around a bunch and I ended up going off of the pill my senior year in college because they wanted to see if my period was regular without it. They had me take my temperature every morning as soon as I woke up and chart it to see if I would ovulate w/o the pill. It was so annoying, and after a month of it I broke my nose which messed up all of the data. I ended up graduating from college (and losing my parents health insurance because of graduating) before anything could be figured out for certain, but the dr. seemed to think that nothing was wrong. I kept track of my periods using this site I found online and they seemed to get pretty regular with some weirdness every now and then. I stayed off of the pill (for a bit over a year) until I started taking seasonale about 5 months ago. I''ve switched doctors a bunch (I had some absolutely horrible ones) and really liked this most recent one. She actually really pushed me towards the seasonale after hearing about my history and thought that it would really help to regulate everything.

Maybe I''m just one of those people whose body doesn''t work with the pill

.

 

[aquarius_ser]

That''s terrible you''re having all these problems. I''ve been on Seasonale for a couple of years and I love it. I didn''t have any problems whatsoever, no spotting, no changes in weight, nothing.

I switched from Orthocept because I would get very bad migrains the whole I was on my period. I love only having it 4 times a year. I know you are having trouble, but maybe give it some more time....

If your body can regulate itself and get used to it.... It WILL be worth it.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 7/27/2006 1:36:14 PM
Author: robbie3982
Maybe I''m just one of those people whose body doesn''t work with the pill

.

Maybe, but if you like this dr. keep working with her to find something better. There are so many options now that you don''t have to give up yet.

 

[robbie3982]

I would love to stick with this dr., but I just moved out of state, so sadly it looks like I''m going to need a new dr. yet again.

 

[sumbride]

ARGH!!!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Robbie, I take Seasonale too, and I have experienced some issues with it too (namely break-through bleeding). My Gynecologist told me to try this:

Continuously take the active pills until you have some breakthrough bleeding....at that point, stop taking the pills for 3-4 days to have a period, and then START BACK UP taking them again, even though it hasn''t been a full 7 days. Then keep taking them until you breakthrough bleed again, at which point you stop for the 3-4 days to bleed, then start taking them again, and continue on like this.

What happens is that the 3-4 days off the estrogens is long enough to shed the lining, but not long enough to stimulate your ovaries enough to kind of turn on your uterine lining for the next cycle....so your endometrial lining will get thinner and thinner, your ovaries won''t stimulate it to thicken as much, and you''ll eventually stop bleeding all together, or will only bleed very little. Yes, you''ll get off the days of the week written in your pack, but that doesn''t matter as long as you can still remember to take one each day.

My doc said that he had just been to a conference where the Seasonale/breakthrough bleeding issue was discussed (since seasonale does that to so many women) and that this was the suggestion that was made to fight the problem. So I''m gonna try it! Maybe it will work for you too!

 

[MelissaSue]

Honestly.. you should talk to your doctor and go off the pill again if you can and see if you ovulate without it.. this happened to my best friend.. they put her on the pill when she was young (senior in HS about).. to regulate her periods.. wasn''t until another doctor made her go off the pill for another health reason that they realized she wasn''t ovulating and has PCOS.. She was actually pretty lucky and got pregnant after two months on Clomid and has two gorgeous baby boys.. but.. don''t you want to KNOW if something is wrong? It just seems odd to me that these drs are sticking these young girls on the pill to regulate periods without even checking to see if somethign is really wrong..

 

[magpye]

I had problems for the first year on Seasonale. I would have break through bleeding for about 2 weeks right before the time I was supposed to have the period "break". This happened for about a year and a half. But the break through bleeding did get shorter each time. Now I''m totally fine. In fact, the last period I had was shorter than the 7 day placebo time. I love it! It did take a while for my body to adjust to it though. Maybe if you stick with it your body will adjust too. I didn''t have your exact problem though so I dunno. I hope it ends up working about because 4 periods a year ROCKs!

 

[galeteia]

I know I''ve said this before, but man, this forum is such an amazing collective of info!

I was thinking of going on seasonale because I get such horrible periods and being on the pill (or not) makes no difference. It''d be nice to only be incapacitated from back spasms 4 times a year... I worked out the number of days I lose thanks to my ''girlie'' problems, and it''s 26 days a year!! That''s almost a whole month that my male peers get to be productive and I don''t!

I recently read an article in Maclean''s (sorta the Canadian ''Time'') debating Seasonale and other period-suppressing pills. What really got me steamed (and Deco knows it doesn''t take much

) was that all the doctors they interviewed and quoted as being pro-suppression were male, and all the women (not doctors) they quoted were against it, saying things like "women should embrace their womanhood, not treat it like a ''dirty'' or ''annoying'' inconvience. Our society teaches women that they should be ashamed of their periods, and making a ''magic pill'' that will make our periods ''go away'' is just furthering this oppression" etc etc etc.

I couldn''t believe it. There speaks a woman(women) who has never bitten through her own lip without noticing because of menstrual pain. Let them deal with the kind of pain I experience, and then yap at me about the mere ''inconvience'' of a period. Oooo, it makes me mad.

I''d like to see her ''embrace'' my ''womanhood'' and watch her writhing around on the floor like a hooked fish.

Back to topic: I hope you can find a doctor in your new state that you can trust. It can be so tricky!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Paul and I don''t want to be parents-to-be on our honeymoon, so we''ve talked about birth control options. He''s more "pro" than I am. I don''t know a lot about Seasonale, but in general, I don''t like the idea of taking something that will make something that I''m supposed to have once a month only happen 1/3 of that often. Again, my friend adores that she''s only cramping 4 times a year, so I guess it''s a matter of preference.

I''ve never been one to take pills or meds unless completely necessary, and I guess it''s about time we figure out what we''re going to do to attempt planning our chlidren a little more than, "ooh, I guess we''re going to be parents in about 8 months, sweetie."

My sister in law does the shot and she loves it, since it hasn''t given her any side effects and she likes that she only has to think about it every few months, rather than taking a pill every day. A co-worker has the ring, and she swears it''s the best way to go. I KNOW I''m not up for that one, though.

Hmm. So many choices. I hope you find the best one for you, Robbie.

 

[caligal]

How interesting... I was just going to click on PS for my LIW "afternoon dish" and what do I find? Another GREAT thread to relate to!!

Kay, so I''m also in the Seasonale club- and finishing my first pack of pills. Like you robbbie, I also had lots of breakthrough bleeding on the 2nd month of the pill pack- about 3 weeks of it. I was frustrated, but luckily this month... my 3rd hasn''t had any until this week- the white pills, where it is supposed to be a "pill period." I''m off tonight to the pharmacy to pick up my 2nd round of pills for 3 months and am hoping the break through spotting will start to cease with this pack. It''s good to know I''m also not alone in this issue!

Ditto Galateia!!! If you check out the research online, there is so much falacy to actually "needing" to have a period each month. And a pill period was only created so the pill could go on the market originally to placate the church''s views on menstration. Very interesting stuff ladies in case you want more information.

 

[aussiegirl23]

Robbie,

Are you taking multivitamins? Or, are you taking iron-supplements?After a month-long period (UGH!!) you might become anemic, from losing blood over such a long period of time. It can happen to women even during a normal-length period... so this is one thing you might want to be aware of.

It can leave you feeling tired, weak, dizzy, etc...

Hope things improve for you!

Aussiegirl : p


My big brother (what a BOY) used to say: "Can''t trust something that can bleed for 5 days straight without dying!" That must make you a super-hero... bleeding for a month straight!!!

 

[dani13]

Unfortunately with Seasonale the most common problem is breakthrough bleeding. We council all the patients we give it to about it....since it is so low dose, alot of women take a while to have regular periods with no intermittent bleeding, which can be very frustrating...

I would say continue with it for as long as you can (unless of course you cant tolerate it), and if by the 3rd pack you still are having a lot of breakthrough, you may need to find another pill that is better for you...some women cannot handle the low doses of estrogen that Seasonale provides, their bodies override it, and they bleed. I would not recommend the start and stop menthod though...try to ride it out. I think you will be significantly better by the 3rd pack...

Good luck!

 

[sumbride]

Date: 7/27/2006 7:51:54 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Paul and I don''t want to be parents-to-be on our honeymoon, so we''ve talked about birth control options. He''s more ''pro'' than I am. I don''t know a lot about Seasonale, but in general, I don''t like the idea of taking something that will make something that I''m supposed to have once a month only happen 1/3 of that often.

Hey Fisher - I''ve read up on suppression and one thing I find interesting is that you really aren''t "Supposed" to have your period every month... If you think about it, prior to birth control, women were pregnant a lot more often and when they weren''t pregnant, they were often breastfeeding which also serves as a form of natural birth control by preventing ovulation (though not completely reliable!). In fact the monthly period for years on end is actually a modern situation... and with girls maturing much earlier than they used to due in part to the added hormones in milk, we bleed way more than we were ever supposed to. The "pill period" is, as has been said here, a creation by doctors and drug scientists in the hopes that the catholic church would accept it, which of course they don''t. Women don''t need to bleed every month, and for many women, it''s better not to.

Choosing your birth control is a very personal decision and should be made with your partner and your dr. There are many methods that don''t involve hormones if you''re uncomfortable with hormones, but they aren''t remotely as reliable.

Sum

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Sumbride,

Paul''s mom had been told by her doctor after she had him that there was NO way she would become pregnant while breast feeding her baby. I guess her eggs forgot to stop dropping. His brother was born 13 months after Paul, to the day. Hee hee.

She was so terrified that she and her husband would reproduce like rabbits that she had her tubes tied before they ended up with three kids under three years old.

Like I said, or meant to say, earlier, Paul and I go back and forth on this stuff, because I''d really prefer not to do anything to change my body''s chemistry. Odds are that I will, though, when it gets to be time. I don''t want to have a baby just as soon as we get married.

A co-worker got married on April 29th this year. She got pregnant on her honeymoon. While she''s happy and they''re excited now, at first, she was really sad that she and her husband got into baby world so fast. She had started the pill, but not for long, and apparently not long enough.

 

[robbie3982]

Wow, I didn''t think I''d get such a response from this! When I searched for seasonale and really didn''t find anything I figured it was because either no one else was taking it or no one else was having problems! I think I''m going to stick with it through at least the next pack. This month was better than last month. I just wish that it worked like it''s supposed to immediately. When I first started taking it, it made me so sick to my stomach. Funny how starting the pill can have almost all of the symptoms of being pregnant.

I''m kind of curious about trying houmed''s starting and stopping method, but I''m worried that it might have a negative effect on the effectiveness as a bc method.

Aussiegirl, I''m not currently taking a multi-vitamin, but I probably should start. I just need to take it when I take the bc pill so that I remember.

MelissaSue, they actually thought I might have PCOS when they first made me stop, but they did ultrasounds and with the limited "normal" temperature information that we had, the dr. said that he thought that I did have some small cysts, but he didn''t think it was PCOS. I definitely do need to find a new Dr. though. One of my biggest fears is that I''ll have spent all this time worrying about unplanned pregnancies and then when I actually want to get pregnant I won''t be able to.

 

[FacetFire]

I asked my doctor about Seasonale, and she told me that it was very possible that I would have breakthrough bleeding for a year on it before it started to actually work like they claim. A year sounded like too much to me, so I never thought about it any further. What you''re talking about sounds like it could be perfectly normal for this pill in the beginning. I can get BTB pretty easily, so I knew it wouldn''t be a good idea for me. Good luck...if it does start to work well, it has to be the best idea ever!

 

[bee*]

A friend of mine is on seasonale and she experienced breakthrough bleeding too but not 4 weeks of it-thats really nasty-4 days is more than enough!! Im on Yasmin and find it great. You get a period once a month but they are so light and I used to get such bad cramps and I get none now