Seasonale.

[katiebug]

Has anyone else tried it? I am just looking for some other peoples experiences.

I started taking it last November. The idea of only getting my period four times a year sounded great to me. My doctor warned me that I would probably experience some spotting during the first cycle of pills (first three months before I got my next period). Well, I did. Basically, I didn't have my period for two months, and then had spotting every day (sometimes heavy) for the last month. Then I still got my period like normal on my week of placebo pills. After getting my period, the spotting stopped.

Now the cycle is repeating itself. I am on my second pack of pills right now, I'm not supposed to get my period for another three weeks, and I've been spotting (pretty heavily) every day thus far for the past week. I have a feeling it's going to continue until I actually get my period, like it did last time. It's driving me nuts. My Doctor mentioned it's common for this to happen in the first pack of pills, but I wasn't expecting the same thing to happen twice. Should I expect it to keep happening, is this normal? I hate having my period for an entire month...that's not what I thought I signed up for when I started taking these pills. How long does it take my body to adjust to it so that I don't have this spotting?

I also read online that in some cases spotting can be a sign of a hormonal deficiency. Should I be concerned about that?

I have a prescription to last me through next Fall, and I was thinking of giving these pills a chance up until then when I go back for my next pelvic exam. I want to be hopeful that they will work like they are supposed to and that my body will get used to it and stop spotting. But I don't know...any thoughts?

[Jaysey]

I am not personally familiar with Seasonale--although the 4 times a year thing does sound great! I have been on other varieties of the pill for over 6 years, and whenever I switch it usually takes at least one full month to adjust. The only other thing is that if I miss a pill or take one at the wrong time of day, it can cause spotting. This sounds like a question for Brandye! But if you're still having concerns, I think it's best tot talk to your doctor again. Sometimes we don't adequately express our concerns to physicians because we don't want to seem "paranoid" or something. But they get paid to listen to and answer our concerns, so you should make sure you make clear to him/her exactly how concerned you are about it--tell him/her what you told us!
:-)

[Brandye]

I have no direct experience with Seasonale. It is not in our formulary yet and no patients have been asking. I have read much of the professional literature and I do not think you are terribly unusual. Just as some women adapt to some pills and some to others, the four a year is messing with the same hormonal system. Some women simply do not adjust. AI would talk to the prescriber after the second "period" and make a decision whether to see it through for a full year.

As a woman I would find the dragged on period a bit disconcerting.

[Thea]

I used seasonale...that crap was horrible..i kept spotting like every other week .... i might as well just deal with regular period...but it freaked me out but i learned that happens within the first YR! lol...use something else..its not ready in my opinion

[katiebug]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm on the second pack of pills right now and only spotted a little bit for about a week and a half this time in between periods. Going through the first pack of pills was horrible, and I was afraid it was going to be the same again this time, but the spotting quickly stopped after a week or so this time. I am scheduled to get my period next week and have been fine after that little episode a week and a half ago. It seems like with each pack of pills the spotting gets a little better, so I think I am going to stick with it. Hopefully by the third pack of pills I will have no spotting at all.

[Thea]

yea ok cause when i was on my 2nd pack, it was the same for me and freaked me out cause seasonal kept sayn if u spottin u might be pregn and so were some of the women who were on it said they were, so unless i wasnt having sex i was always worried...it because a nuisance so i got on the patch and said to hell with it. Good luck with this though, hope it works well