Birth Control and no period

[cbryson]

So I'm taking the pill where you have no period for 3 months and on the 4th month you do. When I started this grouping of pills I had spotting for about 2 weeks off and on. This week I was supposed to have my period. Tomorrow I am to begin taking the hormone pills agian but I have had no period yet. I took a pregnancy test and it is negative. Anyone have an explanation?

[Brandye]

First, you do not bleed immediately upon stopping and starting them again will not preclude your period. I have had more patients experience difficulty adjusting to Seasonal/Seasonique than any other hormonal b.c. Every woman adapts to each regimen differently and your experience (spotting; delayed period; sometimes no period for a while) is not unusual with this pill.

TAKE AS DIRECTED. Concerns? Call your doctor's office and talk to the nurse.

[cbryson]

Even if I've been on this for over a year now? I've never had trouble with any type of birth control and I've been on the pill for 7 years now. I'm not taking Seasonale. It's actually Norinyl but my doctor prescribed it to me in the same form. Said to take the month, skip the last week, and pick back up with the the pack.

[sera300]

Call the doctors office & talk to them. It can be the new regime but you need to let the doc or nurse know of this change.

[Brandye]

OK, now I am confused. You say you are on a pill that allows four periods a year. Norinyl is a monthly cycle medication. Unless you and your physician are playing games with the cycle. In which case, I cannot answer. Where I practice (UK), this would be a non-standard use of this med. I have not tried this with any patient.

[cbryson]

I am a military dependent. Our insurance will not pay for Seasonale. The doctors prescribe 4 pills packs and you take it just like seasonale except skipping the last week of the pack. Each time you refill you get another 4 packs. I've been on it like this for a year and never had a problem. That is why I don't know what is going on. Should I start taking the hormone pills tomorrow like normal? Or wait until I have a period. Like I said for the last 7 years I've started within 1-2 days of being off the hormones so this is not normal.

[Brandye]

Fine. I accept that. In the UK we do not use norinyl that way (that I am aware of) and you are outside my range of experience. Call your doctor and speak with his nurse.

Back to the general case, I have found that the longer a woman is on Seasonale, the more issues crop up. Take as directed until you get your questions answered and that means start the next pack on schedule.

I am not aware of any other physician who hangs around this board and with a non-standard use of the med, be careful what advice you get.