Most women can take birth control without incident. However, some women experience spotting, which is normal, or non-stop bleeding, which is not normal, while on birth control. In some cases, the bleeding can get quite bad and resemble a full-fledged menstrual cycle that never stops. If you're experiencing bleeding while taking birth control, your doctor may need to make some adjustments or they may simply want to wait it out to see if things change, depending on the underlying cause of your bleeding. Following are three reasons why your birth control could be causing you to bleed.
Body Changes
Much of the bleeding caused by birth control pills occurs during the first few months of using birth control. During this time, the body is experiencing changes and hormonal fluctuations as the hormone-based birth control is introduced. Changes can also occur when you change the type or dose of your birth control. These initial fluctuations are completely normal and nothing to worry about. The bleeding normally tapers off and stops on its own after a few weeks or a couple of months.
Missed Doses
If you miss a dose or do not take your birth control regularly, you may experience hormonal fluctuations and bleeding. Missing one or two doses can mess up the entire 28-day cycle. You may experience bleeding or spotting throughout the cycle after a missed dose and should know that you cannot rely on the pill only for birth control for a full 30 days after a missed dose. Correcting this issue is as simple as remembering to take your birth control. If you can't, you may want to think about a method that doesn't require taking a pill every day, such as the injection or ring.
Wrong Hormone
Different birth control products use different hormones and differing amounts of those hormones. Typically, they contain a blend of estrogen and progestin. However, some products only contain progestin, such as the shot, implant, and IUD. Products that don't have estrogen in them cause abnormal bleeding in some women because estrogen stabilizes the lining of the uterus. Bleeding caused by progestin-based products is treated by changing the product used or adding estrogen to the treatment.
While spotting is normal while taking birth control, continued, moderate, or heavy bleeding is not. If you experience abnormal bleeding while on birth control, be sure to talk to your doctor, such as at Healthcare for Women Only. There are easy fixes for your problem.
Share23 June 2016
My husband and I are ready to have our first child. Because I’m an older, potential mom, I’m working closely with my OBGYN. While I know the road to motherhood might be difficult and time consuming for me, I’m prepared for the challenge. I’ve already discussed several medications and procedures that help with infertility issues with my caring OBGYN. My husband and I are discussing our comfort levels with each type of infertility treatment alternative. We are confident we will make the right decisions for our future family. On this blog, I hope you will discover some of the best treatment options for infertility available today. Enjoy the journey to motherhood!
