Okay, I started an excercise regimen about three and a half weeks ago and so far i've lost 10 pounds. I know that gaining/losing weight can effect your period. Well, i'm on ortho tri cyclen lo and have been for 6 months now. I've never had any side effects from the pill before, but a little over a week before the time I started taking my inactive pills I started to get this really weird, very dark discharge. I usually start my period on the 5th inactive pill which is a friday (tomorrow). I'm really hoping that I start then, but today that discharge has been pretty heavy. I'm kind of worried about it. I'm not sure what it is. I took a pregnancy test this morning and it was negative (it was the early response one too). My lower abdomen has seemed a little bloated for the past few days and I haven't done #2 as much as I usually do. I really pray that i'm not pregnant! I don't see how I could be since I take my birth control everyday (i've been late for it a few times and it has only been a few hours late), my boyfriend and I usually use condoms anyway (spermicidal ones) and even when we don't he pulls out. He has never came inside of me. I know you can get preg. From precum, but it seems that with the bithcontrol that my chances of being preg. Should be really really really slim. Does anyone know what else this could be? Is it just the weight loss? Has this ever happend to anyone else? I have an appointment at a clinic next friday for a pap smear, but I would really like some incite before then. Thanks in advance.