Birth Control Forum - How to skip your period on birth control + spotting

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Q: How to skip your period on birth control + spotting

asked by: DoctorQuestion on March 21st, 2007

I skipped my period this month (I should have gotten it around March 4) by skipping over the placebo pills in my pack and continuing a new pack right away. I was planning on doing this again when my current pack runs out in 2 days because I am going on vacation next week and I do not want my period. However, 2 days ago I started spotting just a tiny bit, and now I have very very slight cramps. I feel like I have my period, but I don't and I shouldn't (there is no way I'm pregnant because I've been on the hormone pills for 40 days and I use other protection). I did miss a pill in the pack so I had to take 2 in one day. I'm on a monophasic pill called Lutera which I have been on for 4 years (originally it was Alesse, this is the generic brand) and I have never skipped a period before this. Is it safe for me to skip another period and can I continue right away into a new pack? Why am I having these light cramps and spotting even though I'm still on the hormone pills and not placebos?

Replies(2)

Tylanas

replied on March 21st, 2007

Especially eHealthy

Re: Birth Control Question

PatientQuestion wrote:

Birth Control

Question: I skipped my period this month (I should have gotten it around March 4) by skipping over the placebo pills in my pack and continuing a new pack right away. I was planning on doing this again when my current pack runs out in 2 days because I am going on vacation next week and I do not want my period. However, 2 days ago I started spotting just a tiny bit, and now I have very very slight cramps. I feel like I have my period, but I don't and I shouldn't (there is no way I'm pregnant because I've been on the hormone pills for 40 days and I use other protection). I did miss a pill in the pack so I had to take 2 in one day. I'm on a monophasic pill called Lutera which I have been on for 4 years (originally it was Alesse, this is the generic brand) and I have never skipped a period before this. Is it safe for me to skip another period and can I continue right away into a new pack? Why am I having these light cramps and spotting even though I'm still on the hormone pills and not placebos?

It is safe to skip several periods, seasonale and the depo shot do that. You may, however, end up spoting at random intervals because that's just what your body does; the period is the normal thing for it to do so there may be slight spotting througout the month.

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on April 5th, 2007

Birth Control Answer A2525

It is possible to skip a regular period in the way you describe (skipping over the placebo pills in the birth control pack and continuing a new pack right away), but there is always a risk of spotting when you use this method. Skipping a regular cycle twice in a row increases the risk for spotting even more. That seems to be exactly what happened in your case. It is not recommended that women skip the regular cycle twice in a row because of possible spotting. Estrogen in the birth control pills stimulate endometrium growth. In time, the level of estrogen hormones is not enough for the grown endometrium. In other words, you probably shouldn’t skip another period. You can finish this pack of pills and wait for your real period to come.
Spotting is not a sign of pregnancy. You may take a home pregnancy test to be sure.

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