Hello everyone!

I am a 26-year-old female from Rhode Island. I have never had normal periods, ever. My periods are very heavy at times and then they try to lighten up, yet they are still on going, without ever stopping. I have had my period now for 8 months, I haven't had any menstrual cramping or anything. In my history of my period, I have missed many months of my period where it just skips, and then you never know when it will return again. Or I have times when It comes for a little while, say a week and then it goes away, and then a week or two later, its back. Or I bleed forever and it continues on and on, until I feel like I have lost too much blood. God knows I am not pregnant, so what is the deal!!

My doctor put me on ORTHO TRICYCLEN LO two-weeks ago to regulate my periods. She was afraid to do so because I sometimes clot and I have high-blood pressure which are two things she was worried about when giving me the pill. Since I have been on the pill I have experienced feelings I haven't had in a very long time. I have been feeling very bad menstrual cramps in my ovaries and it is uncomfortable, I have been clotting a bit more than usual. I am thinking that the reason I am clotting more may be because the pill is working and is trying to regulate my periods so I may live somewhat of a normal life. But I usually get these pains during the day or sometimes at night. It is hard to ignore this pain when it feels like something is swollen inside of you.

I have never ever taken a birth control pill before. So all of this is new to me. I am not taking ORTHO TRICYCLEN LO because of the birth-control affect. I am taking it to try to regulate my irregular periods. I do not know how long it has been since I have ever had a regular period. My periods have always been crazy and they are always wacked out. I never know what is going to happen with my flow or how heavy or how light it is going to be. It is very stressful and has been a very emotional and upsetting journey for me. I just want to be regulated, so I can finally feel like myself once again. This has put alot of worry over me and has been very hard for me to deal with, as I am sure other women have probably felt like me, I just don't know what to do. I am just in alot of pain today. The cramping is so bad, I just want to burry myself under a pillow and scream.

If anyone has any answers for me or knows what I am going through please get back to me, I would love to hear your response.

Thanks!

Alicia