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opaloctober
10:55 pm - 05/24/2013

Extended cycle birth control pills, stacking, breastfeeding, and planned parenthood questions...
So, i'm getting my IUD removed on this comming Wednesday morning. I just can't get over having a non stop period like this. It's been 2 1/2 months and i'm still bleeding, and I can't get used to the fact that theres a piece of plastic where it shouldn't be 24/7...i'm going back on the pill. I'm still breastfeeding so i'll need the progestin only pill (??). In between pregnancies since 2006 i've been on Quasense.I loved it. Are there extended cycle mini pills? Google gives me nada. Is the mini pill stackable??
Also, i'll be going back to planned parenthood to get my Mirena removed, and my OBGYN suggested that I just go ahead and get my BCPs from there as well, rather than driving the 2 hours there for a visit to her. What happens when you get birthcontrol from PP?? Do they give a prescription for them like my OBGYN would? Also, if they do, will my insurance fill the script if I stack them?? J/W...

Any help?
alex gaskarth ohdarlingx
7:53 pm - 05/24/2013

Bleeding hours after sex
Hello everyone!

I have a question for you. This has never happened to me before. I just had my period last saturday, and bled until about wednesday. I wore panty liners on thursday but ended up with no bleeding.

Today is friday, and I went to my boyfriend's house. We had sex twice and everytime after I used a tissue to clean up the fluid (he comes inside me) and it came up clear as usual. Then we had supper and about 4 hours later, I went to the bathroom and I noticed that I was bleeding all over my underwear! Not spotting, but really bleeding.

Any idea why? Should I be worried? Many thanks for any responses!
dirtywordplay
11:04 am - 05/24/2013

ECP Messing up Cycle
Hi, I'm currently about 8 days late for my slightly irregular period. My cycles are 30-32 days long, and I should have started between the 15th and 17th. I did take EC roughly mid-cycle (last period was April 16th-21st) on the 27th (I think, give or take a couple of days). I bled mildly for a couple of days, with no cramping or nausea or anything like that. My boyfriend and I had sex again roughly May 10th. We try to use condoms, but occasionally use the pull-out method. We know the risks. We've discussed that it's not a perfect system and that there is a chance of pregnancy. My body does not react well to any HBC I've tried, and I don't have insurance right now to get on anything anyway.
IF the bleeding after taking EC wasn't a period, it should have come around the 16th, making me over a week late.
IF that bleeding was a "period", resetting my cycle, my period should be starting within the next few days here, making me not late yet.
I don't want to take a test if I don't need to, I've thought of just waiting until the first of June and testing then, just to be sure. But I also don't want to be pregnant and not taking care of myself the way I should be. I've had baby fever for 5 years now, and I also don't want to get my hopes up (it's not the right time yet, but I want to be a mom so badly). Can anyone help me out here? Does EC (the brand is Next Choice, if that matters) reset your schedule like this? Am I currently late, or not there yet? I've taken it before and not bled afterward and had my next period like normal.

X-Posted to Ask Me Anything.
Gargoyle Eye nightmer
7:53 pm - 05/22/2013

Annoying Symptoms: Birth Control or Just My Body?
Details: I'm 24, was on the Minipill for 3.5 years (almost continuously), no known hormonal issues (no obvious signs of PCOS or anything).  Occasionally get migraines but also ovarian cysts so I'm on the fence about using a combined pill.

When I started the POP I had no real side effects.  But I've noticed my libido seemed to be lowered over the last half a year.  My periods have also been a bit heavier and crampier, and I've noticed more dark hair growing on my chin/nipples (which started a little when I first began the minipill).  About 3 months ago, my pharmacy switched me to a different generic of my pill, and I spent the month as a PMS-y emotional mess, but my libido ramped up, which made me think none of the versions of the minipill were agreeing with me as well as they used to.  Switched back to my old generic, still felt not so great, so I decided to change things.

I switched to Tri Sprintec (a combined pill) a week or so ago, and since then I've felt mostly the same.  I was on my period when I switched but 6 days after it ended, I'm still getting mild but constant cramps.  I plan to try this pill for a few months but it still seems strange.

Has anyone else suddenly started having side effects to a birth control you'd been on for an extended period of time?  I'm curious if all the symptoms are more likely related to my birth control, something awry with with my reproductive system, or just things changing as I get older.
Rat retr0h
8:53 pm - 05/22/2013

First Time Missed Period
I need this lovely community's advice. I am sort of on edge about this.
I am a 20 year old cisfemale, and for the month of May, have missed my period for the first time since I started my period. A little background on my cycle, it is usually unbearably heavy. I use overnight pads during the day to make myself comfortable (I'm gonna try to change to divacups soon!) and have mild cramping. My period also usually lasts anywhere from 7-9 days. I used to be on birth control (Loestrine) exactly a year ago but have stopped since I've been a little lazy to make an appointment to refill the prescription.
Now, I have missed my period for the first time this month (May) and it has me stressed out. I have never, ever, missed a period. I was worried I was pregnant but:
1. there was no penetration, just sort of dry humping ('cause I'm paranoid) but he did get some semen on my butt, which could have gotten into my vagina(?). This happened late April, probably around the 26th?
2. I've taken 3 pregnancy tests. 2 about a week ago which came out negative (I dipped the test in a cup of urine) and one yesterday which also came out negative (again, dipped it in a cup of urine).

My last period (that I recall) was April 7th but I'm not 100% sure. This situation has made me freak out so much I actually downloaded a menstruation app on my phone so I can track it because jeez, I've never been so scared. At least with an app, I can make sure its late/early.
I'm just at a loss. I guess it could be that I was a little stressed about finals but I've had times where I was a lot more stressed than this and I still had no problems with my period being regular.
I guess my questions are;

Can there be such a thing as a wrong reading on the pregnancy test? What are some signs of pregnancy? Can I do anything to make sure this does not happen again?

Also, I'm waiting until June 7th to contact my doctor for an exam. Since I'm not 100% sure when my period started/ended in April, June 7th would be a whole month, that I know for sure, I went without a period.
dkwgdk
3:21 pm - 05/22/2013

Mirena: Sudden Period Disappearance + My Vagina Smells Weird
(cross-posted to iud-divas)

Hi y'all -- So I've reached two years with my Mirena, which has thus far been a GREAT experience.  I got it to help manage my out-of-control periods and, while I still definitely had a period, it was way easier to cope with than previously.  I can actually sleep through the night and make it through a college lecture without bleeding through multiple forms of protection!  Woot!

My question is "Where is my period and why do I smell strange?"  According to the calendar, i should be having my period right now.  My period has stayed very, very regular on the Mirena, and it's been regular pretty much since I was 17...I'm now 35.  However, I had a couple of days of spotting (Sunday and Monday) and now?  No period.  My last period was completely normal for me, including the bleeding requiring super-absorbent tampons, etc. In other words, it didn't show signs of fading into oblivion.  In addition, at the moment I have a small amount of unusual-smelling discharge and overall just a sweatier-smelling crotch. I keep trying to figure out how to describe the smell -- I think it's mostly very metallic, and the discharge definitely tastes more metallic than usual.  My normal taste is ranges from practically non-existent to very salty mushrooms, so this is a new one. It also doesn't seem to change if I consume more water  I haven't been really aroused since having this problem, so I can't tell if producing lubrication changes the smell.

What do you think is up with this?  I could go to the clinic to get tested for BV, but it will take a few days to sort that out.  Also, I wouldn't really describe the odor as 'fishy,' which I think is what you typically get with BV. If I'm wrong, please let me know?

One possible explanation for the vanishing period is a massive increase in Vitamin E consumption.  I normally take about 1,000 mg of Vitamin E a day to help lighten my period, but in the past couple of weeks i've started eating a lot of chia seed.  Because it's high in Omega-3, I'm now up to about 3,000mg of Omega-3s a day.  I wonder if the elevated levels were what my body needed to respond to the Mirena like other folks who just lose their periods on it. But...still.  It's odd.  I guess it's also possible that the chia is changing my smell, but I've really only noticed it in the past couple of days.

Thanks!

NB: I've only had sex with condoms in the past month, and I took a pregnancy test and am not pregnant.  I'll retest in a few days just to be sure, but I don't think that's the explanation.

FOLLOWUP EDIT -- My period is here.  At least, I'm bleeding a bit more and the peculiar smell is gone. I think it (the period) heard me talking about it?  Or something?  My body is weird.  I eased up a bit on the chia and that might explain the change.
make love, not magic war xmissxmarsx
9:14 am - 05/22/2013

Taking Plan B on period
Hello all!

Last night, I had semi-unprotected sex, by which I mean I put the condom on my partner inside out and we drunkly took it off and put it back on correctly (a safe sex no-no, I know). This morning I woke up with a plan to go get EC, but lo and behold, my period arrived. I know you can still get pregnant on your period, so should I still go grab some EC?  Thanks in advance!
ma2760
12:56 am - 05/22/2013

AGUS cells, Colposcopy, Etc.
Hi all,

I was hoping you could help me understand what's going on and what questions I need to ask to be take care of my health. Hopefully I have all these details correct, I don't have a copy of my medical record (I do want to get one) but hopefully this is everything...

In summer 2010 I had my first abnormal pap smear. It showed up as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). I had a follow up pap that winter, and I believe that is said endocervical cells (I may be incorrect on the type of cells) were not present (they said cells they like to see on a pap smear didn't show up, it wasn't that there were atypical cells this time). They advised me to have another pap smear, which I did in June 2011. I did, and once again they found ASC-US. I had a colposcopy, which they said showed the best result possible.

I had a follow-up pap in January 2012. Normal. I had a follow-up pap in June 2012. Abnormal. They did another colpo and an endocervical curettage (ECC). My colpo they didn't find anything to worry about, but the ECC was concerning. Another abnormal pap smear in December (AGUS), they told me I'd need another colpo in May, which was today.

My doctor has been going over my case with a pathologist and another specialist (apparently he's one of the people that actually writes the guidelines for treatment nationally...) and they saying my results are "incongruent," with my pap is alternating between normal and abnormal and my colpo being normal and my ECC showing up with abnormal cells. If there are abnormal results this round, they will likely do a LEEP.

Anything I should know? Is there anything I should be asking my doctor? For the first time today, I read AGUS cells can (though rarely) be associated with cancer other than cervical cancer. Should I be asking for tests for other sorts of cancer (Ovarian, Fallopian, etc?).

I've really tried to stay sane about this all. I know cervical cancer is very slow moving, the chance of me having cervical cancer is very slim, and even if I did, it would most likely still be in the very early, treatable stages. However, the AGUS does scare me a little.

Any thoughts?

FWIW, I completed my Gardasil when I was 23. I'm 27 now.
k8nkane
10:57 pm - 05/21/2013

Effectiveness of combo pill ...
I just wanted to make sure I had this right ... if you start combo pill BC within five days of the start of your period, it's instantly effective, right? No matter the length of your period or whether you were on BC previously?


Posted via m.livejournal.com.

katswansey
7:23 pm - 05/21/2013

I can't tell if this is a bruise...
Hi everyone,

I'm probably freaking out over nothing, but I'd like some advice. I just hopped out of the shower and noticed this weird discoloration on my left boob that wasn't there yesterday. At first I thought it was a freckle or mole because it's relatively small. It doesn't hurt, it's not swollen. I think I'm being overly paranoid because I have a fibroadenoma in the same breast. I'm not sure how the two could be related. But I figured I'd come talk to you lovely folks and see what you all think.

( picture behind the cut/somewhat NSFWCollapse )

Do you all think I should get this checked out or is it nothing to worry about? I've never had anything like this before.

Thanks for any/all help!
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