Female Question

[KATE1125]

Ok I Started This Diet When My Gyno Suggested Because Of A Lack Of Period She Thought I Might Have Pcos.........so I Started The Diet And Went On Progesterone For Ten Days To Force A Period So I Could Get Back On The Pill............so I Started My Period On 8/16, And Ended On 8/20 And Started The Pill On 8/21 And Today I'm Spotting?!?! Has Anyone Else Had This Issue...........does It Have To Do With The Diet Do You Think?

[black57]

Kate,

I spotted the last time I went on the pill. It was pretty bad until I went off the pill. Low carb eating will affect your periods however. At times it can be quite dramatic, but it eventually normalizes. So I say yes to both of your questions. You just need to figure out what is affecting you.

[cnmLisa]

I always tell my patients that after they begin the pill or switch pills it will take at least 3 months for the body to adjust to exogenous (outside) hormones. Spotting is very common on the pill especially with a new start. Give it 3 months--keep a record of when you notice the spotting--beginning of the pill pack, midcycle, or at the end of the pill pack--that way if your practitioner needs to make an adjustment she/he will be better able to choose an alternate pill. And, I would have to say the spotting is highly unlikely due to lo carbing. Usually when women report that they are having changes in their menstraul cycle and they are lo carbing, I always ask how much weight they have lost
--fat stores and menstraul cycles are very much connected (it doesn't matter the program you use, weather it be weight watchers, Atkins, SB etc) if you have lost a good amount of weight, it may affect your period.

Lisa

[KATE1125]

Turned out the spotting was just the start of a full blown period...........and I just finished one 11 days ago..........I have not missed any BC pills and I take them the same time every day......at least this probably accounts for my stalled weightloss somewhat........but this is why I stopped taking BC last spring, I kept getting my period in the middle of the pill packs so I stopped becasue I figured it wasn't working anyways (never had problems till then for years) and when I stopped taking BC I stopped getting my period and here I am back at square one!! Is there any risk of getting pregnant..........like I said I havn't missed any pills and I take them same time every day, but I get my preiod in the middle of my pill pack! :help:

[dabrahamso]

You should really take this up with your doctor. This is not something an unqualified person should deal with. I would suggest you call your doctor asap and tell him/her what's happening. Don't make decisions about this one on your own. Are you near menopause? This can cause these kinds of things to happen.

[cnmLisa]

Yes--I agree you should be discussing this with your health practitioner. But I see a couple of things you may want to bring up at the appointment. 1. Generally if you are spotting in the middle of the pill pack the most likely reason is that the pill you are on does not have enough estrogen in it to support the endometrium (lining of the uterus) in the middle of the cycle. Not enough estrogen, and the endometrium begins to slough off (spotting) if you are on a tri-cyclic pill (every week the amount of hormones are different) you may want to ask your health practitioner to change your pill to a mono-cyclic (the amount of hormone is the same eveyday). If you are already on a mon-cyclic, you may need to switch to a pill that supports endometrial activity (meaning a bit more estrogen). 2. I hope your health practitioner told you to use a back-up method of birth control until you finish the first pack of pills and have a period. After you have finished that first pack of pills then you are usually OK to stop using a back-up method (although always recommended and encouraged for protection against STIs and HIV). Whenever you switch pills always use a back-up method of birth control until you finish the pack, have a period and then start your next pack. Discuss all this with your health practitoner--pill problems are quite common and probably one of the most common concerns for women in their reproductive years who are using a hormonal contraceptive.

Hope this helps.
Lisa

[mld02004]

Kate- did you change the amount of fiber you've been eating? I found that when I ate too much flaxseed/fiber for breakfast (and then take my pill) I would spot like crazy. I'm not sure if just changing the time of day I took the pill would help, so I stopped eating so much flaxseed cereal.
MLD

[KATE1125]

Not Really.............and This Isn't Spotting This Is A Full Fledged Period With Bloating And Cramping And The Works!