Is it normal to get a period while on a continuous birth control?

I am not a doctor.

I would say it is not normal. Are you bleeding so much you are worried about blood loss? Or, is it just like a typical period? You absolutely can call your doctor if you are very worried, they will page him/her for you. If it were me, and if it is not a scary amount of blood. I would just call first thing in the morning and talk to a nurse. If you are bleeding a lot that is an emergency, and you should go to the hospital.

Is there any chance you were pregnant? Did you miss some pills or take them very late?

I actually had never heard of taking the pill for a year like that. Last I heard they would go three months without a period. Interesting to me they do it longer now.

You can check with an emergency room physician and get the correct information on this. They may require you to come in for an actual exam.

@silky1 Will an ER physician come to the phone for someone just calling in like that? I never would even think to call the ER. Why not just call her own doctor who did the prescribing?

Information from the Seasonale FDA information that comes with your prescription every month:

What You Should Know About Your Menstrual Cycle When Taking Seasonale

When you take Seasonale , which has a 91-day treatment cycle, you should expect to have 4 menstrual periods per year (bleeding when you are taking the 7 white pills). However, you also should expect to have more bleeding or spotting between your menstrual periods than if you were taking an oral contraceptive with a 28-day treatment cycle. During the first Seasonale treatment cycle, about 1 in 3 women may have 20 or more days of unplanned bleeding or spotting (bleeding when you are taking pink pills). This bleeding or spotting tends to decrease during later cycles. Do not stop Seasonale because of the bleeding. If the spotting continues for more than 7 consecutive days or if the bleeding is heavy, call your healthcare provider.

@JLeslie It is definitely not a concerning amount of blood. I have had heavier and worse when I still had a regular monthly period. It is just a shock since I haven’t had one in over a year.

I never heard of it or knew it was an option until about 2 years ago and i was definitely sceptical. I was first prescribed to take it having the 4 periods a year in hopes it would help the pain and heavy bleeding i went though, but it didn’t. So in cases like mine when its disruptive to your everyday life, there now is the option of not having the period at all, which has actually been a life saver

It sounds like you’re right as rain, then. If it lasts more than a week, as the document says, go ahead and give your GYN a call. You’ll most likely be fine.

@jesslc323 It sounds like it is being done off label according to @Seek_Kolinahr‘s quote, but maybe the year long has been tested? I wonder how long doctors have been doing that?

I acknowledge how horrible your periods were. Did you try taking 600–800 mg of ibuprofen three times a day back when you had periods? I’m not “prescribing” that to you, but it is often prescribed by doctors. Ibuprofen was a magic drug for me for period pain. 600 mg did the trick. My first day cramps were very bad, and ibuprofen relieved them significantly. It took 50 minutes from the time I swallowed the pills to when I felt better. Also, wearing tampons helps. I don’t know why. They still do.

I’m not a doctor and I don’t really know the full theory behind ceasing periods indefinitely, but it just doesn’t sound right to me. I sent your Q to two doctors, hopefully they chime in.

Also, keep in mind for a lot of women their period pain decreases as they get older, but not always the case.

If your bleeding isn’t very heavy I would just call your doctor in the morning.

I take Seasonale and sometimes don’t feel like getting a period and so I just start the next packet. Usually after month four, I will get a period anyway. It’s nothing to worry about if it’s just like a normal period. If it’s abnormal, then yeah, you should contact a doctor.

I am not a doctor, just speaking from personal experience.

I agree – not having a period is fantastic. I also don’t have the mood swings, etc. Heaven.

I don’t know anything about it @JLeslie sorry.

Is it healthy to only have 4 periods a year? Women were meant to bleed. I’m not sure I’d want to fuck with Mother Nature like that. Just my thought.