Posts by Roger Sullivan63

When you're on birth control pills, getting some bleeding is actually pretty important. It doesn't matter if it’s heavy enough that you need to wear a pad, or just a few spots over a couple of days.
That isn't your typical period; it's just withdrawal bleeding caused by the hormones. There really isn't a set rule for how much you should see.

Paul Miller said:I heard some girls talking today about how women who rely on pain relievers for period cramps more frequently might have a harder time getting pregnant. Is there any truth to that?

I wouldn't be so sure. If that were actually true, I’d be in trouble myself since I've gone through a mountain of painkillers, and I'm only twenty-five! 😬

briskmoose90 said:Sorry if I'm being annoying or if I didn't explain this clearly. My question might sound stupid, but I don't have much experience with birth control; this is my first time using it.

If anyone knows the answer, please let me know. Sorry for the bother, but my OB-GYN is out on leave until the 20th. 🙏 🙏

Look, try not to panic because there's really no reason to. That spotting you're seeing is just the hormones doing their thing.
I’d suggest sticking with the pills as usual despite the bleeding. Once your doctor gets back from leave, give them a call! Even then, every clinic in the US has coverage when a doctor is out on leave. If you're feeling truly anxious, you can stop, but don't quit mid-cycle. Just wait until you finish your current pack and then skip starting the next one.
Regarding protection, you should be fine, though you might want to be extra cautious just this month.

All good?

feralharbor4 said:Got a quick question for you guys... Does how much stuff is happening determine when you actually start birth control pills?? Because I've been messing around since last summer because I wasn't ovulating. And now, after what we'll call a "round" of pills, my doctor saw on an ultrasound two weeks ago that I was about to ovulate, and things arrived—well, kind of. Just some light spotting in the morning. Anyway, I went ahead and started the pills because I just can't get hold of my doctor, and the nurse is just telling me to call her back, but she won't pick up. So, yeah, please let me know what you think.

Sorry, but I'm having a hard time following your post, especially that bolded part. If you want some advice, could you please clarify what you're asking?

Robin Diaz4 said:😬
Honestly, I think I’m overthinking this way more than anyone else here. I haven't even seen a single similar issue mentioned in the two posts above... 😳

For me, the only real outlier is that my break ended up being nine days instead of seven. I can't help but assume I might have thrown my internal rhythm a bit out of whack by doing that... 🤷

Oh, I see! If the break was that long, then your protection isn't fully covered this month—it's recommended to use extra protection! That’s really all. Nothing else is out of whack!

Robin Diaz4 said:Help!
Oh my god, I have absolutely botched this. I honestly can't believe I managed to pull this off—I realized I didn't actually take the last two pills in my pack! (And then I have the audacity to wonder why my period showed up two days early!?)
Anyway, I started a brand new pack on Monday (as per usual), and it was only then that the realization hit me: there were still those little pills left sitting in the old box...

So, here’s my question—what now?! Do I just carry on acting like nothing happened and keep taking them? Obviously, I’m assuming I’m completely unprotected this month... :/
P.S. My gynecologist isn't available until tomorrow, and they never give any actual advice over the phone... 🤷

I was given a few posts above to look over. Everything seems clear now.

Nothing to worry about here. Just keep taking your pills as usual after the break.

Angela Wright said:Look, I'll admit it—that didn't even cross my mind. 😁
Thanks for the advice. 🙂

No problem.👍
It’s always smart to save an extra pill for later! You never know when you might need it to extend your cycle. 😁

Angela Wright said:I absolutely wrecked my stomach yesterday, and now I’m sitting here trying to drink a Pilsner before bed. I couldn't even finish it because I was burping non-stop. I’ve still got two left—the one from last night and today's.
Does it actually make sense to knock back the one from last night now and then squeeze in this final one sometime between Monday and Tuesday? It feels stupid to mess with my cycle; I worked really hard to time my period for Saturday, but honestly, my stomach is still acting like a total disaster 🤷

You don't have to take those last two. The only real risk is that your period might arrive earlier than expected. You can always save those two pills for your next cycle if you want to keep your timing steady. That’s my take. 🙂

No interaction was found between birth control and a single dose of fluconazole for treating yeast infections! If you need long-term therapy, that’s a whole different story. I did a little digging on Google, so here is what I found... 😁

http://www.mayoclinic.org/uputa.php?id=139
http://www.webmd.com/vademecumi/rx/diflazov.html
http://www.webmd.com/lijeci/flukonazol.htm

I actually visited there quite a long time ago! 😁
That sounds wonderful!

Jose Flores24 said:Help, can I ask a quick question for those of you who actually get it?
Lately, I've been noticing a heavier discharge—it's white and has this intense, unpleasant smell. Honestly, I have no clue what's going on.
I'm debating whether to see a gynecologist, since I've never actually been to one. Based on your posts, they seem pretty dismissive, and apparently, you have to be incredibly persistent if you actually want answers.
Also, just to clarify, I've never had sexual intercourse or any kind of sexual contact, so I couldn't have "caught" anything if that's even what this is.

Thanks in advance!

It’s definitely not an STD. It sounds like it might just be a yeast infection! Stress or antibiotics can trigger that.

In any case, I highly recommend booking an appointment with a gynecologist! Just because you haven't been active doesn't mean you shouldn't go. At the very least, go for some professional advice. Plus, it gives you plenty of time to get comfortable with how gynecology works and figure out which doctor is the best fit for you!

Benjamin Taylor4 said:I called her a few days ago and the results came back clean🙂 but I really don't want to live like this. As I get older, it feels like a constant chore, always having to deal with wearing these kinds of panties.😁 I have one more question about it, but I'll head over to the other forum to ask.😉

The main thing is that the results are good! 👍 Honestly, you might just have to learn to live with the discharge! 😳

Hannah Roberts86 said:In a week? Well, okay, that isn't too bad. Last time I had my prolactin checked while I was visiting San Francisco, the results were ready the very next day! For context, I'm 25 now. I had my first child about four and a half years ago. It feels a little awkward to get pregnant again right now since I have a new boyfriend. We’re divorced, but we’re in a serious relationship and planning a life together, yet I'm just scared to have a second child with a new partner. I worry about how my little one will react and how a new baby might affect him. I'd love to have another child just so I can say I did, but obviously, I don't have a choice right now 🤷. It's a bit of a messy situation, but that's probably a conversation for another time. I hope it all works out...
. I didn't go for my blood work today; they told me to come back this Saturday instead. So, I'll head in early tomorrow morning. I'm hoping it won't be as crowded as it usually is on a weekday.

Getting blood drawn on Saturday? 😲 Where at?? That's great! 👍 I hope you get your results quickly. It took me a whole week to get mine back! 👎
You're still young, which is good. 😁
Don't rush into anything given the current situation with your boyfriend... As for the baby, it's nice for them to have a brother or sister. If everyone thought that way, everyone would have one child each... Having a sibling is wonderful! But that's really a different topic entirely!
Anyway, there's no huge rush then! Just relax, you're doing fine! 👍

Benjamin Taylor4 said:I was reading the results from my recent checkup at the clinic—was that from the Pope?—and I actually had some discharge back then too. But since it was just my first appointment and I was dealing with early morning jitters and all that stress, I totally forgot to mention it. Later on, I figured if nothing was wrong, the labs would show it, and since everything came back fine, I’m honestly just confused. I can't exactly go out and buy random stuff on my own; what am I supposed to drink instead of just forcing pills down my throat?😁I’ve been dealing with this discharge for ages, but lately, it’s stopped being a nuisance and started actually getting on my nerves.

That's the Pope. That number is just your swab ID because every single test gets its own code so they don't mix them up! 😁
If they haven't called you about the results, it means everything looks good! Again, it won't cost you anything to call the nurse at the gynecologist's office and ask her to check your results for you. Just for peace of mind.
You can pick up something on your own for vaginal "disinfection."
Your discharge probably isn't an issue since you've had it for a million years (as you put it😁). Some women just have increased discharge constantly... 👋 You just have to learn to live with it! 😉

It’s likely just a little hormonal glitch this month.
It actually happens to the best of us from time to time. If you notice this becoming a pattern or if you start bleeding every two weeks, definitely go see your OB-GYN!

redpilot37 said:It’s day 15 of my cycle and I just noticed some pink discharge on the tissue when I wiped... it’s definitely pink, almost a pale shade. Since I'm right in the middle of my ovulation window, I'm wondering what that could be. I've never dealt with this before.🤷

Nothing to worry about. Sometimes you just experience a little spotting during ovulation.
We women are just built that way—every month brings some new little drama. As long as things don't start happening constantly, there’s really no reason to panic!

Benjamin Taylor4 said:This is what I’m dealing with: just this constant discharge. Everything seems fine most of the time, which is exactly why I’m questioning where this sudden mess is coming from.😕😕It’s this greenish-yellow color, and the smell is honestly pretty gross. My urine culture came back sterile, but there’s still a ton of bacteria and all sorts of other stuff showing up in my urine—nothing has changed regardless of whether I take Ninur, Sulotrim, or whatever else.

What kind of discharge is considered normal? Have you ever used Pap smears? Because a greenish-yellow discharge accompanied by an odor definitely isn't right and needs treatment. You should check in with your gynecologist. If they can't see you for an exam immediately, just describe the discharge so they can prescribe something—probably a Medicated solution.

Hannah Roberts86 said:No, it isn't from those pills I take to start my period. I actually had some excess hair growth even before I started taking them, which mostly started when my cycles became irregular. My sister dealt with PCOS and had her prolactin levels hit 1800; she definitely had hair issues too and eventually ended up getting laser treatment. Now, could that be hereditary? She actually managed to get pregnant naturally, even though doctors told her it wouldn't be easy. She didn't overthink it and, well, it happened!
It all depends.
Why do you think it would be good for me to get pregnant as soon as possible? Hmm... it is part of my plan, but I'm not in any rush right now. I'm also a bit nervous because of my epilepsy and my medication, though I’d be happy if it just happened by chance.
Oh, right—I need to go get my prolactin checked on the third day of my cycle. My OBGYN gave me a referral, and after taking two pills to induce my period, it started today. Since today is day one, my third day falls on Saturday. Can I go tomorrow instead, on day two? And how long does it usually take to get the results back?

You likely have PCOS too, but it isn't the end of the world. Not every woman with PCOS struggles to conceive. However, fertility issues tend to increase with age. It becomes especially tricky when you combine age, PCOS, and anti-epileptic drugs. I only mentioned this because I wasn't sure how old you were, just as a precaution. 😉
I'm not sure if you went for bloodwork today, but you could have gone; just make sure to emphasize that it is the second day of your cycle so they can note it on the report. You should have the results within a week.

Hannah Roberts86 said:Well, I think there's some truth to this. For example, when I lived in San Francisco for a while, my gynecologist there was wonderful. She was very thorough with both the ultrasound and manual exams. She told me I had cysts on my ovaries and mentioned that if I wanted to get pregnant later, I’d need hormonal therapy—which I can't take because of the pills I use to trigger my period. Later, I went to see a specialist at a hospital in San Francisco, and he noted that my ovaries looked almost polycystic, especially the left one, which seemed full of tiny follicles. My prolactin levels were also quite high at 625, when anything under 400 is considered normal.
After moving back home a couple of months later, the local doctor I signed up with suggested an enlarged uterus and possible pregnancy. I eventually sought a second opinion from a private gynecologist regarding the polycystic concerns. He actually told me there were no cysts, that my ovaries were functioning normally, and that I was ovulating fine. He couldn't explain why my periods are constantly late, though, suggesting it might just be stress. But is it even possible for those cysts and polycystic signs to just vanish? I'm so confused. In the meantime, I'm still taking those tablets to induce my period, and I've noticed some unwanted hair growth on my chin and chest... hm...

Prolactin is essentially a stress hormone. When you're stressed, it spikes. There could be other causes too, but I won't go into all that right now.
It sounds like you have a mild case of PCOS. It doesn't necessarily mean anything "dangerous." Some months the cysts might be more prominent than others. Since you mentioned the unwanted hair growth, you should check the side effects listed for those tablets you take to induce your period. If that isn't a side effect, then your ovaries might be developing more cysts. Regarding getting pregnant, once you decide you're ready (ideally sooner rather than later), just schedule an ultrasound right before ovulation so a doctor can confirm everything is on track. That should do it!

Look, I really think it’s time you found a new gynecologist!
He seems like the type who just goes through the motions and only cares about his bottom line. 👎
If I were in your shoes, I’d send a formal letter to the Department of Health just to make sure they keep an eye on him.

You are clearly healthy from a gynecological standpoint. As long as your Pap smear results are normal, there isn't much to worry about. 😉
Don't stress over the enlarged uterus! It won't cause you any harm if it's just the size of the organ itself—the most important thing is that your ultrasound looks good!