Expert: Norman Solberg - 7/29/2010

Question
I have already been to my doctor and am going again next week. This is just getting ridiculous though.

I am 22 years old. I wasn't sexually active until 2 months ago. I have always been overweight, but have started losing and am making really progress. I've gone from 180 to 145 over the last 6 months. I started taking the mini-pill (progestin-only) around two and a half months ago.

Before all this, my periods would come and be normal amount and length, but would come irregularly. I had a problem a couple years ago when it came for four weeks and then was really, really strong and I ended up passing huge clots and lost half the blood in my body and had to be transfused.

This is not like that. It's been normal to somewhat heavy to just spotting. However, it's been around for awhile at this point (two and a half this time, the longest yet) and has been going on off and on for the last three months. It will come for a week or two, stop for a few days and then come back again.

It's really frustrating, and let's face it, part of the consideration at this point is that I'm so incredibly horny it's gotten to be something awful. The doctor said a few weeks ago that it was my body's reaction to starting the mini-pill, plus the weight loss. Will this keep on going for forever? It's just so freakin aggravating. Is there anything at all that I can do?

Answer
One of the side effects of the mini-pill is spotting and bleeding.  Usually it gets better with time, but I would recommend some treatment.  If you were to take 1 month of regular combination birth control pills, I suspect that your bleeding would stop or greatly decrease.  The regular pill will get the uterine lining to all clean off, and then there will be less chance of spotting and bleeding.  Best wishes.