Thread: Freaking Out!!

It just kills me to hear so many women are on Depo! I am going to fight my urge to rant about how terrible Depo is for you and just say that you should read the other posts about Depo... like the FDA warning and what not.

First of all, periods do not stay the same throughout your life regardless of being on birth control or not. They might be 3 days for the first half of your life and then 7 days for the rest. There is just no telling. When you throw birth control into the mix, NOTHING is gauranteed. Not the length, texture, color, or cramping. It can really vary. Also different birth controls have different effects. And those effects may be different for each woman. When you change birth control often or start and stop often, you are forcing your body into a rollercoaster of hormone fluctuations. One big thing to keep in mind is that Depo does not fully leave your system for at least a year. It says so right on the package. So not only are you still on Depo in smaller amounts, but you are now putting different kinds of birth control into your system. I personally think doctors should be slapped for filling women up with so many chemicals and hormones. It's no wonder your period might be irregular with all the ups and downs and changes with the birth control.

You are most likely just going through a hormone fluctuation from the birth control and you have to give your body time to "normalize". Having a 7 day period is the average for most women. Having an extended period can be what is concidered a common irregular period which is normal for the most part... meaning that there is nothing you can do about it except take birth control. The thing is, an irregular period will not hurt you. It may just be inconvenient for you.

You should still most certainly see the doctor though because you could possibly have another health condition which is causing the irregularity. Better safe then sorry.

Also, it is normal to have changes in color, thickness, and texture of your periods. You are shedding the lining of your uterus which is a layer of tissue and blood vessels. Your hormones will effect how thick and vascular that lining is. Darker brown blood is older then the bright red blood and it's just because it's been sitting in there a little longer. Nothing to worry about unless you are bleeding profusely and feeling dizzy or faint.

Hope this helps!