[Cl!ck]

hi there! I have a question about seasonique..first im 22, and have had regular periods for a long time
I started in late oct but only got 2-3 pills before i stupidly lost my pack because we moved. I didnt ask for another because i cant afford it, no coverage. Anyway
oct i had a normal period (normal for me bring 10-12 days and very heavy). Nov came and my period was late. It came but it was light-medium flow for 3-4 days. Then i was bleeding very lightly (only showed on tp as light pink) for about a month. On dec 17 (normal period day) but again it was light medium for 4-5 days (didnt even have to use a tampon). It would stop in the evening (not even blood on tp) but be there in the morning again. The it went back to very light spotting brownish pink.
My nipples have been very sore during all of this. Some days (especially a few weeks ago) i felt extremely tired.
Right now there is no bleeding but it feels like im bleeding but when i check my pad its clear or whiteish with hints of pink. No blood on tp.
But (and this will sound strange) i stuck a qtip up..there (not far) it came out red.
Could this all be caused by the seasonique? Even though i only took 3 pills or could it be something else?

[Guest]

Perhaps not an appropriate thread for a MALE to respond to, but I wanted to make two suggestions:

1) Seasonique, like all FDA controlled pharmaceutical products has a web site that should address most of your concerns/questions/comments. IF you can't find
answers on that product specific site, then they will provide you with a telephone number that you can call, anonymously of course, and ask someone with advanced
scientific knowledge, anything about the product. Don't be shy or afraid, they've heard it all and it's their job.

2) If you cannot afford your medication, ALL of the pharmaceutical companies have programs to get people the medications they need. MOST are income based, so if
your household income is above a certain level, you may not qualify....but not all of them. More and more pharma companies are recognizing that new drugs are
much more expensive than their predecessors and not covered by "everything must be generic" insurance companies. So get the paperwork or go online and apply.
What have you got to lose, other than time? If you can provide a note from a physician stating that this product is more medically necessary than another, it's a
pretty sure thing that you'll get it.

Good luck.

Hope it was okay that a male replied in kind to your inquiry.

[CHANDLERS WISH]

first im 22, and have had regular periods for a long time
I started in late oct but only got 2-3 pills before i stupidly lost my pack because we moved. I didnt ask for another because i cant afford it, no coverage.

Seekers advise is good however, you had regular periods, then you started the pill but missed alot...

Our bodies, move with what we take, don't take... You can't start something and not finish it..

Our bodies get confused, oh we are, no we are not and therefore the period will start and stop because you took birth control to regulate then stopped, simply speeking.....

CW

[Ashlee T.]

While I agree that the website can be helpful, they rarely discuss any of the REAL side effects many women suffer while taking the drugs. There is also no way on most of those sites to see user reviews, which IMO is the true test. The websites are there to promote the product, and though informational, simply do not provide women all the information they are going to want to know before taking these very life altering drugs.

Anytime you start the pill and stop the pill like that, you're most likely going to have spotting/period issues. So yes, what you're experiencing right now, the spotting and sore nipples is most likely a direct result of the three pills you took. Your entire cycle all month long is a process, each part of the cycle happens for a reason and is directly related to another part of the cycle. When you took those three pills you were telling your body to stop that normal process, then when you abruptly stopped your cycle had been interrupted. Give your body a chance to get through this cycle and once you have your next period you should be back on track.

[Guest]

It's true the web sites are general in nature, they have to be, which is why they also provide toll free numbers should any consumer have further questions.

Since everybody's body is different you will react differently to a drug then a perfect stranger to whom you know little and are trying to advise.

I think we are treading on very thin ice when we give medical advice to people of whom we have no history and no little about. We wrongly assume that since A or B happened to us, then it must mean the same thing if it happens to them. Maybe, or maybe not.

Let's leave the study of science and the answer to scientific questions up to those whose job it is to answer them based on years of research, education and knowledge.

It's just my opnion.

[Ashlee T.]

Seeker that's why most of us here are very careful about giving any sort of medical advice. There is a distinct difference in telling someone your own experiences or giving your opinion based on your own experiences, than giving someone medical advice. And I must say, thank goodness for sites like this one, because it has eased my mind in times when I would continously be told by my doctor "well lets wait until after your next period and if you're still having the problem we'll look further into it". Who wants to spend 2 or 3 more weeks suffering and worrying and still have no possible answers? People sharing their own experiences is what teaches us gals what to expect, what to look for, etc.........because our doctors don't often provide that info. In regards to the birth control pill, the side effects I've heard doctors refer to as "not the norm", seem to be the same side effects that you hear almost every female you talk to experience. Thank goodness we have each other to share with.....otherwise there would've been times I seriously thought I was dying of some strange rare disease. That's the whole point of the Birth Control forum, to share experiences, to ask questions to others who have used the same birth control, to have our minds eased when we're experiencing crazy symptoms etc. It's not to be confused with "medical advice".

[Guest]

Who said anything about "medical advice" or even "doctors" for that matter? Not me.

The only points I shared with Cl!ck were A) that advanced scientific knowledge is available, and B) If you can't afford your meds, ALL of the pharma co's. have programs that may help.

The product specific web sites, set up by the drug manufacturers and approved, monitored and regulated by the FDA are far more than marketing arms.
To claim that "websites are there to promote the product" only is to not be informed or not willing to share the entire story with someone who obviously has concerns about it.

I agree that forums like this can be very helpful in many areas and are, I've learned a lot in the short time I've been here, but only if those that participate give all of the helpful information that they can.

Provide as much information as you can and let the reader decide what course of action and/or opinion is best for them to pursue.

[Ashlee T.]

Who said anything about "medical advice" or even "doctors" for that matter? Not me

Yes....you dear.

I think we are treading on very thin ice when we give medical advice to people of whom we have no history and no little about

Let's leave the study of science and the answer to scientific questions up to those whose job it is to answer them based on years of research, education and knowledge.

Do doctors not fall into this category? I guess I could've said "customer service representative for a pharmaceutical company", but I figured "doctor" was more practical considering anyone on BC has one.

The websites are there to promote the product, and though informational, simply do not provide women all the information they are going to want to know before taking these very life altering drugs.

This was the entire sentence, which is important in understanding what I meant. And I still mean just that. After taking birth control pills for 10 years (lots of different kinds), I have been on many of these FDA approved company websites. Though informational (as I said above) in reference to that particular pill, why it's better than other pills,etc......they simply do not often cover issues like the OP posted that many women who have actually taken birth control pills understand and can relate to. The OP took three days of pills. She came on here asking if that's what could've caused her to have the spotting and sore nipples. The only thing she's going to find on Seasonique's website in regards to spotting is the following: "Keep in mind that when starting any new birth control pill, some women experience bleeding or spotting between periods." That' just my opinion.

[Guest]

Again, to count only on a web site for information when they provide toll free numbers in which to speak to actual researchers, as in scientific researchers, as required by law, is ignorance by the consumer and has nothing to do with the manufacturer, their web site, their research staff or their product.

Do physicians fall into what category? As those that have done years of research, education and knowledge? In some cases, absolutely. Not all physicians are researchers and not all researchers are physicians, but it's fair to say that either have more knowledge about the human body and how products may effect it, then the average consumer who uses those products.

It's also interesting to note, that EVERY pharmaceutical product contains what is commonly called a PI or Package Insert as required by law, as part of it's FDA approved and regulated packaging...ever read one in it's entirety? Less than 4% of the prescription drug consuming public ever has...

The websites are there to promote the product, and though informational, simply do not provide women all the information they are going to want to know before taking these very life altering drugs. Because they are not allowed to under current federal laws. So they provide toll free 800 numbers that nobody calls...why?

Medicine is a study, not an art, as we are all guinea pigs that provide our PCPs and others with data that may help them treat the next person who presents with similar symptoms. That's why they say it's the "study or practice of medicine".

Medical specialists, scientific researchers and in some cases, physicians, are readily available to anyone via a toll free number and they can answer all of your questions. They are there because they have to be as part of the FDA's requirements for all pharmaceutical companies.

They are also the most under utilized FREE RESOURCE available to every consumer.

[CHANDLERS WISH]

Quite simply put.....

The OP asked

Could this all be caused by the seasonique? Even though i only took 3 pills or could it be something else?

[QUOTE]
Our bodies get confused, oh we are, no we are not and therefore the period will start and stop because you took birth control to regulate then stopped, simply speeking.....

Anytime you start the pill and stop the pill like that, you're most likely going to have spotting/period issues. So yes, what you're experiencing right now, the spotting and sore nipples is most likely a direct result of the three pills you took. Your entire cycle all month long is a process, each part of the cycle happens for a reason and is directly related to another part of the cycle. When you took those three pills you were telling your body to stop that normal process, then when you abruptly stopped your cycle had been interrupted. Give your body a chance to get through this cycle and once you have your next period you should be back on track.

BD made it clear, you can't start and stop a pill and not expect your body to play up....

The fact that the OP is confused as to whether, it could actually be the pill, that has created it, means she knows nothing of that pill, which means, her Doctor did not brief her at all on missed pills and the effects that can occur....

In my opinion, she is correct, the only person that can advise her is her Doctor as to whether that particular pill is good for her or not ONCE off course, she takes them properly, websites do not provide full information on individual people....

Who said anything about "medical advice" or even "doctors" for that matter? Not me.

1) Seasonique, like all FDA controlled pharmaceutical products has a web site that should address most of your concerns/questions/comments. IF you can't find
answers on that product specific site, then they will provide you with a telephone number that you can call, anonymously of course, and ask someone with advanced
scientific knowledge, anything about the product. Don't be shy or afraid, they've heard it all and it's their job.

2) If you cannot afford your medication, ALL of the pharmaceutical companies have programs to get people the medications they need. MOST are income based, so if
your household income is above a certain level, you may not qualify....but not all of them. More and more pharma companies are recognizing that new drugs are
much more expensive than their predecessors and not covered by "everything must be generic" insurance companies. So get the paperwork or go online and apply.
What have you got to lose, other than time? If you can provide a note from a physician stating that this product is more medically necessary than another, it's a
pretty sure thing that you'll get it.

OP, you will find that until you have correctly taken the pill, your Doctor will not be able to ascertain if the pill is working for you or not.... They will not be able to ascertain if it is too high, too low, and creating more bleeding...

Therefore, they will not be able to provide you with a "note" stating that a product is more nesessary? Without ascertaining if this pill is the right one for you...

As all your symptoms are unfortunately, Mother Nature's gift to us women, and your not bleeding to death, or having heart palputations etc, rather, spotting, sore nipples, bleeding and stopping, I can't see a major problem, however, if you are worried and can't afford to see your Doctor yet, stop taking the pill totally, use a condom, until you can see your Doctor...



CW