Combined Pill Worries

[FakePlasticTree]

Hi, I started the pill 10 days ago on the first day of my period. I had my usual period, but I haven't stopped bleeding since starting the pill. Is this normal? There have been some clots in the blood, which is a dark red almost brown colour. Should I be worried???

[Galen70]

No you shouldn't be worried. What pill is it that you are taking ? is it new ? The brown colour blood is "old blood" which has been changed by the vaginal pH and oxidisation.

[FakePlasticTree in reply to Galen70]

Hi, I'm on the Microlite pill, it's a lower dose of each hormone. It's my first time ever taking any kind of hormonal birth control, which is why I was concerned. It seems to be easing off now but I guess I got a bit of a fright. Thanks for the help!

[Galen70 in reply to FakePlasticTree]

You are welcome. Microlite is ethinyl oestradiol/levonogestrel. Is some women the lower dose of oestrogen may not fully settle bleeding patterns. if it continues a different combined pill may be a better choice for you

[toastkid]

This is actually normal. It's normal for things to take a while to settle down as your body gets used to the pill. Doctors tend to advise you give it about three months to settle, if you went now they'd tell you to wait and see how it goes.

Obviously if you start getting symptoms of things like anaemia, go to your GP for advice as soon as you get the symptoms. If you get migraine symptoms, however, please come off the pill and request the mini-pill, as there is an increased risk of stroke in patients who take the combined pill and get migraine with aura.

But as for the clotting and the like, that just sounds perfectly normal to me. I'm going to assume it's not for you, and that's why you're asking, and it's good that you have asked.