Breakthrough bleeding and Exercise

saia11

Cathlete
Has anyone had an increase of breakthrough bleeding or other menstrual irregularities while on the pill and "on" Cathe or other intense exercise? I've been consistently working out for about 1 1/2 a day and have not had trouble with breakthrough bleeding for years on the pill, but this month I'm about 4 to 5 days earlier than I should be. Could the increased intensity from Hardcore be the cause? Maybe my metabolism is faster now, I've certainly been much hungrier this past week, and I'm metabolizing the pill faster(orthotricyclen-lo)? I'm fairly sure I'm not pregnant because between starting a new semester, my DH starting student teaching, and my DH also having problems with hematuria and his new exercise intensity, it's been a slow new year in that department;-)
Has anyone else experienced this or do you know if this might be the case? I've also recently upped my soy intake in an attempt to get enough lean protein, but I have eaten soy regularly for years. Any suggestions would be appreciated:) as I don't relish the thought of a ten day period every month.
Thanks,
Mattea
 
I am not on the pill, but lately, after I do an particulatly intense workout, I do experience breakthrough bleeding almost immediately after the workout. It's done by the next moring.

I suppose this is a question for the doctor.
 
you are on trilo? most likely you need to switch to something like ortho tri cyclen. lots of women experience BTB with trilo because it's lower hormones. it's typically a pill that women are started out on to see how they do with a pill. i'd talk to your doctor about a different dosage of pill.
 
Mattea,

I don't know if it was the increase in workout intensity or what, but I had been taking BCPs for almost four years when I began to experience breakthrough bleeding one week to the day before my period was supposed to start-- the same time I began to get serious about working out. I went to the GYN immediately, and she had no idea what was wrong. Problems continued, I went back to the GYN, and she changed my BCPs to a lower dose. That helped for about six months before it started again. I was really fed up-- I quit taking the Pill and haven't had a problem since. No one could give me a straight answer; I made the possible exercise connection after looking around online( after freaking out for months about cancer, etc.)

Take care,
L
 
I get breakthrough breaking here and there throughout the month, and I'm not on the pill. I've had this happen for months and months. I've never connected it to exercise, though....hmmm.

I do need to get a check-up, which I'm so bad about doing.
 
I'm not on BC, but I do have this phenomenon happen with any really intense exercise, especially jogging or long distance biking. I've had all the test imanginable, and everything turned out okay. My OBGYN said she has many patients that this occurs and mostly in long distance runners. She said it is harmless and nothing to worry about. (Easy for her to say!) I love to run but avoid it because of this issue. Such a catch 22, as running seems to be the only exercise to thin my legs out.

If, and it is a big IF, there is such a thing as reincarnation, and we have any sort of choice as how we return, my first choice will be a house cat, second choice will be a man. I don't want to do this female thing again!x(

Tina
 
I'm not on BC, but I do have this phenomenon happen with any really intense exercise, especially jogging or long distance biking. I've had all the test imanginable, and everything turned out okay. My OBGYN said she has many patients that this occurs and mostly in long distance runners. She said it is harmless and nothing to worry about. (Easy for her to say!) I love to run but avoid it because of this issue. Such a catch 22, as running seems to be the only exercise to thin my legs out.

If, and it is a big IF, there is such a thing as reincarnation, and we have any sort of choice as how we return, my first choice will be a house cat, second choice will be a man. I don't want to do this female thing again!x(

Tina
 
I was on the same pill for a few years and suddenly started having little mini periods about 2 weeks into my pack of pills, my doctor said that my body had changed (hormone related, I assume) and she changed my prescription. That worked for a month or two and then the bleeding started again so I let that prescription run out and just stopped the pill completely - no mid month bleeding since then. I'm sure that I could've found a pill that would've worked but I wanted to see how I felt off of the pill. I feel so much better, my pants are looser, my skin is clearer, and I'm definetly more pleasant to be around during certain times of the month LOL :)
 
I was on the same pill for a few years and suddenly started having little mini periods about 2 weeks into my pack of pills, my doctor said that my body had changed (hormone related, I assume) and she changed my prescription. That worked for a month or two and then the bleeding started again so I let that prescription run out and just stopped the pill completely - no mid month bleeding since then. I'm sure that I could've found a pill that would've worked but I wanted to see how I felt off of the pill. I feel so much better, my pants are looser, my skin is clearer, and I'm definetly more pleasant to be around during certain times of the month LOL :)
 
Hi everybody!
Thanks so much for some solidarity and reassurance, I've also been freaking out a little after looking around on the internet. I'm due for a check-up next month so we'll see what my doc has to say about the issue then. It is more than just breakthrough bleeding I guess b/c it hasn't stopped, I think I'm just going right into my period. I actually started out on a different pill and had BTB every month and when I switched docs she switched me to regular orthotricyclen which stopped the BTB, but I had nausea problems and so about a year ago she switched me to ortho-lo and I haven't had any trouble since. I've also been thinking about going off the pill, but I love the light periods!:D And they've been so regular, up till now. I feel better that this is something I'm not alone in experiencing and I'll definitely talk to my doctor about it.
Thanks again everybody!
Mattea
 
wow, just found this post and I'm so glad I went and dug into the older pages here. I actually experienced this last year and I'm not on BC of any kind. I went to see my doctor because I tend to freak out if I notice something is wrong. She didn't have an answer for me, but did not seem concerned. We didn't even discuss the fact that I've been working out 6 days a week for a long time.

It's only happened a couple of times, and with the fact that my GYNo wasn't worried and hearing about this, my mind will be more at ease if/when it happens again.
 

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