Is it normal to bleed a lot on birth control?

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I really feel awkward asking a question like this, but my mom won't listen to me. I tried to ask and all she said was "Okay, it's fine." I'm actually getting a little scared; no one ever said any of this crap was going to happen.

I just started the birth control 4 weeks ago. My mom made me start so my acne would go away. I only agreed because the doc said it would make my periods stop, and those have always been really bad for me.

For three weeks I have been bleeding really heavy. I've had to change my pad 4 times today, and I'll probably have to do it again two or three times before bed. It's always been bad, but this is insane. Nothing will make the cramps go away either; I've tried ibprofen, exercising, lying down, but it's still there. I mean, it's not so bad I can't function, but it's bad enough that it's really giving me a headache and freaking me out. There really isn't a lot of clotting, but I'm still bleeding a ton. I've even been trying to force myself to drink water, since I figured it might help (believe it or not, I hate the taste of water and usually do without it). Plus I've been rather moody and none of it will stop! I've had to ditch my friends countless times because I'm terrified I'll bleed through my clothes or I'll snap at them or something. And my acne has actually gotten worse like it always done on my period!

Someone please tell me this is normal. I'm freaking out over here. And I'm also dying of embarassment having posted this.

Hormonal birth control will only make acne go away if the acne is related to particular hormonal imbalances - depending on the cause of the acne certain forms of hormonal birth control may make acne worse. Hormonal birth control will stop menstruation, but you may still get withdrawal bleeding mimicking a monthly period depending on what sort of hormonal birth control you use and how its used - this may be just the same as your normal periods, better or worse depending on your body and the birth control used.

Yes - it's normal to bleed a lot on birth control at first.
Your doctor should have informed you of this, and you should have informed yourself of this - you need to understand how it works and what might happen as a result. There can be problems when you first start taking hormonal birth control or when you try a new type or brand - I once had bleeding for three months while switching brands. Normally it's recommended that you wait three months for your body to adjust, however going by what you've described it may be that this brand/type is not suitable for you so it would be a good idea to go see your doctor and get onto a more appropriate brand/type - doctors will give you the most expensive or most popular brand of hormonal birth control, not necessarily the best brand/type for you.

For acne you'd want a birth control with higher estrogen and lower androgen potency, however for menstrual suppression these aren't the best option as it's estrogen that builds-up the uterus lining, you'd want something with lower estrogen and more balanced hormones throughout the pack, perhaps Loestrin with no break, or go for options such as Depo. To me it sounds like you may have been put on the wrong type of birth control for your needs, as well as potentially a type that doesn't work for you in general.

Don't agree to something without first understanding what you're agreeing to. If you have hormonal acne and/or suffer problems like menstrual cramps these may be a sign of an underlying problem so it may be best to address these issues before using birth control.

I've given you advice on how to stop cramps on this post - http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt163344.html - take the advice!

I didnt have a choice either way, and nothing in the instructions for taking it said a thing about all the bleeding.

Ive already tried all that, but the cramps won't stop. I need to get rid of them before my mom kicks me out of the house for complaining about it. And going to the doctor aint gonna happen until I vomit up my lower intestine.

My sister has super bad cramps and they think it might be cysts. My sister is NT, but both of us have tried multiple hormonal birth control brands and we both can't take any. My sister gets suicidal (even though normally she is the most annoyingly upbeat person I know) and it causes me to have emotional meltdowns. If your mom isn't willing to take you to the doctors you could try going to Planned Parenthood if you have one in the area. That's where I went when I first started taking birth control because I was too embarrassed to ask my mom to make me an appointment with her OBGYN

This is YOUR body, not your mum's. I find it very concerning that you think you don't have a choice about what drugs you take.

It can happen that you bleed like this but its not normal (as in it doesn't happen to most people).

You need to see a doctor, it may well be nothing to worry about, but its best to get checked. In my opinion you should go without your mother, but I understand that this may not be easy.

The doctor may say its ok, they may recommend a different brand, or you may want to stop the pills.

I'm on birth control (depo-provera injection) and I was told it's totally normal to bleed on it since everyone reacts to it differently. The nurse said it either stops periods, makes them irregular (mine are already irregular) or people may experience heavy bleeding when it's first injected (I had the jab a while ago and didn't experience that). I have just finished a particularly heavy and long period, and it was really painful and the blood had all hard bits in it. It kind of freaked me out actually since I haven't had one of those kinds for a couple of years.

Thanks, I feel a lot calmer now. I haven't been able to talk to my mom about this seeing as she's ignoring me unless she is scolding me or ordering me around. I'll just wait it out and hope it stops. Once again, I am not on her priority list and since I can't drive or afford a doctors appointment I have no other choice than to just hope it eventually stops so I can get on with my life.

It is not normal to bleed that heavily for thee weeks straight, on birth control or off of it. Many people take birth control to bleed less, so I would definitely say that something is off.

I think that your heavy bleeding is not normal, especially for the duration of time that you mention. I once had this reaction to hormones, and I was bleeding so heavily that I couldn't leave the house. In the weeks following, I ended up needing a blood transfusion due to the loss of blood. You need to have this checked out. I don't understand your mother ignoring this. Women tend to take heavy blood loss for granted, but it is never normal to bleed that much for that long. I also found that I had uterine fibroids, which ended in my having my uterus removed. It is nothing to fool around with. Are you a minor? I f not, can someone else take you to a doctor?

I am only 16, and my mother is very strict. She would not approve of my going to the doctor without her knowledge and permission.

I think it's going to stop in a week or so. It's acting normally now i think. If anything there is a lot less blood. If it doesn't go away in a week I'll ask again, but not before then. Nowadays it's more just mild discomfort than crippling cramping. Maybe it's almost done. I hope so; I'm hoping I won't have to talk to her about it again. She doesn't like to discuss such things.

Be sure to take plenty of iron for the blood loss!

I gotta be careful with all that. I've got an iron sensitivity and taking in too much iron can make me feel sick. I couldn't eat Cheerios for awhile. I am drinking more water though!

I am sensitive to iron, too. I found that taking chelated iron tablets were a lot easier to tolerate.

I had this problem when I went on birth control at age 22 before my wedding. I suggest you stop taking them if you've bled heavily. Your mother isn't listening well it's your body. At 4 weeks of bleeding heavily, think 3 pads an hour, I started passing out. You can pass out/become anemic.

The problem with me was the dosage was too high. You might need a lower dosage of birth control or not be able to tolerate it at all. I suggest you call planned parenthood They will help you if you're in the states. Surely you have a friend who can drive. You could always find some adult to talk to. Or you could simply flush the pills down the toilet everyday and tell mom you take them.

I second the 'planned parenthood' option. They will be able to provide financial help if you need it, and their focus is on making *you* healthy and happy.

Maybe it's just because of the placebo pills I had to take all week this week, but it's stopping finally. I'd give it like two more days just to be safe. Also, my mom has her own problems, and I guess it's about that time of the month for her too, so that explains a lot of things that have been happening here. Hopefully it doesnt happen again, because that was Hell!