On birth control...shouldn't have my period

[Questforhappiness]

Hey guys,

I'm pretty sure I've seen something about this before, but I can't find it, so I apologize if this is a repeat. 

I have been on birth control for years and don't get my period. Last year I started on Nexplanon (the insertion in your arm) and I have had some spotting -like a little bit of bleeding for a few days -some of the months since then.

Well, last week I got my full blown period and it is still going on. I can't help but feel this has something to do with the Whole30 (I am R1D30 btw! -but I want to keep going onto Food Freedom, so I want to understand this issue...)

Is this something anyone else has experienced? Do we know why it happens? (Are my harmones like whaaaaaaaaaaaaa?) Is it bad or something I should see a doctor about?

Thanks!

[SugarcubeOD]

This has been discussed at length in this forum... you can look through the threads to see other topics 'early period' 'half cycle bleeding' 'period problems' '2nd period'

There are also two threads that are pinned at the top of this category

[Lea Mint]

I had implanon years back and some months I would spot and some I would get a period and some month I got nothing and some months I nearly bled to death. I don't know that the diet is the cause moreso than at least in my experience my period fluctuated wildly while I had an implant. 

And I had it over a year before the first heavy period started.  I can't remember much before that. 

[jmcbn]

15 hours ago, Lea Mint said:

I don't know that the diet is the cause moreso than at least in my experience my period fluctuated wildly while I had an implant.

Birth control tablets/implants/injections are un-natural hormones which are designed to control your menstrual cycle, which is normally dictated by the hormones (or lack thereof) in your body. Whole30 works towards re-balancing hormones. There is certainly an adjustment period with the implant, but it also stands to reason that your cycle may be effected by the change in diet - it's a very common side effect.

Have a google for Dr Jolene Brighten to hear what she has to say about how hormonal birth control effects our bodies - it makes for very interesting reading!

[Lea Mint]

I don't actually get my period anymore and yes I agree that food can cause changes in mentration, however I did want to share that my experience with the implant was fluctuations even without diet changes. 

 

[bitvoy]

Thanks for the post! I've been taking constant birth control pills (no placebo) for years because I get migraines when my hormone levels drop. On day 4 of my Whole30, I got the worst migraine I've had in years and my period started. I haven't had a period in years. I did not miss or take my pill late. I'm still on my birth control pills and am now on day 12 of having a period. My headaches and flow have varied, but I've had at least a little each day. When I was young (in my teens and 20's) I had bad cramps and bad periods. But I never had bloating or mood swings. For the last 12 days I have had terrible bloating, a terrible temper, and I have to work hard not to cry. I have trouble concentrating. This has been consistant from Day 4 to Day 16 of my Whole30. I've been careful to change nothing but my food.

I've seen lots of people complaining about changes to their period and I haven't found an explanation on the forums. Some people get better periods, some get worse. I think that the case of taking the pill nonstop (no placebo) and still getting your period is a different case.

I was already eating good quality meats and produce, so it's not like I was eating meat full of hormones and antibiotics and suddenly stopped. I'm cooking all my food from scratch and am following the plan 100%. There is zero soy or nuts in my diet.

So basically, I'm not supposed to get periods at all and I'm having worse periods than I've ever had in my life. Does anyone have an answer to what is causing this?

[SugarcubeOD]

6 minutes ago, bitvoy said:

Thanks for the post! I've been taking constant birth control pills (no placebo) for years because I get migraines when my hormone levels drop. On day 4 of my Whole30, I got the worst migraine I've had in years and my period started. I haven't had a period in years. I did not miss or take my pill late. I'm still on my birth control pills and am now on day 12 of having a period. My headaches and flow have varied, but I've had at least a little each day. When I was young (in my teens and 20's) I had bad cramps and bad periods. But I never had bloating or mood swings. For the last 12 days I have had terrible bloating, a terrible temper, and I have to work hard not to cry. I have trouble concentrating. This has been consistant from Day 4 to Day 16 of my Whole30. I've been careful to change nothing but my food.

I've seen lots of people complaining about changes to their period and I haven't found an explanation on the forums. Some people get better periods, some get worse. I think that the case of taking the pill nonstop (no placebo) and still getting your period is a different case.

I was already eating good quality meats and produce, so it's not like I was eating meat full of hormones and antibiotics and suddenly stopped. I'm cooking all my food from scratch and am following the plan 100%. There is zero soy or nuts in my diet.

So basically, I'm not supposed to get periods at all and I'm having worse periods than I've ever had in my life. Does anyone have an answer to what is causing this?

This can happen when your hormones rebalance... its possible that you may need to revisit the doctor to see about changing the dose of the pill but you may want to wait until things even out and you're further along in your healing/Whole30.  This does happen a LOT and it's all over this forum, so while you've found this thread, there are many many others that might have info that will help, or at least similar stories to ease your mind.

[SugarcubeOD]

10 minutes ago, bitvoy said:

Thanks for the post! I've been taking constant birth control pills (no placebo) for years because I get migraines when my hormone levels drop. On day 4 of my Whole30, I got the worst migraine I've had in years and my period started. I haven't had a period in years. I did not miss or take my pill late. I'm still on my birth control pills and am now on day 12 of having a period. My headaches and flow have varied, but I've had at least a little each day. When I was young (in my teens and 20's) I had bad cramps and bad periods. But I never had bloating or mood swings. For the last 12 days I have had terrible bloating, a terrible temper, and I have to work hard not to cry. I have trouble concentrating. This has been consistant from Day 4 to Day 16 of my Whole30. I've been careful to change nothing but my food.

I've seen lots of people complaining about changes to their period and I haven't found an explanation on the forums. Some people get better periods, some get worse. I think that the case of taking the pill nonstop (no placebo) and still getting your period is a different case.

I was already eating good quality meats and produce, so it's not like I was eating meat full of hormones and antibiotics and suddenly stopped. I'm cooking all my food from scratch and am following the plan 100%. There is zero soy or nuts in my diet.

So basically, I'm not supposed to get periods at all and I'm having worse periods than I've ever had in my life. Does anyone have an answer to what is causing this?

Try this thread... again, there are dozens and dozens of them

 

[bitvoy]

On 7/17/2017 at 3:21 PM, bitvoy said:

Thanks for the post! I've been taking constant birth control pills (no placebo) for years because I get migraines when my hormone levels drop. On day 4 of my Whole30, I got the worst migraine I've had in years and my period started. I haven't had a period in years. I did not miss or take my pill late. I'm still on my birth control pills and am now on day 12 of having a period. My headaches and flow have varied, but I've had at least a little each day. When I was young (in my teens and 20's) I had bad cramps and bad periods. But I never had bloating or mood swings. For the last 12 days I have had terrible bloating, a terrible temper, and I have to work hard not to cry. I have trouble concentrating. This has been consistant from Day 4 to Day 16 of my Whole30. I've been careful to change nothing but my food.

I've seen lots of people complaining about changes to their period and I haven't found an explanation on the forums. Some people get better periods, some get worse. I think that the case of taking the pill nonstop (no placebo) and still getting your period is a different case.

I was already eating good quality meats and produce, so it's not like I was eating meat full of hormones and antibiotics and suddenly stopped. I'm cooking all my food from scratch and am following the plan 100%. There is zero soy or nuts in my diet.

So basically, I'm not supposed to get periods at all and I'm having worse periods than I've ever had in my life. Does anyone have an answer to what is causing this?

I went to the doctor on Monday afternoon and she ordered some blood work. We found out that my hormone levels were low. The only explanation she could give is that without all the chemicals in your system, your body tries to self-regulate and part of that is adjusting your hormone levels. She said that she's seen patients with improved fertility results from living Whole30. But there's no clear explaination because some people see a decrease in hormone levels, and some see an increase. Some have more the normal symptoms and some have less than normal for them. It depends on your body, your age, and your own optimum hormone levels.

Because I was on a low-dose birth control pill (Falmina), my body was overriding the effects of the birth control pill. She changed my prescription to a higher dose pill (Levora). Falmina contains 0.1 mg of levonorgestrel and 0.02 mg of ethinyl estradiol. Levora contains 0.15 mg of levonorgestrel and 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol. So Levora is 50% stronger than Falmina. I take my brith control pill at night. The next morning I woke with no migraine. By the second morning, I was no longer on my period and the cramps, bloating, and emotional turmoil were over. 

So, in my case, raising the dose of my birth control pill by 50% stopped my 16-day period and all the period symtoms, including the ones I'd never had before.