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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Heavy Bleeding After Taking Lutera?

Hi. I missed lutera on day 7 of the active cycle, and took two pills on day 8. On day 9 I experienced light bleeding, which got gradually heavier with clots. I am now on day 12 and it is still occurring. What is happening? Should I be concerned for pregnancy?
Mon, 26 Dec 2016
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OBGYN 's  Response
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.

Lutera is a birth control pill that has a very low dose of estrogen. If you miss a pill for a day, even if you back it up, the drop in hormones for that day can cause your period to start, which is called breakthrough bleeding. Unfortunately, you will not likely stop bleeding until you finish this pill cycle. You will still be protected against pregnancy, however the amount of estrogen in Lutera is probably not strong enough to stop this period once it's started.

If you do not feel like waiting until the end of the pack for your bleeding to stop, you can discard the rest of your pack now, wait 7 days, and then start a new one. You will likely stop bleeding during your pill-free week. You should start your new pack on time though regardless if you are still bleeding or not.

To try to avoid this from happening in the future, try not to forget pills and take them as close to the same time every day as you can. If you miss more than 2 pills in a row, you should use a backup method of birth control for the rest of that cycle as 2 days of no pills can be enough to put you at risk for pregnancy.

I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful.

Best wishes,

Dr. Brown
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What Causes Heavy Bleeding After Taking Lutera?

Hello, and I hope I can help you today. Lutera is a birth control pill that has a very low dose of estrogen. If you miss a pill for a day, even if you back it up, the drop in hormones for that day can cause your period to start, which is called breakthrough bleeding. Unfortunately, you will not likely stop bleeding until you finish this pill cycle. You will still be protected against pregnancy, however the amount of estrogen in Lutera is probably not strong enough to stop this period once it s started. If you do not feel like waiting until the end of the pack for your bleeding to stop, you can discard the rest of your pack now, wait 7 days, and then start a new one. You will likely stop bleeding during your pill-free week. You should start your new pack on time though regardless if you are still bleeding or not. To try to avoid this from happening in the future, try not to forget pills and take them as close to the same time every day as you can. If you miss more than 2 pills in a row, you should use a backup method of birth control for the rest of that cycle as 2 days of no pills can be enough to put you at risk for pregnancy. I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful. Best wishes, Dr. Brown