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What Causes Prolonged Period While On Cerazette?
Question: Hi there,
I have asked several questions relating to my female health, menopause and starting to take Cerazette BC to help regulate heavier periods.
I am new to Cerazette and in May my period arrived at 23 days, not usual for me, it was not too heavy or painful but dragged on and was early. Constant pink or red spotting.
I then started another period on day 19 of my cycle, 8 days after my previous one, I do not belief I ovulated, but my cm, although clear was heavier then normal for me also and I had headaches and spots on face.
This current period, started of light and pain free until Saturday past where it became heavier and then calmed again by night-time and Sunday similar. Day 5 I started to develop cramps, increase in blood flow, where I leaked after 1.5 hours and the passed tissue from womb, this really upset me as again this is not normal, I was also at work which made it worse. By day 5, my period is calmer and usually lighter and brown, any tissue passed is small and never bothers me. I should mention, I forgot to take 2 cerazettes on Sat/Sun. I have now resumed day 5, and this with Tranxaemic Acid has practically stopped my flow for over 4 hours now. I have never experienced this before, very early periods and heavy bleeding with tissue on day 5, it is usually heavy day 1/3, but this time it is the opposite.
I have to say I am at a loss and feel it must be due to the pill. I have been on this for less than a month and I do forget to take some tablets, both the previous period and this current one.
It has put me in an emotional shock and my confidence, as I was assured this would help and I would not have heavy periods, has been dented, I get very scared.
Do you think I have brought on another period/ or are they off balance due to Cerazette and missed tablets. I am aware of negative reports re Cerazette.
Thank you,
XXXXX
I have asked several questions relating to my female health, menopause and starting to take Cerazette BC to help regulate heavier periods.
I am new to Cerazette and in May my period arrived at 23 days, not usual for me, it was not too heavy or painful but dragged on and was early. Constant pink or red spotting.
I then started another period on day 19 of my cycle, 8 days after my previous one, I do not belief I ovulated, but my cm, although clear was heavier then normal for me also and I had headaches and spots on face.
This current period, started of light and pain free until Saturday past where it became heavier and then calmed again by night-time and Sunday similar. Day 5 I started to develop cramps, increase in blood flow, where I leaked after 1.5 hours and the passed tissue from womb, this really upset me as again this is not normal, I was also at work which made it worse. By day 5, my period is calmer and usually lighter and brown, any tissue passed is small and never bothers me. I should mention, I forgot to take 2 cerazettes on Sat/Sun. I have now resumed day 5, and this with Tranxaemic Acid has practically stopped my flow for over 4 hours now. I have never experienced this before, very early periods and heavy bleeding with tissue on day 5, it is usually heavy day 1/3, but this time it is the opposite.
I have to say I am at a loss and feel it must be due to the pill. I have been on this for less than a month and I do forget to take some tablets, both the previous period and this current one.
It has put me in an emotional shock and my confidence, as I was assured this would help and I would not have heavy periods, has been dented, I get very scared.
Do you think I have brought on another period/ or are they off balance due to Cerazette and missed tablets. I am aware of negative reports re Cerazette.
Thank you,
XXXXX
Brief Answer:
Your missing pills cause your cycle to be irregular
Detailed Answer:
Hello, XXXXX, and I would be happy to answer your question today.
I have reviewed your previous questions and answers regarding this issue, and I hope I can provide some reassurance to you. I want to apologize in advance for possibly conflicting with some of the advice you have received previously, but as a board-certified OBGYN practicing in the US, I hope to give you the most updated information possible.
First, Cerazette is a progesterone-only birth control pill, which in general is not a good treatment for heavy or irregular periods. POPs (progesterone-only pills) can provide contraception to women who cannot take estrogen, but they DO NOT (I want to make this clear) DO NOT regulate your menstrual cycle. You will get your period at the same frequency as before, but they may be lighter in quality and less painful. However spotting and bleeding in between periods is not unusual (a common side effect of POP's). Only estrogen containing birth control pills will make your cycle regular (every 28 days) and lighter every month. POPs are designed to be taken daily (no pill free week) and are most effective if taken the same time every day. The Cerazette brand contains a kind of progesterone which in early studies (when combined with estrogen) had a higher risk of blood clotting than levonorgestrel (another kind of progesterone), which received a lot of publicity about 20 years ago. This is the reason you might have read more legal disclaimers when being prescribed this medication, however, it is safely prescribed in the U.S. and abroad all the time.
So- the fact that you missed pills during this past cycle completely negates any potential benefit you may have had from the Cerazette. So try not to be hard on yourself or discouraged by not seeing any difference in this first cycle, but I hope we can formulate an agreeable plan to try for next time.
I do not know if before trying any of these medications you have had an evaluation for why exactly your periods have become heavier. The most common first symptom of menopause in women is actually skipping your period, along with hot flashes and mood changes. It is very common to have irregular cycles and more hormonal symptoms in your 40's, but heavy menstrual bleeding can also be caused by structural problems in the uterus. Fibroids, uterine polyps and other uterine conditions can cause heavier periods having nothing to do with menopause, and I would recommend if you have not done so already, that your GYN health provider refer you for an ultrasound of your uterus to make sure there is nothing else going on and to make sure the size and shape of your uterus is normal.
Tranexamic acid works extremely well to help treat heavy periods, regardless of the cause. It increases your body's ability to clot your blood, so it shortens your period when taken during your cycle. However, tranexamic acid also will not control your cycle, meaning it will come as often as it usually does, but you will bleed less.
If your periods come regularly but are just long and heavy, the tranexamic acid alone should be enough to give you relief. I suggest you try that alone, without taking the POP at all, and see what happens over the next few months. I do not think the POP will help you much, especially if you have trouble remembering to take it every day, and you have already tried it for 2 cycles.
Another way to help treat heavy periods without taking oral hormones is by getting a hormonal coil fitted. The coil, or IUD, is placed by your health practitioner into your uterus and it secretes a small amount of progesterone right into your uterus without it being absorbed into the rest of your body, which will make your periods lighter. The IUD is the #1 recommended non-surgical treatment for heavy periods in the U.S. You would need to have an ultrasound first to make sure there is nothing structurally wrong with your uterus, but the coil can give you relief for up to 5 years. It is also great because you do not need to remember to take a pill every day.
If you desire cycle regulation as well as lighter periods, and you do not have any medical risk factors for taking them, low-dose conventional birth control pills (without the tranexamic acid) may be a good option to try as well.
So- in summary- I again want to reassure you that because you missed pills this cycle, you definitely threw off whatever your cycle should have been this month, so it is not surprising that you had no relief. If you have trouble taking daily medication on a schedule, I suggest you just wait for your next period and continue the tranexamic acid only when you get your next cycle. See how that goes without the progesterone for a few months, and if that does not work, then see about trying another regimen.
I know this is a lot of information but I would be happy to clarify anything you are unsure about or answer any further questions for you. I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful. PLease do not hesitate to contact me further if I can be of any additional assistance.
Best wishes,
Dr. Jacqueline Brown
Your missing pills cause your cycle to be irregular
Detailed Answer:
Hello, XXXXX, and I would be happy to answer your question today.
I have reviewed your previous questions and answers regarding this issue, and I hope I can provide some reassurance to you. I want to apologize in advance for possibly conflicting with some of the advice you have received previously, but as a board-certified OBGYN practicing in the US, I hope to give you the most updated information possible.
First, Cerazette is a progesterone-only birth control pill, which in general is not a good treatment for heavy or irregular periods. POPs (progesterone-only pills) can provide contraception to women who cannot take estrogen, but they DO NOT (I want to make this clear) DO NOT regulate your menstrual cycle. You will get your period at the same frequency as before, but they may be lighter in quality and less painful. However spotting and bleeding in between periods is not unusual (a common side effect of POP's). Only estrogen containing birth control pills will make your cycle regular (every 28 days) and lighter every month. POPs are designed to be taken daily (no pill free week) and are most effective if taken the same time every day. The Cerazette brand contains a kind of progesterone which in early studies (when combined with estrogen) had a higher risk of blood clotting than levonorgestrel (another kind of progesterone), which received a lot of publicity about 20 years ago. This is the reason you might have read more legal disclaimers when being prescribed this medication, however, it is safely prescribed in the U.S. and abroad all the time.
So- the fact that you missed pills during this past cycle completely negates any potential benefit you may have had from the Cerazette. So try not to be hard on yourself or discouraged by not seeing any difference in this first cycle, but I hope we can formulate an agreeable plan to try for next time.
I do not know if before trying any of these medications you have had an evaluation for why exactly your periods have become heavier. The most common first symptom of menopause in women is actually skipping your period, along with hot flashes and mood changes. It is very common to have irregular cycles and more hormonal symptoms in your 40's, but heavy menstrual bleeding can also be caused by structural problems in the uterus. Fibroids, uterine polyps and other uterine conditions can cause heavier periods having nothing to do with menopause, and I would recommend if you have not done so already, that your GYN health provider refer you for an ultrasound of your uterus to make sure there is nothing else going on and to make sure the size and shape of your uterus is normal.
Tranexamic acid works extremely well to help treat heavy periods, regardless of the cause. It increases your body's ability to clot your blood, so it shortens your period when taken during your cycle. However, tranexamic acid also will not control your cycle, meaning it will come as often as it usually does, but you will bleed less.
If your periods come regularly but are just long and heavy, the tranexamic acid alone should be enough to give you relief. I suggest you try that alone, without taking the POP at all, and see what happens over the next few months. I do not think the POP will help you much, especially if you have trouble remembering to take it every day, and you have already tried it for 2 cycles.
Another way to help treat heavy periods without taking oral hormones is by getting a hormonal coil fitted. The coil, or IUD, is placed by your health practitioner into your uterus and it secretes a small amount of progesterone right into your uterus without it being absorbed into the rest of your body, which will make your periods lighter. The IUD is the #1 recommended non-surgical treatment for heavy periods in the U.S. You would need to have an ultrasound first to make sure there is nothing structurally wrong with your uterus, but the coil can give you relief for up to 5 years. It is also great because you do not need to remember to take a pill every day.
If you desire cycle regulation as well as lighter periods, and you do not have any medical risk factors for taking them, low-dose conventional birth control pills (without the tranexamic acid) may be a good option to try as well.
So- in summary- I again want to reassure you that because you missed pills this cycle, you definitely threw off whatever your cycle should have been this month, so it is not surprising that you had no relief. If you have trouble taking daily medication on a schedule, I suggest you just wait for your next period and continue the tranexamic acid only when you get your next cycle. See how that goes without the progesterone for a few months, and if that does not work, then see about trying another regimen.
I know this is a lot of information but I would be happy to clarify anything you are unsure about or answer any further questions for you. I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful. PLease do not hesitate to contact me further if I can be of any additional assistance.
Best wishes,
Dr. Jacqueline Brown
Note: Revert back with your gynae reports to get a clear medical analysis by our expert Gynecologic Oncologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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