what do they mean by spotting when on the pill?

[cheesesarnie]

im not getting on with it.by the end of the first packet id had 3 periods-proper heavy periods with couple of days off in between each6 ish day period.today i got up and felt something in pjs(sorry tmi)looked and there was spots of blood-quite a bit though.is that spotting?

bump

What pill are you taking and how long have you been on it? Are you taking it for contraception or for cycle control?

marvelon.been on it just over 2 months .taking to help bad periods-i have a coil.

Hmmmm. Sounds like very heavy spotting- not at all pleasant for you though.

It may be that you need a pill with a higher proportion of progesterone in it to thin out your womb lining more. You may also need checking for infection as this can cause unexpectedly heavy bleeding. May I ask how old you are? Are your smears up to date? Sorry to ask so many Qs!!!

thats ok!.im 30 and am due smear now-am waiting till stop bleeding!can 'spotting' really be that heavy?apart from this morning they were all exactly the same as normal heavy period.todays seem to have turned into a period too.

I was on the pill for most of my teens and 20s and I remember when I first went on it (in the mists of time) spotting was usually regarded as drops of blood- sorry to sound gross but like a dribble rather than a full on period. I had that for about a month to begin with but after my first pill induced period that ended. I would go back to the doctor and explain what's happened and they should alter the brand or dose of pill. It can take a few types to find what suits you.

OK, I would also suggest going back to whoever prescribed it and asking if perhaps you can try another brand.

If there is any risk that you could have developed infection, you may also need some swabs taking.

ok thankyou-very helpful.although ive had all this extra bleeding the rest of it has calmed down!im not so much a dragon!my boobs arent hurting or my stomach etc.so its worked in that way.
emma1977-are you a doctor/medical person?do you know if theyd do smear test and check for infection at same time?

I say spotting is light bleeding that doesn't need you to use a tampon or pad. (I'm a practice nurse).

I would go back and ask for another pill. Sounds like you need one with more progesterone.

I'm a GP with a particular interest in family planning and women's health.

Its best to do smear tests when you're not bleeding (obviously). Swabs can easily be taken at the same time (which saves you a return visit).

With regards to terminology, what you are experiencing I would classify as 'break through bleeding'. However its all semantics!

ahhh thankyou(i wondered how you knew what questions to ask lol).so now just wait wait wait until i stop bleeding(wouldnt want it done if was anyway)and hope to get appoinment before starting again

Hope you get it sorted out.

finally saw gp about this.(we had family outing to gp )im being sent for a scan and have got to keep a diary of when im bleeding.

sorry to keep on with this but am now quite scared about scan.and would you believe the month the gp says to start a diary of bleeding -ive had one 7 day period.

Sods law about the bleeding pattern!

Don't worry about the scan, it will probably be to check for odds and ends like fibroids and cysts. Usually its done using a probe on your belly, but I warn you that occasionally they use a vaginal probe to get better pictures of some things. It doesn't hurt and all sounds routine to me.

Don't stress!

apparently it is going to be internal.but needs must i suppose!and when youve had babies you get used to flashing your bits dont you .im worried about what theyre looking for and what theyll find.also if theyll say there and then if they see anything.were going on holiday next day.i know i need to stop panicking and just wait but im a wimp!

had the scan today- i was so scared!but theres nothing there!!!so back to gp with diary of bleeding but glad scans over!