Why did I start my period while on birth control?

Question

So I started taking birth control a little over a month ago but two days before I finished my first pack (of 21 pills) my period started, which was annoying because I was planning on skipping this month's period. I think its possible it was because I was taking antibiotics for my skin because I've heard they sometimes make the pill ineffective. So I stopped taking my antibiotics and continued my birth control and my period stopped a day or so later. Now I'm on the fourth day of a new pack and I woke up this morning and my period has started... I'm so confused as to how that happened. If I just keep taking my bc pills will it go away? Should I switch to a different brand?

Anarchy · Accepted Answer

A couple of things, a lot of antibiotics will interfere with the pill and cause break through bleeding which is probably what happened to you. Also you can't really skip a period in the first few months of taking the pill- you will just spot the whole time as you don't have enough hormone built up to stop the bleeding. 

So just to make sure i have this right- 2 days before your pack ended your period started and you didn't stop and have a break during the inactive pills? You instead started a new pack? If this is right you really should have just had the period as you have confused your body and you will probably experience random bleeding through out the whole pack. You shouldn't try and skip a period with-in 3 months of starting the pill. It just doesn't seem to work very well. You also need to give your body  3 months to get used to being on the pill, so no don't switch to a different brand. Finish this pill pack and have the 7 day break and then start the next. Over the next couple of months you should start to not get as much break through bleeding.

Why did I start my period while on birth control?

1 Answer