Breakthrough bleeding on the pill?

[Pinkunicornxo]

Hi
So I've been on the pill Cilest for around 4 or 5 years now and never really had any issues with it until lately! Last month around a week and a half before my withdrawal bleed was due I had continuous spotting and then on my pill free week had a full blown bleed as normal and on time. After I finished I assumed it was just a fluke month as I had no spotting when I finished and it would go back to normal, however this week my breasts were quite painful, had a bit of bloating and broke out in spots which normally happens before my withdrawal bleed however I'm not due for that for another week and a half. Today I felt a bit 'wet' after sneezing (sorry tmi haha ) so I went to the toilet to go and wipe and saw my discharge was pink with bits of red in like I was spotting again like last month, this month it seems heavier like it could potentially turn into heavier bleeding. I haven't missed any pills in my pack and haven't been late in taking one nor have I had diarrhoea or anything that would affect the pill. I was just wondering if it's time for a change and I need to go on a different pill?
Thank you xxxx

[Redskies]

Hi Pinkunicorn,

I saw in your other thread where you talked with Heather that you also had an implant removed within the last couple of months. Whenever someone makes a change with hormonal contraception like that, side effects are fairly common over the next few cycles. Too, breakthrough bleeding is a possible side-effect generally of the pill.

Are you up-to-date with your sexual healthcare?

[Pinkunicornxo]

Hi thanks for the reply,
I did have the implant removed 2 months ago now it had expired however from what I've read a tiny amount of hormones are still active so I guess it's a possibility my body is adjusting to not having the implant there. I'm all up to date with my sexual health as a few months ago I had a problem which is now gone where I bled after every time I had sex and my GP did a very thorough examination including STI checks and I've had the same partner for the past 6 and a half years now so I haven't put myself at risk of contracting anything.

[Redskies]

It depends how expired it was, really: they're guaranteed to give you excellent contraceptive protection up to the 3 year mark, but they'll continue releasing some hormone for a long time after that, so it's pretty likely that your implant removal is a factor here.

That's good that you're up-to-date with your healthcare! It's important to rule out any health issue, as sometimes mid-cycle bleeding can be a symptom of an infection. So, with that ruled out with STI testing, it's likely that what's going on with you here is any combination of ordinary side-effects that can happen with the pill, and from the implant removal. I'd suggest waiting it out for a couple more cycles and seeing if it settles down - it likely will. At that point, if it's still bothering you, it's a good plan to check in with a healthcare provider and see what they advise. Of course, in the meantime, if you get any symptoms that really concern you or you really can't deal with, it's also a good idea to check in before then.