Vaginal Creams and Withdrawal Bleed

[jm0815]

I was prescribed an antibiotic vaginal cream for BV called cleocin. I completed the 7 day treatment Monday night. My first day of my inactive pill is today. I am wondering whether the cream would affect when I would get my withdrawal bleed. I just finished my third month of microgestin birth control so I know that the bleeding can be irregular because my body is adjusting. As the first month I had my withdrawal bleed early (on the third active week) and the second month I started bleeding the last day of my active pill. I am just wondering if the cream would also cause some irregularities.

Also just to ease my nerves I did take a pregnancy test Sunday, which was 22 days after the last time I had sex. It was negative, but I was still finishing up the BV vaginal cream treatment. Would that pregnancy test be accurate even with antibiotic in my system?

Thank you and hope you have a Happy New Year!

[Heather]

Your cycle, with or without the pill, is mostly influenced by your brain. And what goes into your vagina -- if it isn't sperm cells! -- isn't going to have an impact with that. Too, pregnancy tests read for a hormone only produced with pregnancy, and antibiotics have no impact on that.

But you did just have an infection, which is an illness, and illness can sometimes make cycles different or off. So, maybe, maybe not. You'll just have to see. But it's not unusual for people using the pill not to get their withdrawal bleed on day one of the placebo break. Once people get adjusted to the pill, they most often just find it starts somewhere in that seven-day break, that's all.

[jm0815]

Thank you for your quick response! I have been curious about another aspect of birth control. Is it common to feel pms type symptoms leading up to your withdrawal bleed?

Prior to taking birth control, my pms symptoms would be breaking out, stomach aches/cramps, irritability. I know that the withdrawal bleed is not like a real period because the pill prevents ovulation, but can you still have those symptoms the days leading up to the withdrawal bleed?

Again thank you so much!

[Heather]

By all means, plenty of people using hormonal methods get PMS.

Not only do those methods not totally override your cycles, the way the placebo and withdrawal week are designed, chemically, your body is pretty much in a very similar chemical state just before and during the placebo week as it is just before and during a menstrual period without the pill.