Switching birth control.

[Kaayaj11]

Hey scarleteen,
I have a question regarding birth control. So I was taking Microgestin Fe 1/20 for about 6 months. I decided to switch last month to sprintec and I really didn't like it. I decided I wanted to switch back to Microgestin because it worked well with me except for some minor problems like dryness. I talked to my doctor and she called in Microgestin at the pharmacy for me but they gave me Gildess Fe 1/20 which is supposed to be the generic. I talked to my doctor also about changing my start date as I have done it before and she said that was fine. So I started my first pack of Gildess 3 days after I should've originally started. I just finished my 5th day on Gildess and I've had some minor like menstrual cramping since I've started. But no spotting. I literally feel my period should be starting any minute, yet I'm not due for a while. I'm not understanding because I did so well on Microgestin and this is supposed to be the "same." Is my period gonna start early or something? Or is this just a side effect? I'm not sexually active currently and haven't been for 2 months.

[Sam W]

Hi kaayaj,

We can't say for sure what the cramping is. Even on the pill you can experience some cycle irregularity, or as you said this may be a side effect. It could also be unrelated to the pill or your cycle. If the cramps get worse or don't go away and don't seem to be related to your period, it would be sound to check in with a healthcare provider about them.

[Redskies]

Also, any kind of irregular pill-taking - including starting a pack a few days late, like you did here - can sometimes cause some temporary side-effects or cycle disruption. Like Sam said, if you have a lot of pain or you're concerned, it's a good idea to check in with a healthcare provider; otherwise, this might just be about waiting through a cycle or two of correct pill-taking for your body to settle back down to a regular cycle.

(Too, I know you said you're not sexually active at the moment, but just in case you decided to become sexually active, you'd not want to rely on your pill for contraception this pack because of that 3-day gap; you'd want to use a back-up method, like a condom, until you've taken this pack correctly.)