Ask Dr Nerenberg | Health and Fitness

Bleeding a week after period ended?

Ok so here’s the situation. My last period was from Oct 3-Oct 8. I had sex with my boyfriend on Sat the 9th, and also onTues the 12th, unprotected, I hadn’t yet gotten my BC. I got my birth control a few days later (the 14th) and took one of them. Well, the day I got my birth control, I found out some really horrible news and for 3 days hardly ate anything, and I didn’t take my birth control. I’ve been REALLY stressed/depressed.
Anyway, on Monday (the 18th) I notice I’m bleeding a little bit, and it’s a dark brownish color, but nothing heavy. This continues and is still continuing on into today (the 20th), and now its more of a reddish color and I have some slight..very slight cramping. BUT..I’ve been eating, so I don’t think it would be from lack of nutrition.
Can someone please offer some insight into what might be going on? I’m worried.

Several notes:

(a) your birth control isn’t working yet. You should be checking to be sure you’re not pregnant and use alternative forms of birth control until you’ve been taking your birth control for at least a month (ideally 3 months). So, back to condoms temporarily or non-penetration sexual play, and test several times over the next few weeks (the tests you get at the drug store are now just as reliable, almost exactly the same, as the urine tests your doctor’s office would perform. You can do this yourself).

(b) Whether you took it before or not, that break means you have adjust to birth control again (since you didn’t go off for only a few days to induce a period). You will get some “break-through” bleeding and cramps as your body adjusts to birth control. It is related to the changes the hormones are making to your body to prevent pregnancy. As long as it is mild, it is nothing to worry about. Treat the bleed and cramps like you do PMS.

So, don’t worry. Go with the flow, so to speak, until your body sorts itself out. Don’t let this add to your stress.

And I’m sorry for your recent stress. Good luck!

MDiTV News: How Old is Too Old to be Working Out?

The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess $9.65 Read Lou Shuler’s posts on the Penguin Blog. In The New Rules of Lifting for Women, authors Lou Schuler, Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove present a comprehensive strength, conditioning, and nutrition plan destined to revolutionize the way women work out. All the latest studies prove that strength training, not aerobics, provides the key to losing fat and building a fit, strong body. This boo…

Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating $6.21 This updated edition of the national bestseller debunks dietary myths and presents Dr. Willett’s New Healthy Eating Pyramid, a healthier guide to nutrition than the recently revised USDA pyramid. Inside you’ll discover: eye-opening new research on the healthiest carbohydrates, fats, and proteins why weight control is still the single most important factor menu plans and brand-new recipes that…

The Weight Loss Cure They Don’t Want You to Know About $0.60 Weight Loss Cure book shares secrets for shedding pounds and keeping em off. Health expert Kevin Trudeau explains natural, diet-free methods for quickly andpermanently losing fat and inches without feeling hungry. Includes advice on organic food, exercise, adding muscle and internal cleansing. Hardcover, 256 pages….

AJET – iConnect $0 12+~~Kishibe Studios~~Kevin Mitchell~~http://itunes.apple.com/app/ajet-iconnect/id519271122?uo=5~~2012 Kevin Mitchell~~1.1.0~~7895659~~4644570~~http://kishi.be~~http://ajet.net/ios-app/support/

Canadian Running Magazine $0 4+~~Gripped Publications~~Gripped Magazine Inc.~~http://itunes.apple.com/app/canadian-running-magazine/id509195896?uo=5~~Gripped Magazine Inc & PixelMags Inc~~2.5.1~~7552490~~4362385~~http://runningmagazine.ca/~~http://support.pixelmags.com