PMS & cramps while on birth control with no period?

Question:

I am currently on birth control pills, but skip the sugar pill week so that I never get a period. I have been on the pill for years now, but have been having some problems for the past year or two. Even though I never have a period or even any break-through bleeding, I still get extreme PMS and cramping. Does anyone know why this is? I asked my GYN and she had no clue. Since I only take 3 weeks of each pack, the PMS occurs even more frequently than normal. I was once on the depo-provera shot and didn't experience any symptoms at all while on it (though I had to go off of it due to weight gain), so I have no idea why things would be different while on the pill. Can anyone give me any insight?

Answers:
There are a lot of different kinds of pills, and they use different hormones at different strengths.

The Depo shot is progesterone, which is a male hormone-there is no estrogen in it at all. I've never been on any pill, but I think quite a few of them have at least some estrogen in them. Plus, you're not taking your particular one quite the way you're supposed to (I guess; like I said, I've never taken the pill, I don't know much about them).

It's kind of like apples and oranges: They serve the same purpose, but they're definitely not the same.

Have you tried other pills? Sometimes birth control pills need to be tested out on your body a few times before switching. I know people who are fine with one, and not with another. You should go to webmd.com and look up the side effects of the pill you are taking now. There they'll list what's a serious side effect, or a normal one. If this has continued for so long, you probably want to try another pill, or a new OBGYN. You could also try taking it at a different time of the day! I was having difficulties with my pill, and I ended up switching from morning to night, and the problem went away. And ALWAYS make sure to take it at the same time every day.

Good luck!

Are your pills the kind that have different hormone levels for each week? (Like, there's three different colored pills in the pack?) Or are they all the same hormone level?

If they're different, you might be really messing with your body's chemistry. It could be that your body is trying to have a period and is like, "Enough of this!"

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD is a condition associated with severe emotional and physical problems that are linked closely to the menstrual cycle. Symptoms occur regularly in the second half of the cycle and end when menstruation begins or shortly thereafter. PMDD is not just a new name for premenstrual syndrome (PMS), a condition that affects as many as 75% of menstruating women. It is, however, considered to be a very severe form of PMS that affects about 5% of menstruating women. Both PMDD and PMS share symptoms in common that include depression, anxiety, tension, irritability and moodiness. What sets PMDD apart is its severity. Women with PMDD find that it has a very disruptive effect on their lives.

PMS & cramps while on birth control with no period?

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