How do I manage taking the contraceptive patch continuously (and spotting)?
27-year-old woman
I take the patch as a means of contraception, my doctor prescribes it continuously so I only have my period once every 3 months or so, yesterday I had to take it.
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Pierre-Luc Tremblay · a year ago
Hello,
Your question seems to be incomplete? Are you talking about the Evra contraceptive patch?
Can you give me more details about your patch and I will answer you as soon as possible.
Thank you!
Pierre-Luc Tremblay, pharmacist
27-year-old woman · a year ago
yes I put the patch on continuously, I have my period about once every 3 months, normally when I start to have spots I wait until the week of patch is over to take it off and let my period come, but I put the patch on yesterday and this morning I started to have blood flow, do I wait until the week of patch is over to take it off or can I take it off and have my period right away? Thank you
Pierre-Luc Tremblay · a year ago
Thank you for the clarification!
Indeed, when taking a contraceptive continuously, it is possible to have irregular bleeding which is called spotting.
It is not always necessary to stop taking the pill when spotting occurs. Some women continue to take the pill during periods of spotting, which will normally become less frequent. Others prefer to stop for a few days (at least 4 and maximum 7) and then resume the contraceptive. In both cases, you continue to be adequately protected by your contraceptive (as long as your contraceptive is used properly the 3 weeks before stopping).
Thus, you could decide to continue your week without risk and then stop. However, if the spotting is persistent and bothers you, you could choose to stop right away.
I hope that I have answered your question correctly,
Pierre-Luc Tremblay, pharmacist
27-year-old woman · a year ago
So I could also keep the patch and put one back on in 7 days and the spotting will stop? Or do I have to let my period go?
thank you for your answers
Pierre-Luc Tremblay · a year ago
Yes, you could try doing it this way. Even if you have spotting, it does not affect the effectiveness of your patch. If you see that the spotting persists, you can stop at that point and then resume continuous use.
You do not have to "let your period go". In fact, when you take a contraceptive, the bleeding when you stop it is called "withdrawal bleeding". In other words, you have bleeding because the body sees a drop in hormones. This is not your "natural" cycle but an artificial cycle. It is safe and even beneficial to take birth control continuously. Don't worry!
Pierre-Luc Tremblay, pharmacist
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