So I have been on the Nuvaring for almost 9 months, the past 3 months I have 'skipped' my period. About 3 weeks ago, right around the time I should have been starting my last period, but I left my ring in for the 4th week, I started feeling... different... I felt bloated, and tired and moody, eating more, I felt pregnant to be honest. I told myself it was just because I was skipping my period, and I was under a little more stress than usual, which is why I was skipping it. Well about 5 days ago I started having spotting of old blood, nothing bad, and didnt need a pad or tampon. I read that this was common with skipping your periods for the first couple months, so I wasnt worried. Well yesterday I was having cramping and starting to have a bit more spotting, still old blood. Last night my cramps were really bad, and I went to the bathroom and had bright red spotting, I just assumed my body was telling me and my birthcontrol to fuck off and it was going to start my period anyways.... so I thought I would give myself a couple hours, see what happened and if it was the same I would just take out the ring, screw up my cycle and give my body a break. So next time I go to the bathroom I passed two fairly large clots (bigger than with a normal period but less than golf balls *which I know no matter what is time to call ur DR*), and it was obviously new blood. So next bathroom trip was a little more bright red. Went to bed (still havent taken out the ring) and woke up this morning and its back to the brownish old blood again.

Anyone have this before, or any ideas? I am wondering if it might have been a miscarriage, I was obviously skipping my periods, which probably lowers the effectiveness of BC, but then started taking Hydroxycut about a week ago (skipped the last 2 days cause I dont think it works)... could the Hydroxycut have been the trigger for this?

Any advice is helpful, I know to call my DR which I am going to do first thing in the AM tomorrow... Thanks in advance to anyone that might know anything.

Pregnancy test and doctor, pretty much.

I second Anon Source, all you can do is take an at home pregnancy test and then talk to your doctor.

I thought it was recommended that you never skip more than three months of a period?
So are you saying that this IS your third month skipping, or that this would have been your fourth skipped?

Either way, I'd personally think that a miscarriage would merit quite a bit of blood. I know the two women I've seen who have had them looked like they'd been stabbed. But they might have been further along (if that's the case.)

I'm not too sure how spotting works. But I usually pass clots before my actual menstrual cycle (with no blood, that is.) and my OB/GYN told me that was okay. But it's pretty much my body's warning sign saying "hey, period coming. Stock up on your shit." Type thing :P

Also, from what I'm reading. That hydroxycut messes with birth control. (unless you take the Hydroxycut MAX which is apparently for women and doesn't screw up BC.) I'd assume that's what caused your problem.

And uhm. Usually it takes more than a couple days for something that's supposed to change your metabolism to kick in. Just saying.

I was skipping my second month and this month would have been my 3rd but I was going to take it out.. The whole hydroxycut thing I felt like I was getting more and more tired instead of feeling any of the energy boost it promises, I hadnt even started keeping track of my weight yet.

Ah, I didn't know it was supposed to give an energy burst lol. I don't really know too much about it, I'd be way too scared to try something like that.

But I'd think that since you got tired from it, that maybe you just had a bad reaction to it.

yeah its supposed to boost your energy, and metabolism... I felt the same durring the day, but WIPED OUT at night.. Also I had an addiction to meth a few years ago, which REALLY gives you energy, so I might just not have noticed it, or felt it due to what my system was used to...

Maybe you were wiped out because your body was working harder during the day?

I got like that when I was on medication for my thyroid.

I asked my doctor about that (because I was curious and thinking 'okay so skipping your period MUST screw with your body somehow...') and he actually said that there's no limit to 'skipping' your period. You can take the pill continuously. What will happen, though, is that you will get occasional bleeding (spotting) that is very difficult to predict, the longer you do it for. I think that's the *main* concern. I don't know whether or not they've done any clinical trials to see whether it's damaging or not, but I haven't heard of any cases of it being damaging. I guess the body must somehow reabsorb it back into the system, or something. (Sorry, haven't done my obs/gyn block yet. xD)

WELL GET TO IT, MAYN. ;)

srs, I'll be so glad when you do that block. then I can just be like 'yo. what is THIS.' ;D
Kidding, kidding. Obviously.

i thought that too till i asked my doc, and she said the same thing. my spotting is predictable though only because i still pms around the same time every month. the spotting doesn't bug me too much. i think in 2009 i only had my period four times. i cbf with it and if i can skip it without any bad things happening then it can fuck the hell off! lol.

I was told that it's okay to not have a period while on BC because the only reason you need a period is to track ovulation. Which is for getting pregnant, of course. I like to have my period still every month so I can be certain things are still working. But I'm on the pill, so it may be different for NuvaRing. It could be the Hydroxycut, I'd go and talk to a dr. to make certain. Hope you feel better!