QuestionDear Dr. Edward
I have been facing irregular periods all my life. I am 22 years old and i have always been told that this is so because of the hormonal imbalance but since last 15 days i am having continuous bleeding which started from spotting.
My doctor gave me medicine to stop bleeding which didn't work so now she gave me Duoluton L medicine saying this is hormone medicines to stop bleeding and make my periods regular.
Before that i had thyroid and ultrasound done which were all normal with no problem shown.
what are the side effects of this medicine because i have heard of extreme vomiting and weight gain
and she said that tests for FSH and LH can be done later but first start the medicine dose. Kindly provide me with all the information that i need to clear my doubts.
AnswerHello Palak from India,
The medication your are taking is a birth control pill and will have the possibility of the usual side effects. Keep in mind however, that when you look up this medication, they are going to list ALL possible side effects, which will include just about everything. That is because pharmaceutical companies have to disclose this. It does not mean that you absolutely will have those side effects as each person responds to medications differently.
The FSH,LH and other hormone tests should be done before you start on any hormonal medication, otherwise, the medication will skew the results and not be reliable.
If you have irregular periods, there are many different reasons or causes for this and a thorough evaluation needs to be done. The treatment will then depend on these findings. If you are not trying for pregnancy, then the birth control pill is a good option because it will shut down your ovaries and take over your hormonal cycle. It will also replace the hormones you are not making and make your cycles regular.
Good Luck,
Dr. Edward J. Ramirez, M.D., FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
www.montereybayivf.com
Monterey, California, U.S.A.
for additional information check out my blog at http://womenshealthandfertility.blogspot.com check me out on twitter with me at @montereybayivf and facebook @montereybayivf
