TMI-Sorry to all the guys out there this one is about Periods!

I need some advice....I have been on birth control pills for years and prior to the surgery would rarely see a period.  I had to go off the pills for 30 days prior to surgery and restarted them five days after (sleeved 12/18).  I have had my period for 10 days now and it shows no signs of leaving anytime soon!  Should I be worried? Does this mean the pills are not working?  I am currently using a back up method but how long do I have to do this?  The last thing I want or need is to get pregnant.  Sorry if this is too much information.  I tried to search for the topic but ended up more confused by the responses.

your hormones will be all screwed up for a while , best to use a back up method , you should talk to you pcp or ob gyn if you are concerned , but it is a common problem , also no periods are common

I'm not on birth control but can offer up the fact that my first period after vsg was a bit longer and heavier than usual. My best advice if your feeling worried is to call your gyno.

It's normal after any surgery or big change. Don't worry about it unless it is a massive amount of bleeding. See someone if not normal in 3 months. 7 days back up is fine-but if you want to be safe, use back up for a whole 28 day bcp pack. 

I have an IUD and before surgery, I hadn't had a period since it was put in about 2 years ago. A day or two after surgery, I had spotting that lasted for about a week, and then another week or so of it soon after. My surgeon said it's completely normal, part of the process of your body re-adjusting itself after the surgery-- apparently estrogen can be stored up in the fat cells, and as you lose fat, the extra hormones can be released and wonk out your cycle.

If you're worried, you should definitely call your surgeon and/or OBGYN for expert advice! :)

I have the Mirena IUD, and I don't often have periods, but I do have occasional spotting. I lost about 14 lbs or so on my pre-op diet for a total pre-op loss of 41 lbs, most of which in a fairly short period of time. I had some heavier than usual spotting about a week before surgery, but it had stopped long before I went into the hospital. I went to the bathroom after they removed my catheter post op, and I was having a pretty full on period. I replaced my IUD 2 weeks post op (since my out of pocket had been met) and bled a bit from insertion, then had another short heavier than my usual spotting period. And finally, the last week or so, I've had heavy spotting. My IUD keeps the lining of my uterus pretty thin, so it's not too terrible, but it's annoying. 

Also, my practitioners recommend 2 forms of BC for the first 18 months post op. No exceptions. Fertility drastically increases as you lose weight, and with the hormones released from fat cells thrown in the mix, who knows what could happen. Besides, all birth control has a failure rate, so better safe than sorry. I can think of a dozen reasons why it would be a bad idea for me to have a baby right now, so even though I have the most effective birth control available, we use a backup method as well. 

Also, it was recommended for me to take iron while menstruating, even if I never had before, so maybe you should check with your doctor on that, too.

Hormones are stored in fat cells. When weight loss occurs rapidly (like after WLS!), those hormones are released into the bloodstream causing all sorts of havoc. Periods can be irregular, heavier, prolonged, or multiple times a month in the beginning - not to mention all of the mood swings!! My surgeon warned to use extra precautions for the first year during rapid weight loss (we should avoid pregnancy for a year anyway, due to the difficulty that we have getting enough nutrients to support a growing fetus... not impossible, but difficult). My surgeon said always, always, ALWAYS use a backup method for that first year.