cramps but no period

[emilee95]

I am on birth control that makes me only have my period four times a year. I took my sugar pill yesterday but I haven't bleed, I have cramps though. This same thing happened to my sister who is also on the same birth control as me. I am wondering if I should keep taking the sugar pills because my sister stopped taking them  and two days later she got her period. Is this a normal symptom?

[thatquietgirl]

They have nothing in them as they are placebo pills.  They're just to help you keep track of when to start the new pack.  You can choose to take them, not take them and throw out one each day to remind yourself, or not take them and throw the pack away and remember your start day on your own.

Some placebo pills do have iron in them, but either the birth control will have "Fe" (chemical symbol for iron) in the name or will note somewhere on the packaging or inserts.  Mine do, but I don't take them as I generally get enough iron on my own.

[emilee95]

So do the sugar pills even do anything? Like do they notify my body that its time to menstruate or am I better off not taking them? This whole thing is sort of worrying me.

[thatquietgirl]

You don't have to take them.  It's perfectly normal to take a day or two or even three to start your period on the sugar pill week.  Your body has to react to the lack of hormones.