Should I delay my period using birth control pills?
I started back on the pill this month. Aside from the occassional pimple here and there, I had pretty good skin before I went on the pill a couple years ago. While I was on it, I had 100% clear skin. My dad read somewhere that birth control pills are bad for your health and my bf agreed so I decided to go off of it. After I went off of it in May, I started getting really bad acne (BIG pimples all over my chin, then it spread towards/around my nose). Now I'm dying to get my nice skin back but it's taking awhile to go away completely. I finished one pack that only had like 14 pills left so I bought another pack (it's a different brand that I saw an ad for so decided to try). I'm considering finishing this entire pack for a couple reasons: it'll be easier to keep track instead of having to stop in the middle of every pack in the future; if it helps, I want to get rid of my acne faster; I don't want my period to interrupt my Weight Loss Camp. What do you suggest?
Why not try to combat the acne without messing with your birth control at all? I ALWAYS get acne before my period (not on birth control) and I started using ProActiv, and it has solved all of my problems. The best part is, it only took 3-4 days to clear 85% of it up!! You'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.
You'd be better off not messing around with your body's hormones, imho.
Keeping on the pill can be great in emergency vacation-type circumstances, but honestly I wonder if it's really worth it. I did it once and I really paid the price. I felt completely sick for the entire week and wished I hadn't done it.
So wait, you just randomly started taking half of an old pack you had laying around from months ago, and then you randomly decided to switch to a new type of pill based on a commercial? Has there been a doctor involved in any of these decisions??? Birth control is NOT something to mess with without professional guidance, and switching from one type of pill to another improperly can cause a lot of problems (some on the inside that you can't necessarily see or feel right away).
You should be asking a doctor these questions, not some chicks on a website I've been on BC pills for over 8 years, and I noticed some changes when I switched from one type of pill to another a couple of years ago. Then about 2 years ago, I started doing 2 packs at a time to reduce the number of times I got my period (with my doctor's permission/guidance), and just a few months ago, I ended up having my period for about a month straight even though I was on the same pills and had never had a problem with them before and didn't miss any pills.
Bottom line: talk to a doctor, PLEASE! You're not just avoiding pregnancy or acne or your period--you're messing with your body's chemistry and hormones.
So wait, you just randomly started taking half of an old pack you had laying around from months ago, and then you randomly decided to switch to a new type of pill based on a commercial? Has there been a doctor involved in any of these decisions??? Birth control is NOT something to mess with without professional guidance, and switching from one type of pill to another improperly can cause a lot of problems (some on the inside that you can't necessarily see or feel right away).
You should be asking a doctor these questions, not some chicks on a website I've been on BC pills for over 8 years, and I noticed some changes when I switched from one type of pill to another a couple of years ago. Then about 2 years ago, I started doing 2 packs at a time to reduce the number of times I got my period (with my doctor's permission/guidance), and just a few months ago, I ended up having my period for about a month straight even though I was on the same pills and had never had a problem with them before and didn't miss any pills.
Bottom line: talk to a doctor, PLEASE! You're not just avoiding pregnancy or acne or your period--you're messing with your body's chemistry and hormones.
I 100% agree with Jill. You should never just stop taking any prescriptions because someone said they read something about it. Unless you father or your bf are medical professionals with specific, research based information about your birth control, then their advice is likely not accurate.
You need to see a doctor or nurse practitioner, get your annual pap done (unless you already have) and discuss your concerns and options with them.
My doctor also gave me the advice to take my bc pills this way to avoid my period. I asked if it was safe to do so, and he said, you could do it every month and nothing would happen-it isn't medically necessary to have a period.
While I agree that we should all consult our doctors before taking/changing any meds, it doesn't hurt to get advice from others in the same situation on such a commonly used medication. Doctors aren't always right unfortunately. How many pills out there do they prescribe to us for years trying to alleviate a problem that down the road you see not only banned by the fda, but class action/wrongful death suits, too. I wish I had asked some girlfriends about it before I went through the ordeal I did. What's right for one may not be for another, and my doctor certainly did not tell me to expect what happened. Had I asked around for experiences of others I may not have tried it, despite what the doc said.
I loved the idea of not having a period at all, so the first thing he actually wanted me to try is the shot, depo-provera. Told me it's very widely used and completely safe, with of course the same risks assoiciated with smoking/stroke, so on. Menstruation stops completely for most people who use it after the first 3 month cycle. This was the absolute worst thing I think I've ever decided to do to my body. I had horrible bleeding and cramps for 3 months straight, gained about 15 pounds, and began losing my hair. I never got another shot, just 1, and although my cycle returned to normal the next month, I had arthritic type pain in my knees and legs for almost 2 years. When I asked why the depo would still be affecting me so long after the effectiveness of the shot, I was told that trace amounts of the drug can remain in the body for that long. Almost 2 years after I took it That's scary.
About a year later is when I decided to try the bc pill route. I was told to just skip the placebo pills and start a new pack. I didn't have any horrible effects from this, but I had some scant bleeding anyway, and my next period was alot heavier. BC pills are great for regulating your cycle. I've had a tubal ligation, and my periods are so much heavier now than before, and now they are advising I go on bc to help regulate it. I had a tubal so I wouldn't HAVE to take BC!
I agree with juliebee.....I wouldn't be concerned with doing it once every blue moon for vacation, honeymoon, etc type situations. Or even if you wanted to do it for weight loss camp. Please keep in mind though that you may still get bloated and retain water, which I assume is the result you're after for the benefit of the scale. It's gone in a few days, so while I am terribly annoyed with my own cycle, it's not that big of a deal because it's so temporary.
I've come to the opinion that God made our bodies this way for a reason, and the whole "it isn't medically necessary to have a period" idea my doctor has was bad advice. If you're not having a period, you're not ovulating. If you're not ovulating for an extended period of time at an age when you should be, you are messing with the normal levels of hormones you should produce. I think we shouldn't screw around too much with the way things were meant to operate.
rebeleagle--no, doctor's aren't always right (lord knows they can often be misinformed about weight loss!), but when it comes to things like pills and messing with my body's natural processes and chemistry, I'd be much more inclined to accept the opinion of someone with specific medical training than just someone who may have had a bad side effect of a medication. As with EVERY treatment, some people have adverse reactions. Does that mean it's bad for EVERYONE? Absolutely not. Some people can't handle the pills I'm currently on. When my cousin took BC pills, she had horrible, debilitating cramps and severe vomiting. Does that mean I shouldn't take them? Nope--they work just fine for me, and I certainly wouldn't switch, stop, or start any medication without my doctor knowing. Can you imagine what would happen if you had bad side effects and went to your doctor, and your doctor just looked at you and said, "Well, who told you to take these in the first place?" And your response was, "my boyfriend," or, "a commercial I saw on TV." At least if your doctor suggests something and you find it's not right for you, they can suggest something better rather than you just running around trying whatever you happen to see an ad for
Well the leftover pack doesn't expire until March 2008 so it should be okay. I already started on the other pill so maybe I should wait and see? If I go back now, won't it screw with my body even more switching back and forth? I really regret stopping in the first place. My skin was gorgeous! I don't know if you guys know the brand but I was originally taking Diane 35 and now I'm taking Marvelon.
I didn't ask a doctor before I started the pill in the first place, but I did get my annual exam and pap done at Planned Parenthood this summer. They didn't say anything about my taking the pill, but actually I don't remember if I mentioned it. I know I asked whether the pill will result in weight gain and the nurse said there's no direct evidence. I've been on depo before and it was great not getting my period, but again my dad (and the entire Chinese population, because they haven't heard of depo) felt it was unnatural and a bad idea. I couldn't stay on it anyways because I moved to China.
Now everybody thinks I screwed up my body mainly from the shot. I went to see a Chinese medicine doctor and after taking Chinese meds for a month with no results, I gave up and started back on the pill. According to Chinese medicine, there's something wrong with my menstrual cycle and digestive system. While I was taking the Chinese meds, I noticed that my acne gets better during my period. Is it because I have more hormones or something?
I got three months worth of patches from PP but I haven't used them yet. The instructions indicate that patches can also reduce acne. Should I stop the pill and start the patch?
rebeleagle--no, doctor's aren't always right (lord knows they can often be misinformed about weight loss!), but when it comes to things like pills and messing with my body's natural processes and chemistry, I'd be much more inclined to accept the opinion of someone with specific medical training than just someone who may have had a bad side effect of a medication.
and I certainly wouldn't switch, stop, or start any medication without my doctor knowing. Can you imagine what would happen if you had bad side effects and went to your doctor, and your doctor just looked at you and said, "Well, who told you to take these in the first place?" And your response was, "my boyfriend," or, "a commercial I saw on TV." At least if your doctor suggests something and you find it's not right for you, they can suggest something better rather than you just running around trying whatever you happen to see an ad for
Good lord. I don't recall suggesting anything like that. As a matter of fact, I stated FIRST THING that I agree that anyone should ask a doctor before starting/changing meds. My point was that sometimes our doctors don't take the time to explain to us the possibilities of what our particular experience could be. And that would be why people discuss things like this on forums.
I don't know what I did to offend you jillybean, but it seems many times I've posted something like this my words get twisted by you into something I did not say. Not everyone has the same opinions, and I'm just stating mine and sharing my personal experience. No one has to agree or "accept". This question was about skipping a period with bc. How did it get to this? You can't just go out and get most pills because you saw an ad on tv-a doctor has to prescribe them to you. I assume this happened at some point or another (planned parenthood passes them out like chiclets or something) because she has them in the first place-she's not saying she bought some xanax from a friend and wants to know how you feel about that.... I'm sure she didn't get them from a stash of her boyfriends meds, either. I don't see the point in lecturing-that's probably not what she was looking for when she posted this thread.
Sorry-back on topic
The pill and the patch basically contain the same things-progestin and estrogen-the difference is in how they are administered. It's like the difference between taking a pill or a liquid. Both seem to work in reducing acne for the same reason they regulate periods.....they stabilize fluctuating hormone levels. Excesses in hormone levels are a major, but not the only, cause of acne. That's why acne is most prevalent in teenagers.
Different brand names may have different doses, which is why you may see different results as far as that goes. As small as you are, you may require a smaller dose to be effective as birth control. I know my sister can't take the low-dose ones because they said she's too heavy. On the same theory though, I would be careful about taking anything too strong for you (because there are side effects to bc, and they increase with a higher dose) just for the skin clearing effects because there are other ways to do that. Only a doctor would know what dosage is still safe for you, and what dose is in each different one.
Well, some pills are mono phasic (every pill has the same dose) and some are not. The mono phasic are the only pills that you can skip a period with. My pill works for me very well and I can skip (that is, starting a new pack when I would be taking the sugar pills) often enough and not have any issues. In fact, the more I have my period, the worse things get. I have been advised by my doctor to do this every so often to alleviate these symptoms.
BUT, I know women who have never been able to do that, no matter what pill they are taking. I know it works for the patch as well as the ring, but it won't work for everyone (as personal experience in this thread attests to). Other women simply don't have a period because they just skip all the time. I was talking abou this with my sister who is 12 years older than I am the other day and it has never worked for her and she seemed afraid of it because it was just an unkown conept for her. I will also add that I don't switch brands and am under the supervision of a medical professional.
I would suggest going back to Planned Parenthood and adressing the issues directly- the skipping, the acne, etc. They are trained and very capable of dealing with those exact concerns, well, at least in the States. i don't know what they are like overseas. I know lots of women who don't find the right pill immediately, but leave it up to your doc to decide what to put you on next. From my personal experience, when I've requested a specific pill for whatever reason, it never worked. When I just let them do their job is when I found the right one. Good luck to you
I tend to agree with the majority that has posted. Don't mess around. Sure, listen to what other people are saying, and bring those concerns up with a physician. Most of the time when a physician does not tell us something, it's because we're not asking the right questions. Take everything you've heard/read about in with you on paper, and go through it all with your doc.
Here are a couple things I drudged up from WomensHealth.about.com. This can get you started in the right direction for what questions/concerns you might want to bring up.
Is the Pill an effective treatment for acne?
Only one birth control pill is FDA-approved for the treatment of moderate acne. That pill is Ortho Tri-cyclen. In addition to being an effective contraceptive, it is also an effective treatment for moderate acne in female patients age 15 or older and who have no known contraindications to oral contraceptive therapy, desire contraception, have achieved menstruation and are unresponsive to topical anti-acne medications.
Survey Finding: Almost half of survey respondents believe women need to take a break from using the Pill.
Fact: Women don't need a break from the Pill. "Today, more women are using the Pill and staying on it longer," said Dr. Thomas. "And, research shows that women do not need to take a break from the Pill." Healthcare professionals can prescribe birth control pills to healthy, nonsmoking women over 40. But, how long a woman stays on the Pill is something she should discuss with her healthcare professional.
Risks and Side Effects of Birth Control Pills
The Pill is not for everyone. Although most side effects of oral contraceptives are not serious, and occur infrequently, there are some side effects which can be life threatening. The most serious risks associated with pill use include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks. These risks are increased if you smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially in women over 35. It is strongly advised that women who use oral contraceptive not smoke.
Althought quite a few of us on here have tried various different things, an important thing to remember is that we are ALL different, and all of our bodies work in different ways.
I agree, unless your father and boyfriend are healthcare professionals, I would be seeing a physician. If you're concerned about a physician not giving you the correct information, I strongly encourage you to skip a physician, and go straight to see your gynecologist.
Please also remember that birth control has different side effects for women that are overweight than women who are of a normal weight. Make sure you express this concern to your doc/gyno, so they can lay out all the risks that are specific to you, and your body.
Good luck!
P.S. In my personal opinion, I would try a topical/oral treatment before I started dealing with hormone therapy. Because, ultimately, when using birth control, that is a form of hormone therapy, and some of the things we do to our natural biological/hormone cycles can not be undone.
I definitely agree with these ladies. Go talk to someone. It all depends on your body and your history. I had a friend in college who skipped hers for 6 months in a row. When she finally took the sugar pills, she went from fine to so sick we called 911 because we didn't know what was wrong with her. It was a struggle for her to get 20 feet down the hall.
Anything that plays with your body that way needs to have a professional's guidance.
I agree with everyone that you need to go talk to a doctor about it. I know in the US the patch has been linked to high rates of blood clots, strokes and other complications so you might also want to do some research of your own before going to the doctor.
I used my BC to skip my TOM once because I was going to be in the car for 10 hours and didn’t want to deal with the combo and the next month I was really heavy. So you might want to watch out for problems like that.
Personally, I hate the pill. I was on various ones for about 5 years, but my body was always sooo sensitive to it that it caused me a lot of problems. I had no sex drive, incredibly moody, and if I took a pill just a few hours off schedule I would get spotting. My period was still unpredictable, sometimes it would start on the third week of pills with no warning. I tried to talk to my doctors about it but I never got any good answers. The only pill I ever liked was seasonale because of the lack of periods. I still got some spotting, but no full-on period (until the third month of course).
And I agree with the person that said it's not necessary to have a period. It depletes nutrients in your body and makes you more susceptible to cancers. In traditional societies women are either pregnant or lactating for most of their reproductive years and as a result rarely have periods. These women also have drastically lower rates of cancer. That's the way our species evolved making it very unnatural to have a period every single month.
While I agree that we should all consult our doctors before taking/changing any meds, it doesn't hurt to get advice from others in the same situation on such a commonly used medication. Doctors aren't always right unfortunately.
You are flat out wrong. It DOES hurt to get advice from non-medical professionals.
You have no idea how many people have wrong or misleading information on medications because their trusted friend/family member told them something. Personal experiences or rumors about medications are no substitute for research-based information. Once a client has their mind made up about something based on false information, it can be extremely difficult (if not in some cases impossible) to get them to accept evidence-based research.
For instance, your personal experience with Depo would lead an unknowledgable person to believe that that is common and that Depo is bad. I, on the otherhand, was on Depo for 5 years and never had any problems and I successfully switched to Seasonale without any problems - which this could also give a false sense of comfort to an unknowledgable person.
The fact is that all medications have risks and benefits and research to support appropriate usage. Unless you spend your time looking up this kind of information, then you shouldn't be giving anyone information about medications.
I'm a nursing student, and you wouldn't believe the damage it does to get medical information from people who have no real clue what they are talking about. No, doctors aren't always right - but as a good consumer you shouldn't just be taking whatever they say without really questioning them or asking for research or information either.
Should I delay my period using birth control pills?
I've been on BC pills for over 8 years, and I noticed some changes when I switched from one type of pill to another a couple of years ago. Then about 2 years ago, I started doing 2 packs at a time to reduce the number of times I got my period (with my doctor's permission/guidance), and just a few months ago, I ended up having my period for about a month straight even though I was on the same pills and had never had a problem with them before and didn't miss any pills.
