Quick pill question

[Anomily]

Okay, so I've been on the pill for about 10 months with no problem (Alesse if it matters, or more specifically Aviane, its generic counterpart). This month I realized that the way things were going, I'd have to sit out Valentines because period sex is just not something I'm into. Any responses saying "suck it up, use a towel" or anything like that have been already considered and rejected. I did some research and everything I was able to find said that if I just took two packs back to back I should be able to safely skip a period no problem. So I decided to do that but my period started up today same as usual. It's not just spotting either, it's just like normal. I was wondering if anyone here had tried the same thing with the same (or different) results. Is this normal and will pass soon or did I somehow screw up? I know it's not a matter of waiting too long between pills because I'm absolutely anal about taking them at the same time every day. Three pregnancy scares is enough to last a lifetime, thank you very much.

 

[alyssawesome29]

I've only ever used NuvaRing (so I wouldn't have an answer to your pill question) but maybe, if your monthly is gone by Val Day, use a condom anyways just to be safe? Would that be an option?

 

[Anomily]

This isn't exactly a protection question, it's mostly just about the period bits. I'm satisfied with careful use of the pill as far as birth control goes. I'm in a monogamous relationship right now so std's aren't a concern. Thanks though

 

[alyssawesome29]

Oh, I meant to use condoms as a back up contraceptive if the pills did prove ineffective ...

 

[SweetErika]

Did you take the pills in the last pack for three weeks then start a new pack, or did you take the pills like you normally would (for 28 days) and then start the new pack?

Keep taking the active pills in this new pack and hope your period is shorter than usual. There's nothing you can do if it's not, so you're pretty much stuck with hoping for the best.

If you did make a mistake and want to try skipping a period again in the future, the key is to take the first three weeks of pills (as the last week of pills in a 28-day pack are simply placebo/reminder pills) and then start a new pack, without skipping any active pills.

If you anticipate a big event, you might want to throw that 4th week of placebo pills out to remind yourself to start a new pack as soon as you finish the first 3 weeks of active pills in the pack. You may also want to skip a period or two before the period that you really need to skip so your body has more time to adjust to the new routine and won't be as likely to breakthrough bleed (which is what your "period" is when you're on hormonal BC). Talk to your healthcare provider about how often it's safe for you to skip periods if you're planning on doing this more than every once in awhile. Some women need the break from the hormones monthly, but others do well having four periods a year (which is what the Seasonale pill does) or always taking active pills back-to-back (but definitely talk to your doctor before you do that!).

 

[littlebitshe]

The best you can do is continue to take your pills as you had planned (skipping the sugar pills week). More than likely it will stop your period earlier than it normally would and you'll be done by Valentine's Day.

Doing this comes with a warning.... It's not A good idea to skip your period. Your period is something that your body does to 'clean you out'. Your body needs this. I've heard that it's not a big deal to skip it every now and then.... meaning rarely. I don't know how accurate that is but that is what i've heard. I have a friend who skipped her period using this method several times and now she has female problems because of it. I would talk to your dr and ask them what they think.

 

[warrior queen]

Doing this comes with a warning.... It's not A good idea to skip your period. Your period is something that your body does to 'clean you out'. Your body needs this. I've heard that it's not a big deal to skip it every now and then.... meaning rarely. I don't know how accurate that is but that is what i've heard. I have a friend who skipped her period using this method several times and now she has female problems because of it. I would talk to your dr and ask them what they think.

i had to post....
i've been using the BC pill to skip periods for over 5 yrs now - on the direct advice, and continued monitoring, of my gynae.
i'm a 'flooder', heavy bleeder, and have absolutely horrendous pain as well as hormone-spike induced migraines.
(a note: i had a tubal ligation after the caesarian birth of my last child, so do not need BC.)
my gynae eventually put me on this regimen after trying many different methods to control the bleeding and migraines - i take the active pill continuously for 3 mths, and only have 4 periods a year.
there have been absolutely no medical problems for me doing this. in fact, i no longer suffer iron deficiency as well as the obvious other benefits.

please check your info before posting potentially frightening information.
whilst i agree that what i'm doing may not work for everyone, it also does not harm everyone who does use this method.

 

[littlebitshe]

i had to post....
i've been using the BC pill to skip periods for over 5 yrs now - on the direct advice, and continued monitoring, of my gynae.
i'm a 'flooder', heavy bleeder, and have absolutely horrendous pain as well as hormone-spike induced migraines.
(a note: i had a tubal ligation after the caesarian birth of my last child, so do not need BC.)
my gynae eventually put me on this regimen after trying many different methods to control the bleeding and migraines - i take the active pill continuously for 3 mths, and only have 4 periods a year.
there have been absolutely no medical problems for me doing this. in fact, i no longer suffer iron deficiency as well as the obvious other benefits.

please check your info before posting potentially frightening information.
whilst i agree that what i'm doing may not work for everyone, it also does not harm everyone who does use this method.

Nor did I say it would harm everyone who does it. You are a special case, obviously. There are special situations. I simply told her that it could cause problems and to be careful in doing this. Your period is a natural process of your body and MOST (Not all) need to have a period. It's something that only a dr would be able to determine in her situation. I was simply adding in that note because I've seen it cause problems. So there was no need to "check my info" as I've seen it happen.

 

[Anomily]

I actually have the 21 pack pills, so there are no placebos, I just stop taking pills for a week, then start up again so there's no way I accidentally took placebos I don't have.

I'm not super worried about going longer without a period especially just this once (I've never skipped before and don't plan to make it a regular thing) because before I was on the pill, I only had periods about every other month anyway, sometimes even less. It was nice because periods suck, but being the anxious type, I got way too nervous if I'd been having sex (always with condoms but still) and went my "normal" time between so the pill is a great thing for me.

Also, this is the info I found on safety:

Many don’t realize that the period one has on OCs is not a REAL period; it’s actually withdrawal bleeding. Withdrawal bleeding is NOT necessary to maintain gynecologic health.

Some women falsely believe that without a period, blood or other toxins may begin to build up. Although some claim that it's unnatural or harmful to manipulate a woman’s monthly cycle by completely stopping her period, in reality, women are already controlling their menstrual cycles just by using birth control pills. Given that few women naturally have a 28-day menstrual cycle, pill use automatically directs a woman’s cycle to be 28 days.

The "period" that occurs during 21 or 28-day combination birth control packs has no medical function other than reassuring a woman that she is not pregnant. In women who do not desire to or can't become pregnant, there is no physiological requirement for an actual menstrual period or for a monthly withdrawal bleed (that occurs with hormonal contraceptives). Doctors have long-realized that OCs can be used to prevent a period or to produce a desired cycle length. For decades, doctors have been advising women on how to properly use 21/28-day regimen birth control pills to manipulate monthly cycles and to skip periods.

This has been done successfully and safely to help manage menstrual-related health disorders or severe period-related symptoms; women also choose to avoid their periods (through manipulating their birth control pills) due to physically demanding jobs, upcoming vacations, and/or honeymoons. Thus, many pill users have chosen to avoid having a period by starting a new pill pack during the fourth week (when one’s period usually occurs).

 

[warrior queen]

Nor did I say it would harm everyone who does it. You are a special case, obviously. There are special situations. I simply told her that it could cause problems and to be careful in doing this. Your period is a natural process of your body and MOST (Not all) need to have a period. It's something that only a dr would be able to determine in her situation. I was simply adding in that note because I've seen it cause problems. So there was no need to "check my info" as I've seen it happen.

point:
there is a school of thought that in fact having a period every month for years and years is actually an unnatural state for the human female.
for millenia, the female was either pregnant repeatedly, or breastfeeding and then pregnant again, right thro to menopause, which meant that the natural state for women was to have only a few cycles in any year.
a lot of gynaes now subscribe to that view.
i'll try and find the link i used to have and post it here.

 

[littlebitshe]

I actually have the 21 pack pills, so there are no placebos, I just stop taking pills for a week, then start up again so there's no way I accidentally took placebos I don't have.

I'm not super worried about going longer without a period especially just this once (I've never skipped before and don't plan to make it a regular thing) because before I was on the pill, I only had periods about every other month anyway, sometimes even less. It was nice because periods suck, but being the anxious type, I got way too nervous if I'd been having sex (always with condoms but still) and went my "normal" time between so the pill is a great thing for me.

Also, this is the info I found on safety:

You should be fine in skipping one here and there. As long as it's not doing it all the time (unless recommended by your dr).

So at this point all you can do is keep taking the new pack and hope it stops early. Good Luck Sweetie!

 

[Reba67]

When I was on the pill, I tried a couple of times to skip the bleeding by starting a new pack right away, but I found I always got a LONGER "period" when I did this. Not fun. I went back to just having bleeding every 4 weeks.

 

[satindesire]

This is why I loved being on the Depo shot. No periods at all.

I saved sooo much money on tampons and Midol.

 

[warrior queen]

This is why I loved being on the Depo shot. No periods at all.

I saved sooo much money on tampons and Midol.

depo provera caused me to bleed non-stop for 13 months
no fun at all.

 

[SweetErika]

Nor did I say it would harm everyone who does it. You are a special case, obviously. There are special situations. I simply told her that it could cause problems and to be careful in doing this. Your period is a natural process of your body and MOST (Not all) need to have a period. It's something that only a dr would be able to determine in her situation. I was simply adding in that note because I've seen it cause problems. So there was no need to "check my info" as I've seen it happen.

Do you know what kind of problem(s) your friend had from continuing the pill?

It might be important for some women to have periods (I know when my cycle gets screwy, I feel really shitty and my next period is always much worse), but as the OP's research verified, women who are on hormonal BC don't have periods. The bleeding they do/may have is simply caused by not getting the hormones that make their bodies think they're pregnant. It's just like when a woman who IS pregnant has bleeding sans miscarriage - that's breakthrough bleeding, not an actual period.

I actually have the 21 pack pills, so there are no placebos, I just stop taking pills for a week, then start up again so there's no way I accidentally took placebos I don't have.

Well, there you go, then. You didn't screw it up, so you just have to wait and hope it stops before Saturday. And if not, there are plenty of other ways to have fun if you're not comfortable with sex!

 

[Emerald Eyed]

i had to post....
i've been using the BC pill to skip periods for over 5 yrs now - on the direct advice, and continued monitoring, of my gynae.
i'm a 'flooder', heavy bleeder, and have absolutely horrendous pain as well as hormone-spike induced migraines.
(a note: i had a tubal ligation after the caesarian birth of my last child, so do not need BC.)
my gynae eventually put me on this regimen after trying many different methods to control the bleeding and migraines - i take the active pill continuously for 3 mths, and only have 4 periods a year.
there have been absolutely no medical problems for me doing this. in fact, i no longer suffer iron deficiency as well as the obvious other benefits.

please check your info before posting potentially frightening information.
whilst i agree that what i'm doing may not work for everyone, it also does not harm everyone who does use this method.

2 words...

Endometrial Ablation!


I had one on January ninth and so far have not had a period at all. I would have been due January 22