Birth Control That Takes Away Periods

Removal Of The Lining Of The Womb

Another option is to remove the lining of the womb . Here the tissue is removed using surgical instruments or destroyed, for instance using laser beams or microwave energy . After the procedure, the woman often stops having periods, or her periods are much lighter. This makes pregnancy unlikely.

But the lining of the womb can grow back. If heavy periods start again as a result, the procedure can be repeated. About 20 out of 100 women have this kind of surgery again within two years.

Endometrial ablation or resection can sometimes be performed as outpatient surgery. Women recover relatively quickly afterwards.

What Your Period Says About Your Health And Why It’s Important

When doctors encourage women to suppress their menstrual cycles, theyre also concealing important symptoms that give us clues about deeper underlying conditions. This is a dangerous game that can raise the risks of women developing even more debilitating conditions in the future.

As a doctor, I ask every woman in my clinical practice about her menstrual cycle as part of her complete health screening. It is truly that important.

Womens periods are not just a monthly nuisance they provide incredible insights about hormones, nutritional status and overall health.

For example, brown discharge at the beginning of menses is a sign of of low progesterone levels and left over blood from the period before. When there are clots in the menstrual blood estrogen levels may be too high. Conversely, low estrogen creates short, scanty periods. As you can see, there is a lot your period can reveal about your health.

Your period provides a great deal of insight about your hormones and the rest of your body. When it is suppressed, we run the risk of missing vital clues about your health.

As an example, menorrhagia, or heavy periods, which are commonly treated with oral contraceptives, can be a sign of iron deficiency anemia.

Sure, some would argue that stopping this patients menses would prevent iron loss and is therefore a treatment. But what if the iron deficiency is due to intestinal malabsorption, which can occur in those with celiac disease?

What Are The Different Types Of Birth Control

Some methods that don’t require a prescription from your healthcare provider include:

• Abstinence. Not having sex.

• Spermicides. Foams or creams placed inside the vagina to kill sperm. These may also provide some protection against sexually transmitted infections. This is especially possible when used with a latex condom.

• Male condom. A thin tube made of latex or a natural material that is placed over the penis. The sperm is collected in the end of the condom. Latex condoms may provide some protection against sexually transmitted infections.

• Female condom. A liner made of latex or natural material that is placed inside the vagina. Latex condoms may provide some protection against sexually transmitted infections.

• Natural family planning. Timing sex to avoid fertile days using various methods of monitoring body temperature. It also involves watching for changes in cervical mucus, and the use of ovulation prediction kits. This method, often known as the rhythm method, has a high risk for pregnancy.

Some methods that require a visit to your healthcare provider for an exam and a prescription include:

Surgery that results in the inability to become pregnant includes:

The following are not reliable methods of birth control:

• Withdrawal before ejaculation

• Standing up immediately after sex

• Douching after sex

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How To Keep Track Of Your Menstrual Cycle

You can use a menstrual tracker like Flo to keep track of your cycle. Period tracking apps let you log your symptoms and determine when you should expect your period. This can also take some weight off your mind, since you wont have to remember when your period is due to arrive. The app will do it for you!

Overall, as long as youre taking it correctly, birth control is highly effective at preventing pregnancy and those missed periods can happen now and again.

If youre not sure, take a pregnancy test to ease your mind. Adding some relaxing activities to your life and staying healthy can help get your cycle back to normal.

Who Shouldnt Stop A Period

Girls under the age of 15 should not stop their periods because in the first years of the menstrual cycle, its important to observe the interval between cycles, the quantity of blood lost, and which symptoms you have.

Observing the duration and symptoms of a girls cycle help to assess the health of her reproductive system, if the ovaries are working correctly, or if there is a problem such as ovarian cysts.

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How To Stop Having A Period Permanently

If you want to stop having a period permanently you can have a surgical procedure to have your uterus removed, known as a hysterectomy, or a procedure that removes an internal part of the uterus, known as endometrial ablation.

These procedures are permanent and so its important for you to speak to a gynecologist who can advise you on the best method:

Effectiveness Health Risks And Benefits

Lybrel is one of a few safe medications for people who would like to stop their periods.

From a safety perspective, OCPs like Seasonale or Lybrel are options for most women. If your health care provider has determined that you can take birth control pills safely, you can probably take these. It is important to keep in mind that people trying to suppress their periods using the pill will take a few dozen more active hormone pills over the course of a year than someone taking the 21-day version of the pill. However, there does not seem to be a meaningful increase in health risk although no long-term studies have been done. The small risk of stroke or blood clots associated with traditional oral contraceptives – increased in women who smoke, are over 35 years of age, or have high blood pressure – are similarly associated with extended use pills. In addition to the time limitations, another hurdle appears to be the dropout rate and sample size of the related clinical trials. The FDA approval for Seasonale, for example, was based on a one-year study involving only 809 women.The main study supporting the efficacy of Seasonique began with 1,013 participants but concluded with the data from only 534 due to dropout from adverse event and lost-to-follow-up.

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What Causes Endometriosis To Develop

Currently, scientists dont know exactly what causes endometriosis to develop. However, there are several factors that are closely linked to endometriosis:

• Genetics. Endometriosis tends to run in families, making it important to pay attention to the potential symptoms of endometriosis if your parent, grandparents or any other family members have been diagnosed.

• Estrogen. Endometriosis responds to hormonal signals, particularly from the hormone estrogen. This is because estrogen plays a role in causing your uterine lining to thicken during your menstrual cycle.

• Menstrual blood flow issues. Research indicates that Retrograde menstrual flow, or the backwards flow of menstrual blood, could cause shed uterine lining to spread into other areas of the pelvis, causing endometrial growth outside the uterus.

• Abdominal surgery. Surgery that affects your abdominal area, such as a hysterectomy, can cause uterine lining to spread into the pelvic and abdominal area, potentially causing endometriosis to develop or worsen.

• Immune system disorders. Disorders that cause your immune system to become less effective, as well as certain cancers, may be linked to the development of endometriosis.

Endometriosis can affect you at any age, from your teens until menopause. However, its most common as you enter your 30s and forties.

While there are no definite signals that youll develop endometriosis, there are a few common warning signs. These include:

Definitions: So How Do You Define Bleeding

It’s nice that researchers like to define things. Here’s what they mean by spotting, bleeding, bleeding that’s too long, etc.

Bleeding: When we refer to menstrual “bleeding,” it means blood loss that requires you to wear sanitary protection like a tampon, pad, or pantiliner. The period blood might look red in color, as it’s probably fresh blood.

Spotting: When we say “spotting,” it means that the blood loss is so small that you wouldn’t have to wear any type of sanitary protection – not even pantyliners. The spotting could look like a brown discharge, the kind that appears towards the end of your period when the blood is “older” since it’s been there longer.

An episode of bleeding/spotting: You may have irregular spotting or bleeding during the month on birth control. Here’s how you can define an “episode” of the spotting or bleeding: The episode is preceded by 2 regular days without any spotting/bleeding and followed up by 2 days straight without any spotting/bleeding.

Infrequent bleeding: Fewer than 3 bleeding or spotting episodes in 3 months

Prolonged bleeding: Here’s something to note. If you’re thinking your period on birth control is going on too long, “prolonged” bleeding is defined as any bleeding/spotting episode lasting more than 2 weeks in 3 months.

Frequent bleeding: More than 5 bleeding or spotting episodes in 5 months.

Amenorrhea: This the medical term for when you don’t have your period in 3 months.

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How T Stop Or Delay Periods Wth Birth Control Pill

Th birth control pill a daily pill containing hormones tht alter th functioning f th body t prevent pregnancy. Hormones r chemicals tht control th functioning f body organs. In th case th pill hormones control th ovaries nd uterus. Women using birth control pills do not have normal periods, but rather oestrogen-related withdrawal bleeds that occur when the hormone levels drop.

Thr r a number f reasons wh u m want t skip ur period. I t safe t d so? How about i t safe t skip ur period f youre n birth control pills? Th brief answer t both questions . However, its best t get n touch wth ur doctor first n rdr t mk sure theres n medical reason fr u t continue wth ur current menstruation schedule. Also, know what to expect when youre starting the pills for the first time.

However Is Using The Pill To Stop Periods Really A Good Idea

Some women will not want to dig deeper to understand the underlying cause of their PMS. Some women want the perceived freedom of not having a monthly cycle despite knowing the short and long-term consequences. And some women absolutely can not get pregnant and the pill is what they have chosen for contraception.

It is important to recognize that this is 100% their choice and our reproductive health should be our choice.

My philosophy is that you are the only one living in your body. No one, not even a doctor, knows how to live your life best for you. You deserve to have ALL the information before making this decision.

But period suppression to escape symptoms is not healthy or necessarily whats best for your body. And you should have a doctor who is willing to ask why. To help you get to the root of your problems before opting to mask them with the pill. The first step toward this is demystifying menses, hormones and womens health for every woman. So they can make the absolute best decision for her body and her life.

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Birth Control Pill Is Nutrient Depleting

Many patients are not informed of the numerous studies showing the nutrient depleting effects of oral contraceptives.

In 2013, the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Studies called for all women to be on a multivitamin while taking oral contraceptives due to the known nutrient depletions, most notably magnesium, zinc, selenium, folic acid, vitamins B2, B6, B12, vitamin C and E.

Birth control depletes the body of folic acid, which is vital in many metabolic processes and is absolutely essential should you become pregnant. Folic acid is necessary to prevent neural tube defects in a developing fetus. Unfortunately, the critical window for folic acid in development occurs before the majority of women know they are pregnant in just those first few weeks.

Now imagine if you do become pregnant while suppressing your period youve depleted your nutrients, are oblivious to the early signs of pregnancy, and the damage has taken place before you ever realized you were pregnant.

And yes, pregnancy does occur while taking birth control pill.

It is the doctor’s responsibility to provide a true informed consent and guide women in understanding the pros and cons of the medical decision they are faced with. This is the only way in which women can make the best decision for their body and it is their right to know that while the pill may help relieve symptoms, it may also have unwanted side effects with long term consequences.

Do Birth Control Pills Help With Irregular Periods

If youre someone who needs to carry a stash of just-in-case tampons around in the bottom of your purse, youre not alone. Its estimated that over 1 in 10 women experience irregular or abnormal periods between their first period and menopause.

Irregular periods are typically caused by hormone imbalances. Because birth control pills contain progestin and estrogen, theyre able to help balance your hormones and regulate your menstrual cycle.

Birth control pills can make your period more predictable, so you always know when its coming. The pill can also stop spotting between periods, help lighten heavy periods and even make you skip your period altogether.

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Which Way Is Right For Me

If you want to cut down on the number of periods you have per year, then experts suggest standard birth control pills, patches, or the vaginal ring. To stop your period long-term, birth control shots, long-term pills, and the IUD typically work best. Speak with your doctor about it. Youâll work together to figure out which method is best for you.

Number : What’s Normal For A Period On Birth Control

The UK National Health Service says that irregular bleeding, like bleeding between periods, is common when you first start to take hormonal contraception like birth control pills, the patch, or the shot (Depo-Proveraâ¢.

Here are some facts about bleeding irregularities when you take birth control pills:

• Overall, birth control pills should decrease how much you bleed.

• Irregular bleeding is a common side effect during the first 3 to 6 months of taking the pill. It’s so common that 30-50% of women experience it.

• The good news is that irregular bleeding will lessen or go away with time, usually after 3 months, when only 10-30% of women experience unscheduled bleeding.

It may be helpful to describe what bothersome bleeding can look like when you’re on birth control:

• Spotting

• Unscheduled bleeding when you’re bleeding between periods or while taking active pills

• Short periods

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