Can Birth Control Delay Your Period

Are There Any Side Effects

Usage of Contraceptive pills for delaying menstrual cycles – Dr. Beena Jeysingh

As with many hormonal medications, Norethisterone can cause some side effects. Things to watch out for are low mood, acne, breast tenderness, fluid retention, low sex drive, and even nausea and headaches. If you experience excessive side effects it is best to have your GP check that everythings OK, and if you should continue taking them.

If you delay your period, whether by using Norethisterone or from taking back-to-back combined pill packets, you may experience something called breakthrough bleeding. This means unexpected bleeding due to hormonal fluctuations, and while it can be annoying, its usually nothing to worry about.

At the end of the day, the effectiveness of period delay tablets varies with each person, so you may find they work for you, and if they dont, speak to your GP about other options.

Have you ever taken period delay tablets? Wed love to hear more about your experience! Let us know on Instagram at .

You’ve got enough going on at that time of the month, whenever it happens, so don’t forget that our personalised period subscription box can get organic cotton tampons, and much more, delivered through your letterbox. That’s a few less things to worry about each cycle!

References:

  • Edelman A, Micks E, Gallo MF, Jensen JT, Grimes DA. Continuous or extended cycle vs. cyclic use of combined hormonal contraceptives for contraception. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD004695. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004695.pub3.
  • How Could Birth Control Affect My Period

    Details

    Birth control can be very helpful for women who are sexually active and who do not want to become pregnant. However, certain forms of birth control can affect a womans body in different ways. This includes potential effects to the menstrual cycle. Since some of these effects can be positive in nature, certain forms of birth control may be prescribed to women experiencing issues with their period. Still, many women select their preferred method of birth control without even considering the impact it can have on their periods. Thats why our board-certified gynecologists have provided some details on how the most common types of hormonal birth control can affect a womans menstruation.

    Birth Control Pills

    The most common form of birth control, birth control pills are made up of the hormones progestin and estrogen. Although taking The Pill can have different effects depending on each person taking it, it is somewhat common for women on birth control pills to experience shorter or lighter periods. This can mean a cycle that normally lasts 5 – 7 days being cut down to 3 – 4 days. Birth control pills can also be used to help women who experience irregular bleeding, endometriosis pain, and more.

    IUDs

    Birth Control Implant

    Depo-Provera Shot

    NuvaRing®

    Does Birth Control Stop Periods

    Technically speaking, yes. The period that you get when youre on birth control isnt the same as a regular period. Without hormonal birth control, the lining of your uterus gets thicker to prepare for possible pregnancy and then sheds during your period if youre not pregnant. Your body doesnt ovulate or go through this regular menstrual cycle when youre taking oral contraceptives. Instead, what you experience as a period on birth control is called withdrawal bleeding.

    This bleeding occurs as a response to your body not receiving the same hormones during the rest week at the end of your 21-day pack. That means that if you continue taking the pill and skip the rest week, you can skip your periods too. Make sure to talk to your health care provider about whether this is a good option for you.

    Read Also: Period Blood Stains On Sheets

    Your Acne Could Return

    A lot of people take birth control pills to ease acne, but unfortunately once you stop taking them, the acne could return. Going off birth control pills may return acne symptoms to what they were before starting , Dr. Bhardwaj previously told Health. If you’re worried about hormonal acne, talk to your dermatologist about alternatives, one as simple as switching your skincare products.

    RELATED: A TikTok User Says Aspirin Face Masks Got Rid of Her AcneBut How Safe Is This?

    Is It The Same As Taking The Combined Pill

    How Safe Are Pills To Delay Periods?

    Not really. If you are taking norethisterone for the purpose of delaying your period, this may not be at the same dose used in contraception. Also, the combined pill contains the hormone oestrogen. That being said, people who use the combined pill for birth control can also delay their periods depending on which type they are taking. Continuous-use options mean you are taking hormonal birth control constantly, with no breaks between packs. Without breaks, youre unlikely to have any bleeding, and therefore can avoid having a period.

    Extended-use options mean you would normally have a break between packs, which is when your period would come. By taking the next pack immediately after the first, you can delay your period for as long as a month.

    Newer evidence suggests that you dont necessarily need a pill-free interval, like you used to with traditional versions of the combined pill that advise you to mimic your menstrual cycle and have a week off every month. If you are unsure of which type of pill you are taking, or want to discuss options for delaying your period, speak to your GP.

    You May Like: Usaa Grace Period Auto Insurance New Car

    Can You Get Period Delay Tablets Over The Counter

    No, period delay tablets are prescription-only. There are some serious health risks for certain people if they were going to take progesterone medications like period delay pills. So its important that a doctor can check to make sure theyre safe for you to take.

    Although you need a doctor to check you for period delay treatment, you dont have to do it face-to-face. With services like Superdrug Online Doctor, you can get checked online instead using a quick and easy healthcare question that one of our doctors checks for you.

    Back to top

    Are There Side Effects Of Using The Pill To Skip Your Period Continually

    The main side effect of having long bleeding-free stretches is an increase in unpredictable breakthrough bleeding . The good news is that the frequency of breakthrough bleeding may decreases over time . Other than increased rates of breakthrough bleeding, taking your birth control pill consecutively, as opposed to having monthly pill-periods, does cause any additional side effects .

    A concern about not having a regular âperiodâ is that you lose the monthly confirmation that youâre not pregnant. Although skipping your withdrawal bleed with the pill provides you with the same contraceptive protection as before, it also comes with the same risks if you donât take your pill on a regular daily basis.

    Recommended Reading: Primosiston To Stop Period

    How To Delay Your Period

    This article was medically reviewed by Lacy Windham, MD. Dr. Windham is a board certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist in Tennessee. She attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and completed her residency at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2010, where she was awarded the Most Outstanding Resident in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Most Outstanding Resident in Oncology, and Most Outstanding Resident Overall. This article has been viewed 2,782,937 times.

    Sometimes, you may find yourself in a situation in which you would like to delay your period. Maybe you have a special occasion coming up, or you’ll be in a sporting event where you’d rather not deal with your period. For most women, it is safe to delay your period, but you should always talk to your doctor first, especially since the easiest and best ways to delay your period involve birth control or other prescription medications.

    When Should I See My Doctor About Irregular Bleeding

    What causes delayed periods after taking emergency contraceptive? – Dr. Shashi Agrawal

    Since every womans body reacts differently to these birth control methods, it can be hard to know when irregular bleeding is abnormal. You should see your doctor if you experience abnormal bleeding:

    • And are pregnant
    • And have a lot of pain during your period
    • After intercourse
    • And you have been using the same method of birth control for more than three months
    • That is unexpected
    • And you are younger than 8 years old or have no other signs of puberty and have vaginal bleeding

    You should also see your doctor if you are taking a combined contraceptive pill and your periods have stopped completely during the week of placebo pills, although in many cases this can be normal.

    There are treatments available for irregular bleeding that can help, or your doctor may recommend changes to your birth control method.

    Read Also: Usaa New Car Insurance Grace Period

    Is Skipping Your Period Safe

    Medical studies have reported no significant negative health effects when you skip your period on the combined hormonal birth control pill . That being said, itâs still important to mention that there have been no long-term studies examining the safety of continually skipping your period. Sometimes medical repercussions take a longer time and/or need a larger population sample size to emerge.

    If you choose to stop taking hormonal birth control, your natural menstrual cycle and fertility will usually return to normal after one month, regardless of how long you skipped your âperiodâ .

    Periods Dont Always Arrive On Time

    While the average length of a menstrual cycle is a good guideline to go by, its perfectly normal to startyour period a few days early or late. However, if your periods continue being sporadic and unpredictable,the pointers in this guide may explain why. Visit your doctor if you have any further concerns.

    Get the latest news and discounts straight to your inbox!

    • Dillons Pharmacy, 17 Church Road, Acton, London, W3 8PU

    • 0208 123 0703

    • Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9am – 6:30pmWed 9am – 5pm

    Read Also: Brown Stuff Instead Of Period

    Seasonale Seasonique And Yaz

    Those arent the names of contestants on Americas Next Top Model but rather popular brands of continuous birth control pills.

    These pills require taking active pills for 3 months in a row and then taking a week of inactive placebo pills. Aunt Flo might show up for some spotting between months but is only in full flow for 4 weeks out of the year when youre taking the inactive pills.

    This can also happen with injectable birth control methods like the Depo shot.

    Skip Your Placebo Week Of Oral Contraceptives

    Taking a Norethisterone pill to delay your period for a ...

    Some types of birth control pills come with three weeks of active pills and one week of placebo pills. If you skip the week of placebo pills and start a new pack of active pills, instead, then the hormones in the active pills will prevent you from bleeding that week.

    However, it’s important to note that if this is your first time skipping a placebo week you may experience some irregular bleeding or light spotting, says Ross.

    After two to three months of skipping your placebo week, you should see little to no spotting. Therefore, Ross recommends planning several months ahead if you know your period will coincide with a big upcoming occasion.

    Moreover, you can get birth control pills in packs that last 28 days, 90 days, and even 365 days. That’s right, you can go a year without your period while on the pill.

    “Being able to stop your period completely is one of the most beneficial side effects associated with the pill and it’s completely safe,” says Ross.

    You May Like: 90 Probationary Period Employment Form

    Why You Usually Get A Period On The Off

    If you get your period on birth control pills, lets say during the 7 days of placebo sugar pills, its because the makers of the original combined oral contraceptives succumbed to societal and cultural pressures to mimic the naturally occurring menstrual cycle not because it was biologically needed.

    So a missed period on birth control doesnt necessarily mean somethings wrong. Okay, heres some quick science to back this all up because this is some deep, revelatory stuff. So here goes

    How Can I Safely Skip My Period On Birth Control

    There are many different combined hormonal birth control pills containing different types of synthetic hormones and doses. Some pills are monophasicâmeaning they have the same dose of hormones in each pill. Other pills are multiphasicâmeaning that the number of hormones in the pills changes throughout your pack. Your birth control package will indicate which kind of pill you have. You can choose to skip your âperiodâ on either type of pill, but itâs best to consult with your healthcare provider before you start.

    If you are taking a monophasic combined hormonal birth control pill

  • Take your hormonally active pills as normal.

  • Once you reach your placebo pills , then simply skip over those and start your new pack the next day as Day 1.

  • Monophasic dose birth control pills allow flexibility since you can technically schedule your period for whenever you wish. You can stop taking your pill for a few days to have a withdrawal period . Note that this is considered âmissing two or more pillsâ even though you are missing them on purpose. Youâll need to use a backup birth control method for seven days to prevent pregnancy.

  • One study found that if you experience three days of consecutive breakthrough bleeding, choosing to start your period at that time would result in fewer bleeding days throughout the entire year .

    If you are taking a multiphasic pill:

  • Take your hormonally active pills as normal.

  • Recommended Reading: 90 Day Probationary Period Letter

    How To Stop Your Period

    Theres two main ways to stop your periods:

    • Period delay tablets, like norethisterone

    • Hormonal contraception, like the pill

    You can use period delay tablets to stop your period from coming for as long as you need to, up to 30 days at a time. This can be useful if youre going on holiday or for any other reasons that you might want to push back getting your period.You can also stop your period using a few different types of hormonal contraception. Some are more likely to stop your period than others though, and generally they arent for short-term use.Hormonal contraceptives that can stop your periods include:

    • The combined contraceptive pill can stop your period over a longer period of time but you can get light bleeding if you dont take a break every month. So if you want to guarantee no period bleeding, youll need to have a 7-day break every month when you might sometimes have period-like bleeding.

    • The mini pill can stop periods over a long period of time, but there is still some risk of light bleeding .

    • The hormonal coil can stop your periods, but it takes a few months before they stop.

    • The contraceptive injection about half of people who use the injection will stop having periods.

    • The contraceptive implant about a third of people with the implant stop having periods, but this only applies from one year after getting the implant.

    Back to top

    Related Posts

    Popular Articles