Can I Use Contraceptive Pills To Delay My Period
If you are taking a fixed dose combined contraceptive pill you can take packs back-to-back to delay menstrual bleeding. Taking pills continuously stops hormone levels dropping, and so there will be no bleed/period. Simply miss out the pill-free week by taking two packs in a row. This does not apply to 28 day pill packs, where the last 7 days are dummy pills containing no active ingredients. This only works for combined pills not the mini pill. See NHS – How can I delay my period? and extended pill regimes – other ways to take the pill for further advice.
How To Delay Your Period For Your Holiday
Because the beach + period can be a faff
Technically speaking, you can do whatever you like when youre on your period from sex to swimming, you should never feel like anything is off limits to you because of your uterus. But between the cramps, the mood swings, the bloating, and obviously the bleeding, its also totes fair enough if your period and your holiday are not a match you want to make.
The good news is that with a bit of forward planning, it is possible to put your period off until bikinis and beaches are safely off of your schedule. What you need is a medicine called Norethisterone, which can give you up to 17 days delay.
It comes in the form of tablets which you must start to take three days before your period is due, explains Dr Kieran Seyan, from the LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor Team. You must then take three tablets a day during the time you wish to delay your period. You can take the tablets for a maximum of 20 days, which will delay your period by a maximum of 17 days. When you get back from your break, you simply stop taking Norethisterone and your period should arrive 2-3 days later.
However, it might seem like a magical solution to all of your period-based problems, but as with any medication, Norethisterone is not without its caveats: Dr Kieran notes that it can cause side effects, and very rarely these can be serious including increased risk of blood clotting, stroke, acne, fluid retention, headache and nausea.
Do Period Delay Tablets Have Side Effects
As with all medications some people may experience side effects.
Provera is taken at much higher doses for other medical conditions and most women using it for period delay have no problems. The common reported side effects include headache and feeling sick.
Many women have no problems when taking norethisterone to delay their period. The reported side effects include bloating and fluid retention which may worsen pre-existing migraine, high blood pressure, epilepsy, or asthma. Other effects can be breast tenderness, loss of libido, and very rarely jaundice .
In about 1 in 10 women there is mild spotting or breakthrough bleeding as the cycle is lengthened with both Provera or norethisterone.
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Taking The Combined Pill Back
If you take a combined contraceptive pill, you can delay your period by taking the packets back-to-back.
How you do this will depend on the type of pill you take.
Examples are:
- monophasic 21-day pills, such as Microgynon and Cilest you take a combined pill for 21 days, followed by 7 days without pills, when you have a bleed . To delay your period, start a new packet of pills straight after you finish the last pill and miss out the 7-day break.
- everyday pills, such as Microgynon ED and Lorynon ED you take a combined pill every day. The first 21 pills are active pills and the next 7 pills are inactive or dummy pills, when you have your period. To delay your period, miss out and throw away the dummy pills, and start the active pills in a new packet straight away.
- phasic 21-day pills, such as Binovium, Qlaira and Logynon the mix of hormones in each pill is different, depending on which phase you’re in. You need to take these pills in the correct order to have effective contraception. Speak to your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP surgery for more information before taking phasic pills back-to-back.
Taking your contraceptive pills in the ways described above will not affect how they work as contraceptives.
If you’re not sure which pill you’re on, which pills in the packet to miss out, or you need advice, speak to your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP surgery.
Taking the combined pill can cause side effects, such as:
Can Eating Gelatin Delay Menstruation
It is said that gelatin has anti-estrogenic properties, which causes period delay. There is no scientific research to either back this up or disprove it. It cannot be recommended as a way to delay periods, only direct hormonal treatments reliably do this. There is also no research to show that gram lentils or apple cider vinegar work either.
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Why Do We Want To Delay Our Period Naturally
This is a common question that comes to our heads when we look for delaying our period. Why look for a natural method when we can delay our period just by popping a pill.
First things first, pills might provide you with a quick and effective solution, but at the cost of a gamut of side effects.
Some of the side effects include getting a heavy period the next time you have your period, experiencing cramps of greater intensity causing a lot of physical and mental discomfort.
There are other side effects that vary from person to person. We suggest that unless extremely urgent, one should not go for this option.
When we talk of delaying periods naturally, all we are focusing on is reducing the aforementioned side effects. In the further sections, we will talk about how we can really delay our period the natural way.
When To See A Doctor About Delayed Periods
If a normally occurring menstrual cycle is delayed or missed, it’s best to determine the cause of the delay by consulting your OB-GYN rather than finding ways to induce your period.
Some common reasons your period may be delayed include:
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Thyroid disorders or other endocrine abnormalities
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Skip Your Placebo Week Of Oral Contraceptives
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.
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.
The Goodness Of Raspberry Leaves
We all love to drink the sweet and refreshing raspberry juice during summers. But just like this sweet little berry has health benefits, the leaves of raspberry can be a perfect remedy if you are thinking how to delay periods for few days naturally.
The best part of this remedy is that since it is completely natural, you do not have to worry about any side effects of delaying your period. All you have to do is get 5 to 6 fresh raspberry leaves and dry them completely.
Make a powder of these leaves, make a tea and drink it for a week before your expected period date. This will effectively help you achieve the delay in periods.
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When Should I See A Doctor
You should see a doctor if:
- this is the first time youve had symptoms of thrush
- the symptoms dont clear up with over the counter treatments after 7 to 14 days
- you have 4 or more yeast infections a year
- you are aged under 16 or over 60
- you have diabetes
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- you are worried you or your partner could have a sexually transmitted infection
If you have had thrush before and treated it successfully, but it was more than 6 months previously, then it is fine to treat it yourself without seeing a doctor.
However, if you are pregnant and have thrush , you should see your doctor before starting any treatment.
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Delaying Your Period Often
It is not recommended to take Norethisterone regularly. If you often want to delay your period, your options include taking the combined contraceptive pill back to back or considering an intrauterine system . An IUS can work for up to 5 years and most women get lighter, less painful and often stop. After 12 months most users only have a light bleed for one day per month and about 1 in 5 users have no bleeding at all.
For more information on long-term contraception, visit our contraception clinic.
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Is It Safe To Delay Or Skip Your Period
Several studies have shown that its relatively safe to postpone or skip your period by using hormonal birth control without taking breaks.
A 2005 study based on a database of scientific publications that compared continuous and cyclic use of hormonal contraceptives showed that they are equally safe.
In 2014, the study was supplemented with new research, but the conclusions remained unchanged. Studies conducted in 2003 and 2008 on continuous use of hormonal contraceptives without breaks also showed it to be efficient and safe for extended use.
To reiterate, this can cause side effects. One of the biggest issues many experience with skipping or delaying their period is breakthrough bleeding. Other side effects include but arent limited to nausea, breast tenderness, mood fluctuations, and lower sex drive. In other words, the side effects of prolonged use of hormonal contraceptives are the same as the side effects when you take a break. When you take a break from your birth control, you dont actually get your period its withdrawal bleeding, which is less important for your health.
Exploring The Connection Between Travel And Menstrual Cycles: How Much Can A Trip Delay Your Period
Different types of travel can have different effects on menstrual cycles. Short trips, such as weekend getaways, usually dont have a significant impact on the menstrual cycle. However, long-distance trips, such as international flights, can have a greater impact. The further the distance traveled, the greater the effect on the menstrual cycle.
What causes delayed menstruation during travel? Changes in diet, lack of exercise, extreme temperatures, and stress are all potential culprits. Jet lag, which is caused by flying across multiple time zones, can also disrupt the bodys natural rhythm and cause irregular periods.
There are some strategies you can use to help manage delayed menstruation. Staying hydrated and eating healthy foods can help regulate hormones and keep your menstrual cycle on track. Regular exercise can also help balance hormones and reduce stress levels. Its also important to get enough rest and manage stress levels while traveling.
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Can You Delay Periods
Yes, you can delay periods by relying on medical methods. This process is known as menstrual suppression. You can achieve this by using combined contraceptive pills back-to-back. Combined contraceptive pills, also commonly called the pill, contain artificial variations of female sex hormones.
If youre not taking pills, your healthcare practitioner can prescribe norethisterone to delay your periods. Youll have to take this pill three to four days before your due date for it to work.
But if youre wondering how to delay periods naturally at homewithout taking any pills,then you might want to continue reading. But before that, its worth knowing whether or not natural ways to delay periods work.
Do Natural Remedies Work To Delay My Period
Unfortunately, there are no foods or supplements you can take that will delay your period. Some natural methods that are making their way around the Internet can have undesired side effects such as tissue irritation and digestive upset. Here are some common ones.
Apple cider vinegar ACV has some health benefits that are researched-backed. However, theres no evidence it can help with managing your menstrual cycles. One study looked at the role of ACV in menstruation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome . But this study actually showed ACV can cause a period in those with PCOS who havent had normal cycles. There is no proof that AVC can delay your period.
Citrus juice You might have seen online that citrus juice such as lemon or lime juice can delay your period. However, there is no evidence that drinking citrus juice can have an effect on your period. And in fact, the acidity in citrus juice can damage your tooth enamel, as well as the tissue in your throat and stomach lining.
Lentils There have been anecdotal reports saying gram lentils can delay a period. These lentils are fried and ground into a powder to be used as flour or added to a smoothie to drink. But there is no scientific evidence that lentils can stop your period.
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Foods That Can Actually Delay Your Periods Naturally
Girls who get periods may often wish they could delay their periods.
Apart from menstrual bleeding, periods may be accompanied with cramps, mood swings, breast tenderness, bloating and other symptoms of PMS. many times a female would feel like pushing their periods off a bit to avoid other symptoms.
If you search online for ways to naturally delay your period, you will see a million kinds of ideas, from exercising to drinking vinegar water. But, can they delay periods naturally? Lets get to know about it in detail further.
Can Birth Control Delay Your Period
Yes! When using certain birth control methods such as the hormonal IUD, the birth control shot or implant, its common not to bleed at all. Others may experience varying levels of spotting throughout the cycle instead.
Oral emergency contraception also known Plan B can also cause your period to be delayed as these pills work by delaying ovulation which in turn can lengthen the menstrual cycle. This may later cause sporadic bleeding as your hormone levels return to normal.
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How To Delay Your Period
This article was medically reviewed by Lacy Windham, MD. Lacy Windham, MD, is a Board-Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist in Cleveland, Tennessee. Dr. Windham attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Her residency was completed at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the recipient of multiple awards during her residency training, including Most Outstanding Resident in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Most Outstanding Resident in Oncology, Most Outstanding Resident Overall, and Special Award in Minimally Invasive Surgery. This article has been viewed 2,800,031 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 people, 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.
How To Regulate Your Menstrual Cycle
There are certain measures that can help to prevent delayed periods and regulate the menstrual cycle, like:
- A healthy lifestyle, with regular physical exercise and a healthy and varied diet, rich in fruits and vegetables
- Taking the contraceptive pill, as it can help to regulate the menstrual cycle
- Avoid extreme or restrictive diets, which, as well as doing harm to your health, end up making your menstrual cycle irregular
- Follow the indicated treatment if you have been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or thyroid disorders
- Maintain a healthy weight.
While these measures help to keep your cycles regular, you should still consult a doctor if you experience irregular periods.
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How To Delay Your Period Naturally Without Pills
So far, the methods dealt with above involved pills. However, if you have reservations about using drugs or your body does not respond well to the drugs, you can still make your period delay naturally using home remedies.
Note: Most of the following methods are based on anecdotal evidence. They may work or not work.
The Beautifying Fullers Earth
Till now, you knew only one use of fuller?s earth. Using it as a face pack along with rose water to give your skin a glow and get rid of blemishes and dark spots or using the mixture as a substitute for soap.
But to your surprise, this wonderful mixture of fuller?s earth and rose water is an ancient treatment used to delay periods. To do this, you need to soak 25 grams of Fuller?s earth in half a liter rose water or normal water for three hours and strain the mixture.
Consume in equal parts four times a day and do this for 6 to 8 days before the actual date of your period. This is a 100 percent natural remedy and hence, there are no side effects to worry about.
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