Temporarily Stopping Your Period With Other Types Of Contraception
The pill isnt the only type of contraception that has an effect on your period most hormonal methods may change your flow in some way either by making it lighter, heavier, or even stopping it altogether. This may happen after a few months while your body adjusts to the new hormones. That means these methods are more of a long-term option, rather than a way to delay your period for that pool party next week.
The hormonal IUD, the contraceptive implant and the contraceptive injection tend to be the ones that are most likely to stop your period completely while you use them. Just be mindful that everyone responds in a unique way to each type of contraceptive method so its best to check with your doctor.
Can You Stop Or Shorten Your Period
Many women may want to shorten their periods or stop them altogether because they experience painful periods. If your pain is so bad that it stops you from completing normal daily tasks then you dont have to live with it, you can talk to your GP about your period symptoms. They may be able to offer you advice and treatment to help relieve your symptoms. There are many ways that you can skip, shorten or stop your periods, whether you chose to take medication or try a more natural way.
How To Stop Your Period Early
This article was co-authored by Rebecca Levy-Gantt, MPT, DO. Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist running a private practice based in Napa, California. Dr. Levy-Gantt specializes in menopause, peri-menopause and hormonal management, including bio-Identical and compounded hormone treatments and alternative treatments. She is also a Nationally Certified Menopause Practitioner and is on the national listing of physicians who specialize in menopausal management. She received a Masters of Physical Therapy from Boston University and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 70 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 5,798,716 times.
There are ways to shorten, lighten, or even stop your period, depending on your needs. Always consult your doctor first, but if you want some ideas to try, read on.
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How Long Does It Take For Birth Control To Stop Your Period
Okay, so if some types of birth control can delay or prevent a visit from Aunt Flo, how long do you need to be on it before you see a change in your period? According to Dr. Walsh, most hormonal contraception methods take two to three months to work entirely in terms of bleeding modification. So, with that in mind, its important to plan and prepare if you want to use birth control to reduce, regulate, or delay menstrual bleeding.
Using The Pill To Stop Your Period From Coming
If you regularly take the combined pill, you usually either take a break in between packets or take placebo pills for the last week of your packet. During this time you may experience some withdrawal bleeding, which feels and looks very similar to menstruation. Though not technically a period, you can delay this flow by either starting a new pack immediately after you finish one or by skipping your last week of placebo pills and starting a new pack.
If youre thinking about using the combined pill to delay your period, then its important to consult a medical professional before you go ahead. That way you can ensure that its safe for your particular body, and that its possible with the type of pill you take.
Also keep in mind that breakthrough bleeding or spotting might still happen when taking back-to-back pills. Our bodies react differently to hormones, so even though this method may delay your period , there is still no absolute guarantee that you wont see a few drops of blood in your underwear. This means you may want to keep some liners at hand, just in case!
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When To Use Menstrual Suppression
You may want to avoid menstruating during a vacation, athletic competition or another important personal event. There are now oral contraceptive pills on the market that offer the ability to suppress menstruation. These pills are intended to change a woman’s bleeding pattern to produce either no periods or just four periods a year , instead of a dozen.
Menstrual suppression products are chemically identical to traditional oral contraceptive pills. The active tablets contain a combination of levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol. The difference lies in the way a woman takes the pills. The traditional OCP is taken for 21 days, followed by 7 days of placebo pills. Seasonale and Seasonique are taken for 84 days consecutively, followed by 7 days of placebo pills. In both cases, while the woman is taking the placebo pills, she gets her period.* Lybrel uses the same hormones, in a slightly lower dose, with no change in hormone dose throughout the year. Lybrel is designed to produce no periods at all.
How To Stop Menstrual Period Temporarily
In this modern living, time is money and there are some women who are interested to delay, skip, or stop their menstrual period temporarily. This idea can help boost the productivity since you dont have to experience some menstrual symptoms that sometime can be very bothersome. How to do it safely?
The benefits of stopping your period temporarily
Getting regular period is so expected when you are trying to get a pregnancy easier with your partner.
But due to certain reasons, some women are interest to skip it. For instance, when you have a special event such as vacation, honeymoon, athletic event, or an exam for your graduation you may want to delay your period in order to make sure that you can do and enjoy these events optimally.
This idea might also be worth considering if you have one or some of the following conditions:
In addition, it may also help reduce the use of pain relievers or hygiene products this means you can save more money.
Is it safe enough?
These drawbacks may include:
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Does The Mini Pill Stop Periods
The mini pill or progesterone-only pill is taken every day and generally stops periods. Light bleeding, known as âspottingâ, may happen when taking the mini-pill. Because the mini pill stops bleeds for a majority of women, there isnât usually a requirement to stop periods in those using this form of contraception. However, some women still do have bleeds with the mini pill.
With the progestogen-only contraceptive pill, you cannot delay your period by changing the way you take your tablets. If you take the mini pill and experience bleeding, you may be able to change to the combined contraceptive pill temporarily, or, you can stop taking the pill and use norethisterone. If you are considering any of these options, remember that you may need to make the switch a few weeks in advance.
Consume Lots Of Vitamin C
Taking a diet that is rich in vitamin C will help in reducing the amounts of progesterone hormone present in the body. When this occurs, it assists in breaking down uterine lining much faster, which translates to a reduced length of your menstrual cycle.
The home remedy can also be used in easing discomforts associated with the menstruation.
Vitamin C has also been known to assist your body to absorb more iron, as well as strengthen your blood vessels.
- You have to try and incorporate more foods that are rich in vitamin C into your diet. Some of the best vitamin C sources include papayas, lemons, peas, oranges, tomatoes, bell peppers, grapefruits, dark leafy greens, berries, broccoli, and kiwi.
- Vitamin C may also be taken as a supplement, but this should only occur after consultations with your primary health care provider. Overdosing on vitamin C supplements may lead to side effects like insomnia, stomach upsets, and diarrhea.
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Lets Face It Mother Nature Doesnt Always Have The Best Timing Whether Youre Going On Holiday To The Pool Or Just Want To Stop Your Flow For A Night: Sometimes The Start Of Your Cycle Is Bound To Clash With An Important Event And While There Is No On/off Button For Our Period There Are Some Ways That May Help You To Delay It
Although periods are normal, the truth is that they can be an inconvenience, especially when youve got big plans. If alternatives like period pants or tampons just wont cut it, you might be relieved to find out that stopping a period or technically delaying it is definitely possible . Lets have a look!
Do Natural Methods Work
There is little research to support any claims that natural methods, such as apple cider vinegar, can cause a person to delay or skip their period.
If a person is opposed to using hormonal methods to delay their period, using a menstrual cup may be an alternative. This does not delay a period, but it can prevent any leakage without using tampons or sanitary pads.
Menstrual cups fit over the cervix and collect the menstrual flow, allowing people to participate in a range of day-to-day activities without changing menstrual products as frequently.
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Follow A Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle that involves following a well-balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight is also important to prevent heavy flow and regulate your menstrual cycle . Obese women are at an increased risk of heavy flow. Hence, managing your weight is a step closer to a regular menstrual cycle in which the blood flow stops sooner than usual.
Can You Stop Your Period Once Its Started
Can norethisterone stop a period once itâs started? Unfortunately, it is not possible to stop your period once it starts. This is because the shedding process of your uterus lining has already started due to a drop in progesterone levels. This leads to the bleeding that occurs during a period.
So, norethisterone cannot stop your period once it starts. Similarly, taking your combined contraceptive pills once you begin bleeding wonât stop your period once itâs started. In fact, there are no pills to stop menstruation immediately.
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Who Can You Ask If You Think Your Period Is Different Because Of Covid
If you notice that your period is different due to having COVID-19 or receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, its important not to panic. Its likely that your normal menstrual patterns will return in the coming weeks.
However, if menstrual changes dont go away, there are various resources that you can turn to for help. These include:
- a healthcare professional
Why Its Not Possible To Stop A Period That Has Already Started
It isnt possible to stop a period that has already started because the shedding process in the lining of the uterus has already started due to low levels of estrogen and progesterone. Once these hormones decrease, the internal lining of the uterus sheds and leads to the bleeding that occurs during a period.
Read Also: How To Know If Your Starting Your Period
How To Stop Your Period For A Day Or Night
You can stop your period for a day or night, by taking norethisterone tablets, starting 3 days before you expect your period to start. Remember, it is important to start 3 days before your expected onset of period, in order for period delay tablets to work. Even if you want to stop your period for one day, which happens to fall around the same time as your period, you will need to be prepared and take the pills three days before your period is due.
Alternatively, you can take the combined pill but you must be prepared to miss out on the interval free week and take 2 packets back-to-back. Both methods will temporarily stop your period.
How Do No Period Birth Control Pills Work
Planned Parenthood, an advocacy group, says that combination birth control pill packs tend to come with 21 active pills and 7 placebo pills. That means youll take hormone-containing pills for 3 weeks and placebo pills for the final week each month.
That final week is when youd traditionally have withdrawal bleeding. But if you carry on taking the hormone-containing or active pills continually, youll skip the bleeding part.
Why? Because the drop in hormones triggers the body to release blood and mucus from the uterus lining. This is similar to a regular period, except the uterus lining doesnt thicken each month.
If theres no change in hormone levels, 2008 research shows that the body will continue as it is. However, spotting, or light bleeding, can still occur in some people.
While you can opt for an extended or continuous schedule with any combination pill, some pills also have few or no placebo options.
And these options are specifically designed for fewer or zero periods.
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Pills To Stop Your Period
The good news is that there are pills that can safely stop your periods temporarily. There are two ways of doing this. You can use the period delay tablet called norethisterone, or you can take 2 packets of the combined pill back-to-back. These methods do not guarantee to delay your period but they do have a high success rate for suppressing menstrual cycles. How well they work in delaying periods varies from woman to woman.
Letâs take a look at these 2 options in more detail.
Myth #: Periods Attract Sharks
Sharks have really good senses of smell, so they pick up on more than just blood in the water.
They also sense urine and other bodily fluids which they arent into that will deter even the most curious shark from trying to make you an afternoon snack.
Still worried? There isnt any research to suggest that periods increase the likelihood of a shark attack, so you really are in the clear.
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Are There Any Natural Methods That Work To Delay Your Period
You may have heard somewhere on the internet that there are a few natural or homemade methods that can help you delay your periodbut our experts agree that this is not the way to go.
“If you search online, you’ll likely read about natural ways to delay your period, like consuming gram lentils, gelatin, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or even green bean water a few days to a week before your period,” said Dr. Horton. “However, none of these methods are scientifically proven to work because drinking or eating special foods does not alter the hormones involved in regulating your period. They can, however, affect your teeth, gums, mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal tract if taken in excessive amounts.”
Other suspected remedies like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium can help to relieve cramps and reduce your flow if you’ve already started your period, but they won’t prevent it altogether.
Ultimately, if you’re looking to temporarily pause your period, you are able to do so in a safe and effective way. But, as always, if you have any concerns or are unsure about which method to go for, talk to your healthcare provider to determine the best path for your individual situation.
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.
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What Does A Period Feel Like
Some women will have pain in their belly . This can be a crampy pain or just a mild ache. You may have lower backache on its own or with the pain in your belly. The pain can often be stronger on the first day or two of your period and will vary in strength and severity from one women to another. Some women also have a headache or feel very tired just before their period arrives or on the first day. Mood changes, teariness and easily losing your temper can sometimes be an indicator that you are getting your period, this is referred to as premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual tension . For some women this can be so overwhelming that they are unable to go about their normal lives. Any symptoms that you find hard to manage should be investigated with your GP.
Many women have no symptoms at all. It is not uncommon for women to notice that they have their period only after they have gone to the toilet and found that there is blood on their underpants or on their toilet paper.
Even without overwhelming symptoms, some women still find it comforting to simply take time out when they get their period, and cuddle up with a hot water bottle.
Adolescent girls and women can both experience skin changes and pimples with their periods.