Debate This: Are Drugs That Get Rid Of Your Period Creepy?

DancerNinja
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 09:43 am: [report]

I used the Nuvaring in a fashion that let me not have a period for 8 months. It was, seriously, 8 months of bliss. I agree with Louisa Turandot that it IS more than a minor annoyance. I dread it each and every month.

Many articles I’ve read on the subject also postulate that our bodies aren’t meant to cycle as much as they do now. In human history, women started having kids much younger, typically breast fed, and had more kids, all combining to mean that women did not cycle like this every month for most of their life. So basically, if you hate it as much as I do, what harm can it cause? Judging by what I’ve read, not much. Not much at all.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 09:56 am: [report]

I’d like to see some stats of how young women were getting pregs, how many times, and when death during childbirth happened usually, as well as miscarried. I bet women actually got their periods much less way back when (Aristocracy doesn’t count).

peacock
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 09:59 am: [report]

My doctor explained all of this last time I was in.  She also suggested that a week was an arbitrary time period that doctors came up with, and that most women’s cycles are not that long so to just take 3-4 of the sugar pills if I wanted.  She also said that most women who get migraines might be affected by the week off hormones (I’m one of them).  I went through three months skipping the sugar pills and going straight to the next pack and I got significantly less migraines.

bbpickles
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:00 am: [report]

I have been on some sort of birth control(ortho tri, and the nuva ring) since I was 17. My friends and I have skipped the week of sugar pills and jumped into a new pack when we didn’t want our period since then!  This isn’t a new thing they just “promote” it on T.V. now.

When your normal period lasts 3 days maybe it isn’t a big deal to you, but mine was always at least 5 days! This isn’t JUST 5 days either:

4 days prior- Extreme mood swings, uncontrolled crying at comercials, shoving your face full of anything set in front of you.

5 days of- Cramping, more mood swings, more food, crying, screaming at the bf, more cramps, tampons, pantie liners, no sex, crying because you feel fat, and popping midol every hour on the hour!

3 days after- trying to get rid of all your zits, apologizing to your bf for being a b!tch, starting a new diet to offset all the crap you ate the last week and a half….
And then you have about 1 1/2 weeks of complete normalcy before you start all over again!  Thanks, but no thanks!  I say good riddance to my monthly terror!

Perceptible
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:16 am: [report]

I’ve been on a standard Pill forever. It’s not designed to stop your period but for me it does anyway. The first time it happened I checked with my doc, terrified, and she assured me it was totally fine. It’s been years, I get no period, no PMS, no anything, and I still take a week of the placebos.

This started before I had my son, and as soon as I went off the Pill (after taking it for 8 years), my period came back and I had no trouble getting preggers. After I was done nursing, I went back on the same Pill (Zovia) and BOOM! My period left again. Yay!!! It’s been 6 years more years and I love it.

I also cried when I got my period (at age 12) and with good reason! I used to have 7 to 9 day long periods with cramps so crippling that I spent a day or two in bed every month. My flow was so heavy I felt like I was hemorrhaging. (Sorry for the graphic desc.) For me, the Pill isn’t just birth control, it’s a god-send and a very necessary part of my ability to be functional.

EvilDuckie
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:22 am: [report]

8 days dears. 8 days of Niagara Falls. Though I was lucky, I never got cramps (please don’t hate me). I’ve been on the pill for almost 2 years, and it’s turned my period into a 4 day trickle at most. Most of the time, I don’t even realize that I have it. I would have been glad to get rid of it entirely, but now that I see that the pill I’m on (Loestrin24) makes it so much less of a hassle, I don’t care that it’s not gone completely.

likeOMGkbye
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:25 am: [report]

I’m on seasonele (sp?) and have been for more than a year AND I LOVE IT. As long as I’m on birth control, I will be on this pill. I’ve been on birth control since I was 13 (am now 22) because I used to get it for 10 days on, then 10 days off…talk about HELL.

BUT, I have noticed that since I only get my period every 3 months, the cramps are a lot worse when I do get it. I’m still trying to figure out when I should start popping tylenol so that I can get them under control before I’m in the fetal position crying for 2 days.

Also, after asking my gyno about 14 times if it was safe for me to be on BC for so long, let alone one that blocks my period for 3 months, she assures me that a monthly period is simply not needed when you are on BC, and that it can also help prevent cancer (not sure what the logic/science is, but thats what she said when I frantically asked if being on BC so long would give me cancer) so all that being said, bring on the Seasonele!

Erin G
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:29 am: [report]

Abigail Cusick is wrong. “Getting your period is your body’s way of telling you that all systems are a go and your reproductive system is in tip-top shape” is horrifically incorrect! There are many many women out there (like my best friend) who have her period every month, but are infertile! So much for tip-top shape!

I was on Seasonale back in for the better part of two years. Everything was fine, until I started developing an eating disorder (this was not because of the pill btw). When my body caught up with the fact that I was starving it, it began to give my my period.

Oh and this wasn’t just SOME period, it was the mother of all periods. Smack in the middle of the three months I was supposed to NOT have a period, it began, and didn’t stop for another month an a half. It was hell. About 45 days of bleeding is HELL.

But its what stopped me from maintaining the eating disorder.

axdiva
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:44 am: [report]

My personal experience with Seasonale was horrible.  Granted, not having my period was great, but when I did have my period everyone had better watch out!  I was so roller coaster emotional it wasn’t even funny.

likeOMGkbye
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:53 am: [report]

Aah, see my Seasonale mood swings are actually kind of funny, the first few days of PMS I could give a crap about anything lol, my boyfriend loves it cuz things I would usually get in a tiff about I’m just like “oh who cares, get over it whatever”...then 3 days later I’m crying over a commercial with a sad puppy in it. There’s really only 1 day that I’m a raging bitch, and even then as I’m screaming over nothing I’m thinking “I’m really overreacting right now, there’s no reason to be this mad….” and later that night I’m apologizing for freaking out haha…it helps to realize that you’re completely irrational and have a sense of humor about it

angelspinning
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:55 am: [report]

The problem for me with the bc that stops your period is that many women do end up spotting throughout this time, and I would much rather know when I need to be careful than randomly ruin my underwear.

Also, women who take seasonale etc should have a schedule of pregnancy tests. Many women do become pregnant on the pill (0.01% efficiency is not the actual statistic, it’s just how many should get pregnant if everyone used it perfectly). If you don’t realize it, and you continue taking pills for 3 more months, there is an extraordinarily high chance your child will be severely deformed.

sadie
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:56 am: [report]

I don’t love my period, it’s annoying and messy and cramp-causing but I consider it a minor annoyance, not something I am totally desperate to do away with. I don’t like the idea of taking any kind of pharmaceuticals unless absolutely critical. I do not trust them. They are always yanking things off the market because they realize they cause your liver to grow horns or some #&@$%. I do not trust that there won’t be negative long term ramifications for taking these drugs. Maybe there won’t be, but since I don’t have to take my chances, I am not going to. Plus half their ad time is spent basically telling me side of effects of their product may include death (or as they like to say stroke or heart attack, aka death). I realize they say the whole stroke, heart attack, cancer thing isn’t likely but if it’s a possibility and I can live without it, it’s not for me.

Kathls
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 10:58 am: [report]

@bbpickles:  you summed up every month I’ve had since I was 12!  As my best friend kindly points out, I cry excessively and get uber-emotional around my period.  Not to mention that I took about FOUR total hours of naps yesterday.  I just go completely comatose a couple of days before I start (when I’m not crying that is).  I have an IUD, which I love, because I can’t take the pill for bc purposes.  But I’m half tempted to see if I can keep the iud and take the pill non-stop just to get rid of my periods.  My gyno will probably think I’m nuts.

abbylyn
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 11:36 am: [report]

I’ve been on the pill for 9 years because I suffered debilitating cramps, backaches, nausea and fevers.  All I get now is minor cramping/discomfort - awesome!  And as much as I think it would be kind of nice to do away with the nuisance of it completely, I also kind of like the monthly “hooray I’m not pregnant” mini-party I throw for myself when I get my period.

fallonthecity
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 11:40 am: [report]

I’ve been using the Nuva ring for over two years, took Yaz (when it was Yasmin) before that.  When I’m not on the pill, I get awful, heavy periods accompanied by really painful back cramps—twice a month.  So, screw what is “natural.”  I usually use the rings so that I get a period every other month (because if I go longer than that, I get random spotting, which is annoying) but they’re light and last at most 3 days with no back pain.  That I can handle..

mlyway
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 11:40 am: [report]

I have an ovarian disorder in which I can go for months at a time without a period. According to my doctor, a woman must get at least 4 periods a year for her to still be able to be capable of reproducing. And every time I would get my period, it would be like hell. Lots and lots of blood, excruciating cramps, terrible mood swings, and extreme fatigue. As I have only had a period for a few years, I thought that this was all normal (except that my period was a rare occasion) and that it was all part of the so-called curse. But I began taking medication (although the hormones are not particularly good for me in the long-run)and now I get my period every month. And those terrible, ‘curse-like’ symptoms have gone down significantly. In fact, I am almost happy when I get my period, because I know that I am still fertile and I take it as a part of life. And my doctor explained to me that getting a period once every four months will absolutely be more painful and unbearable because all the blood particles from an unfertilized egg build up because they have not been released frequently enough. So I definitely think it is important to suck it up and deal with it once a month. Plus, all the moodiness and annoyances that come with a period will decrease when you get it once a month.

IrishErin
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 12:29 pm: [report]

What…and give up that sweet moment of “Huzzah! Not pregnant!”? Never.

Pearl
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 12:58 pm: [report]

Okay if Abigail wants to “deal with it”, she can. Thank goodness for freedom of choice. I just started Seasonale, and have been on some form of birth control for seven years. I read in the info packet that when you are on birth control, you don’t get a real period, you get a “pill period.” Your ovaries aren’t releasing an egg, which is why your period is supposed to be lighter, because your body isn’t building up nutrients for the potential fetus. 
I agree with the statement that by using birth control we’re already messing with our hormones. There is absolutely no scientific proof that we must have a period monthly for health purposes. When I’ve been off the pill, I get my period every six weeks. When I used Ortho Tri Cyclen-Lo, I got it every three weeks. Annoying, expensive, way too frequent. So I’d prefer to be on something that will either make my period go away altogether, or at least give it the chance to be on its six week cycle rather than a forced regimented three week cycle.

loveitlala
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:06 pm: [report]

The funny thing is that having a period every month actually tells you NOTHING about the health of your uterus or fertility.  Completely afertile people with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome have periods on the pill.  People who have never ovulated for whatever reason have periods on the pill.  SO… you may get periods but it’s only because you stopped taking progesterone.  That’s it.

loveitlala
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:12 pm: [report]

Oh, and there is NO proof that being pregnant on the pill causes birth defects.  COME ON people, this isn’t written anywhere, so why lie?  The horomones that you take on the pill are the same damn horomones you have when you are pregnant.

writergirl
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:14 pm: [report]

I have endometriosis and I’ve gone through ALL sorts of treatments to avoid having a period.  Part of the reason to avoid the period was to actually preserve my fertility (kinda worked) and spare me the agony that was my period.

Over ten years ago when I was in grad school the doctor had me skip the placebo pills and go straight to the next pack.  So taking the pill continuously is not “new”; it is just a new marketing scheme and they probably upped the co-pay on them compared to getting your three months of Lo’Overal.

My body, unfortunately no longer responds to the pill or patch or any type of birth control like that. (Not uncommon with endo patients—our hormones are already effed up) so I do have my period monthly.  After the last two, I am going to have to go back on some type of med, most likely Lupron shots, to stop it.  I can not WAIT.  I HATE having my period in the summer.  Yuck.

Periods are not medically necessary and whether you are stopping them for medical reasons or annoyance reasons I say any time you have the ability to do so, then do so.

GreenAura
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:20 pm: [report]

Maybe the reason that certain types of female cancers and other diseases are so prevalent in our society is a result of all the drugs we take to alter things that occur naturally within our bodies.  Most of these drugs havent been available publicly for very long and we don’t know what the long term side effects are. Is having your period SO TERRIBLY BAD that you are willing to risk illness and disease just to halt it every now and then?  Our female ancestors are probably turning in their graves, completely bemused by what cry-babies we have become.

Jessalyn
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:20 pm: [report]

@hababaluga - Completely with you on the spotting thing. I’m on about the most basic, low-dose pill you can get. Much reduced mood swings, bloating, etc. but I still have pretty much the same period I did before the pill. So every time I see a commercial for some type of BC that allows you to not have a period every month, I consider it for about 30 seconds…then remember that I hate the idea of not knowing when I’m going to be bleeding and potentially ruining my favorite underwear. Considering that the one time I skipped the week of sugar pills, I only got halfway through my next pack before my body rebelled and started bleeding anyway, I’d almost definitely be one of the unlucky constant spotters. Great concept, but no thanks!

fallenangel915
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:25 pm: [report]

As much as I hate having an 8-9 day long period and being a total boo-hooey, raging bitch the week prior to it, I am even more afraid of what the introduction of more hormones may do to me. At least I know when I’m going to be “out of commission.”

abbylyn
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:28 pm: [report]

@GreenAura: if by SO TERRIBLY BAD you mean debilitating to the point where walking was painful, I was bedridden and missing class/work, running a fever and throwing up every hour or so EVERY MONTH, then yes.  And I don’t even have endometriosis, just bad periods.  I can’t imagine what the women with endometriosis go through on a monthly basis.  Thank god for the miracle of modern medicine.

GreenAura
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:33 pm: [report]

@ abbylyn: sorry, I was generalizing.  I am basically referring to the women who just want to get rid of the “nuisance” of having a period, not to the ones who have serious conditions associated with their periods.

Lynn
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 01:59 pm: [report]

Yep, gotta agree with the gals who say that a period does not at all mean that everything is “in working order.” I have PCOS, and before I got on the pill I could go a year between periods. Now that I’m on it I have them every month, but it does NOT mean that everything is hunky-dory down there. My BCP is a band-aid.

I can’t take Seasonale because I need to have the tri-cyclic kind, but even if I could, I’m not sure that I would. If I did, I’d have to be sure to take a pregnancy test every couple weeks. Because even though periods are annoying, and even though I’m on BCP *and* we use spermacide, I still release a sigh of relief when I see that first drop every month.

@mlyway - Sorry, your doctor is wrong. Plenty of women with PCOS have a period once every year, once every two years, or never, but with clomid or other infertility treatments, they can still conceive.

DancerNinja
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 02:06 pm: [report]

It has also been theorized that cycling as much as we do now [from putting off having children, having fewer children, formula feeding (breast feeding can further stave off period recurrence)] is partially contributing to the rise of hormone dependent cancers.

That was a stupid long sentence.

mlyway
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 02:39 pm: [report]

@Lynn
My doctor could be wrong, but I have been tested for fertility before I went on medications and there was basically a 2% chance of ever being able to get pregnant. I have been diagnosed (by another doctor) with PCOS, but I am sure I have fibroids in addition. I still do not think people should be messing with their hormones in order to have a couple of months that are less stressful and more relaxing.

Lynn
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 03:04 pm: [report]

@mlyway - I wasn’t trying to say that your doctor’s diagnosis or prediction of your own fertility/infertility is wrong, just that I didn’t want anyone else to freak out and say to themselves “omg! I don’t get 4 periods a year, I’ll never have kids!” because I personally know plenty of women who don’t have 4 periods a year naturally and they were still able to have children.

Kati-Anne
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 03:25 pm: [report]

I say if you want to stop your period, do it, if you don’t, don’t. Your body, your choice. Another person’s opinion doesn’t matter as long as you know what you want.
I definitely do not buy into the notion that your period is some kind of litmus test for health and fertility nor do I romanticize menstruation as a beautiful part of ‘womanhood’. Not to be the bringer of scary baby news, but you can continue to get your period through the first of pregnancy.
I had actually never heard of anyone else who cried when they first got their period. I definitely did. While I considered myself lucky because I was a late bloomer and didn’t get mine until I was 14, I proceeded to have 50 day cycles with 11-13 day periods with terrible pain that extended from my ribcage to my knees and everything in between, dizzy spells, and digestive problems every day of my period. I’m on the pill now to control those things and it’s fantastic (my skin is clearer now too). I took a month off the pill twice (it may or may not been because I was to busy to go to the pharmacy… and by busy I may or may not mean lazy) and my skin broke out, I would be on the verge of tears for no reason and my cramps were unbelievable.
While I choose to have my pill period monthly (most of the time) I can understand why other women would choose to avoid it all together.
And for those of you who can deal with your cycle without pharmaceuticals: Awesome. Let’s trade uteruses. Uterus. Uteri? I don’t think I have ever tried to write about the uterus in plural form.

BeeGirl
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 04:58 pm: [report]

Okay, so we know that a period on the pill isn’t a real period. We also know that there is a very small chance that you can get pregnant while on the pill. So my question is, if you actually do get pregnant while you’re on the pill, will you still have a fake pill period even though you’re pregnant? And if you’re on the pill and skipping your period and you get pregnant, how do you know that you’re pregnant if you can’t have the missed period clue?

Second question: What exactly is spotting? Does anyone know why that happens? The first (and only) time I skipped my placebo pills and went into the next pack I ended up having a strange period right in the middle of my active pills that lasted for nearly 2 weeks.

joyy
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 07:09 pm: [report]

@BeeGirl - were you on a bc that was tri-phasic? (ie ortho-tricylen lo?, different color/dose pill each week?).  With tri-phasic, the dose of hormones increases each week.  Then when you stop taking the pills for a week/eat the sugar pills, the level of hormones in your body drops, and that signals your body to have a period (to oversimplify it).

If you are skipping the week off of hormones to eliminate a period but are on triphasic pills, the difference from the highest dose to the lowest dose is usually enough of a drop in hormons to trigger a spotting.  At least that is how I recall it being explained to me by my nurse practicioner in college.

Buhri
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 07:10 pm: [report]

I’m on seasonale and it is wonderful!!! 4 periods ayear is just great, it doesn’t ruin 3 months of my life every year and the lack of cramps is good.

joyy
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 07:12 pm: [report]

Also, I spent nearly the last three years on ortho tricyclen lo.  I absolutley loved the regularity it brought to my periods, down to the time of day I would start bleeding.  However, it made me crazy so I finally said enough, sacked up, and got an IUD.

Smartest.Decision.Ever.  Seriously.  I spotted a little for a week, and while I always thought that would be a raging pain in the ass, it beats the hell out of being insane.  And my nurse practitioner said within 6 months I’ll probably stop getting a period altogether.  They’re just really light right now, which is fine by me.

I don’t get excrutiating symptoms with my cycle, so I’m pretty ambivalent about having one.  But now that I have a super-reliable bc that doesn’t make me crazy, the extra perk is kind of nice.

BeeGirl
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 08:04 pm: [report]

@joyy: Nope, I’m on a normal 28-day pill, Kariva.

landesign
wrote on June 19 2009 @ 08:50 pm: [report]

@GreenAura. Your remarks about female cancers and diseases
seems very logical. Its sad to see all the young ladies in
the infusion room. Research must be done to find out if there is a connection.

JaqAttack
wrote on June 21 2009 @ 08:11 am: [report]

I’m not a hippie earth mother, but as annoying as my period is, there’s just something sort of natural about it.

I think if I were on something that completely took the period away, I would feel like my body was just sort of out of wack. I used to think that maybe I’d really like not having a period, but when I tried it, I could feel my body was different and I didn’t like that.

I guess for me, a week just isn’t too much of a price to feel like my body is normal.

PinkRanger
wrote on June 21 2009 @ 02:53 pm: [report]

I’m with abbylyn irish erin and some others! As much as my period sucks *and it does….* I still get a twinge of giddiness and relief everytime I KNOW I’m not pregnant!

I have anxiety disorders and I stress and obsess about everything, and pregnancy is no exception *I’ve been known to use mulitple forms of birth control to quite the superfluous extent* and if I had to wait three months for my period I know I would spend an absolute fortune on pregnancy tests…..and xanex lol.

Not for me, but more power to the ladies that are embracing these new pills!

develange
wrote on June 21 2009 @ 03:57 pm: [report]

Many thoughts:

I agree with JaqAttack. I feel as though my body would freak if I tried to skip my period. It was bad enough going on/off the pill.

If you only get one pill pack a month, how do you afford to skip placebos? My insurance doesn’t cover getting new pills a week early. . . :(

@PinkRanger: I also get that twinge of giddiness every month.  BUT my most recent gyno told me that if you’re on BC, you still get you’re period if you’re pregnant. Wahn Wahhhhn. Let’s pray that’s not true!!

Getting your period can be an indicator of mental/physical health. For some women, period goes out of whack if they aren’t taking care of their body or they’re going through stressful times. I guess periods just seem “natural” to me (though I know BC isn’t. . .I’m a hypocrite).

bbpickles
wrote on June 21 2009 @ 06:35 pm: [report]

@GreenAura- Have you ever spoken to your doctor about the effects of birth control? My doctor told me that it is a very good idea that I am on birth control because it reduces the risk of some cancers, including breast cancer! My family has a history of both breast and ovarian cancer…..Birth control pills have been available to woman since the 1960’s; If there was an overwhelming connection to the pill and cancer, we would all know it by now!
I hate that every time something new comes up in the medical field, someone has to say it’s probably going to cause cancer!  Come on!

bbpickles
wrote on June 21 2009 @ 06:39 pm: [report]

I found a cute little time line showing the history of B.C., it was prevalent far longer than I thought!!

http://www.gurl.com/findout/guides/articles/0,,703404,00.html

aries3_04
wrote on June 21 2009 @ 07:05 pm: [report]

I’m not a hippie myself either, but lifestyle can make all the difference. This isn’t to say that there are women out there who deal with PCOS, endometriosis, PMDD, and heavy intense cycles - but I have to wonder if extra hormones is worse off than dealing with a week out of a month? I have a period every month and it’s no picnic but exercising, eating, and no smoking alleviates a lot of pains.

plus, I do enjoy knowing that I’m not pregnant

eskim00ninja
wrote on June 21 2009 @ 11:43 pm: [report]

I was on the Depo Shot for a little over a year and didn’t get a period during that time.  Lets just say my Vag and the Sahara had alot in common during those times.  Also, my endometrial lining (which is used to getting sluffed off every month) was just laying in me drying out and cracking.  I had painful sex even w/lube just because that lining was just not being recycled like it was made to.  My DR’s didn’t know what was going on w/ me until huge balls of scabs were falling out of my V.  Besides that it made my bipolar even worse than usual. 

Long story short; I am DONE w/birth control.  I make my husband pull out when I’m ovulating.  Not the trustiest of methods, of course.  It sure beats never wanting to get it on.

sadie
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 06:39 am: [report]

@bbpickles BC pills actually both decrease and increase cancer risks, just different kinds of cancer.  Some studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer. Studies have also shown an increase in the risk of cervical cancer and liver cancer. By their own admission, BC pills increase risk of blood clotting, stroke and heart attack. I am not saying no one should take them. I am saying they aren’t without risk and they aren’t wonder drugs that prevent cancer.

GreenAura
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 08:25 am: [report]

@bbpickles: well, I’m gonna sound like such a jerk, but here goes… it makes NO sense to me that bc would decrease breast cancer risk because bc is a synthetic estrogen hormone that is dispersed into your system monthly (depending on which type of bc used).  Estrogen plays a major role in breast/cervical/ovarian cancers, so I would get a second opinion instead of believing everything your doc tells you.  And again, I’m gonna sound like a jerk, but I wouldn’t believe most doctors out there when it comes to bc (or most newer drugs out there) because they receive a commission based on the # of prescriptions they write.  Don’t believe me?  Ask any medical assistant who deals with the pharmaceutical reps coming in several times a week—Starbucks and lunch in hand for the entire office—to do nothing more than woo the doctors and staff into promoting the latest drug on the market.  And this is an incredibly successful enterprise (aka billion dollar industry) because most people will believe whatever their doc tells them.  If your going to take ANY drug, do your research and decide for yourself.

Perceptible
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 08:47 am: [report]

@greenaura, that’s a good point, dr.s are often persuaded to prescribe some meds, its why they have those free samples to dole out when you start a new BC Rx. But, that doesn’t mean they’re all bad, it’s finding what works for you. I agree that doing your own (unbiased) research is always best!

That said, you can find reports on anything that says it either causes cancer or doesn’t. Reports are often funded by drug companies. Some reports say once you cook pork it’s carcinogenic! Some reports say that well done beef is carcinogenic. I can find convincing “reports” for both sides of the cancer-BC link, either helping to prevent or increasing the odds.

Sill, I have to reiterate that being on BC (for 8 years before pregnancy, and for 5 years since) and not having a period have had ZERO adverse affects for me. My regular gyno checkups have been just fine, no decreased libido, no dryness, everything A-OK. Sometimes different BC pills have different side effects for different women. But skipping your periods (for months or for years) can be just fine for some women. I for one don’t miss it! Not even a tiny bit.

I Go To 11
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 09:41 am: [report]

I have had the Mirena IUD since a few months after having my daughter. By FAR the best BC I’ve ever had. For 4 years I had absolutely no periods, and it was fantastic.

I’m at the end of it now (Mirena’s good for 5 years), and I’ve started getting periods again because the hormones it releases are dropping drastically. These are the worst periods I’ve ever had; it’s not extra days of bleeding or amounts that’s happening. I’m getting menstrual migraines now, which never happened in the past. I can’t wait to get it replaced, because I bet once that happens the menstrual migraines will go away. Luckily, it’s being replaced soon. I can’t wait to have another long stretch without periods; before BC I had horrible, horrible cramps and a long, heavy flow, and now migraines? No thanks. I’ll take the 4-5 years of no-period bliss.

joyy
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 09:47 am: [report]

@1Go To 11 - I’m about 2 months into my first Mirena ... so I’m really glad to get a heads up on a potential change at the end of the 5 years (something my nurse practitioner hasn’t mentioned).  thanks!

I Go To 11
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 10:21 am: [report]

@joyy: You’re welcome! I wasn’t really given a heads-up when I got it, either, so you’re not alone. In fact, I’m having a very hard time finding anything about the winding-down phase online. I wish there were some stats or something that were a bit more easily accessible, because I’d be curious to see them.

yeyejessi
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 02:33 pm: [report]

I didn’t see any posts regarding sexual health.

Birth control in general can put a damper on your libido.

When they discover a hormone free BC that stops your periods AND has no effect on your libido, sign me up!

Until then, I’ll trade a healthy sex life for cramps, mood swings, and niagra falls!

I Go To 11
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 02:41 pm: [report]

@yeyejessi: Maybe it depends on the type of BC and/or the individual’s body, because I still have a strong libido (as my fiance will attest, hehe!)

joyy
wrote on June 22 2009 @ 02:46 pm: [report]

@yeyejessi - the hormone iud (mirena) isn’t “hormone free” but totally doesn’t have the typical side effects of most hormonal bc options (because it doesn’t release the hormones systemically).  try it.  srsly.

Perceptible
wrote on June 23 2009 @ 12:52 pm: [report]

I’m on a standard ole BC pill: no periods, very strong libido, and only $10/mo through insurance. That’s $10 well spent IMHO.

Em.El.E.
wrote on June 23 2009 @ 09:23 pm: [report]

Okay, I have read ALL of your posts and I’m still not sure what I want to do.

I am currently on BC and i have been on it since I was 13 (5 years) because my periods were so bad that i felt like someone was stabbing me in the ovaries. I missed days of school because of my period. It would hurt so bad that i would be throwing up and i couldn’t eat anything for a few days before and right at the beginning.  When i went to my OBGYN he not only hooked me up with the Patch but also some heavy duty pain pills. They worked, but the patch always fell off. So i switched to the regular pill… loestrin maybe? i can never remember. haha well eventually i didn’t need to take the pain pills anymore but i did develop a strange case of lactose-intolerance the week before and of my period. IDK why though- and my doctor doesn’t have an explanation either ( i don’t think that he actually cares). So this year i decided to stop taking the pill, my periods are still long (7-9 days) and painful. The day before i start and the day i start i get really sick and I’m a bitch the day after that. Its always way heavy and i go through SOO MANY Tampons… and they are like the super heavy kind. I can go through an entire big box of them in one cycle.

I am trying to figure out what type of BC would be the best because obviously doing nothing didn’t work and neither did the regular pill.  I do kind of like having a period… just not for so long because i like that feeling of being able to celebrate because i know my eggos aren’t preggo! haha (not that I’m at risk of being preggo anytime soon seeing as how i have been inactive for quite a while.)

Any suggestions ladies? I need some womanly advice.. please.

lachesis
wrote on June 23 2009 @ 10:13 pm: [report]

I started my period when I was nine.
I’ve been having one, on and off, for thirty years since.
They last about 9-15 days, occurring on a ‘random average’ of every 21 - 45 days.
When I was in my teens, they were manageable, in that I never developed PMS/PMDD, it just hurt to wear clothing because I was so “sensitive”.
When I went off the Pill, due to lack of funds and/or insurance some time back, I just “suffered through” each month of debilitating lower back pain that left my legs numb, and largely unable to walk for several days, occasionally coupled with clotting the size of dates. And yes, I’ve re/explained all this to numerous doctors.
I have never had children, and as I am nearing the onset of early menopause (as it runs in my family), I notice it getting worse, and am considering riding out the “last years” on some sort of medication, so I can at least cope with the back surgery I had last year (unrelated, but it doesn’t help the pain). As with the previous poster, if anyone has any USEFUL information as to what would be effective at my stage, that would be great (though I moreso was posting to weigh in on my shared experience of the ‘virtues’ of being a woman). I have worked in the health industry, and can say with some certainty that there are no conclusive tests producing evidence of medical necessity to have a period, though I myself was not the person running said tests. in any event, I thought both sides were presented equally in a compelling manner, and enjoyed reading.

sadie
wrote on June 24 2009 @ 08:53 am: [report]

@Em.El.E.  I’d get a new doc, especially if you don’t think your doc cares about your health problems. You might also want to look into homeopathic/diet related treatments if the pill is not working. I know a woman who had cramps like you’re describing who was able to change her diet to alleviate a lot of her menstrual issues. Sorry, I can’t remember what she changed to resolve the issue other than cutting caffeine, but I know there were some other things she did too. You might be able to get advice on it from a homeopathic specialist.

carofiro
wrote on June 24 2009 @ 11:24 pm: [report]

I use the Nuvaring.  It is fantastic because you can just replace a new one (after 4 weeks) without a week off. It is much lower hormones than most pills because it gives a constant stream instead of up and down with the daily pill.  I am a mess when I get my period, all the bc does is make it a lighter period.  I still get the terrible bloating, cramps, back pain and gastrointestinal stuff. To the person who said they were lactose intolerant, perhaps you have a tipped uterus?  I have one and it pushes on my lower GI giving me ALL SORTS OF TROUBLE while I have my period.  Prostaglandins that build up during your period cause all sorts of nasty inflammation down there and wreak havoc.

The BEST thing that I noticed not having my period is my iron level.  I seriously would be rejected for donation blood or plasma every once and a while, but now that I only have 4 periods a year, I never get rejected, even though I am also vegetarian now!  There is no reason to have a monthly period unless you can’t get away with it.  I know lots of people who tried and they just spot all the time, which was more annoying than something regular.  I highly encourage the Ring because its low dose, you literally can’t forget to take it and its easy to skip your period.

Stephie
wrote on June 25 2009 @ 07:33 am: [report]

I’m one of those lucky people whose periods only last three days, I almost never have cramps or any other physical maladies, and my periods are at least 30 days apart. Part of that may be genetic, but I think diet and exercise has a lot to do with it too. The downside in my experience, however, is that I always have depression, anxiety, and random crying spells that begin soon after I ovulate. I’ve tried three types of birth control: two different bc pills and the Nuvaring. I liked the Nuvaring best, but the emotional side-effects still weren’t worth it. Birth control made my “periods” longer, it caused weight gain, but most of all, birth control EXACERBATED my depression and anxiety to the point that I couldn’t function. Both types of pills (low-dose mind you)were especially bad. My neck would get so stiff from anxiety for no reason that I couldn’t move it sometimes, and I had never felt so depressed in my life. Nothing could make me happy while I was on that stuff. I think it has to do with the way the synthetic hormones affect levels of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin. I don’t know, but I was emotionally miserable, and I wish to never ever go through that again. So, furthermore, I don’t think there is a right or wrong choice on this - unless it’s proven that birth control can cause long-term negative health effects. I think this is definitely individualistic. For women like me, Aunt Flow is no problem, she brings me peace of mind, and the slight high gained from the decrease of hormones/knowing you’re not preggo makes up for a few days of moderate bleeding. On the other hand, if you have a hard time with your periods and birth control doesn’t render you an emotional wreck, then more power to you for skipping the process altogether.

CraftLass
wrote on June 25 2009 @ 09:29 am: [report]

I LOVE the idea, in theory, of skipping periods, but it’s pretty clear that each woman has her own experience.  I can’t take hormones myself due to unrelated medical issues, but most of my friends have taken some form of hormonal BC and shared WAY too many details of it.

My old roommate got a shot (Depo, I believe?) and skipped a bunch of periods that way.  Her experience was miserable, she literally had cramps (sometimes debillitating) from the end of her first month on it until she finally got her period months later.  She had lots of other PMS symptoms as well, it was pretty freaky sometimes and I felt terrible for her.

Another woman I knew got her period (I don’t know what she was on) after a few months of staving it off with BC and it kept going for about 50 days, super-heavy the whole time (she ran through about 12 super-heavy tampons a day and STILL had stained panties!).  She had full-blown PMS symptoms and exhaustion from it.

OTOH, the three other women I know who have taken something that skips periods are thrilled and have had no side effects.  THOSE gals I’m fairly jealous of.

We’re all made up so differently it’s really hard to figure out your best option from random stories like these.  Yet, they are good to share, because the quicker a woman can spot any complications from drugs the quicker she can work with her doctor to find a better solution.

I have also known several women who had periods almost or even ALL the way through pregnancy, so it’s not exactly a perfect indicator of lack of fetus.  And, yes, women who can’t possibly conceive or carry do get periods, it’s no indicator of fertility except that a lack of a period without artificial cause in a women who has always had one is a pretty good sign something is wrong inside you and you are unlikely to get pregnant, such as in anorexic women who no longer get one due to malnutrition.  The best that any of us can do is pay careful attention to our bodies and work with our doctors to find the best solution.

If your doctor doesn’t care about what is happening to your body, find a new one right away!  Dismissing women’s complaints is rampant in medicine but there are plenty of docs that really do care and listen and it’s well worth the effort to try as many as you must to find one for yourself.

Gingee
wrote on June 25 2009 @ 10:08 am: [report]

Not at all.  Some gals get headaches, or cramps, and any drug that can stop that pain is a good thing.

If it makes you feel better, go for it, ladies.

With that out of the way, I must say that I would miss having periods for one reason:  The joy.  I get a high that is better than any man-made drug.  The best sex I’ve ever had can’t compete with that high.

There are no words to describe it, but people, this is what LIFE is about: That feeling of absolute power and well-being.

Gingee