May 25, 2007, Newsletter Issue #114: Putting off your period

Tip of the Week

It is true that many women have been successfully able to manipulate the timing of their menstrual period, some even skip menstruation altogether.

They often continue to take the birth control pills and skip the placebos - so that they are on the pill the entire month. It is not recommended that women skip their period every month but there is no evidence that occasionally postponing - causes serious damage.

Please consult your doctor before attempting to postpone your period!

It is important to be aware of the side effects that may occur.

Side effects -
*There are many women who have experienced break through bleeding - in the first few months or the entire time they attempt to stop their period - This may happen at anytime - anywhere - so best to be prepared in case this happens to you.

*Difficulty in detecting certain conditions, such as thyroid problems or uterine fibroids, since abnormal menstrual flow is a symptom. (Although regular check-ups would detect these problems.)

*Many women use their menstrual period as a confirmation that they are not pregnant. Birth Control pills are not 100% effective, and having a withdrawal bleed once every four weeks is a reassuring sign that a woman is (probably) not pregnant.

*All the normal side effects of being on "the pill" such as stated in the information packet about the particular brand you are taking.

*Birth Control pills also offer no protection from Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD´s) - so be aware and and be smart about protection during sex.

A new pill called Seasonale is currently being tested in the hope that it will receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval within the next few years. The hormones in this drug are similar to many current oral contraceptives. It´ll provide progesterone and estrogen, but will be packaged to provide 84 consecutive days of hormones followed by seven days off. This equates to four periods a year and will help eliminate the confusion that some women experience when trying to stop their period with regular birth control pills.

Until definitive data regarding menstrual suppression becomes available, women considering this method are encouraged to learn as much as possible about it and to speak with their health care providers before attempting to adjust their menstrual cycle on their own.

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