Many women who want to avoid pregnancy or who, for some medical reason, need the use of contraceptive pills may have among their doubts if it is possible to delay menstrual while taking the medications. Not always the absence of menstruation is related to pregnancy or menopause, and the truth is that this can also be related to the way you take birth control pills.
The answer to your question is yes, it is possible to delay menstruation by taking oral contraceptives; If you want to know-how and solve all your doubts, we invite you to continue reading this article by FastlyHealabout “can you delay your period with contraceptive pills?”.
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How Birth Control Pills Work
Many people believe that birth control pills are intended only for contraception. However, this is not entirely true.
First, within the generalities about combined oral contraceptives (COCs), you should know that they are made up of 2 hormones: estrogen and progestin. The latter is the synthetic form of progesterone. They can come together or just progestin.
Indeed, its use prevents ovulation, the natural mechanism by which a woman releases a mature egg ready to be fertilized by sperm after unprotected sexual intercourse. This impediment is possible thanks to the hormonal changes that occur in the body after administering these synthetic hormones.
Birth control pills are also used to:
- Treat menstrual cramps.
- Treat acne.
- Treat premenstrual syndrome.
- Treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Treat endometriosis.
- Treat the absence of menstruation.
- Treat heavy periods.
There are many medicinal purposes for which contraceptive pills can be indicated. At this point, it is normal for you to ask yourself: “what are the side effects of taking oral contraceptives?”. You can discover them all in the article Side effects of birth control pills.
How to delay your period with contraceptives
Each woman experiences menstruation differently. For some, it is usually something that they live entirely naturally, and for others, it is a great annoyance and so much so that they want to reduce their menstrual bleeding and even avoid or delay them.
As a general rule, contraceptive pills try to get the period every 28 days. There are hormonal-loaded contraceptive pills for 21 days and seven days of placebo or rest and medications with hormonal load for 24 days and four days of placebo.
You should know that the most common are oral contraceptives that contain pills for 21 consecutive days with hormonal load and seven days off without medication or with placebo pills. It is precisely at the time of rest or without hormonal limitation when the endometrium stops receiving the stimulus and begins to flake, or the period occurs.
With contraceptive pills, you can delay the period in the following way: you can lengthen the days of taking the medications with hormonal load precisely to delay the arrival of menstruation. Instead of taking 21 or 24 pills with the hormonal bag, you can take them for 28 or 31 days and then take a 4 or 7 days break.
The same happens if you want to advance your period with the pill. In this case, it is suggested to take the contraceptive pill for 14 days and then take a 7-day break. It is precisely at the time of rest when the endometrium will begin to peel off, and menstruation will appear.
There are many options to delay menstruation by taking birth control pills. There are even regimens with all active tablets for 3 months and up to 1 year, with a 1-week break, which may be placebo or lower doses of estrogen.
In some countries, what is known as continuous cycle contraceptive pills are available, specially designed to extend the time when menstruation arrives. The intakes are continued for 84 days of hormonal load and seven days of rest or placebo, in which the following rule is expected. Among them are Jolessa, Quasense, Camrose, Rivelsa, and Amethyst.
Are there other methods to delay menstruation?
In fact, in addition to the contraceptive pill, other methods on the market can delay the period. However, a prior medical evaluation is essential if you want to postpone menstruation due to a particular situation.
- The vaginal ring is one of those other methods, you can extend its use up to 3 days, and with it, the rule is delayed. If you want this period to be longer, it is advisable to remove that ring and immediately place a new one for as long as possible.
- The contraceptive patch works the same way. Remove the one you have and put on a new one for as long as you want to delay your period. In this case, the maximum time will be one week after the 3 hours you were wearing the previous one. After this, you must remove it and rest for one week.
It is essential that if you want to do this, your doctor is aware, as there are likely to be other side effects, such as unpredictable light bleeding.
Frequent doubts about taking birth control pills
Next, we answer some of the most frequent questions about how to take birth control pills:
Does my uterus get engorged if my period is delayed with birth control pills?
Your uterus will not become engorged if your period is delayed with ACOs. Remember that these activities, in addition, so that the endometrium does not thicken as much as it would normally. That is why the moment your menstruation arrives, it will occur more lightly.
Is it easy to conceive after taking birth control pills?
Yes, indeed, it is easy to conceive after stopping oral contraceptives. It is estimated that two weeks after stopping the pill, ovulation occurs. It can take up to 2 months for ovulation cycles to re-regulate in some cases.
Can my period not return if I stop taking contraceptives?
Yes, this effect is possible and is known as post-pill amenorrhea, in which it may take a while for the body to resume the natural production of estrogen and progesterone. If, in a period of 3 months of suspending the taking of ACO, your menstruation does not arrive, go to the specialist immediately.
At what point can I stop taking birth control pills?
You can stop taking contraceptive pills from the moment you want to. It is not necessary to finish a cycle to stop them.
Can I gain weight if I take birth control pills?
No, what can make you believe that you are gaining weight is the fluid retention that occurs after taking ACO, especially in areas of the body such as hips, thighs, and breasts.
Whatever the reason you need to delay your period, a medical evaluation is essential. The gynecologist must determine whether it is appropriate to extend the use of contraceptive pills to delay menstruation or to use some other effective method.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can the period be delayed with birth control pills? We recommend that you enter our Sexuality category.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.