How Should I Fix My Body Menstrual Clock?

May 25, 2010 10:34 PM

I had to delay my period by a week, so I started the next pack of Loestrin. Now a week has passed - can I go back to last month's placebos?

I realize the usual response is to direct me to finishing the month, but I am starting to feel really bloated and hormonal, and my skin is breaking out for the first time in a year, and I feel like a good period would do me some good. Could I take off a week, and then finish the remaining three weeks in this pack or something?

posted by howgenerica to health & fitness (7 answers total)

Can you call your doctor's office and ask? Or call the pharmacy where you fill your prescription?
posted by lunasol at 10:52 PM on May 25, 2010

I would not do it without consulting your doctor... it seems like it would mess with your hormones too much.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:14 PM on May 25, 2010

I've done that before without problems - delaying it just a little bit longer. You'll probably be fine, but I agree that the wisest thing is to check with your doctor.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 12:00 AM on May 26, 2010

It sounds like your plan would be to take a week off, then take the remaining two weeks in this month's pack, then take another placebo week? I don't think there's any problem with taking the first week off because you've had four weeks of active pills to supress ovulation, but it might put you at risk of pregnancy during the last placebo week because you didn't take a full three weeks of active pills beforehand.
posted by yarly at 2:05 AM on May 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

It is perfectly fine to go back to last month's placebo pills now. For future reference, this is because Loestrin is a monophasic pill, meaning that all of the active pills are the same -- 21 days of active pills or 28 days... not a big difference. However, you should be sure to take a full three weeks of active pills after that before you take any more placebo pills -- meaning you'll need to break into another pack early. It's probably worth having an "emergency pack" around that you can take pills out of as needed so that you can eventually get back to starting and ending your cycle with the same pack of pills (if that makes sense).
posted by telegraph at 4:58 AM on May 26, 2010

Just to clarify, never take less than 3 weeks of active pills.

You can add on pills but you can't take away pills. If you find you like a longer cycle, you can always do that -- in fact, I regularly took four weeks of active pills (giving me a five week cycle). I had to get my doctor to write my script for 14 packs in a year instead of 12, but she was fine with that.

So It's OK go back to last month's placebos (and have a period/withdrawal bleed). But after that, start a new pack. Keep those extra two weeks of active pills around for the next time you want to delay your period.
posted by devinemissk at 5:38 AM on May 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

It's generally fine just to skip a period entirely. So, you might consider not having one at all and just carrying on through to the end of your current pack.
posted by stoneweaver at 10:31 AM on May 26, 2010