ending the cycle.
November 13, 2010 11:59 AM Subscribe
can i end my birth control pill pack early in order to start my period?
i know that you can skip your period by going onto the next pill because i have done it, but are there any negative issues with ending your birth control pill pack early (by that i mean, say you are two weeks into your birth control pill pack and want to stop taking the pills before the last week of pills) so you can get started on your period? has anyone ever done this?
i know that you can skip your period by going onto the next pill because i have done it, but are there any negative issues with ending your birth control pill pack early (by that i mean, say you are two weeks into your birth control pill pack and want to stop taking the pills before the last week of pills) so you can get started on your period? has anyone ever done this?
decathecting is right, though. You've asked what the negative issues would be in ending your birth control early, and a lack of contraceptive protection would be the biggest one. You have contraception protection during your placebo week normally because of the cumulative effects of three weeks of hormones in your system; in this case you wouldn't (and I'd venture to say that you'd likely need back-up protection up to seven days after starting your pill again, as you would when you begin using the pill for the first time).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:20 PM on November 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:20 PM on November 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
a) the answer depends on what type of pill you have (e.g. monophasic or triphasic).
b) this is a question that your doctor can answer very, very easily
posted by brainmouse at 12:20 PM on November 13, 2010
b) this is a question that your doctor can answer very, very easily
posted by brainmouse at 12:20 PM on November 13, 2010
Oh, and you won't necessarily get your period right away, if you had a "period" two weeks ago. When I stopped the pill in the middle of a pack, it wasn't until near my normal cycle date that I had another period. Spotting is far more likely.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:21 PM on November 13, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:21 PM on November 13, 2010
Best answer: I apologize, you asked whether there were "any negative issues," so I named a negative issue I was aware of. I assumed that you were taking the birth control pills as birth control, and I know that many women take them for other reasons.
Yes, if you stop taking your pills, you are likely to begin bleeding within a few days. (It's not actually a period, because you haven't ovulated that month. If you're taking the pill, you never get a period, you just bleed.) You will also no longer reap the birth controlling effects of the as-directed usage of the pills, but if that doesn't matter to you or you have backup birth control, ignore my last comment. You may also not bleed in the manner you're used to. Duration may be longer or shorter (could be normal, could be one day, could be 15 days), flow may be heavier or lighter. It all depends on how your body interacts with your hormones. But my experience has been that yes, within a few days, you will bleed, in some manner.
posted by decathecting at 12:22 PM on November 13, 2010
Yes, if you stop taking your pills, you are likely to begin bleeding within a few days. (It's not actually a period, because you haven't ovulated that month. If you're taking the pill, you never get a period, you just bleed.) You will also no longer reap the birth controlling effects of the as-directed usage of the pills, but if that doesn't matter to you or you have backup birth control, ignore my last comment. You may also not bleed in the manner you're used to. Duration may be longer or shorter (could be normal, could be one day, could be 15 days), flow may be heavier or lighter. It all depends on how your body interacts with your hormones. But my experience has been that yes, within a few days, you will bleed, in some manner.
posted by decathecting at 12:22 PM on November 13, 2010
Response by poster: then i should clarify that i am asking this in terms of adjusting when i get my period as i would if i went straight to another pack of pills to skip my period. at 38, i'm aware of how i can get pregnant—or not, given my age and the fact that my partner has had a vasectomy.
posted by violetk at 12:23 PM on November 13, 2010
posted by violetk at 12:23 PM on November 13, 2010
Response by poster: sorry if i am coming off short. just cranky this dark and cold morning.
posted by violetk at 12:26 PM on November 13, 2010
posted by violetk at 12:26 PM on November 13, 2010
Did you use the pill as-directed during your last cycle--that is, did you skip your placebos and go straight to the next pack--or did you take them, and have a withdrawal bleed "period" like you normally do? Again, when I've stopped taking the pill mid-cycle after taking it as-directed, I didn't have my period again until day 28 of my cycle, which was normal for me when on the pill. I don't know if my hormonal reaction is normal or not; ymmv.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:27 PM on November 13, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:27 PM on November 13, 2010
Response by poster: yes, i used the last pack as directed. i usually take the 3 weeks of hormone pills and skip the last week of placebos. i then started on this pack after the "placebo" week. i just wanted to know whether i could readjust when i would get my period (or bleed, as dacethecting has pointed out) in this manner rather than skip my period as i have in the past.
posted by violetk at 12:33 PM on November 13, 2010
posted by violetk at 12:33 PM on November 13, 2010
It depends on the pill. If you want to change your menstruation schedule, just call your clinic and they'll tell you what to expect based on the type of pill you're on.
(Not to nitpick, but there's no difference between "a period" and "bleeding." The shedding of one's uterine lining is the shedding of one's uterine lining; the nomenclature is the same whether ovulation occurred or not.)
posted by goblinbox at 1:51 PM on November 13, 2010
(Not to nitpick, but there's no difference between "a period" and "bleeding." The shedding of one's uterine lining is the shedding of one's uterine lining; the nomenclature is the same whether ovulation occurred or not.)
posted by goblinbox at 1:51 PM on November 13, 2010
You also might just spot for a week or two, instead of having a proper cycle.
posted by barnone at 2:12 PM on November 13, 2010
posted by barnone at 2:12 PM on November 13, 2010
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posted by elpea at 12:01 PM on November 13, 2010