<p>Recently there have been lots of articles about women using birth control to regulate or even get rid of their periods. I would love to do that, but i'm very worried about the long term side effects of doing it. Lately there have been studies connecting breast cancer to extra estrogen...and who knows what causes ovarian cancer. I was just wondering what people thought of using birth control to control/limit your periods. also the article said that back int eh stone ages women had maybe 40 periods in their life, now the average woman has 500+...so is it unhealthy to take birthdontrol in order to have two or three periods a year (or none at all for that matter)</p>
<p>iIwas on birth control for my periods. For a while I was on the one where it just regulates them monthly and then I switched to the one where you only have it like four times a year. It really varies between each person. In terms of short term effects I lost a lot of my hair and gained weight (so I went off it) but my sister on the other hand loves it. I'm not really sure about the long term effects, they seem to come out with something new every month. Hope this helps some.</p>
<p>Just as principle, I would be very wary of taking anything that is involved in hormones, especially with all of the new disorders being discovered related to hormones and such, various cancers, etc.</p>
<p>I think you should find a good gyn and ask her/him about the various possibilities with your health history. New BC medications have come out in the past few years that are much less potent than earlier doses, yet have many of the positive benefits. Only a doctor can know if this would be right for you.</p>
<p>my family totally wouldnt go for it, so its out of the question for a while. My mom is totally against messing with hormones, but i was just wondering because it would be so nice not to have to deal with cramps and the like monthly. I've heard that is causes significat weight gain though-which is obviously off-putting (if thats a word) anyways...i'm wary of anything that reconfigures our body's hormones just because of all the things out there that come out of nowhere that we cant find a clear cause for. like all the cancers out there, who knows what causes them, and i guess there arent enough long term studies out there to know for sure. also ive heard that when you do want to have a baby (down the road), it makes it a lot harder to conceive. But again who knows what the cause for anything is...I hate how medicine just isnt keeping up with all the diseases (and in general "bad things") out there.</p>
<p>women using birth control to regulate or even get rid of their periods.</p>
<p>= bad idea, as with many things that attempt to mess with one of the body's natural cycles/functions, especially one so strong as a menstrual period. Talk to your gynecologist if you're really thinking you would like that, but I still think it wouldn't be the best of ideas.</p>
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I switched to the one where you only have it like four times a year
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<p>Wow, I didn't know there was such a pill being prescribed. Throughout middle school and high school there were several periods (no pun intended) when I'd only get mine every 3 months because of skipping meals too much and stress. It has since become more regular, but I can't help but think that purposely having it only 4 times a year sounds very convenient.</p>
<p>haha, i bet the guys are completely weirded out if they're reading this thread. anyway, the same thing happened to me mosby. it was mostly because i play tennis so much and other stress probably. oh well, i dont miss it when its gone.</p>
<p>btw, i read in a doctor's article that not getting you period regularly (without bc of course) can mean you're stressed (mentally & physically), infertile, unhealthy, or have early signs of typhoid cancer.</p>
<p>My fiancee got the shot (Deprovera) and her periods were cut down to barely twice a year.</p>
<p>I used to be on birth control to regulate my periods (which was recommended by my ob-gyn), but i got really bad migraines (caused from too much estrogen), so my doctor switched me to this stuff called Ortho Micronor, which DOESN'T HAVE ANY ESTROGEN, so no more migraines for me... it's also a 28-day pill (rather than a 21-day pill like most, where you take 7 days off for your period), which means that some women get their period after 21 days, and some don't. Just a thought. And about the Depo-Provera shot, I had a friend get it and she gained a lot of weight. Plus, you can only take it for under 2 years, and it can be expensive (depending on where you get it).</p>
<p>As for coqui's remark, if you're a teenager and your period is irregular, THAT'S NORMAL! It'll even itself out, unless you have one of the problems that coqui mentioned.</p>
<p>So, good luck, but remember that it IS risky (but it's worth it if you have really irregular or painful periods).</p>
<p>im on ortho tricyclen low. Beach3... ur talkin about seasonale. I was wanting to go on that too but i went on ortho because it's proven to clear your skin which i needed. but when i get engaged i will probably use seasonale so i can plan my wedding date around my period :D. Honestly i reccommend b.c. to everyone. My only complaint is that before bcp's i didnt have cramps during my periods... just horrible backpain. Now that i have taken them, my backpain went away but now i have horrible cramps. It only lasts 2 days though <em>the cramps</em> so i just fill up on Midol maximum strength. My periods are like clockwork.. 5 days to the dot. Plus i used to soak a super in a half hour on my first day so this really lightened everything.</p>
<p>Everything causes cancer.</p>
<p>I only get my period every three or four or eight months unless I'm on BC. Handy. The patch sucks, though. BOO.</p>
<p>I really want Seasonale.</p>
<p>Also, there are a ton of POTENTIAL nasty side effects, but it varies hugely from person to person. I had zero problems and I didn't even gain weight. Also, my face cleared up.</p>
<p>yeah, i dont think i would ever actually get on bc unless i needed it-'m scared that i'll screw myself over down the road. I'm interested in other's opinions/experiences with bc though...none of my friends are on it, so i'm kinda unaware.</p>
<p>i wanted to take it...just the relief of less periods!...but i have a bf and my mom would totally freak if i even mentioned that i wanted to go on birth control. she would think it's for some other reason...</p>
<p>yeah that would be my reasoning...but having a bf does make parents more suspicious-esp Indian parents its ridiculous</p>
<p>Yeah, I'm just starting to think of how to ask my parents...................anything I should know? How did/would you guys do it?</p>
<p>will birth control lessen the intensity of your periods, specifically PMS?</p>
<p>to elaborate, every month or so I spend a few glorious days completely low and on the edge of tears and freaking out for no reason. and then my period starts and I spend a couple days feeling like I got kicked in the guts. it's not fun explaining to a (male) supervisor what's going on.</p>
<p>if birth control could lessen the intensity and pain, even making my period occur less, then I would be quite pleased.</p>
<p>Morada- I'm in the same bind. Apparently it can do what you're asking, but not for everybody. It also helps more the longer you've used it. I read somewhere that it can give you mood swings even after its taken away your PMS (although how they told the difference between PMS and mood swings I have no idea) But it has a good success rate with things like easing cramps and lightening periods. Google some news articles on it, specifically the brand of BC called Seasonale, but there might be something newer I haven't heard about.</p>
<p>Right now, I'm on the shot Depo Provera. It's similar to Seasonale in that you only have to get a new one 4 times a year. However, it's a shot so, you get it once every three months and then you don't have to worry about it, and I'm pretty sure you don't get your period (I think it depends on the person). It's 99% effective when used correctly, and it's almost impossible to use it incorrectly (because you don't have to take a pill every day). The only drawbacks I've noticed is that the shot really hurts, and when it starts to wear off (towards the end of the three months), you get some breakthrough bleeding. I've also noticed that I've been a little more depressed sometimes. Otherwise, it's so nice not to have to worry about anything (in perspective).</p>
<p>I've been on bc since 7th grade ( I started in 5th) because i could barely even get out of bed my cramps were so bad, and I would just cry for 3days straight. i actually take a muscle relaxer for the cramps, and i have to take bc so that my period is regular, and i don't take extra muscle relaxer. bc can make you gain weight so you need to have a reason, but my doctor has never warned me about any serious side effects.</p>