No matter how predicable your period is, there are times
when you dread it.
In the middle of a long-planned vacation? Check.
A crucial athletic match, exams, or your prom? Check, check,
and check.
There are multiple ways to stop your period -- for weeks,
months, or even years -- by using birth control. Doctors call this menstrual
suppression. Some methods are more effective than others for a long-term pause.
But for most women, menstrual suppression is low-risk.
Of course, planning around events isn’t the only reason
you’d want to stop your periods. For some, monthly cycles come with heavy
bleeding, severe pain, or migraines. Others have medical issues like
endometriosis, bleeding disorders, or anemia.
Still others want to skip their periods just because.
How It’s Done
Stopping your period relies on birth control methods that
use hormones. These methods include:
The pill
Certain intrauterine devices (IUDs)
Vaginal rings
Patches
Shots
Implants
No method eliminates your period completely. And all carry
the potential for breakthrough bleeding, the unpredictable bleeding between
your periods.
Pills: Combination birth control pills (COCs) are the most
widely used method for pausing your cycle. They have two hormones and typically
come in a pack of 28 -- 21 days of hormone-containing pills and some placebo,
or inactive, pills.
To stop your period, you’d start a new pack of
hormone-containing pills after 21 days and keep taking them until you’re ready
to have your period.
Amethyst is the first birth control pill approved by the FDA
for continuous use. It provides a low-dose hormone combination that can be
taken for 365 days without placebo pills.
Drawbacks? Remembering to take a daily pill may be tough for
some. The risks associated with continuous use of COCs are the same as regular
use -- a slight possibility of blood clots and stroke. Chances of those are
higher in women who smoke, are older than 35, or have high blood pressure.
The IUD: Adding the hormone progestin to an IUD helps treat
heavy menstrual bleeding. About half of women who use a hormone-containing IUD
stop having periods 6 months after it’s put in. For another 25%, periods happen
less often, but don’t stop. The hormone-containing IUD can stay in place and
work for 3 to 5 years, depending on the brand. The upside to IUDs is you don’t
have to remember to do anything daily or monthly.
Patches and vaginal rings: These work like birth control
pills, with 21 days on their dual hormones and 7 days off. The 2-inch patch
goes on your stomach, bottom, back, or upper arm. To pause your period, you’d
attach another hormone-containing patch after 21 days. There is some evidence
that long-term patch use may put you at greater risk for deep vein clots (VTE).
Vaginal rings are flexible plastic devices that contain the
same hormones as combination birth control pills. To stop your period, you
would leave the ring in place for 3 weeks, then replace it with a new one.
Vaginal rings provide steadier doses of hormones than birth control patches or
pills.
A special type of vaginal ring, called segesterone acetate
(Annovera), can be left in for up to a year. If that seems more your style, ask
your doctor about it.
It’s important to know that the vaginal ring also slightly
raises your chances of toxic shock syndrome. In more cases, women have
discharge, discomfort, and mild irritation when using the vaginal ring.
Shots: Birth control shots are one of the most effective ways
to stop your period.
At first, you may have a lot of bleeding. This eventually
goes away, and the shots do a good job of stopping your period. Nearly 75% of
women have no periods after a year of use, although breakthrough bleeding is
very common.
Birth control shots are taken every 90 days. Many women may
not want or have time to visit the doctor that many times per year. Weight gain
is a side effect of this method. Potential bone loss is possible too, although
it’s reversible once you stop getting the shots.
Implants: These consist only of the hormone progestin. A thin
rod is placed under the skin on the inside of your upper arm. It lasts for up
to 3 years. Like an IUD, there’s nothing to remember to do. Implants ease the
bleeding that happens during your period. But they completely stop periods in
less than 25% of those who have them. Implants are the least effective method
for stopping your cycle.
Which Way Is Right for Me?
If you want to cut down on the number of periods you have
per year, then experts suggest standard birth control pills, patches, or the
vaginal ring. To stop your period long-term, birth control shots, long-term
pills, and the IUD typically work best. Speak with your doctor about it. You’ll
work together to figure out which method is best for you.
(Web MD)
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