Woman Stuff -- never have menses again

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Maryann, it is okay to still have sexual intercourse while taking the one weeks worth of sugar pills. The sugar pills are there to give your body a break from hormones for a week, which in turn allows your period to start in the first place. If you continue taking the hormone pills and skip the sugar pills, most women will not experience a period that month. The sugar pills allow your body’s hormone levels to drop just enough to jump start your period, but the level still remains high enough to prevent conception.

Of course, while on the sugar pills, most women are experiencing (or suffering, as the case can be) their menstrual cycle. If you choose to still engage in vaginal intercourse during this time, that is entirely up to you (and your partner of course)

22

**If a woman is certain, absolutely certain, that she does not want to bear anymore children, I’d suggest a partial hysterectomy, removing the uterus only.
**

Doesn’t that have side effects of its own? I had heard that hysterectomies can remove a woman’s ability to orgasm (the type that orginates near the cervix. I have no idea if it would affect clittoral orgasms). Or is it the full hysterectomy that affects orgasms?

I’m currently on the pill because I have irregular hormone cyles. I could go months at times without a period. When I would have a period the blood was a dried blood color and had strong acrid smell. Apparently my body was incapable of reabsorbing the blood. I’d get tender (not cramps) in my midriff during the period, which I suspect was the sign of an infection or irritation. As annoying as menses are, they are a far cry better than what I had before.

Before considering skipping periods, make sure you learn what happens to the blood and if there’d be increase chance of infections.

23

Remember, we all react differently to medications no matter the prescription.

Personally I handled The Pill very well when on it, and it was Ortho-Novem 3? or something like that.

If a woman is on the pill and generally reacts well to it, chances are because of the hormonal effects from the dozens of sites I have gone through today, she can handle a straight dosage because of the hormonal effects.

Also, as we age our body chemistry changes so what used to work 10 years ago may not work today. As a woman, as a person, you have to know those things that you react strongly to.

I am having a weird reaction to my Wellbutrin which is making it very difficult for me to think clearly. This makes me to believe that I should reconsider seeing a psychiatrist to get back on my ritalin which has been a tried and true medication for me in the past. But my body’s chemistry may have changed so it’s hard to know.

It is most important that each woman understand the possible side effects of hormonal drugs she is on. There are no freebies when it comes to medication of any kind, homeopathic or prescription.

Personally, if I can get back on my ritalin and back on contraceptive pills that will eliminate my period all together, I am all for it and I am willing to put up with the risks.

BTW, I do have high blood pressure in the family and even though my last doc visit was suggesting I am headed along that road of high blood pressure, I am willing to assess and accept those risks from what I have read so far and experienced in the past.

24

I forgot to add a key thing: The thought of taking out a part of my God-given anatomy scares the hell out of me. I would rather have my tubes cauterized and take pills to get rid of the monthly hell I endure.

Hysterectomies (sp?) even partial, is pretty radical in my view and given the potential side effects of that, I would prefer not to, it is not reversable.

At least with The Pill, you can quit taking it and hopefully assume that things are or will get better. With radical surgeries of that nature, there are too many risks.

I am a big wuss and hate even getting a shot so the most I would consider is tubal ligation.

Just a POV from my side of this news I heard today.

Any kind of surgery scares the hell out of me, if there is a pill to cure it, even with side effects, I would much rather endure that than have to go through surgery.

25

I’m glad someone else brought this up. Gladwell’s article in The New Yorker was fascinating (as is usually the case with his stuff). I was particularly surprised to find that the main reason for preserving the menstrual cycle in the original design of the pill was the belief on the part of the devoutly Catholic doctor who developed it that this would allow the Catholic church to approve of its use.

26

This is the title of a book I heard about a few months ago, haven’t seen it anywhere so I haven’t read it but it sure got me thinking. There are a few quotes and thoughts in this thread that strike me as relevant: the point that women used to live for a much shorter time and also bear so many more children than nowadays, meaning that menses just isn’t as useful as it used to be: and secondly the important question (yet to be answered) of WHERE DOES THE BLOOD GO?

I have been on the birth control pill (triphasic) since winter of 95 when I was 20 years old. After a good year of absolutely no sex drive and a few months of several weird illnesses, I had had enough. None of my illnesses actually resulted from my being on the pill, but of course each time I got sick that was the first thing we had to rule out. It got really frustrating that after that length of time, we were unable to separate my body’s reactions from the pill’s side effects.

Of course, the sex drive thing was a huge problem too! For a full year, I seriously had no interest in sex whatsoever. My husband was none too pleased as you can imagine. Finally, in March of this year, I went off the pill. We were never sure that the Pill was in fact causing my low sex drive, but now that I am off it, I can tell you things have really turned around!

So this is another issue to consider: if you ladies do plan to “take the pill fulltime” you should be prepared for the possible death of your sex drive. By the way, not everyone believes that this is possible: my doctor flat-out denied it, and insisted that I simply needed to lose weight (!!). Anyway, obviously this doesn’t happen to everyone on the Pill, but it’s worth some consideration, don’t you think?

27

I’m surprised that your doctor outright denied that such a connection was possible. It’s listed on my BC insert among possible side effects. I’ve been on the pill for about 14 years, first tri-phasic and then all the same, and never had any problems, but obviously everyone’s reaction to any given med is individual. I’m just amazed that your doctor would tell you something so blatantly erroneous. Is he still your doctor?

28

I’ve been taking depo-provera for almost 2 years now, and it’s been heavenly! I needed 800mg of codeine (100 at a time) and an antidepressant, compazine, to control vomiting during that week. Nothing helped the migraines. Since depo, I’ve only 1 period, no pain or agony!

I would recommend depo-provera to almost anyone, with one caveat - if you want kids, you should wait at least 6-9 months after being off depo before attempting to become pregnant. Some women who get preggers right way away have birth defects. So if you’re planning on children soon, you should probably hold off.

The New Yorker article was fascinating, I was also intrigued by the various people working on pills that don’t require periods.

I’m not sure why any of this is considered “messing around with nature” to a greater degree than hysterectomies (!) or pills that force your body to 28 day cycle (which may be the average, but is not the natural cycle for many of us.) Since there’s no medical reason why we need a period every 28 days precisely, why not pick a more convenient time, say 90 days, or even 180. Or why not skip it all as bad joke?

As for the whole “where does the blood go” thing - we’re not walking around with bags of blood in side us. There is no “blood” to go anywhere. The tissue of the uterine lining remains intact and doesn’t dissolve. And it’s no more unhealthy than what happens when a breastfeeding woman doesn’t have a period. (In fact, it’s the same thing, from a practical standpoint.)

On the contrary, preliminary studies cited in the links above suggest that the constant creation of a new lining each month, as well as the monthly swelling of breast tissue, accounts for the higher incidences of breast and uterine cancer in countries where the pill is commonly used (since more cell division = more chances for a dangerous mutation).

In other words, rather than being healthy and natural, the monthly period forced by common pills might be more dangerous than yearly periods.

The important thing, I guess, is to find the option that’s best for you. And if you want periods every 28 days, (shrug) ok. But the only “natural” option is to skip BC altogether and just take whatever your body gives you.

29

Since we’re on the subject…
Does anyone know of any medications/herbal remedies that regulate your period, but are not contraceptive?? My sister (normally) gets her period for weeks at a time, sometimes only getting a break for one week in 3 or 4 months. Her gyno put her on the pill (not sure which one), but now she’s getting married soon, and wants to have a family. She stopped the pill 4 or 5 months ago, and hasn’t had her period even start yet.
So, how is it possible for her to ever have kids?? If she stays off the pill, she can’t have sex, and probably not kids; but if she continues the pill (or anything that regulates her period), she can’t have kids either.
I feel so bad for her… :frowning:

30

’ My regular gynecologist’s partner sniffily informed me…’

Cute.
Hey, periods are important for proper bone density! If you don’t have them, be sure to get your bone density checked.