This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 4:47 pm and is filed under Women's Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Information on popular complementary and alternative medical topics
Welcome to our look into the world health.
WOMEN’S BODIES: QUESTIONS ABOUT ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILL
Can the Pill be taken continuously?
Yes, and some women choose to take the Pill this way when they realise that the only purpose of the week off is to produce a withdrawal bleed. A scheme that was successfully tried in Scotland is 12 weeks (four 21-day packs) of hormones followed by a week off. This results in four withdrawal bleeds per year instead of the usual 13, and reduces the frequency of symptoms that some women experience during the Pill-free week, such as headaches.
Is missing the break between cycles harmful?
Almost certainly not. However, because all studies on safety of the Pill have been done on women taking a week off after each 21 days of hormones, it’s impossible to give an absolute ‘No’ to this question. In theory ill effects are extremely unlikely. Some women have reported spotting or a feeling of bloatedness after some months without a break.
Can you use the Pill to time bleeding?
Yes. If you want to miss or postpone bleeding so that it doesn’t coincide with a sporting or other event in your plans, just go on to the next pack without taking the week off or the dummy tablets. This is straightforward if you’re taking a monophasic Pill. However, if your Pill is biphasic or triphasic, you must go on in the next pack with the same-coloured hormone pills as those that you were taking at the end of the last pack. (If you take the dummies or lower-dose -different-coloured – tablets at the beginning of a triphasic or biphasic cycle, bleeding will occur.) Stop the Pill 24-72 hours before it’s convenient to have your withdrawal bleed. Start a new pack within seven days (it doesn’t matter if it’s less than seven) and put aside the part-used pack as ‘spares’.
If you manipulate withdrawal bleeds in this way, the important thing to remember is never to have more than seven days’ break from the hormone tablets.
Why can’t all women take the Pill?
Oral contraceptives can aggravate some conditions. Your doctor will take a full health history before prescribing the Pill. Other methods of contraception will probably be suggested if you have or have had any of the following:
• high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, blood clot in the lung or leg
• acute or chronic liver disease •jaundice or severe skin itching during previous pregnancy
• certain types of cancer
• abnormal vaginal bleeding of unknown cause (though the Pill may be used to treat certain types of irregular bleeding after diagnosis)
• severe diabetes
• certain types of migraine
• systemic lupus erythematosus Non-hormonal contraception may be advised if you’re a heavy smoker.
If surgery is planned, ask your doctor whether you should stop the Pill beforehand. If you have emergency surgery, make sure that your doctor or the hospital bows that you’re taking oral contraceptives. The combined Pill should not be used during breast-feeding, but the mini-Pill may be used.
In some conditions the Pill may be less effective. These include:
• certain chronic bowel disorders that may reduce absorption of the hormones
• illnesses such as epilepsy and tuberculosis and some fungal skin conditions, which need treatment with drugs that can reduce the effectiveness of the Pill.
*103/31/5*
RelatedPosts:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.