can i stop my period by skipping the placebo pills for my birth control pills and go straight to my next pack?

Question

My boyfriend is in Iraq and he comes home in less than 2 wks for only 2wks...but he has to visit family too. The time he will be with me is when my period should start so i'm wonderin if there's a way to bypass it by skipping the placebo pills in my pack and go straight to the next pack....I heard that it works but i need to know more info..

Answer 1

I'm in high school, and when one of my friends did that, she didn't have a period for two months. Her doctor told her that was common for people who'd screwed up their schedule, and that it definately WASN'T HEALTHY. I'd just advise using a condom and faking smiles the whole time he's there, but I don't have a PhD in gynocology, so...

Answer 2

Yes you can. Your gynecologist should know you are doing this, however. There are some doctors that might not approve, but my personal experience with my patients who do this for anything from weddings to running marathons is that it is safe and effective (especially given the fact that there are three month pill packs and seasonale patches on the market that do the same thing). When you get to the end of your pack, simply start the next pack and skip your placebo pills. At the end of the second pack you would take the placebo pills the same way, starting a third pack the Sunday after you start your next period. Some women report that their "late" period is heavier or lighter and may take a month or two to normalize - and you may or may not have some spotting for a day or two between packs 1 and 2 because if the decrease and increase in estrogen levels in the pills as you skip the placebo. It is safe to miss a period or two. If you have any concerns and do not want to become pregnant, it would be best to use a condom as well as you transition from one pack to the next. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I'm shocked that a so called "doctor" would say this is ok even though the asker has not indicated which type of pill she is on.

Some pills are designed especially for this, seasonale, seasonique. Others that are "monocyclic" in nature (which means the same amount of estrogen/progesterone in each pill every day, can also be used effectively to try and supress a monthly cycle. ie....yasmin, loestrin, yaz, loestrin 24, femcon, ovcon.

Tricyclic products like Ortho Tricyclen or Tricyclen lo are NOT indicated for continuous use, due to the fact that each week the amount of progestin changes .

By skipping the placebos on a tricyclic you are giving your body more progestin at a time when you should be shedding whatever lining is in the uterine cavity. More progestin will cause the body to bulk up the lining a bit, thus making your possibility of bleeding abnormally week to week in a new pill pack very likely.

Consult with your doctor about this. Most moncyclics are safe to take on a continous basis for a few months, but tricyclic products are not intended for this use.

Answer 4

Yes you can take the pill by skipping the placebos - its apparently recommended not to do it more than 3 months in a row - however dont rely on it keeping your period away - I tried a few times and would bleed when I should be done anyway - then other times I did successfully skip it... Good luck!

Answer 5

right what the others said, dont do it more than 2-3 months because it can cause iron build up or really mess up your cycle or hormone balance, it's fine to have sex during your period but use a condom (& a dark towel) you can use Instead (alternative to tampons) alot of people say it works for having sex during periods....u should always talk to the gyn. before u skip the placebo pill to make sure its safe for you (and when u start, stop, change dose/brand ect.), also some women say their period is heavy and bad cramps then next time so have the midol and pads ready lol- just be cautious and healthy

Answer 6

Do your active pills have the same amount of active hormones in each pill? If not and they mimic your cycle by having different levels of hormones, you can't use them to skip your period. You will need to get a prescription from your doctor for a pill that has the same amount and type of hormones in each pill.

Answer 7

Its absolutely fine to do this from time to time. Many women do it, and skipping the sugar pills works a treat.

Many women are actually given a specific pill that only lets them menstruate 4 times a year. Its not bad for the body as long as you mae sure it doesn't happen too often.

It definitely works, because the pill is actually fooling your body into thinking its pregnant. The sugar pills put an end to that, so if you skip the pills, your body goes right on thinking it needs to retain your uterine lining.

Answer 8

Yes you can. My doc said doing that for one period is just fine (I was going on my first vacation in 8 years). Just throw your placebo pills away and start on next pack.

Doc does not recommend doing this a bunch of times in a row, although there is no indication that it actually causes a problem.

Answer 9

Yes. That works! But don't make a habit of it. I would go ahead and skip the placebo and go on with the next pack - finish that pack and go on as usual. I did that when I got married (wedding night :)) with no ill effects. That is what my doc told me to do. Tell your boyfriend THANK YOU for his service from all of us (even though thank you isn't enough - we really appreciate him!).

Answer 10

Ive done this before and it does work. Try not to do it to often because you are keeping your body on consistent hormones and it does mess with your fertility cycle.

I'm not sure if this is why--but I did this a couple of times for "special occasions" to get out of having my period. Three months later I found myself pregnant while on the pill! So be weary.

Answer 11

I tried that so I would not have a period while I was on vacation......I ended up having break-through bleeding....the ENTIRE 2 weeks, instead of just a few days if I had done it normally! It was HORRIBLE. I would suggest checking with your doctor first, see if you are on the right kind of BC that it would work with, and remember, it doesn't work like that for everyone!