POLL FOR THE LADIES: 4 Times a Year
 

On another listserve, it was mentioned that there is a BC pill that would cause your menstrual cycle to only come 4 times a year. http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmili...re/mdance2.gifhttp://www.handykult.de/plaudersmili...re/mdance2.gifhttp://www.handykult.de/plaudersmili...re/mdance2.gif

I will look for an article to post with the name of the pill so we can discuss in a more enlightened manner, but let us at least get a general idea for now.


POLL QUESTION: Would you take a birth control pill that also reduced your monthly cycle to 4 months a year?

Let me just say, I would in a heartbeat. I really do believe that there should be a switch that is flipped on and off when you are ready to begin procreating. I have been acquainted with Aunt Flo since the 7th grade and I think she deserves a vacation from coming to visit so daggone often.

CT4
~20 more years of dealing with Aunt Flo :(

Heck yeah, as long as there are no complications such as an extra heavy flow during those 4 months :eek: .

Exactly, a friend of mine got the shot, and she was on her period for the entire three months that the shot was supposed to take effect. :eek: Now, that's birth control in itself.

If this shot or pill has no complications then it would be a wonderful thing, and we can get off of it when we what to have a child.

I agree. I would take it in a heartbeat. I've already done away with the normal pill that you take everyday.

Re: POLL FOR THE LADIES: 4 Times a Year
 

I'd read about this last year and I would do it in a heartbeat!!!!!

Most definitely, I'd take a pill like that. Believe it or not, I started at 10 years old and I have always had the WORST cramps. I can always feel them coming and most times I'll take off school or work. I was on Ortho just so I wouldn't be in so much pain and to lessen the flow.

I've got to hear about the side effects, but I would more than likely give it a try.

I started at 9 and had to go on BC at 15 just to control the cramping. I am interested in the patch, but a period four times a year sounds REALLY good, barring any ridiculous side effects.

Where did you all get the article about this? Please share..

Are you kidding me?
 

I'd be glad to, this is coming from someone who's had fibroid surgery and has suffered from discomfort for almost 25 years with the situation.:o

Not a chance!
 

I would not take a pill that stops my cycle for that long. I'm sure there are not enough tests done on that yet -- and you see what happened with hormone-replacement therapy. Let it the cycle come once a month, use a condom for birth control and go from there.

Re: Not a chance!
 

I agree. I'm scared what it may do to me in the long term.

Friend read it in the September issue of Heart and Soul. I don't get it. Does anyone here get it? Can you scan it for us so we can read?

Re: Re: Not a chance!
 

Exactly! I will just deal with the little monthly bastid until menopause I guess.:D :rolleyes:

I would consider doing it once I knew what the health risks are. Just think of how much money you would save in a year if you didn't have to buy as many pads, tampons, midol,etc.. I've read about women who don't have periods at all by just taking their active BC pills and skipping the inactive pills so their cycle would not start. Has anyone else heard about that?
________
Lesbian girl

Yes, it happens to my girlfriend. something to do with her body and the amount of estrogen in the pills.

But ladies, I will say this, I had a scare about 1 year ago. I didn't have my cycle for 6 months. Didn't know what was wrong with me. thought it was the food, work stress, just stress period. Went to the OBGYN and they ran every test possible and still nothing. They pricked, poked, snipped and cut me to pieces, and still found nothing.

For what ever reason, my body went on strike. But it wasn't good for me. I had so much estrogen built up in my it was dangerous for my health. I HAD to get on bc just to kick start it and now it's free flowing..so..on second thought..I'm not so sure about only having a cycle 4 times a year. kinda scary.

I agree..we need more information on this pill.

Yup, when I switched from Ortho to the Nuvaring my doctor told me that if I didn't take it out at the regular time that I could have my monthly when I wanted. She said she wasn't supposed to tell me, but did in case I had any "special" occasions coming up.

I would be interested because I have had all the children I'm gonna have and as long as it is safe, I'm all for it.

yes i would. i'm going to gain weight right?

I would take it too....I tried BC for to lessen my flow and it did nothing. I mean, not all the BC out there, but the ones I tried did nothing but made me really sick or made the flow heavier. I hope this one would be better and without the side effects.

My sister only has 6 periods a year. I think its a fluke in the fallopian tubes because while releasing the egg they are suppose to take turns. I keep telling her that one of her tubes is broken, but shoot she is lucky in a way. Maybe one day she will listen to me and go to the doctor. :rolleyes:

Q

Yes, I have so that I wouldn't "start" during a vacation. I know many brides to be will take the pill for about a month or two around the time of their wedding to avoid "Aunt Flo" interupting thier wedding and honeymoon.

What a coincidence!!
 

I was up early and NBC today had a story on this pill called Seasonale. (as in seasonal periods). Studies were done, and the dr they interviewed urged all women who are considering this pill to talk with their dr. Basically, this pill has a three month active cycle versus the typical three week cycle, similar to women staying on the active pills longer.

But as evidenced by recent stories about BC, I would need more information. I like the idea of a Seasonal period, but I have no serious gynecological issues to think about.

Here's a link to an article on ivillage.com

http://www.ivillagehealth.com/condit...0502-1,00.html

It lists the benefits as well as what some would call the drawbacks to taking Seasonale

After reading the article, I am even more CONVINCED that I want Seasonale and I want it NOW!! Is there a pre-order or sign-up list that a sista can get on? I want them the very day that they hit the market.

I am sooooooooooooo ready to pop this pill.:cool: :D :) :cool:

i would definitely wait until long term studies are conducted. what if there are side effects such as difficulty conceiving after being on it for a certain amount of time. that scares me.

this kind of reminds me of lasik surgery--a lot of people jumped the gun right at the beginning and didn't wait for long term tests. now it is so much more advanced and some people have irreversable damage. (not that that's a direct comparison---just the first thing i thought of)

but if it turns out that this pill is a wonderpill---you can sign me up!

Sounds like a good idea, except for the fact that I had to stop taking the pill because I could NEVER remember to take it. So I switched to the Nuvaring myself(LOVE IT). Can they make it in the form of the ring? That would just make my life...

Yes, Yes, Yes!!!!!
 

I'm in the process of getting this pill now. My OB/GYN recommended the birth control patch (which I love!!!). But, with the patch you have to replace it every week for 3 weeks and you get a period on the 4th week. I want the pill because I like the idea of having a period 4 times a year. The only thing that I want to know is how much will it cost??? And is it covered under most insurance plans. When and if I get the pill I will keep everybody posted on my progress!!!!!

Little-known fact (from my OB/GYN): there is NOTHING NEW in the Seasonale pill except packaging and marketing. You can do this with ANY mono-phasic birth control. Constant-dose pill, patch, or Nuvaring. Just start a new cycle every three weeks instead of every four, and boom, no period. Whenever you want to have one, just put the one-week break back in. I currently do this with Nuvaring.

There is a good argument to be made that not having periods is actually MORE natural than having them, not less. We are not supposed to be fertile and nonpregnant for years on end. We are supposed to spend our childbearing years either pregnant or nursing, with a period once every two or three years when we wean a baby. That's what our bodies are designed for. Being on a constant-dose BC is actually closer to that norm than having periods every month.

Ivy

Call me a coward because I am scared to try this. I hate my cycles too! But I think I would sacrifice and suffer through them anyway.

If my cycles were very bad on BC, I'd be all for it. Despite my concerns about weight gain and clots, I started BC two years ago because I could no longer handle having a cycle once every two years naturally. My GYN prescribed Provera because it had been so long since the last cycle, and it lasted for 10 days (I called out at least twice)! At least now, the cycles are tolerable, and I know when they're coming!

This all sounds very interesting, but I think I will stick with my patch...even though it's not the prettiest sight on black women :eek:

Tune to 20/20 on ABC right now!

I agree. I do this with my pills now. I move when my cycle starts based on vacations, special occasions, etc. I typically do every other month instead of every three. I ma a much happier camper that way.

I have also read articles speculating that this may help in the fight against breast cancer. Rates of breast cancer are higher in women who do not have kids before thirty. Part of the theory is that we are being exposed to different levels of certain hormones because we are not suspending our cycles due to child birth and nursing. This method will reduce the number of cycles and make it more similar to that "norm" you described. This is all very early on in the theory stage but interesting none the less.

When I go on vacation, I do manipulate my period so I won't get it. One time I didn't take the placebo pills and started a new pack. The first day on the new pack, I felt sick and had spotting. When I got back home from vacation, I stopped taking the pills because I felt I needed to have a period. After stopping the pills, I felt better. Do you feel sick when starting a new pack?

Pills Rendering Menstrual Period Optional


Excerpt:

Thanks to birth control pills and other hormonal contraceptives, a growing number of women are taking the path chosen by 22-year-old Stephanie Sardinha.

She hasn't had a period since she was 17.

"It's really one of the best things I've ever done," she says.

A college student and retail worker in Lisbon Falls, Maine, Sardinha uses Nuvaring, a vaginal contraceptive ring. After the hormones run out in three weeks, she replaces the ring right away instead of following instructions to leave the ring out for a week to allow bleeding. She says it has been great for her marriage, preventing monthly crankiness and improving her sex life.

"I would never go back," said Sardinha, who got the idea from her aunt, a nurse practitioner.

Using the pill or other contraceptives to block periods is becoming more popular, particularly among young women and those entering menopause, doctors say.

"I have a ton of young girls in college who are doing this," says Dr. Mindy Wiser-Estin, a gynecologist in Little Silver, N.J., who did it herself for years. "There's no reason you need a period."

Such medical jury-rigging soon will be unnecessary. Already, the Seasonale birth control pill limits periods to four a year. The first continuous-use birth control pill, Lybrel, likely will soon be on the U.S. market and drug companies are lining up other ways to limit or eliminate the period.

Most doctors say they don't think suppressing menstruation is riskier than regular long-term birth control use, and one survey found a majority have prescribed contraception to prevent periods. Women have been using the pill for nearly half a century without significant problems, but some doctors want more research on long-term use.

The new methods should be popular. A non-scientific Web survey for the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals found at least two-thirds of respondents are bothered by fatigue, heavy bleeding, "really bad cramps" and even anger. Nearly half said they would like to have no period at all or decide when to have one.

That just doesn't seem...natural. :(

CT4 you know my cousin Donna would have stroke if I did some mess like this, lol. I'm going to send her this article.

She will faint and cleanse your chakras post haste. LOL

As much as I dread that week from Hades...I'd miss it if it were gone. Maybe I'm lucky but something about my cycle makes me feel like a woman. Not that I enjoy the cramping, flipping out on poor honey-do and crying for no reason, but it's a weird kind of love.

Definitely NOT for me...as much I don't like coming on my period, I'm not going to block it from coming. As quick as it comes it goes..

I wonder, since you're not releasing eggs as you should, will this prolong your time until you hit menopause?? I am under the (possibly wrong) impression that menopause happens when you release your last egg, and therefore no longer have a menstrual cycle. Would never having your period cause your body to store those eggs longer?? This is so confusing and very unnatural!:confused: