Suppressing Menstruation?

[Alyssa]

After close to a year of waiting, I finally had my appointment with Vanderbilt yesterday. Didn't learn anything new, just once again confirmed my diagnosis of POTS and NCS. At this point I have exhausted most medications primarily due to allergic reactions to them.

The doctor I saw mentioned starting medication used to suppress your menstruation since I get so sick during it.

Has anyone gone through this? After being on here for close to a year, I dont remember any posts about it.

[westernmass]

I'm sorry you are struggling.

I didn't do this intentionally, but three years ago got the mirena iud, which after about four months ended up totally suppressing menstruation for me. I believe this is common on mirena.

I am not sure if this helps or hurts. I do think I still "cycle" but with no actual period. I have been considering trying something more normal- but no idea. Did your doctor recommend suppressing menstuation?

[roxie]

For a while I did, at the time it didn't help but I also wasnt doing it bc of POTS per say. I was 14 and had a very large ruptured ovarian cyst that bled like crazy. Since I was 14 the dr who did the surgery thought it'd be wise to surpress my ovaries for a while and try to reset them. For some reason I ended up having a period every two weeks like clock work. I only lasted 4 months on itl

I really don't know if it was my age & now years later it'd be different?

[corina]

i have a Mirena iud too and am very happy with it. It does totally surpress my menstruation as well which for me is good news. You could talk this over with your doctor and decide what would work best for you. Good luck!

[kayjay]

mayo clinic put me on kariva (BCP), I was told to take it for three months in a row and toss the "inactive" pills. i think it helped.

[Katybug]

I'm on Depo Provera shots and I am much better on them than off. My body can't handle estrogen it seems. We tried doing the same thing with Nuvaring and I was still sicker for at least a week every month even though I didn't get a period.

[Kellysavedbygrace]

So glad you asked this question.

I was having pretty severe anemia following a really heavy blood flow after each period so my GYN put me on Lo Loestrin FE 4 months ago. It definitely helps with my anemia and hypovolemia but now that I have almost no blood loss I imagine this isn't normal and it can't be good for the body to chemically supress the period. Does anyone know what problems/if any this can cause?

[Kellysavedbygrace]

Oh I should add that other than improvement w the monthly anemia and hypovolemia my POTS symptoms are unchanged.

[Alyssa]

Thanks for some insight. My doctor suggested it, but I told her the idea was a bit unsettling and I wanted to think it over. I can't help but wonder of this is a wise decision at only 22. Could it cause problems with fertility later on?

[Libby]

There's no medical proof that you need to have your period every month. At least none that I've seen. The people who first marketed birth control thought women would be more receptive to it if it mimicked their normal cycle, which is why it's 3 weeks on and 1 week off. And, actually, women who are on hormonal birth control DON'T have a period. They have withdrawal bleeding, a reaction to the cessation of the hormones, which isn't the same thing.

The long term health perk that I know of is that it drastically reduces a woman's chance of developing ovarian cancer. Something like 60% if you're on hormonal BC continuously, for 10 years. It also reduces the risk uterine cancer. It increases the chances of breast and cervical, but the increase is small and disappears soon after BC is stopped (the protection against ovarian cancer lasts much longer). Plus, breast cancer has a 96% (or very close to that) cure rate. I'd take it any day over ovarian, which has something like a 20%. If they catch it early which unfortunately doesn't happen very often.

Anyway. Though there may be differences in the hormone levels in each bc brand (i haven't looked), the concept is the same across the board. If you're using hormonal birth control, you ARE suppressing your period, even if you bleed every month. Just something to weigh when you're thinking about your options.

Good Article

[Batik]

Some hormonal contraception suppresses ovulation but still causes a period of sorts (breakthrough bleeding). Some suppresses both ovulation and bleeding. Some will allow ovulation but suppress bleeding. Some will allow both ovulation and periods, as it's working in a different way to prevent conception. It's very individual, for instance not everyone gets bleeding suppression on Mirena, and only some people on it continue to ovulate. Don't assume that breakthrough bleeding instead of a period means you're off the hook for symptoms, as there's still a hormonal fluctuation going on, and in fact for some people the symptoms may be even worse. I'd say this is an area for experimenting with caution, and bearing in mind that our culture does not prize women's health and reproductive rights highly, so that a high side effect rate is accepted for contraception where it wouldn't be for other medication.

Causing fertility problems later on - not as far as I am aware, but it can take up to a year for hormones to return to normal after coming off hormonal contraception, so if you want to start a family very soon, that's something to bear in mind.

Is suppressing menstruation bad for you - not in and of itself, no. There's no reason why a woman needs to have a period every month, and in fact women today are generally having far more periods than earlier humans did, between the longer lifespan and fewer pregnancies. However, you may not get on with the medication taken to cause that effect. If you find that you prefer not to have periods but aren't feeling good on the specific med causing that, try a different one.

[HopeSprings]

Interesting thought. I'm dramatically worse the week of and right after my period -much dizzier. If you end up trying it, let us know what happens.

[Katybug]

Alyssa,

My GYN told me that if I ever want to have children, that I should stop the Depo shots and expect not to get pregnant for a year. He said he has never had anyone not be able to become pregnant but that it has taken some of his patients up to a year to cycle regularly after stopping the shots. I don't know what the official stats are but that was his feedback.

Katie

[Kellysavedbygrace]

Thanks Libby and Batik for that helpful info

[shan1212]

Hmmm, I've got a Mirena too and no cycles since having my baby 6 months ago, but I'm breastfeeding and didn't resume my cycles until 11 months after having my first, so I don't know if I'll get them back when I wean her. Wouldn't mind if I didn't . . .