Some pills cause periods to disappear
Aug 09, 2005
Dear Doctor, <br>I am 27 and a mother of one. Before giving birth, I was on Pilplan, which I started in school. After school, I gave birth and re-started the pill.
Dear Doctor,
I am 27 and a mother of one. Before giving birth, I was on Pilplan, which I started in school. After school, I gave birth and re-started the pill. From January till March, I missed my periods. My pregnancy test was negative. At Kamwokya clinic, I was told any method can make one miss a period.
I was given other pills that are yellow and brown in colour. Still, I have never seen my periods.
Could my hormones have been burnt out by these pills?
Mary N.
Dear Mary,
The menses are due to a very delicately balanced cycle of hormones.
This cycle allows for particular things like the release of the egg, fertilisation and pregnancy.
The pills that we use to prevent pregnancy are made of drugs similar to the hormones that bring about the monthly cycle.
They change the hormone cycle, and it is this that prevents you from becoming pregnant. The pills have been used by billions of women worldwide. They have been found to be safe.
Like any drug, they may have side effects, and these differ from woman to woman.
If you find that one type is not so good for you, you can try another, with the help of your doctor or midwife. But overall, their safety profile is very high.
Because they are hormones, they affect the menses visibly.
Some women bleed more than usual, and others less, especially soon after starting the pill.
With regular pill taking, these changes in the periods stabilise and you can continue taking pills for years.
And you can become pregnant when you stop them. Certain pills are known to make the menses disappear.
This occurs in about half of the women taking them a year or two after starting. But this effect is normal. Some women even like it. The menses start when you stop the pill.
It does not mean that your hormones are burnt out!
Mary, do not worry. This effect is known and expected.
Check with your doctor in case you have any lingering fears.
Dr. Paul Semugoma
semugoma@hotmail.com
I am 27 and a mother of one. Before giving birth, I was on Pilplan, which I started in school. After school, I gave birth and re-started the pill. From January till March, I missed my periods. My pregnancy test was negative. At Kamwokya clinic, I was told any method can make one miss a period.
I was given other pills that are yellow and brown in colour. Still, I have never seen my periods.
Could my hormones have been burnt out by these pills?
Mary N.
Dear Mary,
The menses are due to a very delicately balanced cycle of hormones.
This cycle allows for particular things like the release of the egg, fertilisation and pregnancy.
The pills that we use to prevent pregnancy are made of drugs similar to the hormones that bring about the monthly cycle.
They change the hormone cycle, and it is this that prevents you from becoming pregnant. The pills have been used by billions of women worldwide. They have been found to be safe.
Like any drug, they may have side effects, and these differ from woman to woman.
If you find that one type is not so good for you, you can try another, with the help of your doctor or midwife. But overall, their safety profile is very high.
Because they are hormones, they affect the menses visibly.
Some women bleed more than usual, and others less, especially soon after starting the pill.
With regular pill taking, these changes in the periods stabilise and you can continue taking pills for years.
And you can become pregnant when you stop them. Certain pills are known to make the menses disappear.
This occurs in about half of the women taking them a year or two after starting. But this effect is normal. Some women even like it. The menses start when you stop the pill.
It does not mean that your hormones are burnt out!
Mary, do not worry. This effect is known and expected.
Check with your doctor in case you have any lingering fears.
Dr. Paul Semugoma
semugoma@hotmail.com