Period talk: Questions and advice

Malala Yousafzai said:I have a question as well! 😬 I’m currently in a long-distance relationship, and I’ll only be seeing my partner for a few days toward the end of the month, which is when I really want to be "in the mood." 😠 Since I'm on birth control pills, I was wondering—if anyone here has experience with this—how "smart" would it be to skip the usual placebo week and just keep taking active pills for an extra seven days before starting my standard break? I’d really rather not deal with my period during those few days we have together at the beach. 🙂

Just keep taking them for as long as you need to delay your cycle. You can essentially go through two packs back-to-back if that's what it takes to push the bleeding back.

Thanks, Anthony Miller13! 😘 Pushing it back by a week should give me just enough breathing room—enough to finally focus on some actual work without all the usual distractions 🙂 🙂 🎉 😍

So, the approach would be to finish the entire first pack, then take another seven pills from the second pack before finally taking a standard break—the period when you’d typically expect your cycle to start. If it doesn't show up immediately, try not to spiral into a panic just yet; these things happen, and it isn't necessarily cause for alarm. Just keep following the protocol as planned... Enjoy your summer vacation.😘

Don't delay... actually, don't.

@Carl Lee4
What's the reasoning behind this?

I know this has probably been brought up a million times already—and honestly, I just don't have the bandwidth or the patience right now to scroll through every single page of this forum—but I could really use a little guidance. I’ve got a trip coming up in a few days, and it looks like my period is scheduled to hit right during the travel dates, which would be just my luck. So, I'm looking to push it back a bit. I'm currently on Logest, and I read somewhere that I should just keep taking them without a break, but then I thought I heard someone mention that the last pill is actually a placebo and that you're supposed to skip it and jump straight to the next pack to avoid the bleed. Now I'm totally stuck in this loop of indecision!
Should I power through the whole pack to stay on track, or skip that last one and start the next cycle immediately? I am definitely *not* looking to end up pregnant unexpectedly! 😲
Thanks for the help, everyone. My doctor is out skiing in Aspen right now, so I'm basically forced to rely on the collective wisdom of the internet here instead!

slycobra2 said:I know this has probably been asked a thousand times already, but I honestly don't have the patience or the bandwidth to scroll through dozens of pages looking for an answer. I’m heading out on a trip in a few days, and since my period is due right during that window, I really want to push it back. I’m currently on birth control pills, and I read somewhere that I should just keep taking them without a break, but then I thought I heard that you're supposed to skip the last placebo pill and just start the next pack immediately. Now I'm stuck wondering which one it is.
Should I take the whole pack and move straight to the next, or just skip the last pill? I definitely wouldn't want to end up pregnant while traveling. 😲
Thanks for the help. My doctor is away on vacation in Aspen, so I'm forced to look for answers elsewhere.

placebo 😕
Never heard that. As far as I know, once you finish the pack, you just start the next one instead of taking that seven-day break...

Exactly, if there are placebos in there, then you've got 7, making the total pack size 28... but that's not how Logest is dosed, so just keep going without skipping any steps..

Hey, what's up

Once you finish the entire pack, I guess you should start the next one immediately—without taking any days off. You can take the whole second pack or just enough to delay your period... after that, you take a seven-day break, then go back to your usual routine.
I did this over the summer; it didn't cause me any issues, I suppose.
btw, I'm using Loestrin too

Thanks so much, ladies! 👍

Question for the ladies out there: I’m dealing with some seriously heavy periods, especially on day two...
Does anyone else go through this? How do you even handle it? My cycle is super regular and usually lasts about 4 or 5 days.
Maybe this belongs over in the Health subforum?

I really don't want to go the birth control route. I tried it for a little bit once and honestly, the side effects were way worse than any benefits.

Help me out.

Thanks!

Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this? Mine are heavy too, lasting about four or five days. Seems perfectly normal to me, I guess. Honestly, it would be weirder if my period was just some tiny little trickle.

Michelle Phillips54 said:Why's that even an issue? Mine are super heavy too and usually last like 4 or 5 days. Seems totally fine to me. Honestly, it’d be weird if my period was just some tiny little trickle.

I don't know if mine counts as "normal" though... I feel like I burn through half a pack of those Always Ultra Night pads in just one day... specifically day two. How does yours usually go?

I I probably burn through half a pack of 😬

As long as she stays consistent and doesn't give me any trouble, I guess I'm fine 🙂

restlesshound27 said:Question strictly for the ladies here: I’m dealing with really heavy periods—especially on day two...
Does anyone else deal with this, and how do you manage it? My cycle is actually super regular and usually lasts about four or five days.
Maybe this should have gone in the Health subforum?

I really don't want to go the birth control route—I tried it briefly once before and honestly, the side effects were way worse than any benefits...

Help.

Thanks

Has it always been this heavy for you? Because if this is a sudden change, you really ought to go see a gynecologist just to be safe. But if this is just your "normal," then there's probably no need to stress too much. Every single woman in my family—aside from me and one aunt—has heavy cycles that can stretch well beyond six days. And they're all perfectly healthy. It's a proven fact in our household.
I still remember one friend from high school whose period would last ten whole days! On top of that, it was incredibly heavy and painful. And she was perfectly fine.

So, it varies for everyone... personally, my periods have been super heavy for the last decade or so. Which meant I was constantly dealing with anemia issues...

hire them.

restlesshound27 said:I don't know if this is just me being weird... I feel like I go through half a pack of those Always Ultra Night pads in just one day... specifically that second day. How does it work for you?

Good grief, you’re using Always and then acting confused about why they aren't cutting it.

Just switch to Libresse Night.

Seriously though, you should definitely go see a doctor. In my own experience, dealing with heavy periods was all because of uterine fibroids. It’s nothing life-threatening or anything, but you really need to make sure you're getting them monitored on a regular basis.

restlesshound27, when was the last time you actually sat down for a gynecological exam? Seriously—go get checked out and don't settle for anything less than top-tier medical expertise.