Continuing to take birth control pills during menopause

re: Continuing to take birth control pills during menopause

Jacqualine — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 01:25:46 GMT

I'm 46, have never been pregnant, and have been taking a low-dose birth control for probably the last 20 years. Within the last year, I've begun having hot flashes and infrequent night sweats. I have many other symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, weight gain, etc. My new holistic, alternative therapies GYN recommends that I stop taking the pill and begin using progesterin cream to help with the hot flashes. She has also recommended that I switch to an IUD for birth control or have my spouse get a vasectomy. None of the options seem like reasonable alternatives. She has also said she can't really do anything to determine whether I'm in perimenopause or menopause until I agree to stop the pill for a couple of months. At this point, I'm totally confused about what to do and feel like I'm being pushed into stopping the pill. I want to do whatever's best - but i don't want to be worried about the possibility of becoming pregnant either.

re: Continuing to take birth control pills during menopause

Editor — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:26:28 GMT

Hi Jacqualine. Your concerns are understandable – health-related decisions are often very complicated and weighing the pros and cons isn’t always easy. There is no simple, definitive test to determine if a woman is perimenopausal. Some doctors will perform FSH tests to check your hormone levels but may wait until you’ve been off birth control pills for a few months, and the test will need to be repeated.

Taking birth control pills can mask many of the natural effects of menopause, but low-dose or very-low-dose oral contraceptives might be recommended as a treatment for the symptoms of perimenopause as well as for birth control. However, if you’re on birth control pills now and experiencing hot flashes then it’s unlikely this is an effective treatment option for you, which is probably why your gynecologist suggested progesterone cream as an alternative.

Eventually you’ll most likely want to stop taking birth control pills because of the health risks involved with continuing to use them after menopause is finished. For now, if stopping your birth control use doesn’t seem like a reasonable option you might want to ask your doctor about natural therapies, like phytoestrogens and black cohosh. Take a look at some of the blog posts that deal with alternative therapies and natural remedies if you haven’t already:
HRT and Herbal Remedies
Menopausal Natural Remedies
Red Skin

I’m not a doctor or familiar with all the ins and outs of your condition, so ultimately your gynecologist is your best resource for coping with perimenopause. If your current doctor seems unresponsive to your needs or you think her recommendations are unreasonable you might want to consider getting a second opinion.

re: Continuing to take birth control pills during menopause

helen thomson — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:36:09 GMT

I am 52 and have been taking birth contol pills last few years. To find out if I am at menopause, I stopped taking them for 2 months and the hot flashes and irritability are unbearable. I am back on the pills now and thinking if I should not stop for those 7 days to stop continuation of menstration periods.

re: Continuing to take birth control pills during menopause

Mary — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:32:44 GMT

I am 49, and have taken the pill for many years. My new ob-gyn advised me to quit taking the pill, and I did so. As a result, I have undergone very uncomfortable mental, emotional and physical changes. For example, I am unable to concentrate as well as I once did, feel incredibly detached, and am experiencing night sweats and insomnia. I have decided to return to a very low dosage pill so that I can feel "normal" again!

is it safe to take birth control for years

is it safe to take birth control for years — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:18:14 GMT

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re: Continuing to take birth control pills during menopause

cathy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:51:54 GMT

My son will be 32 this year and I've been on the pill since his birth - quite some time. However, at 52, I'm healthy, never smoked and have a healthy family history which made me a good candidate for my continued prescription. I stopped the pill again 4 months ago at the nod of approval from my ob-gyn. I did this last summer and suffered crying jags over sentimental tv shows! As soon as I began the pill again I was back to my happy normal self. This time I'm not sleeping well, either too hot or too cold and periods lasting 15 days now. I've never had to use lubricants that are now my best friend. And not wanting to get pregnant, my husband and I have to "prepare" before sex which is different. I've been reading your letters and appreciate so much these "conversations" as such, that I can really relate to. I especially was interested in the information about taking the pill during menopause. I will definately make a doctor's appointment to discuss this because I was thinking I didn't have alot of options. Your information has prompted me to ask more specific questions and be more of an outspoken participant in my health. Thank you.