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Last Updated:
Nov 11th, 2007 - 23:10:26
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Question
I am 21 years old. I was on the Depo for 5 straight years and on birth control pills for the past 2 years, so I have been on a method of birth control (shot then pills) for 7 straight years now. I want to get off birth control so I can have a baby in the near future. I am scared that if I stop taking the pills I will have non-stop bleeding. This past summer I ran out of pills and went 2 wks without pills. It was the worst time ever because I had heavy bleeding for 3 weeks.
I would like to know if there is anything that I could do to get off the pill but not have weeks of bleeding? Please help.
Christy
Answer
Dear Christy,
Coming off hormonal contraception can be disconcerting. You might have heavy bleeding, no bleeding or irregular bleeding.
There are several things you can do to ease the transition. First you should learn a method of natural family planning. This will help you to achieve pregnancy, will give information on hormone levels and, later, if you have a serious reason to avoid pregnancy, can very reliably help you with that goal.
If you do bleed a great deal after stopping the birth control pill, your health care provider might consider putting you on Prometrium (natural progesterone) for 14 days. When that is stopped, expect another period which will be a more complete shedding of the lining of the uterus.
In health,
George Delgado, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.
Culture of Life Family Health Care
Voluntary Associate Clinical Professor
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine,
School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
George Delgado, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. is a Fertility Care Medical Consultant, a physician with Pregnancy and Family Care Centers of San Diego and
Escondido, and a Voluntary Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.
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The information on this page and web site is for informational purposes only,
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