There are no periods when taking hormonal contraceptive pills: causes, symptoms, can there be pregnancy, when will menstruation resume?

Why does my period get delayed when taking birth control pills? An experienced gynecologist will answer this question. The duration of the menstrual cycle for each woman depends on the characteristics of her body, genetic predisposition and lifestyle. On average, the period from one menstruation to the next lasts 28 days. But there are shorter and longer cycles. If a woman decides to protect herself from an unwanted pregnancy using birth control pills, then it is necessary to consult with a gynecologist so that, taking into account each day of the menstrual cycle, the doctor correctly calculates the day of the onset of ovulation.

How do birth control pills affect menstruation?

Birth control pills may prevent ovulation

Birth control pills contain various hormones that prevent pregnancy. Such hormones are capable of:

prevent ovulation;
thin the lining layer of the uterine wall (endometrium) and thus prevent implantation of a fertilized egg;
cause thickening of the cervical mucus, which prevents sperm from reaching the egg.

Birth control pills are usually taken at weekly intervals. At the same time, tablets for the first three weeks contain hormones, and tablets for the last week do not contain active substances. In fact, in the fourth week, women take a placebo, which simply helps them remember to take birth control pills daily.

When taken correctly, birth control pills are one of the most effective methods of contraception with a guarantee of protection against unwanted pregnancy of about 99%.

However, women often miss doses. In addition, if a woman vomits, her body may have difficulty absorbing the active ingredients of the tablets. These factors impair the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, thereby increasing the risk of unwanted pregnancy and breakthrough bleeding.

How contraceptives work

Your periods change while you are taking birth control pills. The drugs contain the hormone estrogen. It is responsible for the first phase of the cycle, the active activity of the ovaries, the maturation and release of the egg.

Taking contraceptives increases estrogen levels and reduces fertility. The synthesis of the follicle-stimulating substance stops, and ovulation does not occur. A woman is temporarily unable to become pregnant.

Another effect of hormonal birth control pills is to change the nature of cervical mucus. Normally, during ovulation it becomes transparent, viscous, visually similar to egg white. This is necessary to facilitate the entry of sperm into the uterine cavity.

When taking contraceptives, the amount of cervical mucus decreases and its viscosity increases. Spermatozoa are delayed and, unable to move into the uterine cavity, die.

Reasons for missing periods

The following are factors that may cause you to miss your period while taking birth control pills.

Types of tablets

Some birth control pills cause menstrual periods to stop or become irregular. There are also types of pills that only cause four periods a year. They are usually called seasonal.

It should also be noted that each body reacts differently to certain medications, so the effect of birth control pills cannot always be predicted. If a woman has recently started taking a new type of pill, it may take some time for the body to adjust, which may cause a missed period.

Stress

Stress can affect the length of the menstrual cycle, both longer and shorter. In some cases, stress can cause menstruation to stop altogether.

Fast weight loss

Rapid weight loss often has negative effects on the body. For example, if a woman eats an extremely low-calorie diet, this may cause low production of the hormones needed to support ovulation.

Reasons for delay after discontinuation of OK, complications

If at the beginning of the intake the body needed to adapt, now it needs time to recover. Normally, this period takes up to three months. In addition to the absence of discharge, other symptoms may be observed - sweating, mood swings, weight fluctuations.

The reasons may also lie in deviations from the contraceptive regimen.

The absence of a cycle often indicates a malfunction of the thyroid gland or the presence of polycystic formations.

The source of the disturbances may not be related to oral contraception, but simply coincide with their use. This could be stress, infectious diseases, a malfunction of the immune system and other factors.

The drug is prescribed only by a specialist

Self-discontinuation of the drug is extremely undesirable! If this is necessary for some reason, you should consult a doctor.

It is important to remember that if disturbances of any nature occur, you must stop taking the drug and consult a doctor!

Unfortunately, disturbances during and after taking hormonal contraception can lead to such difficult-to-remove consequences for the body as amenorrhea.

Read: From what week will maternity leave be legal?

Amenorrhea is a complete disorder of the menstrual cycle, the absence of discharge for six months or more. The reason for its onset while taking OCs is a hormonal imbalance in the body, which causes ovarian dysfunction.

Treatment in this case is aimed at eliminating the causes of the condition and restoring the normal functioning of the body. It includes a special diet that normalizes the ratio of muscle and fat tissue, hormonal therapy designed to restore lost functions and ensure the subsequent independent release of hormones by the body.

Experts also note the possibility of thromboembolism while taking OCs, since they stimulate increased estrogen levels.

The formation of a blood clot in a vessel of the circulatory system is a serious pathology that occurs acutely and requires immediate help.

It should be noted that such symptoms, especially if they accompany a woman for a long time, are harmful to psycho-emotional well-being. In addition to general disorders, depression, weakness, fatigue, irritability and aggression, excessive hairiness or hair loss and obesity develop in the body.

Oral contraceptives are very easy to use; you just need to strictly follow the instructions. However, is such convenience worth the consequences that affect the digestive, endocrine, reproductive systems, and psychological background? Everyone decides for themselves.

Does missing period mean pregnancy?

Even if you take birth control pills correctly, there is still a small chance of getting pregnant.

Pregnancy is one of the many reasons for missing periods.

It is important to understand that a woman can become pregnant even if she is taking birth control pills correctly. Therefore, every sexually active woman who does not have her period needs to purchase an appropriate test or meet with a doctor.

The chances of getting pregnant with proper use of oral contraceptives are extremely low, but they increase if a woman misses pills. In most cases, pregnancy occurs when a woman misses two or more doses in a row.

In addition to the absence of menstruation, signs of pregnancy include the following:

nausea and vomiting;
breast tenderness;
weakness, slowness, fatigue;
aching pain in the lower back;
frequent urination.

Some of the listed signs may appear as early as a week after the absence of menstruation. If a woman does not experience the expected menstruation and has one of the symptoms of pregnancy, she needs to see a doctor.

Menstruation while taking birth control pills

The duration of menstruation is an individual factor. Menstruation normally lasts from 3 to 7 days. Taking oral contraceptives shortens their duration and reduces their volume.

When you start using contraception in the first cycles, your period lasts 2-3 days. After the body adapts, the duration is up to 5 days.

Sometimes periods disappear completely. The reason is that the body needs time to get used to it. As soon as the required amount of estrogen accumulates in the blood, menstruation will be restored.

When using oral contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancy, there is no true menstruation, but only menstrual-like discharge. The drug package contains 21 tablets. The woman takes a break of 7 days, during which shedding of the endometrium and menstruation begins.

Doctors prescribe OCs or oral contraceptives not only for the purpose of contraception, but also to normalize the cycle. They are also suitable for the treatment of certain diseases, for example, endometriosis.

Regularity

The advantage of birth control is that it normalizes the menstrual cycle. Discharge becomes regular if there were problems with it previously.

If you need to prevent menstruation, do not take a 7-day break, but immediately start taking pills from the next package. This can only be done in emergency situations.

Attention! If you frequently shift your periods, there is a risk of breakthrough bleeding.

Abundance

Scanty menstrual flow when using OCs is normal. Often in women there is not only a decrease in the duration of critical days, but also their abundance decreases and pain disappears.

Reducing the volume of secretions has a positive effect on the amount of iron in the blood, and the level of hemoglobin increases.

In the middle of the cycle

When you start taking birth control, your body gets used to receiving hormones from outside. A side effect of the pills is that the discharge does not end. It occurs more often when using low-dose hormonal drugs, the amount of artificial estrogen in which is up to 20 mcg.

If dark periods occur before 3 months, measures should be taken. In case of bleeding in the first half of the menstrual cycle, the drug must be replaced with another one with a hormone dosage of 30 mcg. If you bleed in the second half of the cycle, you need to choose a product with other active ingredients.

If intermenstrual bleeding occurs when using different OCs, you should choose a different method of contraception.

Periods while taking birth control pills

If menstruation in the middle of the cycle began unexpectedly and this has not happened before, you should remember whether the woman missed a pill or took any medications, for example, antibacterial agents, or the herb St. John's wort. They reduce the effect of hormonal contraception, resulting in spotting.

When bleeding in the middle of the cycle, sexual intercourse is not prohibited. This is not a pathology, but a side effect from taking OK. Careful hygiene is recommended; it is better to use condoms to avoid infection.

Don't start

If you do not have your period while using hormonal birth control pills, pregnancy should be ruled out.

If there is a delay of 6 days after taking the last tablet, a test must be done.

If the result is negative, start taking pills from a new package. If positive, if it is decided to continue the pregnancy, the drug can no longer be taken. If it is necessary to interrupt it, medical and vacuum abortion are available due to the early stages of gestation.

Video about the action of contraceptives

After cancellation

When you stop using OCs, the risk of conception increases sharply. This phenomenon is called the rebound effect. Its duration is about 3 menstrual cycles.

The opposite situation is also possible – ovarian hyperinhibition syndrome. Ovulation does not begin and there are no periods.

This phenomenon is temporary and ends in the first three months after discontinuation of contraceptives.

In the absence of ovulation and planning to conceive, a woman is prescribed a stimulant, for example, Clostilbegit.

If there are no periods after stopping contraceptives, an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs is performed and a blood test is prescribed to check hormone levels to find out the reason.

We recommend reading an article about why you don’t have your period, your lower back hurts, and the test is negative. You will learn about the reasons for the absence of menstruation and back pain, possible diseases, and the likelihood of pregnancy.
Why does my period last 2 days? Read here.