I don't think any of the period reducing birth controls are good for anyone. Yea at the time when you're taking it it may seem great that you dont get your period as often but I do not think that in the end that is healthy for anyone. I haven't tried any of the ones that you get your period less but I do know girls that have taken the shot for example and with that they only get their period 3 times a year and once she got off of it she didnt get her period for over a year. So that just can't be healthy.

I've been on Seasonale as well as 2 generics of it, and I've loved them all. It's very convenient to have complete control over fertility as well as menstruation, and I haven't suffered any side effects. I know a lot of women consider it unnatural (but so are tampons!), or are just angry that our natural functions are considered pains in the ass that must be controlled. To me, it IS a pain and I LIKE being able to control it.

I am not comfortable with pills that eliminate my period because I am always paranoid about being pregnant (even though I have been on BC for the last eight years); I welcome my little red-headed friend every month. Besides, I see it as a physical battle-cry: "Never trust an animal who bleeds for five days and still lives!"

I'm on Seasonale now. This pill has improved my quality of life immensely. I hate my periods with a passion. I hated feeling like a fourth of my young life was going to be spent tired, unproductive, and unhappy--all for some vestigial reproductive process that won't help me anyway because I don't want kids. Now I don't have to feel that way.

I researched all the potential side effects, and I know that there may be long-term issues that haven't been studied yet, but you know what? I would happily trade my good health in later life for having a better life in my prime years.

And I'm not convinced that there are any scary "long term side effects." If you're on ANY pill, you're not having a period. You may happen to bleed at monthly intervals, but it isn't the same mechanism as a natural period. So I'm not convinced that missing the cosmetic bleeding is going to do me any harm since I wouldn't be menstruating anyway.

I also thoroughly believe that all adults should be able to take drugs with unpleasant or even dangerous side effects if they know the risks. You should be able to trade one discomfort for another if that's what you want.

My body is here to let me be the best I can be, and I can't do that when I'm miserable all the time. So I did something about it. If the pill is ever made illegal here [the U.S.], I will have to move, because I will probably go crazy without it. I can't imagine going back.

Another thing to consider is the cost-friendliness of this. Regular pills have to be purchased once a month, these come in three month packs. For those of us lucky enough to have our insurance pay for the pills, you have to pay the co-pay every time you fill the prescription, so if you only have to fill it every three months, you don't have to pay the co-pay as often. For those of us unlucky enough not to have insurance pay, I found out once when I lost a pill pack that the per pill price of Seasonique is much higher than other pills.

You can use the once a month pills to skip your period too. I have no problem with this. Its a fake period anyway. And there are times that it can be very inconvenient (backpacking, living aboard a sail boat are both times I have chosen to skip).

I just wish they'd hurry up and invent a male pill so the burden of injesting daily hormones is equally shared.

I haven't tried them, but I read one thing when they first came out that changed my view. The article pointed out that throughout history, women have actually had many fewer periods than modern women have, because for large portions of their lives, women's menstruation would be suppressed by pregnancy or breast feeding.

OK, some background here: I'm currently celibate, and probably will be effectively lesbian when I am sexually active, so I have no present need for birth control (that and I'm leery of hormone changes); my periods are manageable and don't trouble me; tampons are just a minor hassle. Maybe one or two painkillers every few months takes care of the side effects.

As a person thus lacking any real need for it, I'm not going to be busting the door down to obtain some. That said, 1) I'm glad to see it available for people who DO want and need it, and 2) this is very much based on my current experience with periods. They are nice to me. The decision is suited to MY situation, not that of someone who's doubled over in pain for three or four days a month, or otherwise doesn't want periods. When I was growing up I was very often wracked by cramps, backaches, and nausea that even an overdose of painkillers wouldn't alleviate, and if I still dealt with that I would be the first in line.

In Leonard Schlain's book Sex, Time, and Power he analyzes the many arguments as to why, exactly, women have periods. Of the 35 other species of mammals that have some form of menstruation, no cycle is quite like the human female's in length and heaviness of bleeding. In fact, he cites ideas among gynecologists who say there is basically no reason why women need to have periods. Monthly menstrual bleeding does not vacate the human female's body of "bad humors" as the Ancient Greeks thought or "metatoxins" as several gynecologists in the early part of the 20th century suggested. Ergo, not having your period every month is unlikely to cause you any harm -- that is, you're not getting backed up with menstrual blood; other women may have other reasons to avoid less-than-monthly periods, but there's generally no evidence to support that missing your period is bad for your health in fact...

Monthly menstrual bleeding leads to a loss of iron and that can cause iron-deficient anemia, which causes symptoms which range from sugar cravings to fainting. Bad news all around, however, it may be beneficial for women who are prone to iron-deficient anemia to have less-than-monthly periods. Other women who may benefit from less-than-monthly periods are women who experience severe menstrual cramps, PMS, and/or endometriosis (it's been proven that endo sufferers improve on birth control because their periods are lighter and shorter, ergo, lighter, shorter, less frequent periods would provide relief).

I've been on Seasonale for 3 years, and apart from the expense (which I only recently became familiar with because I was on Take Charge! while in college) I really love it. At first I was weirded out by the lack of periods because I could tell for sure that I wasn't pregnant if I had a period (although, I've never had a pregnancy scare so it's almost irrelevant). And yes, this is the ultimate way to sell birth control as period control -- but that could mean that more women get on birth control, especially young women whose parents don't want to acknowledge the possibility of their children having sex.

Moreover, in the past 3 years while on Seasonale I have had shorter, lighter, less painful periods with no negative side effects (save the occasional spotting, but that really only happens when I'm really stressed out).

I also have a couple of friends who are on birth control and just don't take the blank pills. Neither of them has suffered any ill-effects on their health because of this. I feel more comfortable having my quarterly period, and I understand that other women would be more comfortable with monthly periods, but I do have to say there's very little risk to your health skipping periods.

When a women takes the pill she is not having a true period. The bleeding is a withdrawal bleed. The distinction is important in understanding how hormones affect your menstrual cycle.

It's a myth that skipping withdrawal bleeding is unhealthy. And it's a myth that women naturally need to have a period each and every month. In our recent past, before refined grains (aka easy calories) became widespread, women most likely did not ovulate every month anyway, and thus probably didn't have a period every month.

The main reason perhaps why the withdrawal bleeding is helpful when you are on the pill is as a reassurance that you aren't pregnant (as birth control pills are not 100% effective).

Not only can skipping periods prevent the discomfort and pain of endometriosis, it can prevent endometrial cysts from forming. Endometrial cysts can grow quite large and cause extreme discomfort, and the only way to treat them is to remove them via surgery.

I have an IUD. I found the pills dried me out and after 10 years of being on the pill. I was curious how my body would be off Ortho.

IUD pros are it's cheaper overall and my normal sex drive and enjoyment is higher, but I don't know if my age, 31 now have had an IUD since I was 26, has anything to do with it. I also love not thinking about taking a pill everyday.

I'm tempted to try a no period life. I have 2-3 light days, heavy cramps & bleeding 2-3, and then 1-2 more light days. That's such a freakin' production. I'd love it if my body would just wrap things up in 3 or 4 days.

Maybe a lo dose pill that elieminates my period is just the ticket.

I'm very pro-choice. The more birth control options and infromation, the better. Now if only they offered a wide variety of choices for men, then I'd be really happy.

I personally love birth control pills. I tend to get excruciating cramps for three days straight before my actual period starts which used to mean 3 days of missing school every month (now 3 days missing work). My doctor gave me two months worth of birth control samples to try out and they completely stopped my cramps, it was wonderful(although I did get really nauseous a couple times in the first two weeks). Regardless of whether or not it's natural, sometimes periods are just down right inconvenient for some women.

I was always wary of messing around with my hormones too much, but I decided to try Seasonique recently. I really love it. I've only been on it for about a month and a half, so I haven't gotten a period yet, but to be symptom-free for a whole month (much less three) for the first time in ten years was amazing. My menstrual symptoms have always been pretty dehabilitating, and even when I was on my old birth control, I'd still have at least a week and a half of discomfort (physical and emotional) per month. It's fantastic to forgo that. I'm doing a lot of travelling right now (which is why I wanted to try this pill in the first place), and I love not having to worry about getting a period midway through and having to fight pms, cramps, hunger, nausea, emotional distress, etc. I love my body, but it doesn't always love me, and I see nothing wrong with taking control of something that would otherwise have me out of commission. I take ibuprofen for my headaches, so why shouldn't I regulate my killer period?

I've been on the IUD Mirena for about 6 months, and my period has gone right away. No spotting, no nothing. After the first three months I panicked a little bit and took a pregnancy test, but... nope, for me "lighter periods" means no periods. It's great! I never minded my periods that much, but not having to think about it at all is pretty awesome.

I've been taking generic Seasonale for 3 years now, and I think it's great. I haven't had any of the normal problems, like spotting, and only having 4 periods each year is really convenient. I was on ortho-tricyclen (or its generic) for 6 years before, and I don't think there's any difference in how I feel between them. I think they have lowered my libido a little bit, but I can live with that.

I'm weary of substance that either drastically alters or eliminates a physiological function altogether and this seems to fall into that category. Disrupting a natural process just seems really dangerous to me.

The problem is that birth control is marketed to us like it's "period control" (like Sarah Haskins said in Target Women) AND that it's marketed to us as empowerment. Dependence on the pill is not empowerment. We are told by our gynos all the time that if you're having sex, you should be on the pill. If you have any problem, you should be on the pill. But they're not looking at the big picture. Taking the pill is fine, but people should be educated before taking it. Especially if it's one that eliminates a lot of periods.

The point I'm getting at is that there ARE other options. I've recently found out about "fertility awareness," a natural method that Katie Singer writes about. This process involves charting your period, monitoring cervical mucus, your basal body temp, etc.

While it may seem out there, it's really just getting to know your body and how it works. That's empowerment.

http://www.westonaprice.org/women/fertility.html

http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/fam.htm

I was on the generic of Seasonale a year ago, and I was fine with it until, part of the way through my first pack, I started bleeding heavily. For three weeks. I'm anemic as is, and I'd love to get rid of my period for good (it's long, painful, and useless, since I hate kids and don't want any), but I decided that the bleeding and the grumpiness weren't worth it and gave it up.

Has anyone else had problems with generic vs. brand name pills? The first birth control I took was a brand name, and it was a much nicer experience than the generics I tried when I got prescriptions filled in the States.

I LOVE my Seasonale and say as much every opportunity I get!

Well actually, I've been spotting a lot this month, which is not usually a problem and really annoying. Sorry, TMI. Anyway, I'm hoping it's just the fact that I've been under a lot of stress and not some indication that this will be an ongoing problem, because for a year and a half it hasn't been.

It's an interesting choice, though personally it wouldn't suit me. I am not sexually active, and literally do take the pill (Ortho tri cyclen lo, in my case) for "period control". Why?

Well, aside from the cramps and moodiness (which OTCL haven't stopped just yet, sigh), my cycle pre-BC was absurdly irregular. The past year especially, prior to going on BC, it was all over the place. 29/37/39/56/47/31/42!

I've been on Seasonale for at least three years, the generic for two, and I haven't seen any difference between them. I frackin' love Seasonale, especially because periods used to mean massive cramps, to the point I couldn't leave the house. Now that I only have my period 4 times a year, I don't hate it anymore. It's super light (too light to wear a tampon) and I'm never in pain, so when it comes I just sort of shrug and don't mind. Plus, I hardly spend ANYTHING on tampons/pads anymore.

Well, technically, the pill suppresses all your periods altogether. It is impossible to have a period while on the (combination) pill. What you have instead is withdrawal bleeding, which happens when you're on the placebos. If you choose to skip the placebos, the only thing you're losing is the ILLUSION of a period.

I tried the one that is supposed to stop your period altogether. It didn't work. Instead, I bled every day of the month instead of every day for a week. It was just too low-dose, I guess. But I took it because I didn't want a period and instead I got a 24/7/365 period. I gave up after a couple months that were stressful on my clothes, my sheets, and my sex life.

Feministing's own Ann, a.k.a. "prominent feminist blogger", has a very smart piece about Seasonique in the new issue of Ms., which hits newsstands tomorrow. She goes into the fraught question of what's "natural for women" when it comes to periods.

http://theethicalslut.blogspot.com/2007/07/your-period-and-pill.html

Actually, its ridiculously unnatural for women to have the amount of periods you would have off the pill (unless you're perpetually pregnant like our fore-mothers). It's not really much of an argument, though....if you want to have periods (which are so much fun!) and be at higher risk for cancer, go nuts!

jess, I'd like to read that! I distinctly remember reading in a very thorough article that the pill was designed to imitate a 'natural' cycle, because that would make it more palatable to potential users and quell (religious and other) objections, as it wouldn't seem to tamper more with the 'natural cause of things' than necessary. The withdrawal period was invented to do that, not out of medical necessity. But I can't seem to find the site again.

I'm on Mirena also, and though I've had some problems initially (most notably with painful boobs), it's reduced my period to almost zero. I couldn't be happier about it, though yeah, I too took a paranoid pregnancy test a few months ago.

dayna, not to be a jerk or anything, but are you a medical professional? because i'm not either, but based on what i've read, there doesn't seem to be a need to have a monthly period. in fact, as rachel setzer pointed out, there seem to be lots of good reasons for NOT having one.

i've never been on any of the pills that explicitly promise fewer periods, but i used to skip the placebo pills at the end of the pack of my regular birth control and go straight to the next pack and avoid a period that way. my gyno gave me that as a tip in case i wanted to not have a period when i was on vacation or studying for finals or whatever and it generally worked well. i'm all for not having debilitating cramps, and if it has the added benefit of not having to run out for tampons at 1am (which ALWAYS seems to happen to me), that's a total bonus.

the only benefit a period has to me is letting me know i'm not knocked up, but i'd gladly trade that to never have another one again. yuck.

To those of you worried about knowing if you're pregnant-- when I used the pill to skip my period for a year, I took a pregnancy test once a month. Way less hassle than tampons.

To those of you worried about knowing if you're pregnant-- when I used the pill to skip my period for a year, I took a pregnancy test once a month. Way less hassle than tampons.

I do this with my normal birth control pills, it's a bit silly to market a product specifically to reduce periods when it can be done with the regular ones :)

Dayna, my favourte RN told me that I don't need to have a monthly period if I'm on birth control, it's not like your uterine lining keeps building up the whole time you're on the pill until you have a 'period' (it's withdrawl bleeding and not a real period). Some gynos will argue that a monthly period is modern and we haven't always done that anyway.

I suffered from horrific PMDD for a few years, and with my doctor's help I now stack my pills (Low-Ogestrel, since Seasonique made me break out like whoa) and have four periods a year - never been happier. I've never encountered any research that suggests skipping periods is at all detrimental; I can understand why some women might not feel 100% comfortable with it, but for me it's been a sanity-saver.

Terrible cramps, heavy periods. I decided I didn't need it and would still be on Depo if not for the bone-density thing.
Seasonique is awesome - low dose could be ok. What difference do users usually experience between regular and low-dose bc pills?

I started taking birth control pills at 18 (I'm almost 23 now). I was on a low-dose pill for a year, then switched to Seasonale for a year because I wanted fewer periods, as mine were pretty irregular, even on the pill.

The progestin in Seasonale (levonorgestrel) wreaked havoc on my body for that year, but after doing some research, I found a pill that worked better for me.

I've been taking desogestrel for several years now (brand name Desogen, I'm taking the generic Reclipsen), but on a Seasonale-like schedule so I still have fewer periods.

I have done a lot of research - I'm a huge science nerd, so I read up on the actual hormones that are used in birth control, how they work in the body, and can even explain it to boyfriends :)

I seriously believe that there are not any medical problems with taking birth control to prevent pregnancy. I seriously believe that there are not any medical problems with skipping the withdrawal bleeding that comes with taking birth control pills.

In one of my textbooks, it was mentioned that the reason pill packs are in 28-day cycles was because of pressure from the religious communities in America - they were more comfortable with women who did not want to get pregnant to still have their periods once per month, as it resembled the "natural" cycle. There wasn't any science behind the reasoning at all. Personally, I would have preferred they at least do 30-day cycles, to make it match the calendar year a little better :)

I'll try to find the source on that - I can't seem to find it on the internet anywhere.

I still fail to see what the big hoopla about how not having periods every month is unnatural is about. The whole idea of a monthly cycle is something fairly modern anyway. Though we have more periods now than in the past primarily due to better health and fewer pregnancies, some research has tentatively shown that more periods isn't necessarily better. Some research links (tentatively, more research needs to be done) more periods with a higher risk of breast and uterine cancer due to prolonged increases in hormone levels and anemia (not to hard to imagine that more blood loss = lower iron levels).

I was on Depo for many years (before they really knew that you shouldnt be on it for too long) and I loved not having a period. I know have the Mirena IUD and have light periods on it with mild cramping (before either I had the periods from hell) but I can definetely tell I feel different having the periods. It isn't a good different either. It's sad to say but regardless of cramping or dealing with bleeding or tampons or whatknot, I find it harder to concentrate with the periods and that lasts all month not just during the bleed-out. It is almost to the point of feeling like a different person and I don't like it at all.

Eh, I guess to summarize, having far fewer periods isn't as unnatural as everyone makes it out to be. The friends of mine who have used seasonique L-O-V-E it and agree with me that you feel both mentally and physically very different when you don't experience a period every month.

My periods were unbelievably painful. Even codeine (Tylenol 3) didn't help. I would have to skip work sometimes. Now, I only have a period every 63 days and I can take Advil and it works. Love it.

re: the marketing behind Seasonale vs. skipping the placebo pills on regular BC: it comes down to insurance and prescriptions, basically. When it's a prescription that's actually a 90 day supply, it's easier for insurance to cover the amount that your doctor writes for you, rather than asking them to cover more doses of regular BC because you go through them earlier.

re: "natural" periods: I've had three obygns over the years tell me that the research does not support women "needing" to have their period every month. We think it's "natural" because it HAPPENS if we don't regulate it, but as other people before me have pointed out, it's not the way it's always been, and our periods on regular BC aren't exactly "natural" periods, either.

And I just realized I am WAY too tired to type completely coherently. Please excuse my numerous typos and such. :P Just one of those days.

Periods are the universe's way of saying, "I hate women." They're miserable, crippling, disgusting... the only thing worse than a period is being on fire.

I went on Seasonale as soon as it came on the market. I'm on the generic version now. For $100/yr, I never have to get pregnant and I never have to have a real period. Ever. I finished school because of the pill; I am holding down a real job because I don't have to spend a week out of every month kneeling in front of the toilet, puking up my guts, dizzy with pain and blood loss.

I'm sure the advocates of "natural" birth control will settle for crossing their fingers when they get an infection. Wouldn't want to interfere with the natural cycle of pneumonia, after all.

Oh yay! I am really glad to see that there are low-hormone versions of the period-reduction pill on the market now.

I tried birth control once in freshman year of undergrad (am now in grad school) but could not stay on because the change in hormone levels at the start of a new pack gave me morning sickness.

Since I've been celibate through college (and a Kinsey 5), it did not become an issue again until I started having symptoms of PMDD a few months ago. My mood goes THWONK as the estrogen level drops preparatory to bleeding. I am seriously, seriously considering getting a prescription for period-suppression BC just so I can go from 12 to 4 episodes of OW MY BRAIN a year.

Is there anyone out there who has used Seasonale/Seasonique/generics for PMDD problems? How has it worked out for you?

I have been using my regular birth control pills to continuous cycle (with the ok from my doctor) for over a year now.
I have been lucky enough to not have any adverse effects from the pill and I absolutely LOVE not having a period every month.
I have a period once every three months on average, but it's nice to know I can push it back an extra week or so if I feel so inclined.
The freedom to plan when you will deal with the nuisance that is your period is wonderful and I don't see myself going back to once a month any time soon.
Three Cheers for Continuous Cycling!!!!

Though I am currently on the pill, I still have regular periods. (My partner and I are careful, but I still find getting my period vaguely reassuring, and I'm lucky enough that I have very mild cramps anyway). I did want to interject though-- for those women who didn't know-- you don't actually have a biological need to have a period every month. These kinds of pills are actually perfectly safe.

I'm torn on this. I know I don't need to have a period, and that having too many could be harmful to my health in other ways, but I'm still not comfortable with taking pills and putting hormones in my body. That said, I'm very happy and grateful that birth control pills were invented because they have helped so many people in a myriad of ways. If I had health insurance or enough money to buy them, I would probably be on the pill right now because of the dehabilitating pain I experience monthly. I also like that there are so many options available for women that are interested in hormonal birth control, though I hope they are all being carefully studied and tested. The article Feministing posted a few weeks ago about the correlation between the patch and blood clots, which the company tried to sweep under a rug, was worrisome.

Nakedcat, I spent one cycle on Seasonique seeking relief from PMDD. It made my skin break out terribly, so I switched to a general low-dose pill and just skip the placebo week and go straight onto the active week of the next pack. It's been wonderful - my last cycle, I had no bad symptoms at all. I've had minor cramps occasionally but nothing like the insomnia, depression, and mood swings that I had for two weeks before each period before I went on HBC.

That said, every woman reacts differently to different pills, but I personally see no reason to be miserable every month if you don't have to be. I know women who have on gone the pill who take it like usual ("period" every month) who have noticed relief from their PMS symptoms too. So you definitely have options. From my experience, it could definitely be a good avenue to pursue. :)

Personally, I oppose birth controls that take your period away. I think that we all need to get more in touch with our bodies and our cycles, and to do that, we need to accept and embrace our blood with pride and love. Coming from a person that has AWFUL cramps, I understand how this can sometimes be difficult. However, I still think we need to keep our periods around once a month like they should be. I'm definitely all for birth control, but I prefer the type that let's me keep bleeding. :)

LOVE IT! my periods are lighter and my cramps seem less intense than they used to be.

Personally, like all women i know getting my period is no walk in the park, yet its weird to think of my body not getting it. First of all, what if your birth control goes wrong and you still get pregnant? And second i feel like your period in a sence cleans out your body. I dont know if thats true but i suppose i am just more comfortable getting it every month

I've been taking a low-dose pill for years, and it's made my periods hardly exist, just a couple of days, or a half day or so. I did manage to develop a fibroid in that time, but other than a couple of heavy periods, it hasn't been noticeable. I had some weird coinciding medical problems that totally confound the relevance of the experience I had, though. Bottom line: I am not a clinical trial, so who cares what happened to my period when I was taking these pills?

I'm on regular-type Seasonique, and I love it. I get average cramps and pretty bad PMS, so Seasonique has really improved my quality of life, I feel.

If you're on birth control, your period is not actually a period, it's bleeding caused by withdrawal from hormones during your placebo week. There is no validity to an argument that says that Seasonique, Seasonale, etc., are any more "unnatural" than, say, Ortho Tricyclen, or any other birth control where you have your "period" every month. You can argue that taking birth control is unnatural, I guess, but that seems a bit counter to most feminist thought.

Just because something is "unnatural" does not necessarily mean it's bad. I imagine there are many of you out there who have bad eyesight and wear unnatural glasses and/or contacts. Why do you do it? Because it's convenient and helps you live the lifestyle you want, even though it may not be what nature intended. Same goes for birth control. Modern medicine is kinda rad that way.

I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which affects my menstrual cycle. When I got my period at the age of 11, it was pretty normal for the first two years or so. After that, I was only getting my period 2 or 3 times a year, each period lasting only three days, sometimes two.

When I became sexually active at 21, I got on Seasonale. After a year on Seasonale, I switch to Yasmin, because of its additional pluses for PCOS sufferers. After three months, I abandoned it because its side effects were just awful. I stopped taking the pill overall and relatively at the same time I started to treat my PCOS with Metaformin and working out. So, my period became regular on its own, each cycle averaging five days.

But after about two years of having a regular cycle, I've had it. I can't get use to it. Bleeding 60 days out of the damn year? No thanks, definitely not for me! So, I decided to get back on Seasonale and control my periods.

Now, i'm a big queer who doesn't regularly have sex with dudes, and luckily don't have any serious uterus/ovary related issues aside from killer cramps- so what the hell do i know. but on one hand, i think it is fantastic that women have the option to make their lives easier and less painful, and incredible that it is something widely available to women who need it. But on the other hand, part of me is a little freaked out by 1.the ability to stop menstruation pretty much completely, and 2.our rushing to praise this new pharmaceutical 'miracle' (...are there no side effects?). It's a little too Brave New World for me.

I wish there was an effective way to stop one's period without having to remember taking a pill every day. I just *know* I would forget all the time. I'm gay so having a monthly pregnancy check is useless to me, and I wish not to be incapacitated with pain on a monthly basis... I've heard bad things about depo's side effects and nothing is as effective as the pill at eliminating periods.

Also, it would be nice if birth control, or in my case period control, were cheaper.

also, does anyone know about any "natural" concoctions that have this effect? i mean, you can induce abortion with the right combination of herbs...anyone ever heard of anything that reduces periods or the pain associated with PCOS or anything?

I tried the generic version and bled every day for a month.

I miss the pill. :*( I have PMDD, and my husband and I are trying to have a baby. I wish there was a pill that did everything a birth-control pill did, but you could still get pregnant (safely). :)

I've been taking non-stop bc pills for period-stopping purposes for 5 years. No ill health effects. In fact, I'm not one who is so lucky as to get reduced pain, so I try to only have 2 or 3 periods a year. I think this year I've had 2 so far. One very recently, so I'm probably good until next year.

Because my regimen is really to have as few as possible, my gyn and I thought we'd try Seasonale--take 2 packs in a row, period, two packs, period. Sounded like a good plan. Unfortunately, the first month of Seasonale was a month of NON-STOP PERIOD, with the cramps and bleeding and so on. At first I thought it was just heavy spotting and would go away and so on, but after a while I realized it just sucked. Too low of a dose, I guess. I went on a fairly mid-to-high dose pill after that, and now am back to Nordette, which was the first pill I took (but my hometown pharmacy carried some similar-dose only and it didn't work the same way!) and which works best for me.

And if I hear someone tell me to embrace my period, I will have to punch them in the face. It's only fair, pain-wise.

I'm not one who is automatically skeptical of everything big pharmaceutical companies do, but the small variations on birth control seem like a good way to push brand name products once generics come out for existing medications. You could easily find a pill with the same makeup as Seasonale and skip the placebos, the only difference is the packaging. I did this with both generic pills and Nuva Ring (skipped the 'out' week and immediately inserted a new one) I would venture a guess that there are low-dose generic birth controls identical to these. If you have the insurance and/or money to cover the product because you prefer the convenience of packaging, that's great. I just feel bad for those who think this is actually a different product and spend extra money.

I'm sure someone already said it, but the "skipping your period is just not natural" is misinformed. Bleeding on birth control is not a true period, it's just withdrawal bleeding from the hormones leaving your system. If you use hormonal birth control you are not having a period, even if you experience monthly bleeding (unless your birth control is failing). Simulated periods are a nice reassurance that you aren't pregnant, but they are not necessary. I can see addressing the stigma attached to periods, but the 'unnatural' accusation doesn't fly when compared to other birth controls.

i took seasonale for several months, and it damn near killed me. or at least i felt like it. i slept 12 hours a day, and lived in a fog of nausea. it never did a thing for reducing my pain.

after switching to ortho-lo, i still couldn't stomach the estrogen.

i have an iud now (estrogen free), and pretty content with that. periods are few and far between.

I've never been on birth control, but I imagine it might have been helpful when I was living hand to mouth, save for the expense. Odds are I would have gained weight, and perhaps been a bit more conscious about my health and felt the need to keep to a regular schedule. Hell, I might have even quit smoking. And simply having them on had to use as emergency contraception would have been great, since this was before Plan B came out.

But the thing is, by not being on hormonal birth control I was also hella vigilant about using condoms, since they were my only form of birth control for my sexual life back in the day. (I did use the sponge a few times, but they were expensive and I didn't want to "waste" them on someone that I wasn't likely to have intercourse a ton during its effective time.) I think that that vigilance did me a great service, by not being tempted to go without one in the heat of the moment, as it were. So every time I had a say in the matter, (and that is another story) a barrier of some sort was used. Most often, by far, a condom. Every. Time.

And now hormonal birth control is pretty much a non-option for me. I'm over thirty five and have a medical condition that essentially removes hormonal birth control as a viable choice. So I've gotten used to having regular periods.

Which is actually a good thing, since I think that mine were so irregular for so long because I was way too thin and extremely unhealthy. I see my monthly nearly clockwork periods as a sign that I'm doing okay.

That said, while eschewing hormonal birth control is an option that works well for me, and gives me reassurance, that isn't the case for a lot of women. And everyone should be able to make their own decisions regarding their health without getting crap for it.

Agreed, I worry about getting pregnant and Id much rather get my period than be paranoid for a month or two...plus i know exactly when its acting up or when something isnt right. If i wasnt SO sexually active, maybe Id try something else.

@artdyke: A number of my female friends use Implanon (progesterone only, implanted device) as a birth control/period control device, partially due to its convenience (one implant lasts 3 years, so no issues with forgetting it). The results are a bit hit and miss, with about 50% loving it and the other 50% having it removed, but most of those that like it have found they have either 0, or very infrequent periods for the three years in question. It is mildly invasive as far as options go (having a small stick implanted in your arm), but apparently once it's done it's barely perceptible until you need it removed.

I don't know what the cost would be in the States (in Australia, it's less than $200 from memory, but our health care system is very different), but if it's not too painfully expensive, it may be worth considering as an option.

As noaconstricter mentioned, there's also similar progesterone-only IUDs which last for around a month (from memory) and apparently have a similar effect. Most people I know who've used either of these have also commented that there's none of the mood-swings they experienced and hated while on the standard pill.

While I do think it's great that more and more birth control options are becoming available for women, I don't think I will ever take the pill. I am just overly paranoid when it comes to taking medications. I have no need for the pill. Condoms work wonderfully for me, and I guess I just don't like the idea of taking a pill every single day to change my bodily function when I can use a pharm-free method.

Also, I know I am in the minority here, I actually LIKE having my period! I dunno, I find it fascinating. I think it's cool and awesome. I am blessed to almost never have cramps or aches or any pain at all from my period. Sometimes I even forgot I'm on my period. I like my hormone levels the way they are.

I do know periods can be a horror for other women, so I think this pill is pretty awesome.

I have been on Seasonale (generic) for almost two years.

Prior to finding Seasonale, my doctor thought that we might need to cauterize my uterus, because I would not stop bleeding. None of the other pills were working. Depo made it worse.

Seasonale has saved my life. I occasionally have some spotting in-between the seasonal period, but it's not nearly as heinous as before.

Someone mentioned that Mirena stopped her periods. I take Alesse and it's totally stopped mine. I get the slightest amount of discharge one day every month and I wear a pantyliner (I so hate the word panty...). Off the pills, though, I am vomiting and passing out from the pain. No exaggeration, I actually convulse sometimes. Not cool. Not cool at all. To top it off my period started right after I turned 11. I was absolutely horrified that I would spend ONE WEEK A MONTH in excruciating pain that even codeine didn't really help. Imagine telling a man you were going to kick him in the testicles constantly for a week every month. Nuh, wouldn't be tolerated. Periods are useless. Down with 'em all. =)

I actually don't get my period every month naturally. I get 3 months of no period and then a tsunami the 4th month. It was freaky at first but my gyno said it was healthy and that most women who experience this feel lucky. I've tried the pill to regulate it and quell the 4th month cramp-a-thon but it stopped working after a few years. So now I'm pill free, and period free for 3 months, and a avid condom carrier. It's still weird for those 3 months but I know I'm not becoming barren or my ovaries are going to explore so it's cool.

I've been on Lybrel (no periods at all) for almost a year and before that on a quarterly period regimen.

It has been a godsend. I have endometriosis and anemia. Before these pills, I was in excruciating pain most of the time, and unbearable pain during periods, even on traditional OCs. I have minimal pain now. Added bonus, I no longer get extremely anemic. I do spot every few months or so, but it's totally worth it.

Why does no one mention increased cancer risk when discussing these pills? The fact is that you get 25-33% MORE hormones over the course of a month. I personally worry about my cancer risk, so I take a low-dose 3-week on, 1-week off formulation. True, no one really understands cancer risk that well, but it does stand to reason that more pills equals more risk - it may not be exactly 33% increased risk of cancer - it may be less - or it may be more. Everyone has to make a decision specific to their health situation, but we ALL need to be thinking about the increased risk and taking that into account. Pharmaceutical companies argue the risks are the same - but actually it's only the potential effects that are the same - the likelihood of these effects is surely greater because of the increased dose.

I'm glad I can choose, with my health care professional, what's best for me. And I'm glad y'all are free to make your decisions as well...except for the cost, and the insurance issues, and the....

I was on lybrel for months. I bled for all but MAYBE one of them in total. It killed my sex drive. I couldn't orgasm. While I don't see a problem with skipping periods by aaaannny means that brand just wasn't for me. Hormonal in general is notorious for its libido shenanigans.

Also, it was just too expensive even with insurance.

A couple of people here referenced a great article they read years ago about this (how modern women menstruate far more than our ancestors). I think this was the article, because I read it too and it's stuck in my mind ever since:

John Rock's Error
March 10, 2000
Originally published in the New Yorker
http://www.gladwell.com/2000/2000_03_10_a_rock.htm

Also, while I would love to give this a try I can't justify spending $480 per YEAR on something I don't actually NEED (since I have a copper IUD). Stupid insurance. I'll be stuck with sprintec from walmart(hate walmart) until something better comes along. Right. Fat chance.

I just had a baby a month ago, but before I tried to conceive I suppressed my periods using the NuvaRing. It's easy enough, you just leave it in for the "off" week, there are enough hormones remaining to keep your periods away. I did it because I get terrible menstrual migraines. Now that I've had my baby, the plan is to get a Mirena inserted in a few weeks. Hopefully I'll be one of those whose periods stop altogether.

I loved suppressing my periods. I never worried about being pregnant, as the likelihood of that while on birth control is so low--and, besides, I know more than a few women who had "periods" and then found out that they were pregnant anyway. It happens a lot more than you'd think. And I have no patience with those who think that periods are natural and therefore we shouldn't mess with them, as what you get when on the Pill (or Ring) isn't a period anyway.

Artdyke: There is also NuvaRing, which is a silicone ring that's in you for 3 to 4 weeks. I used to be horrible about keeping track of pills and this makes it so much easier, as I can usually tell when it's time to change the ring.

I love the nuvaring in general and I use it to have 4 periods a year. And from someone with bad emotional PMS and 7 days of heavy bleeding (as well as several clogged toilets, oops!) I am so grateful not to keep having periods. Then again I've never understood the need to embrace one's period as a part of being a woman.

Also hurrah lots of different kinds of birth control! Especially the newer low-dosage ones. I too got morning (actually, most of the day) sickness from regular pills. I am so grateful that I have so many more, more reliable and less harmful ways to prevent pregnancy. I'm aware of the risk of blood clots, etc. from hormonal birth control, but the possibility of getting of a blood clot is well worth the benefit of not getting pregnant. Getting pregnant would just be a nightmare for me, and even .

As glad as I am of products that help alleviate symptoms of PMS, etc. I really wish the pharmaceutical companies would expand the options of birth control methods. Having heard from my mother, I've heard all the ways that current birth control methods can be unacceptable: Copper IUD's can cause bad infections to the infection-prone, the diaphragm is ineffective and awkward, condoms are a pain, hormonal birth control is bad for smokers over 35, and having one's tubes tied is painful and expensive.

In the end I'm personally not sure how "naturally occurring" body events can automatically be deemed healthy and normal. We treat people for athritis and cataracts, although these naturallyoccur in the body as the result of aging. Also we put in plastic hearts and knees. I for one embrace the cyborg human.

Artdyke: There is also NuvaRing, which is a silicone ring that's in you for 3 to 4 weeks. I used to be horrible about keeping track of pills and this makes it so much easier, as I can usually tell when it's time to change the ring.

I love the nuvaring in general and I use it to have 4 periods a year. And from someone with bad emotional PMS and 7 days of heavy bleeding (as well as several clogged toilets, oops!) I am so grateful not to keep having periods. Then again I've never understood the need to embrace one's period as a part of being a woman.

Also hurrah lots of different kinds of birth control! Especially the newer low-dosage ones. I too got morning (actually, most of the day) sickness from regular pills. I am so grateful that I have so many more, more reliable and less harmful ways to prevent pregnancy. I'm aware of the risk of blood clots, etc. from hormonal birth control, but the possibility of getting of a blood clot is well worth the benefit of not getting pregnant. Getting pregnant would just be a nightmare for me, and even .

As glad as I am of products that help alleviate symptoms of PMS, etc. I really wish the pharmaceutical companies would expand the options of birth control methods. Having heard from my mother, I've heard all the ways that current birth control methods can be unacceptable: Copper IUD's can cause bad infections to the infection-prone, the diaphragm is ineffective and awkward, condoms are a pain, hormonal birth control is bad for smokers over 35, and having one's tubes tied is painful and expensive.

In the end I'm personally not sure how "naturally occurring" body events can automatically be deemed healthy and normal. We treat people for athritis and cataracts, although these naturallyoccur in the body as the result of aging. Also we put in plastic hearts and knees. I for one embrace the cyborg human.

Riled,
From Go Ask Alice: "Women who have used OCs have a 40 percent reduction in the risk of developing endometrial and ovarian cancer, when compared to women who have never used OCs. In fact, women who have used OCs for 10 years or longer have an 80 percent reduction in risk. This protective effect lasts for 20 years after discontinuing OCs."

Just thought I'd let you know.
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/3571.html

Dayna commented at October 27, 2008 4:36 PM: "Yea at the time when you're taking it it may seem great that you dont get your period as often but I do not think that in the end that is healthy for anyone."

Remember that some lower-wage workers, secondary school students, etc. have neither enough bathroom breaks during the day to change pads or tampons nor enough physical comfort with sticking enough of their hands up their vaginas to put cups in place nor workplace or school dress codes that let them wear clothing loose enough to hide diapers.

Meanwhile, I've already heard of teen girls dropping out of school because they can't afford pads and/or their schools don't have bathrooms, and I wouldn't blame them for choosing to skip periods if they get access to that option before they get access to affordable pads and school bathrooms.

becca commented at October 27, 2008 4:52 PM: "Regular pills have to be purchased once a month, these come in three month packs...You can use the once a month pills to skip your period too."

Exactly! I mimic my natural 7-8 week cycle by taking the pill in a manner that lets me have 7 week cycles. I still buy the packs approximately once a month, but after taking the 21 active pills of the first pack of my cycle I start the 21 active pills of the second pack (a couple of times I accidentally forgot which pack of my cycle I was on, went on to a third pack right away instead of taking the sugar pills, and got my period in the middle of that so I doubt trying to have a 3-month cycle would work for me).

OTOH when insurance will only cover 1 refill per month of anything it can be a hassle to buy pack #2 of a cycle, and have it covered, 21 days after buying pack #1.

veej commented at October 27, 2008 5:21 PM: "I'm very pro-choice. The more birth control options and infromation, the better. Now if only they offered a wide variety of choices for men, then I'd be really happy."

Yeah!

rosezilla commented at October 27, 2008 6:24 PM: "if you want to have periods (which are so much fun!) and be at higher risk for cancer, go nuts!"

Don't forget what a statistician would call the lurking variable! It's not having hundreds of periods in your life that puts you at higher risk for cancer, it's making it through your teens without being constantly pregnant since menarche that puts you at lower risk of dying in childbirth before 20 that both increases your chance of having hundreds of periods in your life and increases your chances of living to your 50s that puts you at higher risk of getting certain cancers. After all, you can't die of breast cancer spreading to your lungs and bones at age 68 if you die of giving birth to your husband's 3rd heir at age 14.

Lauren commented at October 27, 2008 9:15 PM: "Just because something is 'unnatural' does not necessarily mean it's bad. I imagine there are many of you out there who have bad eyesight and wear unnatural glasses and/or contacts. Why do you do it? Because it's convenient and helps you live the lifestyle you want, even though it may not be what nature intended. Same goes for birth control."

Right on, and the same goes for keeping all of one's children alive to adulthood (however "naturally" or "unnaturally" one had them). Having an infant mortality rate of 0% is definitely rare in nature. Likewise, a building, burrow, hive, lodge, or nest is significantly more of an artifice than branches of an uncultivated tree, a cave eroded by a glacier, a pouch, etc. so if artificial = bad and a new parent is sheltering her or his young...

artdyke commented at October 27, 2008 10:09 PM: "I wish there was an effective way to stop one's period without having to remember taking a pill every day."

How about uterine ablation? There's more info here: http://www.gynalternatives.com/ablation.htm

Personally, I'm freaked out by the idea of never bleeding; I like having a cycle that I can identify as being on time or interrupted, as not having one sounds like it'd turn into a perpetual pregnancy scare. I can sort of imagine getting accidentally knocked up and not realizing it till I felt something kicking. For that reason, I take regular birth control (I spot on low-dosage versions).

I take monocyclic pills in the same manner as Seasonale. I wanted to actually get generic Seasonale, but my co-pay was too high and I actually save money by taking regular monocyclics for 3 months at a time. Sure, I have to wait until the Monday after my period to buy the next pack (damn insurance) and then double up that day, but I'm in my mid-30's and less fertile anyway.

The main reason I love only having 4 periods a year is because I usually get sick during my period, even on the pill - headaches, lethargy, stomach issues, etc. - and even pads & tampons greatly irritate my skin in my delicate ladyparts (even organic, nonbleached cotton). When I've been off the pill, I also get hideous cramps, sometimes to the point of vomiting. There is no question that pills taken for 3 months solid have vastly improved my quality of life.

That said, I'm still not ready to contemplate taking the pills that only give you one period per year. I'm still crossing my fingers for early menopause!

Any Pill prescription can be used continuously. There are subtle differences between the formulations, but there are many available at generic prices. If any given Pill doesn't suit you, there are others that probably will. Hormonal birth control prior to menopause reduces the risk of breast cancer, as well as ovarian and endometrial, although hormones taken after menopause (HRT) increase risk.

There is no medical reason for a woman using hormonal birth control to undergo a monthly or quarterly or whatever-frequency withdrawal bleed. Having one every twenty-eight days does not indicate anything about pregnancy. Seriously, everybodyever, if you're concerned take a test, because that withdrawal bleed does not mean you're not pregnant.

As to insurance costs, ask your provider to suggest a generic equivalent of whatever works best for you, and to write the prescription for 90-day doses. It'll save you a fair amount of money. There are many good sites for information, and if your provider won't take the time to discuss all aspects of birth control with you, consider another provider.

I've taken Junel continuously for several years now, to reduce my cancer risk (Mom has had both ovarian and breast) and to suppress cyclic changes.