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[pepperminty]

Hi Ladies ,

Just wondering if anyone has gone straight from the contraceptive pill onto HRT without a break or with a short break? Has the pill prevented any issues, and have they then sprung up when you stopped it?
Some of us on the forum are taking it and some considering it - Is it a real preventative option that we should be aware of?

I have been researching online and apparently those ladies who take the pill until their 50's do not get peri menopause symptoms and can be blissfully unaware that they have entered menopause.

I wish I had known this and staid on the pill ( I know some people have issues with it ) but I never had any problems and came off it because in those days everyone I knew just did. There are some issues with all meds. It is weighing it up verses quality of life.

There is so much ignorance out there - we are so uninformed . If only we were all presented with a fact sheet in our 30's with everything in it - all the problems the options etc.

Without this forum and some of the ladies knowledge , I would be up the creak somewhere without a paddle, a hole in the boat with a tsunami looming.


Pepperminty xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi Peppermint, how are you today?

I came off the Pill after having my children because I was going into my mid 30s, and lime everyone I knew, assumed the Pill was too risky at that age.

Turns out we all got it horribly wrong. According to my GP, so long as you don't smoke or have serious weight issues, it's fine to stay on the Pill until you turn 50, and then just segue into HRT if you want.

God, I wish I had known that back then. But then I simply had no idea how wretched the peri menopause could make me feel. Especially the awful anxiety and random depression etc.

But if someone had told me that peri menopause would cause a return of all the horrible symptoms I had with PND, I would have moved Heaven and Earth to take whatever preventative action.

I really, really should have been flagged as 'At Risk' on my medical notes.

[Poppyflower]

Hi Pepperminty,

I had been on a form of the pill since April 2014 to combat perimenopause symptoms. I personally have tried three different pills as well as the ortho evra patch. Each time I tried a new birth control pill things started of ok and then by around the third month I would sink into a deep dark ugly depression.....not good. Was decided I was not tolerating the different progestins in any of the pills I tried so was suggested I try the patch (BCP not HRT). Again while I was on this patch my mental health symptoms would completely resolve however, almost felt like I was getting too much hormones if that makes any sense! After reading countless posts on this site I decided to try HRT and I am now on HRT 75 estradot and prometrium 100mg vaginally day 1-7 of the month. This is definitely allowing me to see a pattern in my symptoms as I now seem to have 2 good weeks and two bad weeks, which when it is bad seems like it will never go away, then one day it just lifts. I believe that likely I am not receiving enough estrogen with HRT to extinguish these awful mental symptoms of perimenopause and I am going to be increasing to 100 patch and if no success go back to ortho evra patch. For me personally I would rather have any of the physical  symptoms and would take anything they told me to get rid of the mental ones.........

[pepperminty]

Hi Grl,

I am ok today mood wise , just tired really, which is better than manic and nauseous!!

I just wondered if anyone else on the site had a similar experience. My pier group all came off mid 30's too for no good reason it seems.

I think there should definitely be more info on this, as women appear to get to this stage in live and suffer when they perhaps need not.
Just think how much the NHS would save .

Hi Poppyflower,

So the BCP didn't work for you then? That is my worry as the lower dose HRT is working for me , but I really don't want to bleed half the month.

I suspect that it will take a few visits to Gp and meno nurse before a decision is made as to what I should do. I have never had any problems with my moods or the pill before , so I hope that I wouldn't now either.

Can't decide what is the best course of action- to hang in there on HRT and try one that doesn't cause me to bleed heavily  or jump ship to BCP.



My appointment with GP is tomorrow so, I need to ask if I can go on the pill and when to start if I can and how long before I will see an improvement etc and if it goes tits up can I go straight back on HRT!

Peppermintyxx

[Briony]

Why not ask to try Qlaira first? It's a BCP with bio identical estrogen, so a half way house. Has the added benefit of reducing bleeding. It's very new here (been around much longer in Europe and USA) so your GP may need to look it up! x

[Poppyflower]

Do not get me wrong, once I tried the ortho evra patch things seemed to be good. good mood and not really too many of the physical symptoms. also like with the pill I just stuck my patch on continuously with no 7 day break and therefore no bleeding. that part was great. I also in the past have not had any issues with taking the bcp when I was younger, and in fact have also never had issues before with my period, moods or premenstrual symptoms. Also in the past I have taken many hormones as I tried to conceive using IVF and never even a blip. I am completely baffled with this perimenopause thing. I think that if you have not had troubles in the past with BCP, perhaps try one. Not bleeding is definitely an added bonus if taken continuously with no break. I am 42 and have really noticed the issues for about a year now, however suspect due to my troubles getting pregnant, I have had hormonal issues for a while. Good Luck with everything!!

[Briony]

Something I don't understand is that HRT patches are the safer route (compared with pills), yet contraceptive patches are higher DVT risks than the combined pill. 

When the doc  said I couldnt go on a pill higher in dose than Qliara (due to my  migraines with aura and dad having a stroke at 50), I thought the contraceptive patch would be a good alternative, but she said that would be even worse! Anyone know why? x