Menstrual supression: gynecologists told whether it is safe to 'turn off' your period
'29.11.2019'
Source: Gossip
Increasingly, girls, due to severe pain and discomfort on critical days, drink hormonal drugs that temporarily stop menstruation. In the US, this trend is dubbed menstrual suppression, which means "suppression of menstruation." Doctors gynecologists told how safe this method is for the body and whether such a radical approach affects reproductive function.
According to the Association of Reproductive Health Specialists, most women have an average of 450 menstrual periods in their entire lives. Moreover, according to WHO statistics, more than 75 percent of women experience PMS symptoms (there is a sharp change in mood, abdominal and joint pain, sleep disturbance, headaches). And 40 percent would prefer never to have menstruation in their life, provided that it is harmless to the body, writes Gossip.
More and more girls are resorting to a medical approach - menstrual suppression. The bottom line is to reduce the number of menstruation under the supervision of a doctor from twelve to three to four times a year.
So, Seasonale began to be used in the USA from 2003 of the year (it reduces menstruation to four times a year), Lybrel was introduced in 2006 (for a year), and Implanon was approved in 2007 (for three years).
“There is no medical reason why we need menstruation every month. You can easily get rid of it for a long time, ”says Lauren Streicher, MD.
But Dr. Jerilyn Pryor of the Ovulation and Menstrual Cycle Research Center, author of No Menstruation Again ?, and Dr. Susan Raco disagree.
“The monthly cycle of ovulation and menstruation improves bone health and prevents some of the most common causes of premature death - cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, cervical cancer, heart attacks, as well as osteoporosis and stroke,” they say.
Why “turn off” menstruation?
First, let's determine in which cases it may be necessary to “turn off” menstruation for therapeutic purposes.
“When a woman comes to the doctor with complaints of heavy and / or painful menstruation, the first step is to examine the patient. It includes consultation and examination of a gynecologist, ultrasound of the pelvic organs, a smear for oncocytology from the cervix, determination of the level of certain hormones (according to indications), blood tests to detect iron deficiency / anemia, ”explains Nina, obstetrician-gynecologist at the Remedi Institute of Reproductive Medicine Antipova.
The reason for heavy or painful menstruation is most often the retroflection of the uterus ("bend" of the uterus), uterine myoma (a benign tumor that occurs in the muscle layer of the uterus), endometriosis (a benign formation that occurs as a result of tissue overgrowth), hyperplastic processes of the endometrium (the inner mucous membrane of the uterus ), adhesions in the small pelvis after the operations.
“The diagnosis of algodismenorrhea stands apart - a condition in which a woman suffers from pain during her period, but a routine gynecological examination does not find obvious abnormalities (for example, small uterine fibroids, small forms of endometriosis),” the expert says.
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Depending on the diagnosis, a method of treating the problem is also chosen. They begin with the so-called conservative, or therapeutic methods of treatment, that is, not surgical, not radical.
In the treatment often use various hormonal drugs. The choice of treatment needed will depend on a number of factors:
- the age of the woman;
- reasons (diagnosis) for which it is necessary to "turn off" menstruation;
- a woman’s birth plan;
- concomitant diseases, for example: obesity, arterial hypertension. Problems with biscuits and smoking can greatly affect the choice of treatment tactics.
Suppression of menstruation (hormonal and surgical methods)
The bottom line is to reduce the number of menstruation under the supervision of a doctor from twelve to three to four times a year. Hormones can suppress the onset of menstruation or transfer it to other days (menstrual suppression).
On the other hand, it is possible to suppress ovulation and manipulate the entire cycle. In fact, hormonal contraceptives create an artificial cycle that can last as many days as hormones are taken. As soon as you stop drinking hormones, bleeding will appear - “withdrawal bleeding” (artificial menstruation).
Hormonal drugs that are used to “turn off” menstruation
- Combined hormonal contraceptives (in the form of tablets, a patch or a vaginal ring)
This method works when hormones enter the woman's body every day for three to four months, and the woman does not take a break “for menstruation” every month, but once every three to four months. Combination hormonal contraceptive pills use estrogen and progesterone to prevent pregnancy. Estrogen suppresses ovulation, and progesterone thickens the cervical mucus (sperm can no longer get through it) and dilutes the lining of the uterus.
- Intrauterine system (spiral) containing the hormone levonorgestrel
The spiral is a small T-shaped device that is inserted into the uterus. The intrauterine system may also contain progesterone, which thickens the cervical mucus and reduces the lining of the uterus. In some people, the uterine lining becomes so thin that menstruation disappears. Since hormonal spirals are placed for a period of three to five years (this depends on its type), this means that menstruation can disappear for several years.
- Subcutaneous implant with levonorgestrel
This method of contraception is very similar to the previous one. It also works due to progesterone. However, there are several important differences. An implant is a match-sized rod that is implanted in the shoulder. As in the case of hormonal spirals, progesterone helps to thicken cervical mucus and decrease the uterine mucosa. Bonus - menstruation can become shorter or even disappear.
- Injection, prolonged form of the synthetic analogue of progesterone (medroxyprogesterone acetate)
The active substance is injected (usually in the arm or buttocks), they are done every three months.
Antigonadotropic drugs (Diferelin, Buserelin, Danazole). Treatment with these drugs is usually carried out in courses of several months in combination with surgical treatment of uterine fibroids and endometriosis. The disadvantage is that they have more pronounced adverse reactions.
With the help of hormonal drugs, you can "turn off" menstruation temporarily, that is, after stopping the intake of a hormonal drug, menstrual function will be restored completely (except in certain clinical situations).
But the surgical "shutdown" of menstruation is irreversible. There are two surgical methods:
- uterus removal;
- ablation ("burning") of the endometrium - an alternative to removing the uterus.
Is it possible to “turn off” menstruation just for convenience
This can be done using combined hormonal contraceptives (tablets, patch, vaginal ring) and an intrauterine device with levonorgestrel. Alternatively, a subcutaneous implant with levonorgesterel or an injectable synthetic progesterone analogue may be considered.
Now such a regimen of taking combined hormonal contraceptives, when a woman takes a “break for menstruation” once every 3-4 months, is called prolonged. This method has a number of advantages: faster addiction to the hormonal drug, less pronounced side reactions, therapeutic effect (less blood loss, as well as the risks of anemia and iron deficiency).
How does this affect health. To whom this method is definitely not suitable
Here the opinions were divided. They believe that suppressing menstruation reduces the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, while others say that drugs increase the risk of developing cancer of the cervix, breast, and liver.
According to scientists, there is no evidence that stopping menstruation with hormonal contraceptives is unhealthy. However, there are some possible side effects from taking certain types of hormone medications for many years.
“The prolonged hormonal contraceptive regimen is suitable for all women who generally have no contraindications to this type of contraception. But experts insist: before making any changes to the menstrual cycle, you should definitely consult with your doctor to avoid complications or an unplanned pregnancy.
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Is it possible to stop menstruation if they have already begun
Ways to stop menstruation, which has already begun, have not yet been invented. But if immediately after the start of bleeding, you start taking a combined oral contraceptive, menstruation will be shorter and easier.
Taking over-the-counter analgesics at the doses indicated in the instructions for use will reduce the swelling of the walls of the uterus, which in turn will reduce bleeding and associated pain.
There are several natural ways. These are regular exercises that help relax uterine muscles and reduce menstrual bleeding. Many women claim that herbal teas with valerian root and chamomile, as well as raspberries and nettle leaves, help slow menstruation. But, before you try herbal medicine, again, you should consult a doctor.
Does stopping menstruation affect reproductive function
“Negatively - no. Positively, yes. Women who use hormonal drugs, in general, monitor their health more closely, visit a gynecologist more often and, as a rule, plan to have children taking into account the recommendations of a specialist, ”explains Nina Antipova.
A recent study found that 20 percent of women choose to “postpone” their periods by taking the contraceptive pill non-stop. Despite the fact that most articles on this topic indicate that the method is safe, doctors advised to think twicebefore becoming a follower of this trend.
The material is published for educational purposes and is not a medical recommendation. ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for the consequences of self-medication and may not share the views of the author or expert.
