So because a lot of people either don't need to know (male, menopause) or don't want to know I don't often openly talk about this topic. I promise this topic is relevant though.
Periods suck even for the healthiest women. They are completely debilitating for me. Let me first start off by saying I have severe hormonal imbalances. When I was tested for testosterone (which is a very important hormone for mental health, libido, weight structuring and energy) I had almost no testosterone. Zip. So the solution for that is hormone replacement which is typically done via topical cream daily until levels restore. They however can have very nasty side-effects. And if there is a side effect available you better believe I'll get it. Even the ones they don't have to technically list.
I have been generally lucky in the skin department, I did not have bad acne growing up. Hormone replacement immediately gives me a seriously bad case of acne, face and back. Eeeeew. And anyone who's dealt with acne knows how painful that is both emotionally and physically. I would literally feel like passing out if I touched a pimple. They were those horrible cystic pimples. That alone would make you think twice. I also scar very easily, and tend to keloid as well (keloids are thought to be an overreaction of the immune system causing additional scar tissue to build up resulting in raised bumps and skin pigmentation changes.) awesome. Hormone doses quickly altered my mood, making me irritable and anxious. I think I may have started growing a mustache too but I quit before a good shave was imminent. Whew. There are many different combination and types of hormone therapy, there are artificial and natural ways. I tried several. All the same. All freaked me out completely, I don't know if I'd be willing to try anymore hormone therapies. This doesn't happen to everyone so don't freak out before fully considering the potential benefits. Like increased energy and libido and for some it even helps with pain.
Many years ago when I first got married and was in school I tired a Mirena IUD implant. In theory this Prevents pregnancy without a daily pill and reduces or eliminates periods. Win. Or not. What they don't tell you is there has actually been a study on tolerance for fibromyalgia patients and how they typically react badly to this form of birth control. Oui. I gritted out two horrible weeks on this method before demanding it be removed. I was annoyed that I hadn't been given this information and when I mentioned the study to my practitioner she was all yeah I heard about that... Um HELLO!!!! It gave me this horrendous burning ache in my mid back down my glutes and also chronic headaches, it was unbearable. I could barely stand upright, of course I initially thought it would pass but it was like my body was screaming INTRUDER! INTRUDER! And I swear I could feel the exact shape and size of the thing. Yuck. Fail.
When I was around sixteen my periods had gotten really bad, cramps, excessive bleeding, back pain, nausea, headaches, dizziness, anemia, and fatigue. At the time the only solution for this was birth control. Which I thought then was awesome because even though I wasn't sexually active I wasn't sure I wouldn't be and I didn't have to find a way to ask for birth control from my father... That was short-sided really, but teen-aged brains and all that. fun fact: scientists actually refer to that period of time in development as a moral holiday. A brain all jacked up on hormones is basically un-equipped to make good decisions. Anyway, that birth control seemed okay for many years no terrible side effects and my periods were moderately controlled. About the time my fibromyalgia kicked into full-gear that birth control stopped helping. My periods were worse than ever. I was getting cramps that would double me over and I couldn't stand up until they passed, they would literally make me shout. That's hard to explain. Oh you know... the girly bits are attacking.
So this is what a typical month looked like for me: the week leading up to my period I would get extremely irritable and my skin would start breaking out a bit, I would get some awful bloating and other unpleasant side-effects, my back and glutes would ache. Over the next week when my period finally started I would have excessive bleeding, cramping, bloating, mood-swings, fatigue, nausea, headaches constantly, severe constipation, my skin would feel like a giant bruise. I could not be touched. The ache was everywhere deep down, like a full fibro flare. Which it probably was. The following week aches would start to lessen and my headache would back off and my body would stop feeling like sandpaper had scratched every surface but the fatigue would be horrible, I felt like sludge and if it was even remotely hot anywhere I would turn into a zombie. That's three weeks out of four people. That is not acceptable. I swear I had PTSD from my periods.
So after a lot of research and trial and error I found a birth control that works again. This time it's a low-estrogen type. The theory is that because I was so deficient in testosterone the additional estrogen on top of the estrogen I was producing was throwing my body completely out of balance. Initially when I started this pill the doctor suggested skipping periods. Which you can do by skipping the placebo at the end of the pack. That was such a relief, because even though my periods were under control we were still talking about two weeks of symptoms. Less before more during and after stuff.
So then the question became: is it safe to skip your period? How often is it ok? It'll probably sound funny but Anne frank was my basis for this. I mean seriously. I thought of it like a cleanse, a horrible but necessary one. This was completely inaccurate. As it seems most people's ideas of these things are. The only reason a body needs a period is for fertility. I mean you didn't die from not having a period before puberty right? Puberty was a process to prepare you for fertility. Breasts for feeding, hips for birthing, it was a chemical signal, you receive another one at menopause saying now it's time to stop. This may make some people uncomfortable because it seems natural to have a period, and that is true. It is not natural however, to feel like you're dying every time you do. Some people get hysterectomies to fix this problem, I use birth control and it is absolutely safe. I mean there are of course the standard concerns for birth control still, like if you smoke you will still have a higher risk of clots, ect. It's not gross or unhygienic and there are of course scenarios in life where you might naturally stop having your period. This makes perfect sense.
Sometimes there really is a "magic pill" and for me it's birth control. I still have fibro problems and flares ups, but it's not constantly compounded by PMS. Sometimes if I'm really stressed I will still get my period, that is unfortunately one of the side effects of skipping. It may occasionally surprise you. Usually for me it's vacation that does it. But really that is nothing. I have months and months not just days in between now. I mean wouldn't you get tired of constantly being kicked in the ovaries?
This decision for me was a huge win in my fibromyalgia management and coping. maybe it's something that could work for you too, maybe you didn't even know it was an option.