How Safe Are Pills To Delay Periods?

There are several reasons behind delaying a period. It can be either your best friend’s wedding or that vacation you have been planning for long. And then it hits you. It collides with your period date. So eventually, the next question pops in the mind, “how to delay the Periods?”.

Delaying your period is as normal as having them. With proper consultation and correct guidance, it is absolutely safe to delay or skip periods. But only one thing needs to be kept in mind. That is there can be several side effects of period-delaying pills.

Also Read: Know It All About Period Pain – Normal Pain or Abnormal Pain?

Table of Contents

How does birth control pills delay periods?

Before answering this question, let’s have a look at how normally menstruation occurs. During every cycle, the progesterone level responsible for periods drops which causes the uterine lining to shed. This is the reason why menstruation occurs. So it makes sense to say that not letting the progesterone level fall so that the periods get delayed is possible. But the question arises, how?

We have all heard about birth control bills. The doctors prescribe these medicines to anyone who wants to delay the periods. But do you know how they work?

The traditional birth control pills or progesterone-estrogen combo pills consist of 28 pills. This 28 pill consists of 21 pills which are active and 7 non-active. The active pills consist of hormones that suppress fertility while the inactive ones are consumed when you bleed. In order to delay the periods, you just have to skip the inactive pills and start with a new pack of active pills.
Another set of pills that doctors prescribe are progesterone pills. This is a prescription medicine that should be taken before the three days of periods. Although it is considered as a contraceptive, you’ll need to use some other type of contraceptive if you want to have sex.

What are the reasons behind the delaying periods?

Inconvenience is the major reason behind delaying a period for women. In order to delay an exam, athletic event, vacation or special occasions such as a wedding or honeymoon. Apart from these, the reasons behind delaying a period can be both major and minor. But periods are mainly delayed to manage the symptoms. Some of the symptoms to control include-

Inability to use sanitary napkins or tampons due to a physical or mental disability
Menstruation gets worse for a condition such as endometriosis or anemia
To get relief from painful cramps or abnormal bleeding
Breast tenderness, bloating or mood swings before 7-10 days of periods
To prevent migraine

Do these pills have any side effects?

According to Dr. Garima Sawhney, no matter whatever the reason is delaying a period with pills results in side-effects. The main major risk of delaying a period is breakthrough bleeding. This is the bleeding or spotting either during menstrual periods or pregnancy. It doesn’t necessarily mean that people who have missed several periods, will have this spotting or bleeding. But if this type of bleeding occurs frequently, find an alternative after discussing it with the doctor. Some other side effects to look out for are mentioned below.

Development of rashes throughout the body.
Feeling of dizziness
Headaches
Unable to retain fluid
Imbalance of hormonal levels
Problem of jaundice
Weight gain
Feeling of bloating
Breasts become tender
Development of acne
Feeling of nausea
Disturbance of mood
Reduced sex drive
Elevated blood pressure
Episodes of migraine
Asthma
Heavier bleeding than usual

Delaying periods regularly can change the natural menstrual cycle of the body, which is not considered to be normal. This gives rise to other problems such as irregular periods. Before popping a period delay tablet, consider the following-

Consuming progesterone tablets regularly can result in irregular periods.
As these pills consist of hormones, taking these tablets can complicate another condition such as PCOS.
Try out these pills one week in advance so that there is time to tackle side effects if there are any.
Unless it is absolutely necessary, avoid using these pills at all.

Also Read: Effective Tips on How To Get Periods Early

Conclusion

The best way to delay the period is by talking with the gynecologist. Not all pills have the same effects on women. As each person’s physiology is different, the side effects can also be different. Discuss with your gynecologist openly about the matter before making assumptions. There can be some condition that remains undetected which is delaying the periods. Visit the clinic if your period is delayed.