We’ve all been through it: seen that our menstrual cycle is coinciding with a beach vacay or a major function and wished we could switch our dates so that our chums can come a bit earlier or later. Our girlfriends have recommended taking over the counter pills or emergency pills to bring the date forward or later which while convenient, is affecting our reproductive organs and in turn, our bodies. Wondering what the effects were? We asked two gynaes.
It affects your cycle for a long time
Says Dr Veena Aurangabadwala, Obstetrics and Gynecology consultant, Zen Multispeciality Hospital, Chembur, Mumbai , “Frequently opting for pills to stop periods may not be such a great idea for future menstrual cycles and overall reproductive health of the woman. Delaying periods by a few days interferes with an otherwise regular menstrual cycle, making it irregular. Some women take pills to postpone menses and unknowingly conceive, as they mistake every pill to have a contraceptive effect.”
There will be heavy bleeding
“20 percent of women experienced prolonged heavy bleeding in the months that followed even after stopping the course of medication for postponement of period, according to a recent study in Saudi Arabia on menstrual suppression in Hajj pilgrims,”’ says Dr Geeth Monnappa, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Fortis LaFemme Hospital, Richmond Road, Bengaluru. Would you really want to delay your periods to have this? We think not.
It could lead to serious health issues
“Abuse of contraceptive pills for a longer time than prescribed can lead to serious conditions like a deep vein thrombosis [clots in the vein] and pulmonary embolism which can be life threatening,’ adds Dr Geeth. “Pills are usually metabolized by the liver, and can sometimes interfere and reduce the effect of other medications that the woman is on, such as anti-epileptic or antitubercular medications,” adds Dr Veena.
There is a right way to take these pills
“Pills taken correctly, keeping in mind the menstrual cycle, after consultation with a gynecologist, after fully understanding the risks and benefits, can be extremely useful too. They can be used to control premenstrual syndromes, correct endometriosis, avoid unwanted pregnancies as well as treat certain ovarian cysts. Its, therefore, best to use pills only after consultation with a gynecologist/family planning expert,” signs off Dr Veena.
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