Adjusting cycle on combination pills
12 June, 2006
Question:Hi and thank you for this wonderful website.
I have wonderful children bH and after asking our rov, for the time being I am currently on birth control (combination progeterone and estrogen pills). Before these pills, I used to have a lot of breakthrough bleeding when I was on progesterone only pills (because I was nursing and my doctor, though other opinions exist, did not want me going on combination pills though those cause less breakthrough bleeding). Anyway, for the first few months on the combination pills, my cycle was flawless-my period came exactly with the week of placebo pills. But this month, it started a week before the placebo pills. Does this mean that I can get my period again when I start the placebo pills? This would be a problem because in that event, mikvah night would end up when we have a very public family event to be at. If this is the case, is there a way to just speed up my period (meaning have it earlier) so that mikvah night doesn’t end up on that night? Please let me know ASAP. Thank you for the huge chesed that you do with this website.
Answer:Your period could indeed start again when you take the placebo pills.
Please contact your physician and ask if would be ok to stop taking the active pills now (and/or start taking placebo pills now) and to start the next set of active pills a week earlier. Such intervention is generally possible but one needs to be sure that enough pills have been taken to assure you do not ovulate this month.
If your physician is not familiar with hilchot niddah and why you are asking this, feel free to refer to the section of our website designed for medical professionals, Jewish Women’s Health. Please write back with any further questions.
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