How to Prevent Menses

For many women, it's not a matter of having "happy" periods, it's about not having them at all. Oral contraceptives suppress, but do not eliminate menstruation. Menstruation is a sign that a woman is healthy and fertile. Preventing menses is not recommended unless a woman is having heavy, painful or debilitating periods. Some birth control pills limit periods to 4 times per year, but there can be breakthrough bleeding or spotting. This should not be attempted without a doctor's supervision.

Things You'll Need

• Gynecologist
• Fertility chart
• Symptom chart
• Medical history
• Emergency contraceptive plan

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Instructions

• 1

  There are several unhealthy, but natural ways to end your periods. They will only suppress menses--not remove it. Natural methods of menses suppression include heavy athletic training, severe weight loss or becoming pregnant or nursing. Age, surgery, brain injury and severe hormone imbalance will end periods permanently.

• 2

  Chart at least three full cycles. One cycle is from the first day of one period to the first day of the next period. Use X's to mark the days of your period: Use O's to mark the days of ovulation. To determine these days you can use the sympto-thermal method, the Creighton method or use an ovulation kit. These kits can be purchased over-the-counter at your local pharmacy. You should be able to predict your period within hours. Also separately chart symptoms such as breast tenderness, pelvic pain, fever, GI upset, heavy flow, mood disturbances, weight loss or gain, fainting or dizziness. Present the charts along with a complete medical history to your Ob/Gyn. She can determine whether menses suppression is right for you.

• 3

  Once you've been approved for prescription oral contraceptives, you may receive a birth control pill that is a combination of ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel -- synthetic forms of estrogen, which controls bleeding and progestin, which suppresses periods. Or your Ob/Gyn may prescribe a drug that contains progestin norethindrone -- which is reported to have less irregular bleeding with continuous use. Regardless of the type of drug, follow the instructions. You may need to take it for 21 days, then take placebo pills for seven days. Or you may take a type of oral contraceptive that has 84 days' worth of progesterone pills followed by seven days' worth of low-dose estrogen. If you have any questions, call your Ob/Gyn's office -- Do not double up on your pills if you miss a dose.

• 4

  Keep charting. Although menses is suppressed, you may still get pregnant. Even the highest potency birth controls pill, used correctly are not 100% effective against pregnancy. You may want to consider condom usage. Also give yourself some time. You may experience irregular bleeding for up to six months, as you get used to the pill's suppressive effect.

• 5

  While on your menses suppressive oral contraceptive, report any symptoms to your Ob/Gyn. Just because you've experienced pain, fever, nausea, dizziness or bleeding before, doesn't mean you should expect these same symptoms while on the pill. Also report unrelated symptoms like shortness of breath, headache or high blood pressure.