birth control pills and vacation
#307107 - 05/12/07 07:03 PM
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melinda413
Reged: 05/09/07
Posts: 71
Loc: Findlay, OH
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First of all, this may not be the correct place to post this, but I was hoping I could get some help! Okay, so I went through and read the previous posts on birth control pills, but I still have a question. The last time I had my period I had the most intense attack of my IBS I have ever had. I think this was due to a million factors, mainly just going off the Zelnorm, stress from moving, and not realizing what my trigger foods were since the Zelnorm seemed to be masking what I could and could not eat. It took me a full week of pain and barely eating and not being able to stand from cramps, gas and bloating before I was able to even stand for a period of time. The point of this is that I am due to just be coming off my period when I am scheduled to take a family vacation to Disney World, in 3 weeks time. I am terrified that I will be in pain even before I get to go there! I read on other posts the possibility of taking birth control pills straight through so that you do not have your period. I wondered what everyone thought about this. I don't want to do that on a full time basis but I am really considering it just for this trip. I do not have a sympathetic Dr that I can check with about this, nor do I technically have an OBGYN. I just go to the local Planned Parenthood, I can't afford to go to Dr. right now. I am still paying on all the initial diagnostic tests for IBS. I'm already worried about how to eat anything while there but do not want to have to worry about this on top of the stress of a vacation!
I would appreciate anyone's advice or tips about the birth control thing or going on vacation!
thanks 
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Melinda
IBS-A but leans toward C mostly
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Though none of us can replace your docs advice, it is very common for women to do this. I've done it myself and more than one doctor has told me many of their patients have done the same. I don't think it would hurt any to do it this one time.
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If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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I know, I am definitely going to find a good Gyno when I get better insurance in a month, and see about getting on the fewer period birth control. I've actually never heard of doing this before so thank you for the advice. I guess I'll just see how it goes!
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Melinda
IBS-A but leans toward C mostly
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If you want to learn more about scheduling your withdrawal bleeding while on the pill/patch/ring, you can learn a lot by visiting The Well-Timed Period. Look at the links on the right-hand side.
The short answer is that since what hormonal BC gives you is just withdrawal bleeding from hormones and not a period, you can adjust when it happens. Of course, your body isn't guaranteed to like it, but it's not a bad thing to try. The only reason we have the 3 week on, 1 week off schedule is because the initial producers of the pill wanted it to appear more "natural"!
I'm using NuvaRing continuously now and it works really well for me. Over one year, and no bleeding and no week of nausea and D every month. Whee!
--AC
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I also was recently put in the 3 month cycle of bc because of the severa increase in my IBS. It's not perfect. The first month I was miserable b/c my body was expecting it. The second month was better. Third was OK but then I got my p and was miserable. Fourth month was awful again, but for a shorter time period. Given my pain started over a week before I got it and lasted several days after it was over, it's still a vast improvement.
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I also take my BC pills continuously. I haven't had a period in about two years, and I don't miss it! Even before I started doing that, though, I skipped a few periods in order to line my cycle up with my honeymoon.  Unlike you, I wanted to make sure my wedding was immediately after my period so I wouldn't have to deal with any of that; I always felt really good the week after my period.
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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Wow, thanks for all of the responses. I think I will see how it goes to see if it doesn't bother my body. That will be at least one less stressful thing on my mind when we go to Disney. There are a lot of other things that I'm sure will stress me out such as finding food to eat there!
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Melinda
IBS-A but leans toward C mostly
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