Continuous Oral Contraceptive Use Can Eliminate or Reduce Menstrual Frequency

Every month millions of women endure menstruation and the accompanying symptoms that frequently come with monthly periods. Monthly menstruation often brings with it cramps , headaches , mood swings, acne , heavy bleeding and a variety of other symptoms . Approximately 2.5 million women are affected by menstrual disorders monthly in the U.S. making them the most common reason for gynecology appointments.

According to a study reported in the June 2001 issue of the "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology," 91 percent of women who experience menstrual symptoms would, given the choice, extend the use of their oral contraceptives to eliminate or lessen the frequency of menstruation. Ninety-four percent of the women in the study, who attempted extending their use of birth control pills, said that their quality of life greatly improved or improved with the extended use of the Pill.

Patricia Sulak, M.D., Professor, Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, TX is lead author of the study. Dr. Sulak said the study is important "because it is the first long-term study of a large series of patients to evaluate acceptance and long-term continuation rates of altering the 21/7 day birth control regime."

Dr. Sulak feels that it is "remarkable" not just how eager women were to try this change in how they took their birth control pills, but how easily they were able to incorporate the change. "A large number of women chose to continue the extended regimen of real pills for long periods of time and indicated that the quality of their lives greatly improved."

This retrospective study was conducted by Dr. Sulak over seven years as she counseled patients about the way they took their monophasic 30-35 mcg oral contraceptives to decrease the unwanted symptoms of menstruation (migraine headaches, cramps, PMS.)

During the study, women were given the option of extending their use of the 'real' pills contained in the usual 21/7 day regimen. Women were able to choose to extend their use of the homone-containing pills for six, nine, or 12 weeks or until their body naturally developed breakthrough bleeding. When women reached their chosen number of weeks or when breakthrough bleeding occurred, women were advised to stop the Pill for three to seven days and then resume the extended birth control regimen with the hormone-containing pill.

Dr. Sulak found it surprising to "learn that women who extend their active oral contraceptive pills not only liked the result, they also end up staying on the birth control pill for many years, often much longer than the average OC user."

Some potential positive implications for women's health could result from this study. We know that the Pill decreases the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis , and several other serious health conditions. And by getting their periods less often women experience less headaches, cramps, mood swings, and other symptoms associated with menstruation.

A New Drug Application (NDA) is expected to be filed, by Barr Laboratories, Inc., with the FDA sometime in mid-2002 for a new oral contraceptive. The new drug, Seasonale™, is currently being researched and has completed Phase III clinical trials. Seasonale is expected to be packaged for 13-week use (84 days on/7 days off), reducing the number of menstrual cycles a woman experiences to just four per year.

Discuss the possiblity of extending your use of hormone-containing birth control pills to stop your periods with your clinician. Never attempt self-medication of any kind without the approval of your health care provider.