Missing your period while taking the pill: what can be the causes?
Are you taking birth control pills and are not menstruating? The truth is, this can be for various reasons. Although our main recommendation is to consult your doctor to have your questions answered directly from a professional, we provide you with some of the possible causes of missing periods while taking the birth control pill. In fact, the absence of your period can be very frightening, especially when it cannot be traced back to pregnancy. First of all, did you know that the menstrual phase is heavily influenced by the influence of the moon?
To begin with, it is important to blunt the notion that the only causes of missed periods are pregnancy or menopause. In other words, a missed period does not automatically mean that you are pregnant, especially if you are on birth control such as the pill.
As explained by Young Women Health, the effectiveness of the birth control pill is 99% if taken at the same time each day. While if it is not taken as recommended, the effectiveness is around 92%. Therefore, it is very unlikely that you will get pregnant by taking pills. contraceptives. Even in the case of the vaginal ring, according to various medical studies, the effectiveness is between 99% and 99.9%.
However, it is essential that you follow the directions on the package insert of the contraceptive pill or ring to make them as effective as possible. If you are taking the pill as a method of contraception, as a general rule, you should take one pill at the same time each day until until you finish the pack. There are some that contain 21 pills and have a 7-day break, then start another pack. Otherwise there are various brands that contain 28 pills, of which 7 are placebos.
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Why don't I get my period even though I take the pill?
After these initial clarifications, we will list some of the possible causes for not having your period while taking the pill.
1. Taking the pill incorrectly
This reason also applies to other contraceptive methods, such as the ring. When this type of contraceptive method is used, ovulation does not occur, which is what prevents pregnancy, but the thickening of the endometrium does occur, that is what is subsequently expelled during menstruation. However, if you take the pill incorrectly or do not follow the prescribed ring procedure, the effectiveness of these methods may be reduced and pregnancy may occur. That is why, if you are not menstruating and you think it could be due to improper use, we recommend that you consult your doctor first and take a pregnancy test.
2. Hormonal imbalance
If, on the other hand, contraceptives are used correctly and menstruation does not arrive in the "scheduled" week, one should not panic or be downcast. In fact, it can be a hormonal imbalance or a minimum thickening of the endometrium which, therefore, does not lead to expulsion. Therefore, as explained in Young Women Health, you are most likely not pregnant, but if you are concerned, it is always best to consult your doctor. Another option is to continue treatment and wait for your period to settle into the next cycle. If you have two delays, then it's good to get your doctor's opinion and evaluation.
3. Too much stress
One possible cause of missed periods is stress. Indeed, menstruation occurs in response to a complex cycle of hormonal segregation: estrogen and progesterone. However, stress hormones, such as cortisol, can also alter the production of the hormones responsible for menstruation. If you think this may be your problem and you are sure that you have taken the pill correctly, try to relax - this may be the simplest solution!
4. Stage of adolescence or pre-menopause
Hormone production is not the same at every stage of life. If you are in the period of adolescence or in so-called "middle age" (therefore close to menopause), it is quite common for your periods to be irregular, even if you are taking a contraceptive method, such as the pill. If you are a "teenager, it is possible. that you have been recommended the pill just to regulate your menstrual cycle, but this can take some time.
5. Underweight or weight loss in no time
Yes, body weight can affect your menstrual cycle. If you have experienced sudden weight loss, you may not be menstruating because your body is devoting the energy it has to other functions it deems most necessary. If this is the case, we advise you to consult your doctor and try to eat healthy, but also following a balanced diet, so as not to try the body of the foods and substances it needs.
See also: Everything you didn't know about menstruation
6. Polycystic ovary syndrome
The lack of menstruation may be due to polycystic ovary syndrome and other more or less related diseases. The polycystic ovary can cause other symptoms, such as the appearance of acne and blemishes on
of the skin, and usually the treatment prescribed by the gynecologist is the contraceptive pill. If you are already taking it to treat this problem and you are not menstruating anyway, consult your doctor and be patient: the pill may take some time to perform its function.
In any case, we know that the absence of the menstrual cycle can be scary, especially if you are taking contraceptives, which should be our certainty for a regular cycle. However, the ones we have listed here are the causes that most of the women find, but we are not all the same, so if you have any doubts, we always recommend that you consult a specialist who will assess your case personally.
For more information on the menstrual cycle, consult the Humanitas website.
