I can’t decide if I should take bc for peri

[Anonymous]

I don’t want to stop having my period so would do the placebo week. Will it stop anyway? And has anyone had experiences they can share positive or negative?

[Anonymous]

Hormones in birth control are designed to stop ovulation, so they come at a higher dose than in hormone replacement therapy. This increases your risk for breast, endometrium and ovarian cancers and it's usually not recommended. Hormone replacement therapy is specifically designed for perimenopause symptoms, and is considered safe for some, but not all women. Your doctor has to go over your family history of cancer and blood clots to determine if you can safely take it.

[Anonymous]

I just started bc for that exact reason. I’m 49. It’s been good. Light period, no mood swings, etc. My gyn was onboard and said the cancer fears are overblown. Who knows.

At any rate, she wouldn’t give me HRT yet. My periods are regular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hormones in birth control are designed to stop ovulation, so they come at a higher dose than in hormone replacement therapy. This increases your risk for breast, endometrium and ovarian cancers and it's usually not recommended. Hormone replacement therapy is specifically designed for perimenopause symptoms, and is considered safe for some, but not all women. Your doctor has to go over your family history of cancer and blood clots to determine if you can safely take it.

You are not a doctor so stop giving medical advice as if you were. I have seen multiple doctors and they all advise that bc is safer than hrt bc hrt adds to your existing hormones and thus the hormone load is higher for peri than bc because bc takes over your hormones altogether. Get your facts straight before you go spreading disinformation online

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started bc for that exact reason. I’m 49. It’s been good. Light period, no mood swings, etc. My gyn was onboard and said the cancer fears are overblown. Who knows.

At any rate, she wouldn’t give me HRT yet. My periods are regular.

Op - ditto. My dr prefers I wait till I am in 50s for hrt so can limit the time on it. Did you gain weight on bc?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand this "my doctor will put me on BC but not HRT" stuff. I certainly believe PPs are hearing this from their doctor, I just wish they weren't because is shows how ignorant doctors are about treating peri/menopause. BC has far more hormone in it that HRT like Estradiol w/ supplemented with some progesterone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hormones in birth control are designed to stop ovulation, so they come at a higher dose than in hormone replacement therapy. This increases your risk for breast, endometrium and ovarian cancers and it's usually not recommended. Hormone replacement therapy is specifically designed for perimenopause symptoms, and is considered safe for some, but not all women. Your doctor has to go over your family history of cancer and blood clots to determine if you can safely take it.

You are not a doctor so stop giving medical advice as if you were. I have seen multiple doctors and they all advise that bc is safer than hrt bc hrt adds to your existing hormones and thus the hormone load is higher for peri than bc because bc takes over your hormones altogether. Get your facts straight before you go spreading disinformation online

DP. What PP said is correct. And they did not give medical advice at all, they provided information. Correct information. Many, many doctors are not providing correct info when it comes to menopause.

So you should probably get your facts straight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hormones in birth control are designed to stop ovulation, so they come at a higher dose than in hormone replacement therapy. This increases your risk for breast, endometrium and ovarian cancers and it's usually not recommended. Hormone replacement therapy is specifically designed for perimenopause symptoms, and is considered safe for some, but not all women. Your doctor has to go over your family history of cancer and blood clots to determine if you can safely take it.

You are not a doctor so stop giving medical advice as if you were. I have seen multiple doctors and they all advise that bc is safer than hrt bc hrt adds to your existing hormones and thus the hormone load is higher for peri than bc because bc takes over your hormones altogether. Get your facts straight before you go spreading disinformation online

What the pp said IS what my doctor also said. My doctor said the estrogen patch she prescribed me is a far lower dose of hormone than taking the pill. Using it in patch forms lowers your risk of clots. You are not correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this "my doctor will put me on BC but not HRT" stuff. I certainly believe PPs are hearing this from their doctor, I just wish they weren't because is shows how ignorant doctors are about treating peri/menopause. BC has far more hormone in it that HRT like Estradiol w/ supplemented with some progesterone.

My understanding is that the BC my gym put me on has a lower dose of estrogen than HRT. In other words, exactly opposite of what the earlier PP said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this "my doctor will put me on BC but not HRT" stuff. I certainly believe PPs are hearing this from their doctor, I just wish they weren't because is shows how ignorant doctors are about treating peri/menopause. BC has far more hormone in it that HRT like Estradiol w/ supplemented with some progesterone.

My understanding is that the BC my gym put me on has a lower dose of estrogen than HRT. In other words, exactly opposite of what the earlier PP said.

Your understanding isn’t correct, or your dr isn’t up to date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this "my doctor will put me on BC but not HRT" stuff. I certainly believe PPs are hearing this from their doctor, I just wish they weren't because is shows how ignorant doctors are about treating peri/menopause. BC has far more hormone in it that HRT like Estradiol w/ supplemented with some progesterone.

My understanding is that the BC my gym put me on has a lower dose of estrogen than HRT. In other words, exactly opposite of what the earlier PP said.

This might be helpful - https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/birth-control-and-menopause/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this "my doctor will put me on BC but not HRT" stuff. I certainly believe PPs are hearing this from their doctor, I just wish they weren't because is shows how ignorant doctors are about treating peri/menopause. BC has far more hormone in it that HRT like Estradiol w/ supplemented with some progesterone.

My understanding is that the BC my gym put me on has a lower dose of estrogen than HRT. In other words, exactly opposite of what the earlier PP said.

This might be helpful - https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/birth-control-and-menopause/

This. It is a higher dose, but it is also a different type of estrogen, and the blood viscosity issues than create the blood clot risk are associated only with oral estrogen.

[Anonymous]

Get a hormonal IUD. No more periods and good for 9 years. I'm also on 1mg of estradiol gel and that has helped with moodiness etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just started bc for that exact reason. I’m 49. It’s been good. Light period, no mood swings, etc. My gyn was onboard and said the cancer fears are overblown. Who knows.

At any rate, she wouldn’t give me HRT yet. My periods are regular.

Op - ditto. My dr prefers I wait till I am in 50s for hrt so can limit the time on it. Did you gain weight on bc?

No weight gain. No side effects at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this "my doctor will put me on BC but not HRT" stuff. I certainly believe PPs are hearing this from their doctor, I just wish they weren't because is shows how ignorant doctors are about treating peri/menopause. BC has far more hormone in it that HRT like Estradiol w/ supplemented with some progesterone.

No.
Hrt plus your own hormones is the issue.
If you are still having regular periods you are layering hrt on top of your existing hormones