Question to the expert: Is it possible to drink contraceptive pills without interruptions
OLGA LUKINSKAYA
RESPONSES TO THE MAJORITY OF US QUESTIONS we used to search online. In the new series of materials we ask such questions: burning, unexpected or widespread - to professionals in various fields.
We told that regular ovulation and menstruation are not necessary for health (and may even harm), and hormonal contraception is a safe way to give the body a break from the menstrual cycle. In this case, the scheme of the use of most contraceptive pills implies breaks in the reception of active components. During these breaks, menstrual bleeding develops - it does not bear harm or benefit, and the scheme itself was invented to “not scare” women by the complete disappearance of bleeding.
Given that withdrawal bleeding is associated with inconvenience, many people want to get rid of them completely - for this you can take traditional pills without taking breaks, or switch to the drug, in the scheme of use of which a long-term continuous administration is laid. True, there is no guarantee that there will be no "menstrual", no one gives - a daub or so-called breakthrough bleeding may appear. Together with the expert, we understand how safe the use of COCs without interruption, and what options are more likely to get rid of bleeding.
Tatyana Rumyantseva
doctor - obstetrician-gynecologist, candidate of medical sciences, author of the blog "Rumyantseva, MD"
All studies on the prolonged use of COC were conducted on traditional tablets (which are usually used under the 21 + 7 scheme). The first large-scale studies were carried out for the 84 + 7 regimen (four packages without a break, then a break for seven days) with the use of preparations containing 30 μg of ethinyl estradiol and 150 μg of levonorgestrel. Now there are studies for continuous use for six or even twelve months - but these are still the same dosages, in this regard nothing has changed.
Some manufacturers produce their products in packs of 63 or 84 tablets, and after the end of the reception, you can take a break for 7 days. There is also a special dispenser in which you can adjust the duration of taking active tablets up to 120 days. That is, all the active ingredients and the tablets themselves are the same, new only options for the duration of the reception.
It cannot be said that such a technique threatens with something special. If we are talking about irregular bleeding or ointment, then they do occur more often with prolonged administration, but only in the first months. Starting from the fourth month, the probability of bleeding is approximately the same for the "standard" and prolonged use of contraceptives. There is no evidence that prolonged administration increases the risk of thrombosis, stroke or breast cancer compared to the standard.
Most likely, you can take contraceptives without interruption indefinitely, and while there are no strict recommendations on when to stop. Early studies focused on 84 days, but now there is already a decent amount of information on admission for six months without a break. As for safety, it does not depend on the regimen of administration - there is no reason to believe that drugs 21 + 7, 24 + 4 or 26 + 2 are safer than 84 + 7.
Intrauterine hormonal systems are indeed a bit safer (for example, for women smokers), but this concerns their comparison with tablets as a whole, and not only with prolonged intake.
Unfortunately, the complete disappearance of bleeding cannot be guaranteed - and even with the continuous use of pills, the use of implants and the IUD, there is a chance of irregular dyeing, and this pill is lower with tablets. The hormonal "helix" will remove menstruation in about half of the patients, but irregular daub will remain in 20%. The situation with implants is similar too: up to 78% may encounter irregular secretions. With KOC in this matter, everything is much more predictable: bleeding is most often associated with the omission of a pill, and they are rarely seen without a reception disorder.
PHOTO:stas_malyarevsky - stock.adobe.com, Ievgenii Meyer - stock.adobe.com