I’ve been on Aurovela 24 Fe 1/20 combination oral contraceptive for 6 years, and I haven’t had a period since I’ve started taking the pill.
I started taking birth control when I was 17 years old for my painful periods (extreme cramping, vomiting, just generally unable to function for a few days due to the extreme pain I was in). My periods were very regular, I could track them, and my flow was normal. My pediatrician (because I was 17 at the time) sent me to the gynecologist where I explained my periods and she put me on the lowest dose of the pill. Since I’ve been on it, my periods have completely stopped. I don’t skip the placebo pills in the birth control pack either. I don’t even get a withdrawal bleed. I don’t remember what I was like before getting on birth control, I don’t remember my emotions or feelings or even my body before birth control. I am also on an SSRI so I know that could potentially play a role in the emotions and feelings aspect, as I have become sort of emotionally stunted since starting the SSRIs. Maybe the SSRI is a bigger factor here but I’m not getting off of that because I need it immensely lol.
I am 23 years old now and I have a fiancé who I’m sexually active with. When I started taking the pill I wasn’t sexually active so I wasn’t exactly using it for contraception at the time, but I do now. However, without a period or even a withdrawal bleed, on the off chance that I somehow end up pregnant even on the pill (I know the risk is low but sometimes things happen) I’m afraid I won’t know I’m pregnant until later symptoms arise other than a missed period. I take my pill consistently and I would say I’ve maybe missed a day or two in the span of 6 years and those days were before I was sexually active.
I want to get off the pill because I’m not comfortable with the fact that my body isn’t doing something that it’s naturally supposed to do, no matter how painful it is. I have also recently started having liver issues (elevated LFT’s, fatty liver) and I did some research about birth control potentially causing liver and/or gallbladder issues, so that is worrisome to me. I mean there’s a whole packet included in the birth control pack that lists the seemingly unlimited side effects of birth control so the risk has always been there but now that it could potentially be affecting me is what’s worrisome. But I also like the added benefit of preventing pregnancy that the pill provides, and obviously if I get off the pill then my fiancé and I will use another form of protection because we aren’t ready to have kids right now and we plan on being smart about preventing pregnancy until we’re ready. I have considered an IUD but I’ve heard how painful the process is and apparently the women in my family all have horrible reactions to them so I’m not sure about going down that route.
Honestly any advice would be greatly appreciated, even if it’s just someone telling me to suck it up and get off the pill lol, because of the harm it’s potentially doing to my body. If anyone has any tips on dealing with painful periods that would be greatly appreciated as well!