# Period suppression pill approved



## j d worthington (May 23, 2007)

FDA approves period suppression pill - Yahoo! News

Title: "FDA approves period suppression pill", from AP, by Andrew Bridges, datelined Tues., May 22, 2007.

Now, I have some questions on the viability of this one:



> The pill isn't for everyone, an FDA official said. About half the women enrolled in studies of Lybrel dropped out, said Dr. Daniel Shames, a deputy director in the FDA's drugs office. Many did so because of the irregular and unscheduled bleeding and spotting that can replace scheduled menstruation.


 


> A study showed Lybrel was just as effective in preventing pregnancy as a traditional pill, Alesse, also made by Wyeth. However, since Lybrel users will eliminate their regular periods, it may be difficult for them to recognize if they have become pregnant, Shames said.


 
Now, I can see several great benefits to not having to deal with a lot of aspects of menstrual periods, but I can't help but wonder about long-term effects of setting aside such a basic biological process. And if you have unexpected spotting and bleeding, that could be quite awkward (to say the least). But also... if you don't recognize you're pregnant, and therefore continue to take the pill for part of that pregnancy -- what (if any) are the effects on the foetus? How much (if any) of an increase is there in the chance of miscarriage? Also... if you take this for a long time and then stop -- is there any sort of rebound effect? Do the cramps and other effects become more intense and difficult?

On the whole, I'd like a lot more information on this one -- if these are issues unlikely to occur, then great. If otherwise......


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## mosaix (May 23, 2007)

50% drop out rate is very high. I suspect that this pill is going to get a bad reputation and find it heavy going in the market place.


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## daisybee (May 23, 2007)

I'm always wary of "tampering" drugs, in regard to female contraception. I took the pill,(a pill) for a few years in my teens and developed migraines I'd never had before. Now, years later, I have fainting spells and crippling nausea, you know (hug the toilet room spinning stuff) all the usual icky rubbish. I doubt they are connected, but it annoys me that they spend so much time and money trying to "hide" menstruation, yet don't seem as interested in all the women out there who just want to get on with their period, without going through ridiculous pain. This is what I don't understand:


University of New Hampshire sociologist Jean Elson pointed to advantages for what she characterized as a small number of women who suffer extraordinarily during menstruation, but overall she said the pill left her with mixed feelings.

Whether Lybrel relieves those symptoms was not directly studied.

While halting a period to prevent the side effects makes sense, how can they say it will be a benefit if they haven't actually studied that area yet? 

There are many women who want children who suffer, therefore end up with a choice between awful periods or using a contraceptive which puts paid to the possibilty of getting pregnant, which is as my doctor said with a shrug, the choice you have to make. 
 

This makes it all a bit useless for those such as myself, and leaves lots of women with little option but to grin and bear it, and makes the demographic of these pills target market much narrower than they imply.


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## The Ace (May 23, 2007)

I'll bet, if the roles were reversed, no man would touch something like this.  Although I'm not qualified to judge, it seems to me that women have been getting a raw deal on contraception, etc. for as long as anyone can remember.


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## the_faery_queen (May 23, 2007)

i'd take it. periods are a pointless waste of time if you don't want children. they're also inconvientant and yucky (yep, scientfic term is that  )

you cvan get spotting on most of teh drugs that stop your periods for long time. seasonal, for instance (available more in us at the moment) and depo as well.

and the pill has been known to cause or aggrivate migranes. it's why im not allowed to take it to try and control myperiods (as many girls take the pill continually to stop theirs)

but im all for it. would be nice to use the money i spent on hygenie crap on soemthing i actually want. like booze and chocloate


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## HappyHippo (May 23, 2007)

I'm with Daisybee; it'd be better to take something that just controlled the side effects of periods, without stopping them altogether.

Not being sexist, but I do think it's because a lot of the doctors involved in development are male, and viewing it as a 'technical' problem! It's not having the period that is the problem (apart from in specific circs.), it's the associated things: PMS, cramps, bloating, backache, moodswings - seperate from the PMS - headaches...etc, etc.

This Lybrel sounds a bit unreliable, and I'm with Mosaix - if the drop out rate's that high in testing, I can't see it being useful.

Seriously, women got a VERY raw deal! Stupid plumbing *mutter mutter*...


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## the_faery_queen (May 24, 2007)

actually the period is the problem for me. the cramps are nothing, but the whole actual thing is very uncomfortable for me and just nasty and messes up my week.


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## HappyHippo (May 24, 2007)

Aww, what a pain. There really should be a better way.


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## daisybee (May 24, 2007)

Yeah, if men had to deal with it once a month,for most of their life, I reckon they'd have spent more money on solving period pains than trying to get to the moon!!It would be of global importance, up there with um, global warming or something.


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## HappyHippo (May 24, 2007)

or season tickets to old trafford, at least...

Men! No priorities! (Men, this is broad generalisations, and we do realise you yourselves are all lovely guys )


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## mosaix (May 24, 2007)

Season tickets to Old Trafford hold no interest for me whatsoever.

BTW there are plenty of female scientists around, but perhaps they're just too busy working on the latest foundation cream or lipstick or shampoo or nail varnish.....  

_*runs for cover....*_


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## j d worthington (May 25, 2007)

Well, I see the War of the Sexes is still very much alive and ... um... well......


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## Pyan (May 25, 2007)

"*Kicking*", J D? 
As in what'll happen to Mosaix if they catch him?


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## HappyHippo (May 25, 2007)

Well, for a start, we'll moisturise him!


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## Joel007 (May 25, 2007)

Is that like drowning?


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## mosaix (May 25, 2007)

HappyHippo said:


> Well, for a start, we'll moisturise him!



You'll have to find me first. But of course that would involve having a sense of direction wouldn't it? 

_*runs for cover AND ducks....*_


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## The Pelagic Argosy (May 27, 2007)

My expertise on this subject, besides being the proud owner of my very own uterus, is that I used to work in an OB-GYN clinic as a receptionist.  (I have no medical training.)  I have taken a wide variety of birth control pills in my lifetime, including Seasonale...or whatever was on the free sample shelf at the office.

Long before Seasonale came out, women have been using the pill "off label" to skip their periods (either regularly or on vactions, etc; either with or without their doctors' guidance)...probably since the pill was first introduced.  There's no evidence that this does any harm.  As I understand it, the biggest hurdle has been the pharmacists who do the math, and figure out that women are asking for too many refills.

The _only _difference with Seasonale - where you have a period every three months instead of every month - is packaging.  There are three months worth of active pills (two extra weeks) in each case.  The pills themselves are exactly the same as "regular" birth control pills.  The pharmacists won't bat an eye at refill time.  And it gives women peace of mind that skipping periods is "approved" by the medical establishment.  This new pill is simply next gen.  The drug companies are just catching up with what women have been doing themselves for years.

If taking birth control pills for a short time in early pregnancy was dangerous to the fetus, the drug companies would have been sued blind long ago.

For some women I know menstrual periods are a huge headache - literally and figuratively.  Some women have short cycles and have periods every other week or so. (Yuck.)  Some women have disabling cramps or other problems.  Some women bleed so heavily they become anemic each month.  (Ususally there are underlying medical conditions at work here, like fibroids.)

The break-through bleeding you can have when taking pills like Seasonale (now I'm speaking from personal experience) is no big deal.  It's less annoying than a real period, and certainly less annoying that what I described above.  

So, that was way more personal than I ever wanted to get with you people.


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## the_faery_queen (May 27, 2007)

but we appreciate it 
do you think this will make migranes worse? cos as i think i said, the normal pill has migrane issues, which is why i wasn't given any. and depo makes you gain weight so again, i wasn't given any (cos im trying to loose weight) tho different doc will give different things, i rather have a pill than an injection so i can stop it if things go wrong


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## j d worthington (May 28, 2007)

Indeed, the PA, the input is very much appreciated. Though I don't deal with menstrual issues personally, obviously the women who've been in my life do, and I know how miserable it often makes them; so it really helps to hear from someone who is able to speak to both the personal and the pharmacological aspects of this; and, having been on antidepressants which increased the frequency of migraines (from one every great once in a while to 2-4 _a week_!), I can definitely understand the concerns about that as well.....


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## The Pelagic Argosy (May 28, 2007)

the_faery_queen said:


> but we appreciate it
> do you think this will make migranes worse? cos as i think i said, the normal pill has migrane issues, which is why i wasn't given any.



I don't know.  But I assume since the hormones in Lybel are the same as in other birth control pills, any side effects would be similar.


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## the_faery_queen (May 28, 2007)

pooooo  but i may still try it. if it makes them worse, or more often, i'll stop. but my migranes are becoming a mega pain (well obviously) i can't eat cheese anymore cos of them. and i'd be so annoyed if i can't have this either

that should be the next thing they work on. stopping migranes altogether.


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## j d worthington (May 28, 2007)

the_faery_queen said:


> that should be the next thing they work on. stopping migranes altogether.


 
I've a feeling that whoever solves that problem may well be elected world dictator..... 

Seriously, as a sufferer of those things, if they find out how to eliminate them... well, can you imagine the difference that would make, as well? And if they can get rid of the difficulties with both... You know, if they really do manage that, I don't think we really have any idea of just how much of an impact such a change (or set of changes) is likely to make on the world.....


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## AphroditeMSC (Jun 6, 2007)

As a teen I suffered from severe abdominal cramping when I got my period, so much that I ended up in hospital a few times.  Eventually I was put on the pill to alleviate the symptoms.  The periods got lighter and the pain wasn't so bad.
Five years ago I got the depo and fell pregnant before it began to work.  lol.
The depo stops your period completely in some cases and I had no reason to suspect I was pregnant.  I went back in three months time for another injection.  So for six months of my pregnancy I had the depo floating around in my system.  It caused no damage.  Other than the shock of finding out I was five months pregnant, that is!
When my son was born I went back on the depo and took great pains to make sure I was not "caught" again before it started to work.  Thing is, I missed an appointment by a couple of days and had to come off it because the whole thing would have been "off".
I was told to wait for my period to return before I could go back on it.

That was two years ago.

I'm still waiting.

Sometimes, the depo can put young women into premature menopause.  I believe that's what's happened to me. 

I'd be wary of anything that stopped a period now, as a rule.  It's not without its risks.  And you may end up infertile, menopausal or just have constant pms.  lol.  How nice!


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## the_faery_queen (Jun 6, 2007)

see, i wouldn't mind that. im childfree and asexual, so i don't want and never will have kids. periods are pointless to me and i rather be without them. but i think that people should be in my situation before they consider risking their fertility like that i guess

and yeah, it would be great to cure migranes. then i could eat cheese! (it gives me migranes) i miss cheese


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## AphroditeMSC (Jun 6, 2007)

I'm not particularly bothered either if I have gone into a menopausal state, as I have two children already.  A boy and a girl so I'm finished. lol.

But for teenagers who imagine they'll never want kids, to go on that and grow up and realise in later life that yes, they do want children after all, only to find out they are infertile....  It would be something that women would have to seriously consider.


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## the_faery_queen (Jun 6, 2007)

yah. i agree with that. i think people should consider things a bit mroe carefully, both using birth control and when they choose not to! but people don't think really. they just rush in


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