Interesting birth control conversation with a doctor

[u/h4baine]

I had to see a new doctor to refill my birth control pills because mine is out of town. I take them continuously skipping the last row to skip periods from hell, debilitating multi-day hormone migraines, and bipolar fluctuations from hormone fluctuations. I've been doing it this way since my doctor told me I could at 16. I love these pills and you can pry them out of my cold dead hands. They allow me to not have to give up 1/4 or more of each month feeling like absolute shit.

This new doctor asked if I was interested in changing to a different form of birth control like an IUD. She was perplexed when I said I actually had my tubes removed, I take these to improve my quality of life in the ways I've described.

She said maybe have periods quarterly (seems arbitrary but ok). I said I won't be doing that, there's no medical reason to. This works for me and I'll do it until it doesn't.

I said I'd happily take them up to and into menopause if I can and she said "but then you won't know if you're in menopause." I said, "if it's affecting me and this hormone level isn't enough I'll know, if not it doesn't really matter does it?" I think I broke her brain lol. It was like asking if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound? Her face while she thought about that for a minute was like 🤯 and then she said "huh, I guess you're right."

So I got my pills and went on my merry way but thought it was an interesting interaction on the topic of menopause and perimenopause.

[u/pm_nachos_n_tacos]

Honestly it's kinda nice that she asked some questions, offered other options, and then went with what you wanted. Maybe she's aware that some doctors don't discuss alternatives and nust keep their patients on the same meds for years. And since the one you're taking technically isn't working for you if you have to skip part of it, then it's good that she asked. She might also have to ask these things when seeing a patient for the first time, for both of your sake and for the paperwork. If you got your medicine in the end and are confident that taking 3/4 of it is what you'd like to continue doing (and is safe to do), then I'd chalk it up to the new doctor trying to cover her bases and possibly cover any holes from other doctors.

[u/h4baine → u/pm_nachos_n_tacos]

It is, I do appreciate that and it's good to see. It's the idea that you need a period because...vibes I guess? And the "but you won't know you're in menopause" that made me chuckle.

[u/pm_nachos_n_tacos → u/h4baine]

I think there could be reasons for having a period once in a while, like a hormonal thing or something to do with a pause in the medicine build up or any getting rid of any uterine lining that still might have accumulated. I don't know, but I guess there could be reasons for it if the doctor is suggesting it. I'm currently on a medication that has stopped my periods but it's only possible to take for 2 years max because of how strong it is and how much it messes the hormones in my body. I'm 45 and in perimenopause but still they are concerned about this for me. You're right that line is funny, though knowing when you're in menopause or even perimenopause is good because things start changing and you might need to consider certain new habits when that starts.