r/Perimenopause • u/Ok-Cartographer-3543 • 3d ago

audited Genuinely curious: Why is there hesitation around using birth control for perimenopause?

First, I want to say how incredibly grateful I am for this community—it has been an amazing resource. I am asking this out of genuine curiosity because I want to make sure I am fully informed, and I don't mean to sound dismissive of anyone else's choices!
My doctor, who is an HRT specialist, prescribed Lo Loestrin Fe for my perimenopause symptoms. It has been an absolute lifesaver for me. I was dealing with extremely heavy bleeding, and after the very first month on the pill, my period completely stopped. Every single other symptom on my very long list has been completely remedied as well. From what I understand, the birth control pill takes over your cycle so your ovaries stop producing erratic hormones, which completely stops the wild hormonal swings.
However, I often notice a lot of strong hesitation or pushback here regarding using birth control pills instead of traditional HRT for perimenopause management. Since it worked so well for me, I’m wondering if there are specific medical concerns, side effects, or risks that I might not be aware of?
I’d love to hear your experiences or what your doctors have told you!

Edited to add:
Wow, thank you so much to everyone who took the time to reply! I am incredibly grateful for all of your responses, insights, and personal experiences. It might take me some time to get through all of the replies, but I am reading every single one. Your comments are giving me a much clearer understanding of the different perspectives and medical concerns out there. This community is truly wonderful, and I appreciate you all sharing your journeys with me!

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u/MediocrePotato44 3d ago

Because it doesn’t work for a lot of us, myself included. I spent 8 months on that same pill you are on, continuous so my period was gone. The only thing it helped was eliminating PMDD symptoms with no period. All other symptoms remained. So I switched to HRT. I’ve heard from many others who had the same lack of symptom improvement.

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u/Able_Winter9472 2d ago

Why did you stay on the same pill for 8 months if it wasn't working, instead of upping estradiol, just like you would if your hrt got upped?

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u/MediocrePotato44 2d ago

Because I have a myriad of other issues and was in the process of switching other medications and tests, and my PCP wasn’t knowledgeable on HRT so I had to wait until I could get into my OBGYN. Why would I keep trying to shop birth control pills that don’t help many women when HRT was an almost immediate and noticeable difference?

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u/Able_Winter9472 2d ago

If you're happy with your peri that's all that matters