To think that pill 'periods' wouldn't make you have pms?

[WantRapunzelLocks]

As it's technically just a withdrawal bleed? I have one more pill to take tomorrow, and then my pill free week. But already I feel very emotional and have cramps. Does anyone else have this, or is it in my head.

Oh and nightmares. I always have nightmares this time of months. Anyone the same?

I always get cramps too even though I'm on the pill

I always feel emotional / tearful and I’m on the pill, and I get (mild) cramps. It’s still a bit change in hormones between pill days and non-pill days!

Surely it’s the changes in the hormone still otherwise you wouldn’t bleed? There must be some hormone changes? I have no idea tbh though. Happily pill free for 5 years!

You don't need the week off and the fake period.

It can depend on the type of Pill that you take. The Pill isn't just one particular medication. There are many.

For example, some are monophasic. This means that you take the same dose of hormones each day until you go off for the week to have the withdrawal bleed. Others are biphasic or triphasic, meaning that the amount of hormones in the pills varies over the course of the pack. The biphasic and triphasic pills are more likely to cause PMS symptoms.

It’s still the same thing happening as during a natural menstrual cycle really, your uterus lining has built up during 3 weeks taking hormones and then it is shed. You’re just controlling the practicalities and stopping ovulation in between. The hormone swings will not be the same either hence now the PMS aspects can be different. But your uterus is still shedding lining.

Also you don’t need to have a withdrawal bleed if you don’t want one. The advice has been updated that there is no health benefit to it and you can just take them continually with fewer or no breaks at all.

www.fsrh.org/news/fsrh-release-updated-guidance-combined-hormonal-contraception/

I definitely used to get PMS. And the one time I ran pills back to back I was horrendous by the end of month 2. I was v grateful for a break and so were those around me!

I suspect it's down to each woman. Which is as it should be. It'll suit some people and not others. I have a friend who runs multiple packs fine.

You do have PMT on the pill. I was on the pill for about eight years with a couple of breaks and had worse PMT when I was on it than without, and migraines.

Your natural cycle is mimicked, in some cases worse than a mimic.

I've thought about this and agree it's odd. I get tired/hormonal/crave carbs and sugar in the week leading up to my period, but BEFORE I've taken my contraceptive patch off. So patch comes off on a Wednesday, but I get tired/hormonal from the Monday before. No idea why.

I suffered with constant pmt (probably pmdd) on the pill, so perfectly possible. I changed pill recently and the pmt is better and more confined to a few days. There are less hormonal level changes with this one, which is probably why.

I'm glad I'm not imagining it then! Tbh I quite like having a 'period'. I like knowing where I am. But I get awful anxious just before my period , whether I'm on the pill or not. Just glad that I know there's a reason for it.

I had PMT when I was on pill too. Had it even worse when I went on HRT for a while. Glad to have put both behind me. I will say, though, that the contraceptive benefits of being on the pill outweighed the PMT. That's how I felt at the time anyway. I saw no real benefit to being on HRT except for not having flushes and was much better when I gave it up.

I’ve stopped having pill free breaks as have read quite a few articles about there being no real need for them.
Means the symptoms I was getting (cramps and migraines) have lessened massively .
No cramps now but milder headaches .
You need to do it for atleast 2/3 months back to back to start seeing the benefit though .