Anyone take the combined pill continuously?

[cakeisnotaproperbreakfast]

Having tried cerazette last year to see if it would stop my periods (and it turning me into a woman possessed) I've gone back to the combined pill (norimin).

I just find it super inconvenient to have periods (I'm a nurse & work long shifts) plus I can happily do without the pain, the poops & generally feeling rubbish for 5 days every month.
I used to be able to take my pill without the 7 day break and run several packs together to avoid having a period. But I can't remember which brand that was on (I've tried several over the years).
Now I can only take it continuously for anywhere between 50-70ish days (it's very random) before my period starts. Maybe it's my age (40) or maybe it's the pill I'm currently on.
Do you take the pill sucessfully for several months & if so, which one do you take?
I know that tri-cycling is recommended by some sexual health nurses. And I've seen that a year long continuous pill (sounds like heaven to me!) is available in the U.S. so was just wondering about others experiences.

I did Femodene for 3 months or more at a time. If I took it for more than 3 months there was often random bleeding which I think is generally a problem, because modern pills have lower hormone doses than in say the 70s.

I've just started Mercilon with the intention of not having any periods - discussed it with doctor first. I'm done having children and just don't want periods anymore. Also finding them massively inconvenient! Having been sterilised during my section for our last child, I don't actually need contraception so it seems nuts to be taking the pill but hey ho. Just started but will let you know how I get on.

Hi cake, continuous pill taking or extended regimes as you describe are now recognised among family planning doctors/nurses as valid ways to use the combined pill - here is an extract from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health guidelines published in 2011:

"Continuous dosing or extended regimens of CHCs are an alternative approach to CHC
administration. A Cochrane review12 has concluded that continuous dosing/extended
regimens are a reasonable approach to CHC use. The review found that the included study
findings were similar in terms of contraceptive efficacy (i.e. pregnancy rates), safety profiles
and compliance, and that where satisfaction was assessed, women reported high satisfaction with extended regimens."

When the pill was first marketed it was designed to give monthly bleeds to make it more socially acceptable at that time (!) but there's no physiological reason why it's necessary to take a monthly break. But, as you've experienced, some women start to have break-through bleeding if they take COC continuously for more than a month or two and this signals that you need to take a 4-7 day break and allow a full withdrawal bleed to occur.

Cake, I'm on Ovranette and just started my third back to back pack (same reason as everyone else - can do without the pain and cramps and definitely don't want an accident) but I've just had a night of hell with pain and cramping and large clots when I've been to the toilet. Now I can't find any info. on whether to stop taking it and gave a break or keep taking it and the period will stop in a couple of days? I think I will go back to the docs and see if there is something different I can have if I want to continuously take it!
Tessie

I used to do this with Microgynon 30 but could generally only get away with around 3 months without a period. Any longer and I would have break through bleeding and cramping. It's definitely possible and helped me to get good results at uni - no periods during exam season! Had to give it up for unrelated reasons. Is perfectly safe, take a look at 'Seasonale' pill in the States which is the same formulation and marketed as something you can take without a break for a long time. Some GPs will say they don't think you should do it - find one who will listen to you (or just do it anyway - if you have a monocylic pack there's nothing to stop you)

As minijellybean has pointed out p, continuous or extended regimes are becoming more mainstream and a good way of stopping periods. The downside of continuous is you don't know when you're going to bleed but you will bleed for less days over the year than other regimes.
Suggested is to take continuously until 3 consecutive days of bleeding then have a 4 day break.

I take levest (same as microgynon basically) for 3/4 months continually as it actually makes my periods a lot lighter when they do come, plus it's so convenient not to have them I find that after about 4 months i start to break out bleed and get abit bloated X

Im on gedarel. When i first saw the doctor she said I could take 3 packets at a time, but when i got them the label said to take 2 at a time. At my next check i asked the nurse if I could take 3, she said she didnt know but I should just do what the label said.

Whats the worst that can happen if I take 3? 3 would be so much better.

I did the same with Millinette (formerly femodene i think) but as the other pp's have said, any more than 3 packs in a row and I'd get cramping and bleeding.

Kimlo - you're fine to take as the doctor suggested.

God I wish i could go back on the pill but it makes me want to murder people...... Id love to only have a period every 3 months.

That will be so much better, the whole point of the back to back pills was to help my iron levels so an extra 3 weeks could make all the diffrence.