Advice re swapping from depo provera to another contraception...

[Wineoclocksomewhere]

Hi - I am 51 and have been told in no uncertain terms by my GP practice nurse that I need to come off the depo due to the fact that I am now ANCIENT. The options are mini pill, coil (ewwww nooo I am too squeamish) or implant. Tempted by implant as it seems closest to the depo. My main interest, however, is that I really want to continue to be period free..anyone know if a swap can be seamless?

www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/contraception-older-woman/

This says the implant is only suitable until age 50 too

www.guidelinesinpractice.co.uk/womens-health/contraception-for-women-aged-over-40-what-when-and-for-how-long/453901.article

Although this says no age limit. Does mention irregular bleeding though

I'm younger (34) but recently had the implant removed due to constant bleeding - so may well not be the period free contraceptive you're after!

Could you take the pill and always take packs back to back?

Yes I think that the mini pill can be taken without a break...interesting about the differing advice re the implant.

There's also a part of me that wants to just stop everything and see what happens...you never know, I might be through the menopause and out the other side!! Its not so much a contraceptive thing any more (that ship seems to have sailed...…) but I don't want to go back to heavy periods and stomping around every few weeks either....

Yes I had constant spotting on the implant too and getting it taken out even to TTC was a pain. I wouldn't have a implant again

OP cannot take the combined pill which you could take back to back to stop periods. The Mini pill is taken every day anyway. Cerazette (a desogestrel POP) stopped my periods for several years and then I had the mirena coil and that also stopped them

@dementedpixie

OP cannot take the combined pill which you could take back to back to stop periods. The Mini pill is taken every day anyway. Cerazette (a desogestrel POP) stopped my periods for several years and then I had the mirena coil and that also stopped them

Yes - Cerazette rings a bell, I think she mentioned that as one of the options. I am just uninformed about pills - difference between combined and mini etc …. (reminds me of mortgage details, I can retain the knowledge for a limited length of time then it leaves my head only to return when really necessary..) She also suggested the coil but I am squeamish and hate smear tests more than life itself. So that feels like a no to that. My older sister uses the cerazette pill and doesn't bleed either.

I guess I'm just hoping to avoid a transition period (see what I did there) but maybe its inevitable and I just need my big girl pants.

You could probably start the mini pill a few weeks before the depo runs out. That would let you see how you got on with it. At least if its not working for you it is easy to stop taking it

Is your cycle regular? By the time you're in mid 40s fertility has declined dramatically so at 51 I'd just use cycle tracking. But I'm very anti hormonal contraception. I just really wouldn't want the impact of hormones for an outside chance I'd get pregnant.

OP has no periods by the sound of it, due to the depo

For anyone who is interested, I went for the progestogen only pill as on balance the experiences with the implant seemed to be worse - and I am a wee bit squeamish too. I am okay with taking a pill a day, to see how I get on. I am guessing it won't be a seamless transition but one can hope....

I was reminded that I wasn't keen on the pill in my wild youth because you were supposed to take it at the same time every day. There would be many a morning when I wasn't at home or if I was I had a big old lie-in. Those days are sadly gone and I am awake EVERY MORNING.

Thanks all for the advice!