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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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Women's Health |
Safe to take birth control continuously?07/22/2008 |
I`ve been using nuvaring for birth control and take it continuously (a new ring every 4 weeks, taking a break only every 12 or 16 weeks) for the prevention of my severe migraines. I am not sexually active at the moment, however, and have considered going off nuvaring.Is it safe to stay on nuvaring or should I try to find a migraine treatment (which has been difficult in the past)? I have been on birth control for about 5 years and don`t intend to have children for another 5. Also, if the withdrawal bleeding is not a real period, what is the reason for taking the week-long break from nuvaring every 12 or 16 weeks?
Many women who have migraine headaches find that they are triggered by menstruation. Preventing menstruation may therefore make the headache less frequent. However, women who have migraine headaches that include neurologic symptoms (like a partial loss of visual field) or the classic aura of scintillating scotomata (wavy lines of light in your vision), appear to be at increased risk of stroke associated with the use of estrogen-containing contraceptives. If you experience these symptoms with your headaches, you should not use Nuvaring.
If you do not have these symptoms, it would be safe to continue to use the ring as you have been doing. Continuous use may sometimes lead to irregular bleeding. There is no medical reason to take a "break" every 12 to 16 weeks. If you do experience irregular bleeding, remove the ring for 3 days and start over again. Continuing on hormonal contraception should have no effect on your long-term fertility; however, fertility does decline with age.
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Lisa M Keder, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Clinical Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology College of Medicine The Ohio State University |
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