Deshawna asked
I take the birth control Seasonique, my question is if I don't want my period for Christmas is it safe to take my placebo pills two weeks earlier than scheduled?
Answer
Taking the placebo pills early will most likely cause you to have your period earlier than usual, which seems to be what what you are looking for. The problem is that you still may get spotting or bleeding when you were originally supposed to get your period, even though you may be taking the active hormone pills at this time. It is very difficult to all of a sudden change your cycle. Most people, when they try to change the timing of their cycle, experience months of breakthrough bleeding and spotting while they wait to become consistent. Taking the active hormone pills is the best way to prevent your period from occurring, but again, there is a good chance you will still have spotting and breakthrough bleeding.
This question comes up often and I always like to share a graph that I have that comes from the drug information for a oral contraceptive known as Seasonique. Seasonique is an extended cycle contraceptive pill, providing 3 months of active hormone pills. This makes it so patients will only have their periods every 3 months. While it sounds good in theory, it takes a long time for patients bodies to get used to changing the timing of cycles, such as your suggesting.
This graph shows that for patients starting on the extended cycle, 64% of patients had breakthrough bleeding or spotting during the first 3 months of taking the pills, even though they were on continuous active hormone pills. At the one year mark, 39% of patients STILL had spotting. Long story short, it takes time for the body to adjust. There is no perfect way to prevent your period from occurring and most patients experience spotting, even when on continuous hormones. You may prevent your full period from occurring by being on active pills during the time when you don't want it, but just be aware you will probably have some sort of bleeding.
