Bluebird91 asked
I’ve been taking the combined contraceptive pill for over a year now both to ease cramps and as a contraceptive. I wanted to delay my period for a week so have started the next months pack back to back without taking a break. Do I have to finish the pack or can I take 5 or 6 to delay my start date by a week? Also if I can take just the 5 or 6 once my period is over do I take a full pack or jut the leftover pills from that pack?
Answer
It can be very difficult to delay menses while on oral contraceptives without experiencing some sort of breakthrough bleeding or spotting. Being on your birth control consistently for over a year, your body has become used to the levels of hormones you are adding via the medication. Any significant change (such as continuing to take active pills when you should be on the placebo pills) will almost certain cause spotting.
The situation is similar to when you start birth control. A high percentage of people starting birth control pills will experience breakthrough bleeding for at least 2 to 3 months, until your body becomes accustomed to the added hormones and you attain a normal menstrual cycle.
I would certainly recommend you speak to your doctor regarding your need to delay your period as they know your medical history best. A specialist in in woman's health will likely have experience in situations like these. There is no "recommended" or "approved" way to delay your period so your doctors experience and advice are likely to be the most pointed in your situation.
Now, I want to directly answer the inquiries in your question.
In order to delay your period, you would need to continue on your active pills. Once you stop the active pills, menses will occur. To do this, you have started another pack early (to continue on the active pills). If you only take 5 or 6 pills from your new pack, and then stop (to get your period), I would highly recommend starting on a new pack of birth control pills to get back on your usual schedule as early as possible. In addition, most birth control pills are 'phasic', meaning each week has varying dosages of hormones. You don't want to start mid-pack on a phasic birth control pill. It may be prudent to use back-up contraception for 7 days if you are sexually active as well.
In most cases it is recommended against trying to delay your period as it does not work out perfectly in most cases and many patients will experience some sort of bleeding side effect or altered menstrual cycle. It is very difficult to accomplish delaying the menstrual cycle by one week all of a sudden after taking oral contraceptives for a long period of time. While there is no real evidence that extended cycles are harmful for patients, some practitioners do not recommend the practice for their patients.
