Birth Control: skipping a week?

I'm on birth control for medical reasons (I'm not sexually active.) It happens that my period falls on the first week of each month. This hasn't been a problem, but I'm worried about this for July and August.

The first week of July means it will fall on the 4th, and I have a beach house for the first week of August. 

Would it be bad to not take my birth control until a week after my period? This way I'll be pushing my period back a week?

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a healthcare professional!  But, I am on birth control and I tend to do that--make sure I don't have my period when I'm on vacation, etc.  I don't think that it is the best thing for you, but it isn't the worst either, especially because you're not sexually active.  I've done it a number of times and never had any ill effects except for maybe some spotting, so wear a panty liner when you can for the week that you skip your pills.  Have fun at the beach!  :)

I'd like to hear other opinions, but if you are on it for medical reasons, I think it would be better to start the new pack on the day you'd normally be starting the fourth week of pills (normally the inactive pills) - in theory you'd skip your period when you do that, and from then on, it would fall one week earlier, rather than later.

In order to get my period to not start during the weekend, I've shifted it by starting the new pack earlier, but never by a whole week. As far as I know there isn't a reason not to do it. Perhaps double check with your gyno?

i second what amethyst said...i would think it would be better to skip your period by taking two packs of active pills in a row.

Really? I would think taking 2 packs in a row would be worse?

I don't think I would be able to do that anyways. I'm pretty sure my pharmacy wouldn't give me my prescription a week early. I could call and see.

I get my bcp 3 months at a time, and can usually renew the rx several weeks before I need the new packs - they should be willing to do it, especially since it's not unthinkable that a person might be on vacation and need to get the next month's pack ahead of time.

It's very common to do that.  Some types of pills like Seasonale just have you take the pill every day for about three months, then take a week of placebos to get a "breakthrough" period.  As far as I know, it doesn't hurt you at all ... in some ways it's better for you to not have a period.  However, because you've got some kind of medical issue that requires hormone therapy, you should check with your doctor.

Pharmacy shouldn't be a problem.  People get their pills early all the time if they're going on vacation or something.  Insurance coverage can be a problem because they don't want to pay for the extra pack or so of pills you require if you do this on a regular basis.  But if it's just a one-time thing, it shouldn't cause any problem.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

I get my bcp 3 months at a time, and can usually renew the rx several weeks before I need the new packs - they should be willing to do it, especially since it's not unthinkable that a person might be on vacation and need to get the next month's pack ahead of time.

 exactly.

and OP, it's healthy enough to skip your period using BC...i just wouldn't make like, a super huge habit of it or anything.  but it's fine to do.

I'm actually planning on doing this so that I don't get my period during my honeymoon. Unfortunately, I just decided to switch pills, and I had hoped to reset my start date before the wedding/honeymoon, in case there was any side effects.

Now that I'm switching pills, I'm going to have to go for a few months to make sure that I'm ok on those pills (I once had a bad response to a pill, and now I'm wary) before I fool around with the start date.

I have actually consulted a physician on this (what amethyst suggested) and it's fine to do this ONCE AND AWHILE, as long as you don't make it a habit. I have found if you do the opposite (not taking your pills for a week) you period comes, my experience anyway.

So if I did 2 packs in a row, this month into July. Wouldn't my period always be one week earlier? Wouldn't that throw my pharmacy off.

I feel stupid, but I'm confused! If it's one week later than usual I can just pick up the pills a week earlier, but I'm not sure how I would do it the other way around.

maybe you should check with your dr. or the pharmacy if you're that concerned.  waiting an additional week to take your pills doesn't strike me as a good idea.  but yes, if you skip your period, you will be always one week ahead...but i am pretty sure it's alot better to skip than to take an extra week off.

It's perfectly fine to head straight from one pack into the next - skipping the inactive pills.

See, when you're on the pills, you're not having an ACTUAL period; it's kind of like a simulated one, if you will. Your body completely shuts down on the pill, since the pill fools your body into thinking it's pregnant and releases those hormones. When you go onto the inactive pills and have a "period" it's not actually your "real" period, it's simply your body realizing it's not pregnant and "miscarrying" and causing period-like bleeding. However, it's not real because you never ovulated, and you don't actually have a cycle - an egg was never released. Get what I'm saying? You don't have your real period, or a real cycle, on birth control ever.

That being said, I think it's safe to skip your inactive pills for three packs. After that, you should take the inactive pills and have a period. This is how pills like Seasonelle work. Some women say that they have more spotting when they don't have a "period" every month, but, it's perfectly safe. I've done it once or twice.

It shouldn't throw your pharmacy off. Just in case though, I'd call them a day or so before you need a new pack to make sure that they have it (or can get it) when you need it.

EDIT: A friend just informed me that you can only skip periods on pills that have the same dose for every pill, like seasonelle and Yaz and Yasmin, etc. If you take something like Ortho TriCyclen, that gets stronger as the month goes on, then you can't really skip the inactives.

Hope this helps calm your nerves a little!

Original Post by leesamurmur:

EDIT: A friend just informed me that you can only skip periods on pills that have the same dose for every pill, like seasonelle and Yaz and Yasmin, etc. If you take something like Ortho TriCyclen, that gets stronger as the month goes on, then you can't really skip the inactives.

Actually, you can take two packs of triphasic pills (i.e. Ortho TriCyclen) in a row, you are just more likely to have spotting if you do that.  I have taken my pills two packs a row for over 3 years now - with Yaz, Ortho TriCyclen, and now plain old Ortho Cyclen.  I use the generic brand which is $9 at Target, with or without insurance, so I don't really care if it isn't covered that month :)

To the OP - yes, your period would be one week earlier going forward.  Assuming it's not a problem to get this coming pack of pills early, it won't be a problem going forward since they'll still each be a month apart.  Not sure what specific pill you're taking, but you could also look into switching to a cheaper one.  I liked Yaz, but $50 a month?  Please.

I'm gong to go ahead and try to get them early.

I'm on Tri-Sprintec, which I believe is a generic brand. I would love to switch to something cheaper though. Unfortunately I don't currently have medical insurance (I'm only a part time student-so I have some coverage, but it doesn't cover prescriptions) so I have to pay about $30 a month. Which I guess isn't too bad.
I've been on the same pill for so long (since about the age of 11), so I'm scared to mess with my hormones too much. I didn't have them for a summer because my doctor wouldn't refill my prescription until I had a physical (even though it's for medical reasons and I had an appointment in September :/) and that was a disaster!

Thanks everyone so much for the replies! It really helped a lot!

oh my gosh, just switch your pharmacy!  I take sprintec (used to take tri-sprintec)...like I said, it's $9 a month at Target and probably Walmart as well.  You definitely shouldn't have to pay $30 for a generic!!!