Menopause and Birth Control Pills

As women near menopause, their periods can become irregular due to hormone imbalances such as decreased estrogen.

Hormonal birth control methods like the pill may mask some of these premenopausal symptoms and even cause withdrawal bleeding – making it harder to recognize that menopause has arrived.

Hot flashes

Hot flashes or flushes, are sudden feelings of heat that rapidly sweep over the body, usually the chest, arms and neck. Sometimes accompanied by rapid heartbeat, these symptoms may last only seconds or minutes and their frequency depends on where a person stands in perimenopause; some women experience several hot flashes each week while others can experience them daily. Hormone replacement therapies may provide temporary relief; however they carry certain risks like increased risk for stroke, blood clots or gallbladder disease.

Hot flushes are one of the key symptoms of menopause, yet can occur even before periods cease or during pregnancy. One can recognize she has reached menopause when her last period has occurred more than a year prior.

There are various methods available to alleviate hot flash symptoms. Physical exercise, healthy nutrition and avoiding caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods may all play a part. Meditation and slow, deep breathing techniques may also prove useful; while extreme heat may trigger hot flashes – so care must be taken when exercising outdoors or in warmer environments. Antidepressant drugs like paroxetine, venlafaxine or fluoxetine can also provide temporary relief, though any side effects such as dizziness, nausea or weight gain should be carefully considered before being taken regularly.

Night sweats

Women often experience menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats that disrupt sleep. But you can take steps to alleviate them and enhance quality of life.

Hot flashes are intense feelings of heat that spread across the face, neck and chest. They may cause the skin to flush red as if blushing while also leading to sweating, chills and an increased heartbeat rate. Their severity and frequency depend on the individual woman; some might experience them every week while others experience them daily.

Though there’s no definitive cause of night sweats, declining estrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause can throw your hypothalamus off balance, which regulates body temperature. Your body then attempts to compensate by sweating more profusely than normal as an attempt at temperature regulation.

If you are experiencing night sweats, try keeping a fan in the bedroom and drinking plenty of water throughout the night to help cool down your body. Also try wearing light clothing and taking away extra blankets; or using cooling gel pillows on bed and ice packs on wrists, forehead and back of neck. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), has been shown to alleviate menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats effectively; CBT can either be completed in person with a therapist or on its own as self-directed programs.

Emotional changes

Women who have begun missing periods and experiencing symptoms such as irritability, anxiety or moodiness may think they have entered menopause. If they’re under 50 years old and haven’t had their period for at least 12 months, however, it is more likely they are still in the transitional stage leading to menopause: perimenopause.

Stop taking birth control pills as one way of testing whether you are entering menopause. These pills are designed to regulate hormones and create regular periods; when you stop taking them, your natural hormones might take some time to come into play and could result in irregular bleeding or miscarriage.

No matter which kind of birth control pill you use, it may be difficult to pinpoint whether symptoms such as hot flashes and spotting between periods are due to hormonal shifts or synthetic hormones in your pill. If you take one containing estrogen and progestin as well as withdrawal bleeding (bleeding similar to an ordinary period) even after menopause has set in, withdrawal bleeding could continue even though withdrawal bleeding has subsided.

Talking to your healthcare provider about menopause may be wise if you’re approaching its standard age (around 51 for American women). She may recommend low-dose birth control methods that prevent pregnancy while alleviating some of its troubling effects like heavy or irregular periods.

Joint pain

Joint pain is one of the hallmarks of perimenopause, caused by diminishing estrogen levels leading to gradual wear and tear on joints that manifests itself as cracking, aching or stiffness in multiple locations: hips, knees, elbows, hands, fingers feet or neck.

When this happens, it is critical to assess the symptoms to determine if there are other sources for the pain, such as arthritis or another inflammatory disease. A complete history of the pain should be obtained, with its onset and duration noted; additionally, the doctor must identify characteristics associated with pain along with associated joint symptoms as well as extra-articular findings that might suggest systemic inflammation disorders.

Birth control pills may mask some traditional menopausal symptoms, including changes to periods and hot flashes, which is why those taking hormonal birth control who approach menopause must discuss with their physician what their best course of action would be.

Doctors will offer advice about whether a woman should continue using birth control pills, switch to another form of hormone therapy, or stop altogether depending on her personal needs and the severity of symptoms. They also help guide their patients when and how long it is safe to discontinue birth control use altogether.

Weight gain

Women going through perimenopause, the period prior to menopause, often experience weight gain. This could be caused by fluctuating hormone levels causing shifts in metabolism and appetite changes or lack of exercise and poor food choices; or simply due to inactivity and poor food choices. For this reason it’s essential that any symptoms experienced such as weight gain be reported to your physician immediately so he/she can assist you with making lifestyle changes that will benefit both you and potentially reduce risks of serious chronic diseases.

If you are approaching menopause (52 for most women), it is wise to consult your physician regarding your birth control pill use and any symptoms you may be experiencing. Without proper diagnosis of menopause using hormonal birth control pills alone can make knowing when menopause has arrived difficult; they often cause monthly bleeding that mimics natural periods – making identifying when menopause has arrived harder still!

If you’re uncertain whether or not you have reached menopause, ask your doctor for a blood test to evaluate whether your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs. Menopause typically happens after 12 months without menstruating and without pregnancy or illness being present – usually occurring between 40-50 years of age; though premature ovarian insufficiency and cancer treatments could have an early impact.

Sleep problems

Sleep problems may be symptoms of menopausal birth control pill side effects, including frequent urination (nocturia), difficulty falling or staying asleep at night (somnia), difficulties with morning awakening (disrupted sleep-wake patterns aka REM behavior disorder), or multiple times throughout the night waking (nocturnal polyuria). Sleep disturbance may also be due to urinary tract infections or health conditions like fibromyalgia.

If your symptoms of perimenopause include hot flashes, irregular periods or sleep issues, switching your birth control method could be beneficial. A long-acting reversible contraception such as an implant or IUD could help relieve symptoms such as bleeding and mood swings while providing other advantages as well.

An IUD with progestin is ideal for women entering menopause as it helps decrease heavy menstrual bleeding; however, this does not address hot flashes or sleeping issues associated with the transition period.

Women using hormonal birth control often misinterpret symptoms as side effects from taking birth control pills and are uncertain if they’ve reached menopause. If in doubt, see your gynecologist after one year has passed since your last period has arrived to confirm whether menopause has set in. Once confirmed, take no birth control pills until your natural hormones take control and resume regular menstrual cycles; or discuss hormone replacement therapy options to alleviate your symptoms with them.