Almost 50 and on BCP forever - what should I expect? - Menopause Message Board

outnumbered · 09-09-2006, 10:43 PM

I'm almost 50 and have been on BCP for almost 30 years. My Dr. said I need to get off them since I'm heading into menopause BUT what can I expect? I'm very spoiled having regular, minimal periods. Am I going to feel like a 14 year old again with cramps, heavy flow, mood swings, etc.? I don't seem to have any menopause symptoms yet. Has anyone else been through this?

younggranny · 09-11-2006, 01:28 PM

I have the same question as you. I am 47 and have been on birth control pills for about 18 years. I'm thinking it is time to be getting off also, but i am wondering what my body will feel like. Will we go into instant menopause. I wonder if there is some herb or natural product we should take to help our bodies adjust. I'm hoping someone can give us some answers.. I am also wondering if getting off the BCP will make me loose lots of hair, because of the hormonal change? Just alot of questions..and no answers!!

icemama · 09-12-2006, 12:46 PM

Count me in too. I'm 49 & have taken bcp for 21 yrs. Gyno wants me to
start estrogens only (I still have my uterus & ovaries intact) after my next period (a wk. from today). Will I go from a planned & very light monthly period to nothing at all or will the dam break? Gyno says I won't have a period anymore. He hasn't even checked my FSH yet.

Go ahead and laugh as I do but this is pretty scary stuff. Please help us. If you know of anyone who's gone thru this, please post their experience.

Thanks!

judy3705 · 03-18-2007, 08:59 PM

I am 48 and have been on the Pill since I was 20. Went off for a year at age 26, then right back on them. I have never had any side effects, don't smoke and exercise regularly. Never been pregnant. I asked my gynecologist about how you would know if you are going through menopause if you were on the pill. He said your "periods" would eventually taper off or become very light. The last 2 years this has been the case. I basically "spot" now. I too, don't want to get off the Pill because of the convenience. He recommended that I stay on them and when I am about 50 or so he will test me to see if I have gone through menopause. In he meantime he said the pill will regulate any peri-menopausal symptoms.

Has anyone done this? I am curious as to what will happen when I get off the Pill, after I go through menopause.

icemama · 03-18-2007, 09:29 PM

Hi Judy. I'm fifty now and I did get off the pill back in Sept. when I posted my last response. I was afraid that my hot flashes and other menopause symptoms would worsen. I began taking Enjuvia, conjugated estrogens. I feel fantastic!

While I was on the pill, it was as though I had no moisture in my body. My vagina, my complexion, and my skin were dry and dull. Sex drive was completely gone. But since taking estrogens, my periods have been extremely light and come every 40 to 60 days. They last 2 or 3 days. Sex drive is back and no longer uncomfortable. My skin is baby soft, and don't laugh, but my breasts have gotten perkier, and my nipples are soft, where as on the pill they were dry and scaly. Yuck! For once in many years, I feel like a real woman. Even feel sexy. Oh, and I've lost 10 lbs., simply by substituting a big dinner with a snack instead. Could be ice cream, popcorn, or cereal, anything you love, as long as it is not a heavy meal. I couldn't lose an ounce while on the pill.

I don't know if you have any menopause symptoms, but the estrogens help me breeze through them. Not sure if this would help you also, but it could be something to talk to your gyno about. I wish you well. God Bless!