O/T Not for guys!!!!-any OB/GYN or nurses-advice needed re: vacation

[chalex]

I really left this to the last minute and should have thought about it sooner.

I have a Disney cruise plus 7 days at WDW vacation booked starting on 9/23.

I started my period today and really would prefer not to have one next month during my vacation.

I am not on the pill and I believe it is too late to start even if I could get into see my OB/GYN tomorrow. Is there any way to delay a period?

I turned 40 late June and am about 15 pounds overweight but have always had normal blood pressure. Haven't taken the pill in over 10 years and I don't smoke and rarely drink.

Can I get a prescription for progestogen or a similar product to delay my period?

Thanks for any help.

Angie

[summerrluvv]

Maybe you should post this on the CB.

[chalex]

Yes that would be a much better place!

Wish I had checked out all the boards before posting it here.

How do I get it there,are the moderators the only one's who can move posts?

[TheLittleRoo]

If today is your first day, you should have a week to get a pack of pills and then start taking them next Sunday. You would need to get two packs and not stop when the first runs out, if you want to bypass another period in 3 weeks.

You're actually in pretty good shape to extend your cycle, given you're on day 1 today. Once you ovulate, there's nothing you can do to stop your period from coming, but you can delay ovulation with hormone/ birth control pills. Hopefully you can get into your GYN in the next day or two...

Good luck! I'm in the same boat as you, but I can't take BCPs due to blood clot issues in my legs. So, I get to take Aunt Flo along for my vacation. Great...

[RachelEllen]

Well...as long as it's a woman's only post.

If you can't find any hormonal way to stop your period, you may want to consider a product called a menstrual cup. I think the easiest to find brand name is 'Instead' and I've found them at CVS.

I started using them with a similar vacation issue and never stopped. They are basically a disposable diagphram that's not for birth control. If you are interested, you may want to get a set this go around to practice, but, basically, you put one in and can't even tell it's there. They can be used for twice as long as you would use a tampon (up to 16 hours!). I've never had a leak problem and have used them during horseback riding, and um, other...activities.

Good luck!

[cynjam]

My Doc told me to take ADVIL type pain reliever to help reduce the ...
..."Flow of things"

[disneybridetobe]

Well...as long as it's a woman's only post.

If you can't find any hormonal way to stop your period, you may want to consider a product called a menstrual cup. I think the easiest to find brand name is 'Instead' and I've found them at CVS.

I started using them with a similar vacation issue and never stopped. They are basically a disposable diagphram that's not for birth control. If you are interested, you may want to get a set this go around to practice, but, basically, you put one in and can't even tell it's there. They can be used for twice as long as you would use a tampon (up to 16 hours!). I've never had a leak problem and have used them during horseback riding, and um, other...activities.

Good luck!

I totally second this. I really dislike tampons, and pads are well.. unpleasant. I found out about the Instead cups a few years ago, and I've been using them ever since. They are great! Put one in in the AM, remove it before bed, and minimal leaks! You can even :banana: with it in place. They're a little hard to find, but well worth it!

[j_lehr]

Well...as long as it's a woman's only post.

If you can't find any hormonal way to stop your period, you may want to consider a product called a menstrual cup. I think the easiest to find brand name is 'Instead' and I've found them at CVS.

I started using them with a similar vacation issue and never stopped. They are basically a disposable diagphram that's not for birth control. If you are interested, you may want to get a set this go around to practice, but, basically, you put one in and can't even tell it's there. They can be used for twice as long as you would use a tampon (up to 16 hours!). I've never had a leak problem and have used them during horseback riding, and um, other...activities.

Good luck!

I have also used these for "um, other...activities." I cracked up when I read this because I used them for that exact reason. :rotfl2: But seriously, they are great...its the second best thing to not having it at all.

Good Luck!

[diznee]

let me preface this by saying i'm not a medical professional..........but I had the same issue come up just this past spring and brought up the dilemma to my dr. He was fine with prescribing me a months supply of low dose bc pills to bridge the gap, as it were. It worked fine and the vacay was wonderful...it was when i got back home that I ultimately had to "pay the piper"....and how!! Suffice it to say, I won't be doing that again anytime soon!!

[badblackpug]

If you could get an OBGYN appt. between now and next Sunday...it is theoetically possible. If you were to start using the pill you would start on the 1st Sunday folowing your period. To try to avoid having a menstrual cycle you would keep taking the pill (skipping the placebo in the case of "regular" pills) straight through your next scheduled cycle. In the case of the "Seasonale" pill you just keep taking the pills until all 3 layers of the pack are done. Now that being said...there is no guarantee that you won't have bleeding. Lots of women have breakthrough bleeding when they 1st start this regimine.

[shoegirl1020]

I would not recomend the birth control pill trick. I've done that a few times and let me tell you I am normally a very sweet person, but with all those hormones I couldn't stand myself :rotfl2: I was a total and complete ---itch and couldn't control it. Not how I envison spending a vacation.

[jennifer293]

About 6 months ago my OB/GYN put me on BC because I was having HORRIBLE pain during ovulation..(I have had my tubes tied as well)...Well I thought to myself HMMMM...I have these little pills and I don't want to have a period anyway so I began taking the packs back to back...the first month I had breakthrough bleeding pretty bad, but every month after that I have been period free. Well my last pack of pills, and the last pill was on Aug 17th and I still have not had a period...I guess my body got so used to not having a period..and to be honest I hope it never comes back. :thumbsup2

[lovesmurfs]

My Doc told me to take ADVIL type pain reliever to help reduce the ...
..."Flow of things"

That's great news for me --- I thought my only option was Tylenol type because I thought ibuprophen had the same effect as aspiring and increased the ... "flow of things."

[Kiera & Jordan's Mom]

I started taking the bc Seasonale in June, and I am only suppose to have a period every 3 mths. I am actually on my 6th week of breakthru bleeding but my gyn wants me to keep taking them to see if I straighten out after my "real period". I have about decided having a period every 2 weeks is better than this. I hope if you have better luck than me. Have fun at Disney!!

[LucyR]

If your OBGYN is unavailable, you might get into Planned Parenthood pretty quickly.

[MyGoofy26]

My aunt just said that your doctor can give you a hormone shot. She did it one trip apparently - her Dr. gave her the shot so she wouldn't start while on vaca.

No clue what the cost of it is. Maybe some DIS docs and nurses can jump in with more info.

[kikakeko]

my .02 is that if you do try the low dose pills you will have to be very careful to avoid blood clots especially(sp?) if you aren't a full 28 days out from your period. I considered this when we went to the beach this year and waited too long. I asked my dr and while she gave the ok- I was 2 weeks out when I had called to get the pill, she said that I would have to stop every 2 hours on the road to walk around - something about the place where I was in my cycle and taking the pills. I decided against it and lucky for me I had a very light period that month. I would rather deal with that then blood clots.

[crisi]

If you want to try a menstral cup, I'd try before vacation. A lot of women find they cause cramping. (There seem to be two types of women with menstral cups - the "I never knew it was there" and the "oh, my god, I couldn't get out of bed." I, unfortunately, seem to be the second type, but insertion can take some practice).

[hsmamato2]

also, with the pill trick, it takes WEEKS to get it right,i.e. stopping it completely for 6-8 weeks, so it may just make things worse...

[princesstigerlilly]

Just my 2c, but I wouldn't go messing with my hormones right before a trip--too many probable side effects that could ruin your time--break through (unexpected) bleeding, headaches, nausea, irritiablity, not to mention the health risks--yikes.

After my third child (at age 33) I went on the BC patch after not having taken the pill for 10 years. After just one day I felt tense and edgy. I took off the patch and never wore it again, lol. My ob and I talked aobut the pill, but decided I was too sensitive to the hormones now.

FWIW, my ob/gyn will not administer the BC shot Depro-Provera, so I'd suggest thinking twice about it. My ob actually thinks it's so bad it should be pulled from the market. Two of his patients had very serious side effects from it--he hadn't ever had a serious problem with any other form of BC. If you google it, you'll find page after page of women that have had miserable side effects from it--from constant breakthrough bleeding, to women thinking they have lost their minds, to a decline in sex drive to major health issues. It's an every 3-month shot, so once you get it you have to wait for it to 'wear off' and it can take a long time for you and your cycle to return to 'normal'. I'm sure there are many women with no issues that have the shot, but I wanted to throw what I know about it out there to you.

I know it's a drag, but at least with aunt flo you know what to expect and how to treat any side effects. :)

[3DisneyBuggs]

I was planning on doing this too. I even have the first pack of Mircette in my bag still. I hate taking medicine esp. hormones. We are driving too so I was worried about blood clots too. So I have a few more days for AF to show and be in a good time zone for next month. If she ruins it, I just plan to plug her up and have fun.

[chalex]

Thanks,

You all gave me much to think about.

With my age (40 really doesn't feel old) and not having taken the pill for over 10 years I was really worried about side effects and also blood clots. So I have decided to let nature take its course and just deal with it.

I actually woke up with a terrible headache this morning and took some advil and yes it did ease up alot, thanks for that tip! and all the wonderful information provided yet again by y'all.

Angie