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Pharmacy Links

TREATMENTS FOR EXCESSIVE BLEEDING: COMBINED CONTRACEPTIVE PILL

08th May 2009

The combined contraceptive pill (that is, all varieties that contain an oestrogen and a progestogen) has been found to reduce blood loss during menstruation in many women, including as many as three-quarters of women experiencing excessive bleeding. The Pill generally reduces blood loss by about a third in women with heavy periods. It is important to note that this is not a safe option for women over thirty-five years who smoke cigarettes, as the combination of smoking plus the Pill significantly increases the risk of premature death from stroke or heart attack. Use of the Pill also increases the risk of dangerous blood clot formation (thrombosis) throughout the body, which is why women should come off the Pill a month before surgery, in the meantime using an alternative form of contraception that does not contain hormones.

Natalie went onto the Pill at the age of forty-six to ‘buy time’. Her periods became heavy and painful just when her work responsibilities increased and she was under a lot of stress at home. The Pill provided Natalie with relief from menstrual distress for six months by which time her business and family crises had settled to manageable levels. She then came off the Pill and found that she could cope with her periods.

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