New GYNE - can stay on BCP until menopause

[cmclien]

I have been having anxiety about going off BCP in another year at age 50. It seemed so arbitrary to pick that age and wasn't sure 1) what I was going to do for birth control and 2)worried about the change in hormone level and my IC.

I wasn't thrilled with my old gyne so went to a new one yesterday and she said I can stay on the pill until I'm in menopause! yay!!! She said average age is 51 so we can test my hormone level at 51 or 52 to see if I'm there. She said as long as you're on the pill you will keep bleeding even if you are in menopause which I didn't know. I take it continuously so only go off of it every 10-12 weeks for a few days to have my super short period and then go back on it. She said she's had a patient or two stay on it until age 55.

She said because I don't smoke, not overweight and don't have high BP that the good far outweighs the bad as far as the protection it gives for the ovaries etc. This has made my week.

[sailawaygrl]

I like hearing that too. I am 42 right now, was already worrying about that too. I take my BC for my Polycystic Ovaries and I have been on it forever. My question is how do they test your hormones when you are on BC? Did she go over that?

Sandra

[cmclien]

Yes, she said you have to go off for 7 days and then they can do a blood test for hormone level. What was interesting was that she said it will show if you're in peri/menopause but it won't distinguish between the two. I don't know if I wasn't understanding what she was saying about that or if that is really the case, maybe someone here has been told this? I know you have to go a full year without periods before they consider you to be fully in menopause.