Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Do Birth Control Pills Affect Menopause Symptoms?Birth Control Pill Side Effects vs. Menopause SymptomsWhen to Stop Taking the Pill
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Do Birth Control Pills Affect Menopause Symptoms?
Birth Control Pill Side Effects vs. Menopause Symptoms
When to Stop Taking the Pill
During childbearing years, many individuals take hormonalbirth control pills. As you near the age wheremenopausecan occur, you might be asking: can you go through menopause while on the pill?
The short answer is yes, you can go through menopause, but being on the pill can mask some of thesymptoms.
This article will discuss birth control and menopause, including how it can affect symptoms, how to know when you’ve reached menopause, and when to stop taking the pill.
Getty Images / Anchiy
First, let’s cover some terminology about menopause:
Taking birth control pills can mask some of the symptoms ofperimenopause, such as the irregular periods mentioned above and other symptoms. Because of this, it can be difficult to know if you are having side effects due to the birth control pills or experiencing changes as a result of approaching menopause.
Does the Type of Pill Matter?
Birth control pills are generally grouped into two categories:
Both types of birth control pills can result in changes in bleeding, which could entail shorter or longer cycles, spotting, irregular periods, or lighter periods.
In rare cases, some people experience heavier periods, but many have lighter periods, while some have no periods at all. Therefore, either type of birth control pill can have side effects of irregular bleeding that can mask bleeding changes associated with menopause.
How Does Menopause Affect Your Hormones?When you are in perimenopause (the time before menopause), the supply of eggs in the ovaries becomes less. At the same time,ovulationbecomes irregular. Additionally, the body decreases production of estrogen and progesterone hormones. The significant decrease in estrogen levels is responsible for most menopause symptoms.
How Does Menopause Affect Your Hormones?
When you are in perimenopause (the time before menopause), the supply of eggs in the ovaries becomes less. At the same time,ovulationbecomes irregular. Additionally, the body decreases production of estrogen and progesterone hormones. The significant decrease in estrogen levels is responsible for most menopause symptoms.
Side effects of birth control can overlap with menopause symptoms. They have some similar symptoms (such as changes in bleeding, vaginal problems, and weight changes) as well as unique symptoms.
The table below compares the common issues of both. If you are taking birth control but think you may be in perimenopause, it’s a good idea to consult your healthcare provider.
How Do I Know If I’m Approaching Menopause?
When you are in perimenopause, you may or may not have symptoms, and symptoms can vary in intensity from very mild to severe. Some symptoms you may experience in your 40s or 50s include:
If you have any questions about perimenopause or menopause, you can consult your healthcare provider for medical guidance.
Have I Reached Menopause?
You reach menopause when you have not had any bleeding, including spotting, for 12 months in a row. This means your periods have permanently stopped, and you cannot get pregnant.
Taking birth control pills can make things more complicated, especially for those who completely stop bleeding as a side effect of birth control pills. In this case, you can consult a healthcare provider for medical guidance.
Experts note that hormonal testing is not a definite diagnosis of menopause; however, taking into account specific labs with age can help healthcare providers assess menopause status in people over 50 who take hormonal birth control.
Researchers suggest one way to test for menopause in people who take birth control pills is to stop taking it for two or three months at age 50, and see if menstruation occurs.
During this pill-free time, the healthcare provider can check lab tests at regular intervals and ask about symptoms. Note that you will need a backup method of birth control, such as condoms, if you stop taking birth control pills before you have reached menopause and do not wish to become pregnant.
Keep in mind that the labs often tested, calledfollicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)levels, may not be accurate on their own,which is why healthcare providers consider multiple variables.
To Sum Up: Have I Reached Menopause?If you have not had any bleeding or spotting for 12 consecutive months, you have reached menopause. However, if you take birth control pills, your period may stop, which makes it more difficult to know if your periods have stopped due to birth control side effects or due to perimenopause/menopause.Your healthcare provider can guide you in this situation and help determine if you have reached menopause.
To Sum Up: Have I Reached Menopause?
If you have not had any bleeding or spotting for 12 consecutive months, you have reached menopause. However, if you take birth control pills, your period may stop, which makes it more difficult to know if your periods have stopped due to birth control side effects or due to perimenopause/menopause.Your healthcare provider can guide you in this situation and help determine if you have reached menopause.
If you have not had any bleeding or spotting for 12 consecutive months, you have reached menopause. However, if you take birth control pills, your period may stop, which makes it more difficult to know if your periods have stopped due to birth control side effects or due to perimenopause/menopause.
Your healthcare provider can guide you in this situation and help determine if you have reached menopause.
If you are taking the birth control pill, you should always check with your healthcare provider before stopping the pill. Stopping the pill too soon could result in an unintended pregnancy.
Fertilitydecreases during perimenopause, but you can still get pregnant until you have reached menopause, which is 12 consecutive months without a period. Even if you have gone 10 months without a period, you can still become pregnant. Experts recommend using a safe, effective, and appropriate type of birth control until menopause is confirmed.
Taking birth control pills can also provide additional benefits besides preventing pregnancy, such as:
However, some risks may increase, such as a higher risk ofblood clots, and potentially increased risk ofheart attack,stroke, andbreast cancer.
If you wish to stop taking the pill but still need birth control, there are many options, such as:
You can talk to your healthcare provider about the best form of birth control for you.
Summary
Menopause can cause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and vaginal dryness.
For those who take birth control pills, it may be difficult to differentiate the side effects of the pill from symptoms of menopause. This is especially true because it is often difficult to know if menstrual bleeding has stopped due to the birth control pills or menopause.
Consult your healthcare provider for more information and medical advice about your reproductive health and menopause.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The North American Menopause Society.Contraception: you need it longer than you may think.UpToDate.Patient education: menopause (beyond the basics).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reproductive Health.When women can stop using contraceptives.Planned Parenthood.Birth control pill.MedlinePlus.Estrogen and progestin (oral contraceptives).The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Progestin-only hormonal birth control: pill and injection.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Introduction to menopause.National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.What is menopause?U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Menopause basics.Grandi G, Di Vinci P, Sgandurra A, et al.Contraception during perimenopause: practical guidance.Int J Womens Health. 2022;14:913-929. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S288070Cho MK.Use of combined oral contraceptives in perimenopausal women.Chonnam Med J. 2018;54(3):153-158. doi:10.4068/cmj.2018.54.3.153
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The North American Menopause Society.Contraception: you need it longer than you may think.UpToDate.Patient education: menopause (beyond the basics).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reproductive Health.When women can stop using contraceptives.Planned Parenthood.Birth control pill.MedlinePlus.Estrogen and progestin (oral contraceptives).The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Progestin-only hormonal birth control: pill and injection.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Introduction to menopause.National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.What is menopause?U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Menopause basics.Grandi G, Di Vinci P, Sgandurra A, et al.Contraception during perimenopause: practical guidance.Int J Womens Health. 2022;14:913-929. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S288070Cho MK.Use of combined oral contraceptives in perimenopausal women.Chonnam Med J. 2018;54(3):153-158. doi:10.4068/cmj.2018.54.3.153
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The North American Menopause Society.Contraception: you need it longer than you may think.UpToDate.Patient education: menopause (beyond the basics).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reproductive Health.When women can stop using contraceptives.Planned Parenthood.Birth control pill.MedlinePlus.Estrogen and progestin (oral contraceptives).The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Progestin-only hormonal birth control: pill and injection.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Introduction to menopause.National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.What is menopause?U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Menopause basics.Grandi G, Di Vinci P, Sgandurra A, et al.Contraception during perimenopause: practical guidance.Int J Womens Health. 2022;14:913-929. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S288070Cho MK.Use of combined oral contraceptives in perimenopausal women.Chonnam Med J. 2018;54(3):153-158. doi:10.4068/cmj.2018.54.3.153
The North American Menopause Society.Contraception: you need it longer than you may think.
UpToDate.Patient education: menopause (beyond the basics).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reproductive Health.When women can stop using contraceptives.
Planned Parenthood.Birth control pill.
MedlinePlus.Estrogen and progestin (oral contraceptives).
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Progestin-only hormonal birth control: pill and injection.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Introduction to menopause.
National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.What is menopause?
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Menopause basics.
Grandi G, Di Vinci P, Sgandurra A, et al.Contraception during perimenopause: practical guidance.Int J Womens Health. 2022;14:913-929. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S288070
Cho MK.Use of combined oral contraceptives in perimenopausal women.Chonnam Med J. 2018;54(3):153-158. doi:10.4068/cmj.2018.54.3.153
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