When you stop taking birth control pills because you want to get pregnant and your period doesn't return to its normal cycle, it can be very frustrating. However, this is a common problem for many women. Post-pill amenorrhea is the absence of a period for three or more months after stopping birth control pills.

Why is this happening?

Most women who experience this start to wonder what is going on with their bodies. The source of this problem lies in hormones. Birth control pills suppress the pituitary gland’s production of the hormones FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). These hormones help stimulate the follicles in the ovaries to grow. As the follicles grow, they produce estrogen. After the egg is released, progesterone is produced. Birth control pills contain estrogen and progesterone. When a woman takes birth control pills, her body “thinks” she is ovulating because of the estrogen and progesterone contained in the medication. Her pituitary gland stops producing FSH and LH. Without these two hormones, ovulation does not occur and it is almost impossible to get pregnant (there is always a very small chance that birth control pills will not work for some women). After taking birth control pills for a long time, the pituitary gland may continue to believe that there is an adequate amount of estrogen and progesterone even after stopping the medication. This results in the body not ovulating and subsequently not returning to a normal cycle. This absence of a normal cycle can be the complete absence of a period or irregular periods.

How long can it last?

If you are experiencing this, you may be wondering exactly how long this amenorrhea will last. Most women's cycles return to normal within three to six months. Some women may need to wait up to two years for a normal cycle to return. Although you may think you won't get pregnant during the time you are waiting for your period to return, it is possible to get pregnant before your period returns. It is impossible to predict whether a woman will ovulate first or whether her period will return first.

What can you do to speed things up?

In some cases, if you want to speed up the return of your menstrual cycle to normal, your gynecologist may prescribe certain medications, such as clomiphene citrate, to stimulate the production of FSH and LH by the pituitary gland. Although clomiphene citrate is a commonly prescribed medication, there are other medications available that your doctor may prescribe. Clomiphene citrate blocks estrogen receptors in the uterus. This tells the pituitary gland that there is no estrogen and that your body is not producing mature follicles. The pituitary gland then produces FSH. The FSH in your body causes follicles to grow and produce progesterone when one of them ruptures. Estrogen forces the lining of your uterus to grow so that a potential embryo has what it needs to survive and implant. If the egg that is released is not fertilized, the endometrium will be shed and you will have a period.

Do you have concerns about your menstrual cycle and contraception?

Schedule an appointment with us by calling at (+30) 2310 220267 or by filling out the relevant contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!