I switched to (generic) Seasonique a couple years ago for exactly those reasons and it’s been magical for me, so I hope it works for you as well.

Yup, I’ve been on several different types and have had different experiences with them. The first one I tried in my early 20s had me bleeding heavily for weeks at a time— heavily is an understatement; wearing a tampon I was still bleeding through pads and my underwear, it was brutal.

I only found out about because of a good friend, an MD was using her pills this way herself. My own MDs and FNPs over the years had never mentioned doing anything like this before.

I’m on generic Seasonique, and I honestly wish someone had told me about it when I was 13. I didn’t get on it until about 8 years ago and it is life changing.  Four VERY mild periods per year, little to no bleeding.  

Wellness culture appears to directly target upper middle class women with enough money to pay alternative practitioners thousands out of pocket, though.

I used to skip the placebo week of the pills I was taking to make my own version of Seasonique, and I loved it! I also have severe PMDD, so I liked being more leveled out, and those quarterly periods were so much easier to deal with.

I say do it. I never felt “less vibrant” when I was on BCPs for many years, and couldn’t tell any difference when I stopped taking them. My periods were always no big deal (very light and no cramping) and I loved the predictability of knowing when I would start every month. 

This is my take. I got lucky, the third Pill I tried works for me, and thankfully has for over ten years. I have a lot of girlfriends who suffer from really terrible bleeds and pains and they refuse to consider any sort of birth control because they tried one pill for a week 15 years ago and felt like it made them…

I’ve struggled with PMDD for a long time. I’d go from being my normal self to feeling practically suicidal for two weeks every month. I was on hormonal bc and anti-depressants, then a few years ago my doctor put me on a new version of the pill called Seasonique, which is comprised of two hormones that are calibrated…

Your last sentence is so important.  A lot of the “backlash” against the Pill sort of assumes that women can’t make the cost/benefit tradeoff decision for themselves.  We need to know and understand the side effects and decide what’s right for us on an individual basis.  It almost feels like some people want to ban BC…

Totally agree. I was on an infertility message board for about a minute and there was a LOT of anti-pill woo. Many wanted everyone, including teens and young women who wanted birth control, to use “natural family planning.” They claimed to be using it to “avoid” pregnancy, but they ALWAYS turned up pregnant with their…

Right, this quote

Yes? Just try it, you can always stop.

Honestly, I’m of the opinion that, if your periods are causing you trouble, you’re in good health otherwise, and your doctor doesn’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be taking it...give it a try and see if it works for you. I’ve noticed improvements that I hadn’t even considered might be possible until I finally had a…

I feel like a lot of the anti-pill rhetoric is pushed by women who have had infertility problems and don’t understand what it’s like to really not want to be pregnant.

Oh, trust me, I definitely don’t feel like I’ve lost anything by being on birth control - not having my internal organs adhering to each other has made a massive difference in my life. I’m just saying, even if I did lose a little bit, it would still be worth it to me because I’d be gaining so much in return.

Same. Before being on birth control I dreaded every period because I worried I would bleed through my clothes in public. I don’t have that fear while I'm on birth control.

I’ve suffered from endometriosis from my late teens — I can’t express the relief and freedom taking the Pill granted me. (I know there’s more than one “formula”.) I can’t imagine anything less vibrant than being doubled over several days a month.

Honestly, I feel the opposite? I feel more color to my world when I’m on birth control than off. I take it bc I have heavy painful periods and reduce the amount I have. My periods take a lot out of me so reducing them has made a big improvement

You know what else will change the “color” of your world? Having a kid you didn’t want.