meds to temporarily stop or alter your cycle

[Ottakee]

I have a 15 year old daughter who is mentally impaired. She has started her cycles (about 15 months ago now) and generally does OK with them.

 

She is in a full time special education room and today was a Christmas swimming party. Guess what she woke up with this morning.:glare:

This isn't so bad and hopefully she will be done by the time we go to the water park with Grandma for Christmas.

 

She will NOT use a tampon, etc.---long story but lets just say it will NOT happen anytime soon.

 

In March we are going to Disney for Make A Wish tirp for her sister and there will be a lot of water/swimming options---but we could skip those. The biggest one is that next September she is being granted a Make A Wish trip and her wish is to swim with the dolphins and be a trainer for the day. That week will involve a lot of "in the water" time.

 

Our doctor has mentioned that if we needed we could have her take something to change the time of her cycle or delay it for a week or 2, etc. I don't really like messing around with her hormones but I don't want her to miss out on her dream---she has wanted to do this since she was a toddler and we are going over her 16th birthday.

 

Has anyone done this yourself or for a special needs child? Most likely we are talking something very short term, not long term birth control or the ever 3 month thing at this point.

[MelanieM]

Is her cycle regular? Can you chart it and plan your trips accordingly so that it isn't her time of the month?

 

Not the advice you were looking for, but thought I'd throw that out there in case it's an option.

[LisaKinVA]

Really, the only things that will do this is some form of hormonal birth control.

 

*Any* hormonal BC carries some risk, and potential side-effects, and *any* hormonal BC usually has some amount of time needed to really take effect. You can't just put her on a pill for a week and call it done, she would probably need to take a pill for at least 6 weeks for it to do more than lighten/regulate her cycle (and it also would depend upon the type of pill)

 

It's been years since I used hormonal BC (I used deprovera), it lightened my first few periods, but by my 2nd shot they were gone. If the hormones didn't make me gain weight like crazy, it would probably still be my BC of choice.

[Ottakee]

Is her cycle regular? Can you chart it and plan your trips accordingly so that it isn't her time of the month?

 

Not the advice you were looking for, but thought I'd throw that out there in case it's an option.

 

 

They were very regular for a while but now, not quite as much. She has rare mitochondrial disorders as well so that complicates things.

 

With the Make A Wish thing, they buy the tickets 4 months or more in advance and you need to work a bit around their schedule as they have many things to coordinate to grant a wish.

 

Likely I will make an appointment with the doctor to discuss some options.

 

Cycles can be very hard when you have special needs kids.

[Lolly]

I don't do medicines as a loose general rule. I really don't do hormones with dc. (In my girls' swim team group, they are the only ones not on bc to control their cycles.) However, I wouldn't hesitate to use them in a situation like this. I'd go ahead and get them started now and stop when the big trip is over.

[NanceXToo]

I haven't done it, but I have to be totally honest and confess that I have thought about it- many times. Possible TMI in this thread so skip it if you want :P

 

I have a special needs/mentally impaired daughter, too (mine will be 19 next month).

 

She can't use tampons either, only pads, but she's not great about positioning them right/using them properly, and she's CONSTANTLY staining her underwear, her pants, her sheets. And in school they're expected to swim and shower after gym etc. And she's not so discreet about where she drops her pants...and underwear, pads and all...when she has to shower after gym...the teacher actually called me about it once.

 

I keep thinking it would be so nice to do something like maybe get her on those bcp's or some such that make you only have periods a few times a year, rather than every single month.

 

But I've been afraid to mess with her body like that; I don't want to do anything harmful to her. And I've felt like it would be awful of me to inquire about it anyway. But I think about it. Often. Like, on a monthly basis. lol.

[Ottakee]

I haven't done it, but I have to be totally honest and confess that I have thought about it- many times. Possible TMI in this thread so skip it if you want :P

 

I have a special needs/mentally impaired daughter, too (mine will be 19 next month).

 

.

 

Thanks for being so honest. My son's girlfriend actually had a hysterectomy about 2 years ago. She is mentally impaired and has CP and seizures. Her cycles were triggering grand mal seizures which then made it so she could never be home alone, could injury herself if she fell, etc. It took a lot of doctors and a court hearing to get it done but it has been very good for her overall health.

 

I don't want to go that drastic but I have considered the 4 times a year idea or even BC to help her periods be lighter and shorter---she is a heavy 6-7 day person.

 

I will see what the doctor says as well. I don't want to mess with her body too much but like you said, cycles with a special needs girl are a whole nother ballgame.

[Starr]

I have a family doctor acquaintance that says many teens in sports are on low dose bcp to regulate cycles and have lighter periods.

[Pippen]

...when she has to shower after gym...the teacher actually called me about it once.

.

 

Do they still require showers? Our district dropped that requirement years ago.

[fairfarmhand]

I read an article about a family w/a special needs teen who was having (I think) a hysterectomy done on her prior to puberty; she was bedridden, and they wanted to keep her petite (so she would not have toe be institutionalized) and not have to deal with cycles. The family was castigated in the press for this choice.

 

I would not be quick to criticize a family that would choose to do this or put their teen special needs dd on BCP to manage this. They have enough to handle.

[3littlekeets]

I have had friends whose menstrual cycles were nearly halted by certain IUDs. I'd definitely talk to your OB; he or she might have great ideas!

[stripe]

She can't use tampons either, only pads, but she's not great about positioning them right/using them properly, and she's CONSTANTLY staining her underwear, her pants, her sheets.

A long time ago (10+ years) I saw a product advertised (aimed at night time use) that were like underwear shaped things -- I thought it was brilliant -- do these exist anymore? They were made by a major company like Always.

 

The only thing I found was this but it's from Australia

http://www.menstruation.com.au/menstrualproducts/period-underwear.html

[Ottakee]

I read an article about a family w/a special needs teen who was having (I think) a hysterectomy done on her prior to puberty; she was bedridden, and they wanted to keep her petite (so she would not have toe be institutionalized) and not have to deal with cycles. The family was castigated in the press for this choice.

 

I would not be quick to criticize a family that would choose to do this or put their teen special needs dd on BCP to manage this. They have enough to handle.

 

 

I remember that story. I don't know how it turned out but unless you have been in that position, it is very hard to know what those families go through.

 

I remember working at a school for the severely impaired and having to try to clean up the women in diapers during their cycles. It was very hard to keep them clean and dry and prevent rashes, sores, etc.

 

I did make an appointment to talk to my daughter's doctor. I also talked with a friend who has an impaired daughter about a few choices we have. She is also a nurse so explored various options for her daughter as well.

[Bird Girl]

I don't mean to be disrespectful at all, so please ignore this question if it comes across this way, but are you not considering birth control for her as a protection in case she gets put in a compromising situation? I know that getting the idea of purity/virginity across to special needs girls and women can be challenging, and it's perfectly natural to have or want to have a boyfriend at that age. I wouldn't hesitate to select a birth control method not only to avoid or regulate periods, but also to avoid any confusion that could lead to a pregnancy that would be difficult to handle.

 

Anyway, I think you're on the right track for the trip at any rate.

[texasmama]

Many women use bcp's and time their cycles in order to avoid having their period on a honeymoon, for instance. It is possible to use typical bcps for this purpose and just skip the placebo pills week, going straight into the next pack of pills. I would think that you could arrange this so that you could just have dd on the pills for a couple of months if the vacation with no cycle is the main goal here. I would be looking into the same thing, if I were in your shoes.

[BigMamaBird]

I experienced a miscarriage in the fall and bled for an extended period of time. My dr. put me on a synthetic progesterone which basically tricked my body into thinking that I was mid-cycle. The thought was to give my body a break and then jump start my system. I was on it for only 25 days and started my period within two or three days of stopping. I'm not a doctor, but I imagine this could be a temporary solution that wouldn't require long term birth control usage. I'm sorry that I don't remember the exact name of the product, it was a generic brand. But perhaps this could be something to talk to your doctor about.

[stripe]

Many women use bcp's and time their cycles in order to avoid having their period on a honeymoon, for instance. It is possible to use typical bcps for this purpose and just skip the placebo pills week, going straight into the next pack of pills. I would think that you could arrange this so that you could just have dd on the pills for a couple of months if the vacation with no cycle is the main goal here. I would be looking into the same thing, if I were in your shoes.

This is also the same idea behind "seasonale" or however it's spelled; those taking it menstruate 4 times a year (once a season).

[misidawnrn]

I know a lady who has an adult SN DD and had the uterine ablation done to virtually eliminate her cycles. She also didn't know how to handle her cycles, pads, panties etc. The ablation went great and now they don't have to handle the cycles anymore.

The answer to your short term question is yes...you can have DD take a birth control pill everyday without taking the 7 fake pills. It does take a month or more to get that regular so I would start now if you are going in 4 months. There are actually BCPs made specifically for taking 3 months on and 1 week off so you only cycle 4 times a year. It is called Seasonique or Seasonalle or something like that, but plain old Tri-Cyclen or Tri Cyclen lo would work for that too. I would make an appointment with your doctor and ask them which ones would work.

I used to work in an OBGYN office and a LOT of women would do this around big things like weddings/honeymoons etc. So don't feel bad about doing it around something special like Make a Wish! How fantastic!

[cin]

I have been on BC pills, with no break, for about 5 yrs. I've had no side effects except a happier family, and more productivity. I had horrible PMS and horrible cramping and heavy bleeding. I would be down for 3 days and Mean for a good week.

 

As an added bonus, it makes vacations SO. MUCH. BETTER!!!

 

I would not hesitate to do it for my daughter if she had cycles like mine, or MAYBE for sports. I've got a few years to contemplate that one.

[Desert Rat]

I have been on BC pills, with no break, for about 5 yrs. I've had no side effects except a happier family, and more productivity. I had horrible PMS and horrible cramping and heavy bleeding. I would be down for 3 days and Mean for a good week.

 

As an added bonus, it makes vacations SO. MUCH. BETTER!!!

 

I would not hesitate to do it for my daughter if she had cycles like mine, or MAYBE for sports. I've got a few years to contemplate that one.

 

:iagree:

I am on the generic form of Yaz and have not had anything but very mild spotting in over 16 months. For the first 2 years though I still had periods on a regular basis, although light.

[Ottakee]

Right now we are looking just to regular/control her cycles. In the future birth control might be an reason as well.

 

Right now she is never without direct adult supervision and is immature in those areas. That said, I know that is a concern as they get older---my son is 23 so I know what you mean.

 

We are all for abstinence and purity, etc. but realistically, sometimes special needs girls are in situations where things might be compromised.

 

Just adds more to the joy and challenges of having special needs kids.

[Joy at Home]

Ottakkee, no suggestions here. But we are going to be talking to our doctor about ways to eliminate/decrease dd12's mensces once she starts. She is profoundly MR, incontinent and in pull-ups. It is challenging enough to care for her personal hygiene without the added difficulty of monthly periods.

 

Please let us know what you decide,

Lisa

[stripe]

I heard this interview on The Story and thought of this thread.

 

Tomorrow in Providence, Julie Sygiel is presenting a line of lingerie at the city's StyleWeek. Sexy Period is for women to wear during "that time of the month." The business idea came about during a class on entrepreneurship. Julie and her partner, Eunice Png, won a number of business contests - and learned how to talk about their product with all kinds of people, including men in suits. Just a couple of years out of college, Julie has investors and she's almost ready to launch.