[Gynecology Series 6] Is it true that you don't have a period for 120 days? | My experience using Yaz Flex
This is Gynecology Series 6.
▼The story of switching from Yaz to Yaz Flex is here.
The doctor told me, "You don't need to have bleeding for about 120 days, so it will be much easier for you." but,
my mind was like "Huh?" at that moment.
Not having a period for 120 days—is that really okay?
It was a mystery.
I had always thought that having a period every month was how a woman's body was supposed to be, so I felt, "Is that even allowed?!"
If I don't have to have a period for 120 days, does that mean it's okay to suppress ovulation for 120 days too?!
I was curious about that too, so I asked.
The doctor explained it to me like this.
"You don't have periods while you're pregnant, right? People who have many pregnancies and births have fewer periods as a result."
"The pill works by tricking the brain into thinking, 'You are currently in a state of pregnancy,' which puts ovulation on hold."
Of course, I am not actually pregnant.
By using the pill to suppress ovulation and prevent the uterine lining from becoming too thick, there is no need to have bleeding every month.
Learning that this was the mechanism, I remember feeling relieved, "So I'm not forcing myself to endure my period.".
With Yaz Flex, there is
no monthly placebo period (white pills). You continue taking the active pills (pink pills) and
take a break when necessary.
Once I got used to Yaz Flex,
I was able to go about 120 days without worrying about bleeding.
It's just too comfortable.
Every month, I don't have to worry, "is my period coming soon?." I don't have to prepare sanitary napkins. I don't have to adjust my travel or hot spring plans around my period.
And above all, I don't get period pain.
It felt as if "that exhausting time" that used to come every month had completely disappeared.
In a previous article,
I described my life after starting Yaz as
"Calm waters"
And a year later,
"Windless"
is how I described it.
The time when I got used to Yaz Flex was
truly "windless".
By the way, it wasn't "windless" right from the moment I started taking it.
In my case, once every few months, I would feel breast tenderness.
Since I also had "breast tenderness" when I was on Yaz,
I immediately realized, "Oh, this is probably a sign that I should take a break from the medication."
When I took a break, the breast tenderness subsided, and I was able to continue with a rhythm of restarting continuous use.
Of course, compatibility with medication varies from person to person.
Side effects and the like also differ depending on the individual.
However, for me, Yaz Flex was
an option that allowed me to live even more comfortably than Yaz.
I want to tell my past self, who used to be at the mercy of her period every month.
"You don't have to think that you just have to endure it."
If you consult a gynecologist, there might be options to change your life.
*Whether or not the pill is right for you varies from person to person. I am sharing this strictly as my own personal experience and as one possible option.
*In this article, I use the term "period" for simplicity, but the bleeding that occurs during the pill's withdrawal period is strictly called "withdrawal bleeding."
Next time, I plan to write about how I hit an unexpected wall with the iron supplements prescribed by my gynecologist.
"I can't take iron supplements..."
I will look back on how I have dealt with anemia as someone like that.
🌸
This gynecology series is written because
even when my daily life is already exhausting, there is this thing called a "period" that drains my physical strength.
But there are also options to reduce that burden.
Because this was one of the ways I, who am recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome, was able to change my life,
I am writing this because I want to share that "there is this method too."
▼ I have compiled these in a magazine, so please feel free to read my other articles as well.