No matter how natural and scientific our period is, nine out of ten women would surely admit that it is a true headache that drives us crazy every month. We all have, at certain points of time in our lives, wished to delay our period. Be it for a vacation, a religious ceremony or an important examination, it sometimes becomes a complete necessity to postpone the disaster that brings with it all kinds of unwanted symptoms like mood swings, cramps, uneasiness, and so on.

In today’s tech-savvy world, where almost nothing is impossible to attain, grabbing hold of a pill which will delay your period surely seems one of the easiest options available. A pill a day for sometime and you are free from the monster for at least a few days. But have you ever wondered how these pills actually work and what they do to your body?

Well, in very simple words, they basically, by artificially keeping the progesterone levels up, stops the lining of the womb from shedding, and thereby delaying the period by three-four days. However, it is surely not as simple and easy as it seems. It comes with several side effects which we must surely keep in mind before casually using such drugs to delay our period. Some of these are discussed below:

Delaying A Period: Everything You Need to Know

Ovarian cysts

Prolonged use of artificial drugs might often lead to formation of ovarian cysts, which in the long run, might prove to be fatal. Since the drugs are an entirely artificial method of delaying what should otherwise happen naturally, prolonged usage of these are something always advised against. The ovarian cysts, in turn, if serious, can cause excessive bleeding, changes in the menstrual cycle accompanied by pain, changes in libido or in worst cases, can even affect fertility. They might demand surgical removal, which of course is undesirable.

Breakthrough bleeding

Commonly known as spotting, breakthrough bleeding is basically any bleeding from the uterus that happens outside the common menstrual discharge or to be specific, between the menstrual cycle. It may be just in the form of spotting or might as well be heavy enough to require a pad or a tampon. Delaying a period often leads to breakthrough bleeding as the normal cycle is forced to be postponed and thereby disrupted.

Changes in libido

Delaying a period can also cause changes in the usual sex drive as the menstrual cycle is artificially disrupted when being delayed. This might lead to lack of energy or withdrawal during union. Early orgasms are observed in these cases.

Breast discomfort

Postponing a period can often lead to uneasiness or discomforts in breasts. Changes in breast size are also quite frequent. Saggy breasts, breast swelling and tenderness are often the result of pills to delay a period. Severe effects also include shrinking of breast tissues. All such symptoms are of course undesirable lead to uneasiness and discomfort.

Rise in blood pressure

Excessive use of drugs to delay a period might lead to a considerate rise in the blood pressure level. This is because such drugs often have an effect on the hormonal discharge of our body which in turn triggers the blood pressure level. Excess increase of the blood pressure might in turn result in headaches, migraines, or at serious levels, even affect the heart and its functioning adversely.

Apart from these, other trivial issues such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, rashes, are very common, in fact with any kind of hormonal change in the body. Rashes however might often indicate being allergic towards a certain constituent of the drug which might, if taken for a long course of time, prove to be dangerous. Symptoms such as breathing, whizzing or swelling of the tongue are symptoms of severe drug allergy.

Such drugs are also advised against for those who have a history of high blood pressure, stroke, blood clot, liver disease, breast cancer or cervical cancer. The drugs that are used to delay a period are often those that are used as contraceptive pills as well. They are sometimes combined period delaying and contraceptive pills. However, pills which are not birth-control pills but are only useful for delaying a period are also available.

Some people also believe in natural methods of delaying a period. Natural here refers to not using a pill or drug. Consumption of vinegar and gram lentil is said to play a major role in delaying a period by two or three days. Parsley leaves, gelatin and lemon are also said to be alternatives which serve the same purpose, naturally delaying a period. Apart from these, drinking a lot of water and proper exercise is always advised for a smooth and proper functioning of the hormones in the body. Smoking and excessive amount of alcohol intake can in turn adversely affect the gynecological system as a whole with other functions of the body.

Hence, just as the proverb “Too many cooks spoil the broth” is applicable to almost all situations in life, so is it to out bodily functions. We might feel the need to delay a period when necessary but excessive use of pills which cause hormonal changes is strongly advised against. It might be done occasionally when there is no other option but relying on a pill always is not a very wise thin g to do. All these side effects, in fact, are applicable when a period is delayed quite often. Many doctors are of the opinion that a period can be delayed once in four months maximum approximately. Thus, delaying a period sometimes may seem to be the most comfortable decision to make, but the side effects should be kept in mind before deciding to make that decision quite often.