birth control question

[Questionss]

I was wondering why women taking birth control pills still experience pms symptoms? From what i know you dont even technically get your period on the pill, it is only a withdrawal bleed. Why would this withdrawal bleed cause pms symptoms? Right now i am on the 3rd week of pills (last week before placebos) in the 2nd month of taking them and im having some feelings that i usually would get around the time of my regular period

[Sam W]

Hi Questions,

PMS symptoms are the result of hormone fluctuations in your body, so even when you're on the pill, those fluctuations are not going to disappear entirely.

[Heather]

Too, don't forget that some of how the pill works is by mimicking the menstrual cycle to some degree, which is why you even still have withdrawal bleeds when using the pill. Because the pill makes it so you have a very similar hormone pattern and change with the placebo week, similar things tend to happen PMS-wise for pill users, those symptoms just most often tend to be less severe than for those not using a hormonal method of BC.