Can I Take Rigevidon Without a Break?

You can take Rigevidon without a break if you want to skip your period. This practice (known as menstrual suppression) is widely considered safe by healthcare professionals and is done for many different reasons.

What is Rigevidon?

Rigevidon is a type of contraceptive pill. Oral contraceptives like Rigevidon are primarily used to prevent pregnancies, but many people take them to relieve other health issues like:

• Period pain
• Irregular periods
• Fibroids
• Endometriosis-related pain
• Menstrual-related migraines

Rigevidon is a combined pill, meaning it contains two types of hormones - an oestrogen (called ethinylestradiol) and a progesterone (called levonorgestrel).

How Does Rigevidon Work?

The hormones in Rigevidon prevent pregnancy by:

• Preventing ovulation (the release of an egg cell from an ovary)
• Thickening the fluid around the cervix (the opening to the womb), making it harder for sperm to enter
• Making the womb lining thinner so it’s harder for an egg to attach to it

When taken perfectly, contraceptive pills effectively prevent pregnancy in over 99% of cases. However, with typical use (where people sometimes forget to take pills), they have a failure rate of about 9%. This means around 9 in every 100 women who use contraceptive pills will fall pregnant within the first year.

How is Rigevidon Traditionally Used?

Rigevidon comes in a pack of 21 pills. The original recommendation was for people to take the pills daily for three weeks, then have a 7-day break. If you take Rigevidon this way, you will bleed during the 7-day pill-free window.

This is called a withdrawal bleed, and it’s different from a typical period. During a normal menstrual cycle, the lining of the womb thickens as your body prepares for pregnancy. If you don’t get pregnant, your oestrogen and progesterone levels drop. This signals your body to start menstruation, where the thick womb lining breaks down and you bleed (i.e., have a period).

When you take Rigevidon, your body doesn’t prepare for pregnancy - no egg is released, and the womb lining doesn’t get thicker. If you take a 7-day break, the sudden drop in hormones will trigger a bleed (just as it does during a normal menstrual cycle). However, because the womb lining is thinner than usual, withdrawal bleeds are often lighter and less painful than a regular period.

What Happens If I Take Rigevidon Without a Break?

If you take Rigevidon without a break, you will not have a withdrawal bleed. This practice is widely considered to be safe, as the withdrawal bleed has no medical benefits. If you want to skip your period, simply keep taking Rigevidon without the 7 day break.

People may choose to delay their period for a variety of medical and personal reasons, such as:

• Disabilities that make it difficult to use sanitary products
• Conditions that are worsened by periods (like migraines or endometriosis)
• Avoiding menstrual symptoms (like cramps, mood swings, bloating, and breast tenderness)
• Participation in sporting events, or any other activity that may be hampered by periods

How Often Can I Skip My Period With Rigevidon?

You can use Rigevidon to delay your period for as long as you like. If you take the pills continuously, you won’t have a withdrawal bleed until you stop. This practice doesn’t make the pills less effective in preventing pregnancy and is safe to continue indefinitely.

However, you may not be able to avoid bleeding altogether. Spotting or breakthrough bleeding (bleeding between periods) is common with any combined pill, especially if you accidentally miss a dose. Breakthrough bleeding is also more likely to occur when you take Rigevidon continuously instead of taking monthly breaks.

This can be very inconvenient, as breakthrough bleeding can happen at any time. It is more likely to happen if you:

• Miss a pill
• Start taking another medication (e.g., an antibiotic) that interferes with Rigevidon
• Vomit or have diarrhoea

What Happens If I Stop Taking Rigevidon?

If you stop taking Rigevidon you will have a withdrawal bleed, and you will be able to get pregnant again. Fertility levels usually return to normal within about a month of discontinuing an oral contraceptive. 

However, some people don’t have a period for several months after stopping the pill. This is because the combined pill stops your body from producing the hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle, and it may take a while to start up again.

If you don’t have your period for more than three months after stopping Rigevidon, make an appointment with your doctor.

Can Taking Rigevidon Without a Break Cause Health Problems?

There are some misconceptions about menstrual suppression, and some may consider the practice ‘unnatural’ or ‘harmful.’ 

However, there is no medical advantage to having a withdrawal bleed, and no evidence of long-term health issues associated with taking Rigevidon continuously. 

The main downside to using Rigevidon without a break is unscheduled breakthrough bleeding, but this is not usually a health concern. If you have any questions or concerns about contraception, it’s always best to consult a medical professional for advice. 

Authored & Reviewed By

Yasmin Ahmed

BPharm - Clinical Lead

Musarat Yasmin Ahmed currently serves as the clinical lead at Prescription Doctor, bringing with her a wealth of experience.

Published on: 02/08/2024 Reviewed on: 02/08/2024