--- title: Can extending birth control pills help with period symptoms like pain and headaches? description: Yes. Most women who tried extending their birth control pills continued using this approach, with 67% still using the extended regimen at their last follow-up url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/outcomes-of-extended-oral-contraceptive-regimens-with-a-shortened-hormone-free-2004/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Can extending birth control pills help with period symptoms like pain and headaches? Study, 2004 # Can extending birth control pills help with period symptoms like pain and headaches? Yes. Most women who tried extending their birth control pills continued using this approach, with 67% still using the extended regimen at their last follow-up visit. Early or limited evidence 220 women aged 14 to 52 seen by one obstetrician-gynecologist ## What they did Researchers looked back at medical records for 220 women aged 14 to 52 who were advised to extend their birth control pill regimen with a shortened break of 3 to 4 days instead of the usual 7 days. They reviewed records from 2000 to 2004 and tracked who tried this approach and how long they kept it up. ## What they found Of 181 women with follow-up data, 174 tried the extended regimen. Among women, 45% wanted to extend for premenstrual symptoms, 40% for pelvic pain, 36% for heavy bleeding, and 35% for menstrual headaches. About 67% of those with follow-up data continued using the extended approach at their last visit. Roughly 60% of women who used extended pill patterns kept doing so for more than 2 years. ## What it means for you Extending birth control pills with a shorter pill-free break may help women with period-related symptoms, and most who try it continue long-term. The main limitation is that this looked at one doctor's records from the past, so results may differ for other women or doctors. 220 women counseled about extending pills 67% continued using extended regimen at last visit 60% continued for more than 2 years ## About the study Original title Outcomes of extended oral contraceptive regimens with a shortened hormone-free interval to manage breakthrough bleeding Authors Sulak PJ, Carl J, Gopalakrishnan I et al. Journal Contraception Year 2004 Study design Study Participants 220 What was tested Extended birth control pills with shortened pill-free breaks of 3 to 4 days instead of 7 days Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2004.04.007](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2004.04.007) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Psychotherapy, counselling and education](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-psychotherapy/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Review, 2014 Do birth control pills help PMS? Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Randomised trial, 2024 Does estetrol/drospirenone birth control improve PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2015 Which birth control pill better reduces PMS and menstrual symptoms: nomegestrol acetate or drospirenone? Case-control study, 2014 How common is severe period pain and what causes it? Survey study, 2026 Do female medical students living in hostels have worse PMS than those who commute? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗