Category: Health and Wellness
Hi all. I'm currently on the birth control pill, but I get a little nervous about continuing to take it because I've heard about some fairly serious side effects. Blood clots, cancer....those are the main ones I've heard about. Does anybody know anything more about this? I really don't want to get pregnant right now, but I want to weigh in the benefits and the side effects of the pill.
I'm dealing with the same issues, except I'm no longer on the pill. I was on the Ortho Evra patch for about two years, got terrified when I heard that it has 60% more hormones than the pill and got off. It messed up my period terribly afterword. After months of this, I finally did a three-month detox and was normal again. A few months later, I went on Camilla, a Projestin -Only pill or minipill. It changed my moods like the patch and I had breakthrough bleeding as well. That said, it's very important to note that the minipill does not regulate the menstrual cycle. I got off maybe two years ago and have only now started to return to normal, cause I didn't do a detox.
All of that said, not all women have these kinds of reactions. Many hardly feel side aefects. It really depends on which pill you're on. I found an article on the safety of birth control pills, from 13 August 2009, which states
"When it comes to the risk of blood clots, some oral contraceptive pills are safer than others, according to new studies by European researchers.
"Oral contraceptives with levonorgestrel and a low dose of estrogen are associated with the lowest risk of venous thrombosis [blood clots] and are therefore the safest option," says Astrid van Hylckama Vlieg, PhD, a research fellow at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and the lead author of one study."
The rest can be found here.
http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/news/20090813/which-birth-control-pill-is-safest
So that's what I'm gonna ask for when I go to my doctor on Friday, a low-dose pill. It'll still have the risk of side affects but at least it'll be a lower one.
Thanks so much. I'll definitely check that out. I can't remember exactly the name of the pill I'm on, but I'd know it if I saw it. My doctor said it was one dose up from the smallest dose.
Oh my God! I am so messed up from taking the pill. I took seasonelle or however you spell it and I have never been normal since. I gained a lot of weight and I had 3-month long periods and months and months of not having it. I switched to other pills which I forget the name of and didn't have my period for a whole year. I am not normal! *cries I thank God everytime I have my period. I seriously do. And I am at a loss of what to do. I stopped taking it and after a year, started properly menstruating again. I was regular for 4 months and my doctor talked me into taking more birth control. I am having sex regularly and do not use condoms... So in July, she strongly suggested I go on the pill again. I told her I was afraid it would mess up my system again because I was just starting to feel normal. She told me not to worry and so I took the prescription. I took the month's worth and was supposed to have it during the week of sugar pills but it never happened. I haven't had it since July and I am really upset I let my doc push me to go on it again. What is detox? How does one get it? And are you normal after? I really hope you can help me because my doctor doesn't know or won't help me. She says wait for my body to get back to normal but I don't want to wait another year to have my damned period. I hate birth control. I finally snapped and told my man if he wants me, he's going to have to buy condoms cause none of that crap is going in my body again. I just really want my period back. lol So I'm hoping one of you ladies can help. :d
Herbal alternatives could help regulate cycles again. I've used Vitex capsules. You don't have to take them continuously, forever, just until they work, which in my case was about 4 months. (There are probably other herb mixtures that do the same thing.)
I haven't used hormonal bc in years, and never will. I like my diaphragm very well, and it's never failed me once in 12 years.
Do your own research thoroughly before going to the doctor. They don't always tell you about every option. I prefer to already know what to ask for before I go.
I trust naturopathic medicine far more than synthetics and rely on it as much as I can. So I'll definitely check that out. Yes, I was considering the diaphragm as well, since it's nonhormonal. But how much site do you have? I hear it can be very messy, can move etc. Also, you're not supposed to use it when on your period, which is fine, but what if I've just started or have breakthrough bleeding and don't know about it? Could the spermacide cause trouble? My current doctor doesn't do diaphragms and neither did the clynic I went to. Apparently, they're very difficult to find around here. Have you tried the FemCap or Lee's Shield? If so, how were they different from the diaphragm?
um, michelle, why do you want your period back so bad? lol! I am one of the rare you don't want to ask about birth control. lol that's how i lost my sight! it caused a blood clot on my brain, which cut off the oxygen to my optic nerve. so yeah, I don't and won't take birth control. I have the iud. and have never ever had any problems with it. mine last for ten years and you can take it out to have a baby at any time! I chose the ten year because, it has no hormones at all. which is what I can't have. the hormones and I don't react to well! lol!! the five year one does have hormones. so yeha, good luck. everyone reacts to things different. so you have to find out what's best for you!
I would be very happy to not get mine, so long as I know that I wasn't pregnant and didn't have a disease, and so long as I didn't get ones that lasted for months or something when/if I did get them.
I'd be happy not to get them, but scared too....
Holy crap, all these horror stories! I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I was on the birth control pill for about ten years, and never felt side effects from it at all! I think the one I was on was called Desogen. I wasn't on it for birth control reasons though, but rather to regulate my period. The doctors think the radiation I had as a baby messed with my pituitary gland, and that's why my body can't seem to regulate it's cycle properly.
At first, when I was younger, they decided to put me on Depo Privera, because I had migraines, and they were afraid the pill would make those worse. However, the Depo Privera was horrible, and that's putting it mildly! Talk about constant PMS on steroids! Bad, bad. And, it was unnatural as hell to have my period stopped altogether, or maybe it was just that drug they were using. The best way I can describe it was that my body felt like it should be having my period, and because it couldn't, it was reacting badly. That's the only way I can describe the feeling.
The pill worked well for me, regulated my period for years with no side effects at all. Only reason I had to stop taking it was because I am now on a medicine treating a far more important condition, and that one and the pill dont' mix. So, this new med has to take priority, but I do miss the pill.
I'm interested in the herbal alternatives mentioned. Having an irregular period as a blind woman sucks. So, if any of the rest of you have more ideas for natural ways to do this, let me know.
Here are some nice helpful tips about regulating your period. There are also articles about the causes of irregular periods. Of course, these people aren't doctors, nathropathic or otherwise, so it's always best to seek the advice of one befoe doing anything.
http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogbaby/quipstipscouplesinfertility/health/8-natural-ways-to-regulate-your-period/
There is also a natural medicine specifically designed to regulate the menstrual cycle. It comes from India and is a bit on the pricey side. I can't find it at the moment, but if I do, I'll post it here.
Quality beats quantity, in my opinion. If it works, it's worth the price.
That's pretty much what I think. Btw, the appointment was rescheduled due to the doctor having an emergency patient. I'll let you know what she puts me on if I do decide to go back on the pill.
Elani, and anyone else curious, I am totally blind, so yes, certainly a totally blind woman can use a diaphragm. I doubt sighted women are looking, while inserting it, either. *grin*
If by chance you have seen those Instead softcups, I have read that they are similar to a diaphragm, the difference being that diaphragms come in differing sizes, for which you must be fitted by a doctor.
I don't know why this item should be scarce! I just had my gyn visit, and got a new one, and my doctor didn't act as if I'd asked for anything out of the ordinary. Planned Parenthood can give you a prescription for one, I know, so perhaps just call around until you find someone who will help you.
It can be messy, because you need to spread the spermicide on the inside and rim of the diaphragm, but you get used to that, and you're washing your hands afterward, presumably, so it's not a big deal.
I'm not sure what those other options were that you mention, Elani, but if one is a cervical cap, that is a smaller version of the diaphragm, but I understand it's a bit harder to get into place, and keep therre! The diaphragm doesn't move around, because your pelvic bone holds it in place.
Your doctor will make sure you know how to situate it properly.
It can be used while you're on your period; I use mine for mess-free period sex. LOL I just don't use spermicide then, no need for it, and just remove the diaphragm after, whereas, any other time of the month, it has to be left in place for six hours after.
Hope this makes sense.
Oh wow! Thanks for all that info and for being so honest. Gives me more hope that, maybe, I can do this. But can I use it with spermacide if I'm bleeding and don't know it, like if I have breakthrough bleeding or start my period on a different day or something?
Do they have non-latex diaphragms for people who are allergic?
OceanDream, it's made of silicone, so not latex, at all!
Eleni, (forgive me if I've misspelled your name!) the spermicide will not do you any harm.
So why do they say not to use it when you're bleeding? I don't get it.
Eleni is exactly how to spell it and thanks for remembering. *huge smile* Sorry if I sounded sarcastic or something in my last post. That was not my intention, as I'm honestly confused. I've used Instead cups but could never figure out how they worked. I use my MoonCup UK without a problem, but, of course, it's a totally different design.
O, okay. Thanks for clearing that up. I actually read in my biology textbook last year that they were made of latex.
I guess I can't answer that, Eleni. I'm sorry. But I'm guessing the suggestion *not* to use it during that time is meaning not to use it for six + hours, as usual. It's probably fine for an hour or however long you need it. All I can say is that I've done it, and never gotten any sort of infection or bad reaction! It's just a thin piece of silicone, after all, same as your cup which stays in there for much longer, so what harm could it do?
As you can see, I'm not an overly cautious type. LOL
Cool thing, that Mooncup UK! I used one for several years, too, but now have a Lunette.