The Devastating Damages Of The Pill
Birth control pills literally rob the body of nutrients required for vitality:
- BCPs deplete folate and this can cause serious health problems because lack of folate disrupts DNA metabolism
- BCPs deplete vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12, which may lead to irritability, depression, insomnia and fatigue.
- BCPs deplete zinc and this in turn lowers the immune system and encourages insulin resistance
- BCPs deplete magnesium, leading to a chain reaction of mineral imbalances in the body
- BCPs permanently disrupts the balance of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. This means reduced nutrient assimilation, lowered immunity, and the overgrowth of pathogens like Candida. Since gut flora is passed on from mother to baby, the mothers imbalanced gut health is passed on to her children, and likely even her grandchildren .
Those serious deficiencies and imbalances that result from taking birth control pills translate into these more visible symptoms:
- Weight gain
Also Check: Nugenix Estro Regulator Side Effects
When To See A Doctor
If you notice any side effects from the birth control plan youâre on, tell your doctor as soon as possible. Before you switch or stop taking anything, itâs best to consult your doctor. They can direct you to other options.
Not everybody reaches menopause at the same age. The timing can vary anywhere from age 40 to 60. Every womanâs body is different, and thereâs no test to confirm the loss of your fertility.
If you think youâre approaching menopause, or if youâve missed your period for several months in a row, check in with your health care provider to confirm before you stop taking your birth control meds.
Show Sources
What Is The Pill And How Does It Work
Birth control pills are taken daily to prevent pregnancy. The pills contain hormones similar to the ones that naturally exist in a womans body. Those hormones help prevent ovulation. And without ovulation, theres no egg released for sperm to fertilize.
There are two types of birth control pills: progestin-only pills and combination pills . Both types of pills are highly effective they just contain different amounts of hormones.
You can also choose between conventional pills and extended-cycle pills. The conventional pills come with 24 active pills and four inactive pills. This enables you to get your period regularly, every month. Extended-cycle pills are designed so you take more active pills in a row and typically have your period four times a year, or once every three months.
Recommended Reading: How Can I Get More Estrogen
How Does Birth Control Regulate Your Hormones
Around 62% of women aged 20-29, 72% of women aged 30-39 and around 74% of women over 40 use birth control, but how does it affect our hormones? There are different types of birth control options that affect our hormones in different ways, so what are they and what do they do? Read our latest blog post to find out! Link in Bio!
Have you used birth control to regulate your hormones? Let us know in the comments!
Around 62% of women aged 20-29, 72% of women aged 30-39 and around 74% of women over 40 use birth control, but how does it regulate our hormones? There are different types of birth control options that affect our hormones in different ways, so what are they and what do they do? Read this blog post to find out!
Hormone Levels During Your Period
You likely know bleeding associated with getting your period is actually the shedding of the lining of a womans uterus. As the bleeding ends, FSH and LH peak above their normal levels, leading to a thickening of the uterine lining and maturing of the egg-containing follicles in the ovary. Meanwhile, estrogen is steadily rising and peaks a few days before ovulation, after which FSH and LH peak once more.
For the next two weeks, levels of progesterone go on the rise to prepare the uterine lining for implantation of an embryo. If no implantation occurs , levels of both estrogen and progesterone drop sharply, triggering menstruation.
Your hormonal cycle is so delicate that simply altering one or two hormones can affect the entire cycle. Increasing your bodys levels of estrogen and progesterone suppresses the need to release FSH and LH, causing the entire sequence of events that lead to ovulation to come to a screeching halt.
You May Like: How To Get Cortisol Levels Checked
How Are Hormonal Imbalances Treated
Treatment for a hormonal imbalance will depend on whats causing it.
If you have lower-than-normal hormone levels, the main treatment is hormone replacement therapy. Depending on which hormone is deficient, you may take oral medication or injection medication.
For example, if you have low thyroid hormone levels , your provider can prescribe synthetic thyroid hormone pills. If you have growth hormone deficiency, youll likely have to take injections of synthetic growth hormone.
If you have higher-than-normal hormone levels, there are many treatment options depending on the cause. Options include medication, surgery, radiation therapy or a combination of any of these.
For example, if you have a prolactinoma, a benign tumor that causes excess prolactin , your provider may prescribe a medication to shrink the tumor or you may need surgery to remove it.
Reasons Your Doctor Cant Give You A Hormone Imbalance Test
You may wonder why your doctor cant give you a quick test to determine if all your hormones are in balance. Testing hormones is very different from testing cholesterol or iron in your blood because your hormone levels are always changing, day by day, even hour by hour. They change based on where you are in your menstrual cycle, when you last ate, what your other hormones are doing, how stressed you are, and many other factors. Thats why a single hormone check cant really tell you if all your hormones are balanced.
Secondly, asking your doctor to check your hormones is a huge request. The human body produces more than 50 hormones! Hormones include melatonin adrenaline , oxytocin , cortisol , and progesterone , just to name a few.
The best way to discover if specific hormones are out of balance is by telling your doctor which symptoms you are experiencing so they can narrow down what should be checked and when. Your symptoms are your doctors first clues about what could be wrong.
Don’t Miss: The Testosterone Revolution Mens Health
One: Hormonal Birth Control Makes Imbalances Worse
A lot of women take birth control because their hormones are imbalanced, but truth be toldit can make them worse.
Hormonal Birth Control suppresses hormone communication.
This means that your brain cannot communicate with the ovaries.
Because your brain stops communicating with the ovaries, it has the potential to alleviate symptoms like acne, cramps, heavy bleeding, etc.
It also prevents ovulation.
We cant have areal period without ovulation.
We can have something called an anovulatory cycle, which leads to some bleeding that appears to be a period.
Basically, it is the ultimate band-aid solution to hormonal imbalance symptoms.
I absolutely do not think taking it for acne, heavy periods, bad PMS anything other the pregnancy prevention is okay, because it doesnt truly fix anything.
What Are Birth Control Pills
Birth control pills are a type of hormone replacement therapy. They contain synthetic hormones that disrupt the natural hormonal cycle to stop ovulation. In a womans natural hormonal cycle, estrogen and progesterone fluctuate. Estrogen peaks right before ovulation, and progesterone right after.
Birth control pills work by providing the body with synthetic hormones to keep them consistently high, fooling the body into thinking its pregnant to prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg.
The original purpose of birth control pills, of course, was to stop pregnancy, however conventional medicine doctors are quick to prescribe the pill for other reasons, such as hormone balance, acne, PMS, painful periods, ovarian cysts, fibroids, mood swings, and perimenopause, just to name a few.
Also Check: What Causes Elevated Cortisol Levels
How Can Birth Control Treat Pcos
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome have a hormonal imbalance that causes symptoms affecting their overall health. The elevated levels of male hormones that accompanies PCOS can lead to missed menstrual periods, excess facial and body hair, trouble getting pregnant, and metabolic problems, such as insulin-resistance.
While the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, a comprehensive treatment approach can help manage the condition. At WestMed Family Medicine, we use birth control to help treat PCOS. Heres what you need to know.
Also Check: Breakthrough Bleeding On Bioidentical Hormones
How Does Birth Control Affect Your Hormones
The primary purpose of oral contraceptives is to impede a very natural and powerful hormonal function in women in order to prevent pregnancy.
It does this by lowering levels of natural sex hormones, especially testosterone and supplying the body with a synthetic form of estrogen that keeps your body from producing its own.
This prevention of natural hormone production stops ovulation , thins the lining of your uterus , and alters your cervical mucus .
The problem is these reproductive hormones are tied to numerous other important functions of the female body, from your metabolism and immune system to mood and cognitive performance. Reproduction is not a stand-alone function, its one of the main functions of the whole body, so when you interfere with it, you interfere with many other bodily processes as well.
Read Also: Does Soy Milk Have Estrogen
Are There Any Risks With Birth Control Pills
Most young women who take birth control pills have few or no problems. However, birth control pills with estrogen may cause a slight increase in the risk of developing blood clots in the legs, eyes, and lungs. If you develop any of the following problems, go to the closest emergency room:
Remember: ACHES
- Severe leg pain
What Are Irregular Periods
Most women have menstrual cycles that last between 21 and 35 days. Up to one quarter of women experience irregular periods. This includes having periods that are shorter or longer than usual or periods that are lighter or heavier than usual. Some women who have irregular periods may experience abdominal cramping or a lack of ovulation. Amenorrhea is a medical term that refers to an absence of periods for at least 3 months even though a woman is not pregnant. Menorrhagia is the term that means excessive menstrual bleeding. Dysmenorrhea refers to pain and cramping during periods. Prolonged menstrual bleeding involves periods in which bleeding routinely lasts for 8 days or longer. Oligomenorrhea is a condition in which periods occur infrequently or more than every 35 days. See your doctor if you believe hormonal imbalance is affecting your menstrual cycle.
Recommended Reading: Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Trt
You May Like: Low Hormone Birth Control Pill
Frequently Asked Questions Expand All
You can start using this method for the first time at any point during your menstrual cycle. But you and your obstetriciangynecologist or other health care professional should be reasonably sure you are not pregnant. Follow these directions:
If you start taking the pills within the first 5 days after the start of your menstrual period, no additional birth control method is needed.
If you start taking the pills more than 5 days after the start of your period, you need to use an additional birth control method or avoid sexual intercourse for the next 2 days.
If you are switching from another form of birth control, simply stop using the other method at the same time you start the progestin-only pills. If it has been more than 5 days since your period started, use an additional birth control method or avoid sex for the next 2 days.
If you are switching from an intrauterine device , you have a few options. You can wait until you have been taking the pills for at least 2 days to have the IUD removed. You can use another form of birth control or avoid sex for the 2 days before removing the IUD and starting the pills. Or you can use emergency contraception at the time of IUD removal.
Certain medications may interfere with the effectiveness of the progestin-only pill. These medications include
rifampin, a drug used to treat certain infections
some drugs used to prevent seizures
It stops ovulation.
You Dreaded Your Period Pre
If your periods before starting the pill were heavy, crampy or otherwise a total pain to deal with, youll want to support your oestrogen levels and oestrogen metabolism in transitioning off of it.
Oestrogen we no longer need is metabolised through the liver and excreted through the gut, which is why it’s super important that each of these detox pathways are functioning well for balanced hormones.
Make sure to:
- Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables, . These vegetables are especially rich in a compound called Diindolylmethane , which supports the liver in metabolising and detoxifying oestrogen.
- Eat fibre-rich foods and probiotic foods to support good gut health and regular bowel movements.
- Drink enough water, an essential aspect of all detoxification pathways in the body.
Also Check: Melatonin For Dogs With Seizures
Ways To Minimize The Side Effects Of The Pill
You’re probably aware of at least some of the side effects of the birth control pill. In addition to the concerns about stroke, clots, and heart attacks, the pill depletes nutrients, raises inflammation, can lead to adrenal and thyroid dysfunction, causes insulin dysregulation, and disrupts gut health.
But don’t panic if you’re not ready to ditch the pill. You can support your body and minimize side effects with these seven strategies:
What Is The Difference Between Pms And Pmdd
For most women, PMS symptoms are mild and dont interrupt their day-to-day lives. On the other hand, PMDD is accompanied by symptoms that are intense enough to create disruptions to ones daily life.
A doctor will need to establish a pattern of symptoms to determine if PMDD is present. Other physical or psychiatric symptoms that can mimic its symptoms will also need to be ruled out.
Recommended Reading: Metabolic Renewal Hormone Type 7
Birth Control For Perimenopause
There is much confusion surrounding the use of contraception – colloquially known as birth control – in women who are entering the menopausal transition. In order to make the most informed decisions regarding one’s hormonal health, it is essential to clear up any ambiguities.
Continue reading to learn all about birth control for perimenopause, including the purpose of taking it, benefits, risks, and much more.
What If My Period Is Very Light While Im Taking Birth Control Pills
Your period may be so light when you are taking birth control pills that you may have only a brown smudge on a tampon, pad, panty shield or underwear. The hormone doses in birth control pills are very low. This means that the lining of your uterus doesnt become very thick so very little blood needs to come out each month.
Recommended Reading: Is 6 Mg Of Melatonin Too Much
What Are Hormones And How Do Birth Control Pills Affect Them
Hormones are chemical messengers, traveling throughout the body, delivering critical information to cells – enabling them to do what is needed to keep the body healthy and functioning properly. Hormones can also be produced within organs for use on site. Once they have done their job in target cells to activate estrogen and progesterone receptors, hormones need to be removed from the body and new hormones made. All of these functions can be immensely altered by synthetic hormones used in birth control pills, with great negative consequences.
Birth control pills interfere with a womans key function her ability to have natural hormonal production stealing her inherent and necessary rhythms, and making her infertile, by substituting manufactured chemical mimics for her real hormones.
Your Circadian Rhythm Is Off
The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland that is located in the brain. It produces melatonin, which affects circadian rhythm and the levels of other hormones in the body. A pineal cyst is a disorder of the pineal gland that may not produce any symptoms. If the cyst is large, it may produce symptoms including water on the brain , headache, eye problems, and vision problems. Large pineal cysts that cause problems usually affect women who are in their second decade of life.
How Can Birth Control Help Manage Pcos Symptoms
While there isnt a cure for PCOS yet, hormonal birth control along with lifestyle changes can help you manage PCOS symptoms. In fact, for many women symptoms disappear.
At WestMed Family Medicine, we may recommend birth control pills that contain two hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Combination birth control pills increase estrogen, lower testosterone, and keep your female hormones in balance. As the level of testosterone and other androgens decline, symptoms tend to improve.
For some women, birth control containing a single hormone, typically progestin, may be used instead of combination birth control pills. Often called minipills, progestin-only birth control is less likely to cause side effects than combination birth control. Both options work the same way, by reducing the amount of male hormones your body produces. Lowering testosterone is key to relieving symptoms of PCOS.
Lifestyle measures, such as losing 5-10% of your body weight and controlling carbohydrate intake can also help manage PCOS symptoms.
Appropriately managing PCOS symptoms can significantly improve your quality of life and reduce the risk of metabolic problems. To learn more about available PCOS treatments, call our Westminster, Colorado, office to schedule an appointment or request an appointment using our online booking system.
You Might Also Enjoy…
Signs And Symptoms Of A Hormonal Imbalance
Your hormones play an integral role in your overall health. As a result, theres a broad range of signs and symptoms that could signal a hormonal imbalance. Your signs or symptoms will depend on which hormones or glands are not working properly.
Common hormonal conditions affecting people of all genders could cause any of the following signs or symptoms:
- rounded face
- purple or pink stretch marks
Keep in mind that these symptoms are nonspecific. Having one or a few of them doesnt necessarily mean that you have a hormonal imbalance.
Some of these symptoms may also reflect other chronic conditions. So, if you find yourself dealing with any notable changes in your body or energy levels, its a good idea to talk with your doctor.