birth control making me sick
Okay so here it goes
When I was diagnosed with hypothyroid my periods had stopped. They put me on progesterone to "jump start my periods" . It worked, but only while I was taking the progesterone.
After about a year of this my doctor told me I HAD to go back on birth control to regulate my periods. I hate this! It's so stupid.
I've now been on birth control again for... I don't know how long. maybe 7-8 months. The first month I had horrible nausea and a month long period. My doctor said this was normal.
Month 2 was fine
Month 3 ,4,5 I had a migraine right before my period. I chalked it up to all the hormone changes
Month 6,7 the migraines got worse and more frequent
Month 8 (this month) I had a 4 day headache and extreme nausea
Also, all of these periods have been very heavy, contributing to anemia
Fuck this. I think that if they had my thyroid stabilized the way the SHOULD be AKA had my dose high enough, I would be having periods without needing birth control. I'm supposed to start my new pack today, and I refuse. I haven't been able to work all weekend and might lose my job because I can't function when my head is screaming and I'm vomiting and running to the bathroom every 2 hours. The kicker is that this is the lowest dose!
Th BC is Sprintec by the way.
I just needed to rant and see if anyone else has ever gone through any of this. I can't be the only one out there right? GRrrr... >:(
You will probably feel a lot better once you have been off of that stuff for a while. Have you tried seaweed to help nourish your thyroid? I've found that it helps me quite a bit..it can't hurt. Out of balance hormones can sure be hellish! Good luck
Aw, sorry fufu. Birth control sucks. I've been on it since June. Of course I still get my period before the placebo week and now it lasts longer. I hate it. I may have to get them to increase the dosage. That's horrible about the migraines and nausea though! I hope something works out and you get to feeling better!
willow- how do you take your seaweed? like do you eat it? how much?
fufu, as a first step, I would probably change pills. Tell the doctor your symptoms and ask to try out a different brand. Your doctor is right that not having your period is a HUGE burden on your body and can have permanent negative effects. I don't think swearing off BC completely is the answer. It might just be a matter of finding the pills that work for you.
The thyroid is something that you need to work on asap as well (obviously). What a pain. :(
i'm not swearing it off forever, but I'm not taking any more of this one!! Last time I had my thyroid checked they said the meds were working, so I'm thinkin I may stay off the BC for a month and see if my periods have regulated themselves yet. If not, I'm gonna have to ask for something else. Basically I'm supposed to start my new pack today and with how I've been feeling, I'm just not renewing my rx. switching brand midway would mess with me too... I'd rather go into it clean if that's the only option.
Yeah that makes sense. I just mean, if your period doesn't go on its own, you do need to try something else.
I think it generally takes more than a month for everything to get back to normal after stopping BC. If you're hoping to stop taking BC forever, you might have to give it about 3 months to see if everything's working the way it should be. If you just want to try a different pill, you can switch at the end of the placebo week (aka today, if you can get a new prescription that fast).
I got a migraine aura for the first time ever this year so they took me off combined birth control, which worked perfectly for me for years >:( (I know I know risk of stroke blah blah I'm still grumpy).
They put me on the progesterone only pill and it has been an absolute nightmare. I'm nearing the end of the third month now, and I'm also having a near constant period. At first I thought it was unpredictable, then I realised no it's very predictable, I have it for a week, it goes away for a few days, maybe 3 or 4, then it starts again for another week.
FOR THREE MONTHS.
I keep going back to the doctor and saying "This is hell, I've been majorly unwell anyway this constant loss of blood can't be helping" and they keep saying "Oh there aren't any other options, you can't have the combined pill anymore, so it's this or the injection of the same drug or an under the skin implant of the same drug, basically haha you're fucked. Your body will get used to it though eventually and you'll stop periods altogether."
Hello?! I don't want my periods to stop altogether any more than I want constant period! But I also don't want babies. And I'm the paranoid type who will only have sex while on the pill AND using condoms. Also, the reason I went on the pill in the first place was because without it my periods make me physically sick from pain.
UGH! I feel your pain fufu :(
If it is making you this ill, it can't be good for you. Like KMK said, talk to them about other options, brands, etc.
So I decided not to take anymore of the birth control that made me sick, and have been off it for about a week so far. I'd like to see if my periods return on their own.. In the meantime I've been doing some research and What I have found was disturbing.
Basically, I've noticed I feel a lot better not being on the BC and notice my thyroid swelling is WAY down...like...I can't feel it at all. So I went to some Hypothyroid support sites to do some research.
Apparently, If you are hypo and on BC, your levels need to be closely monitored because the estrogen makes your thyroid levels drop. I was NOT told this and my meds were NOT increased to deal with the discrepancy that my doctor should have been aware of. She KNEW the problems I had on birth control before, so why the hell she put me back on them I'll never know.
I also found out that if my thyroid is regulated, I shouldn't NEED birth control. My periods should happen on there own. Even if my levels are "within normal limits" if my periods aren't happening, my dosage needs tweaked. Basically, I just need to find a doctor who will listen to me instead of just trying to pump more drugs in me as a "quick fix".
I feel like she was just "oh I'm tired of dealing with this...birth control fixes periods...here" without even considering the other health implications...like maybe she should have stopped and said..".hmm...maybe I should look up on the effects of estrogen on the thyroid..it's been a while..." you know?? I'm just mad because I trusted her and, against my better judgement, went back on the pill and it ended up being a big set back in my attempts to control this fucking disease.
-end rant-
Fufu that sucks :(
Really really sucks.
I felt similar recently with a doctor doing the "quick fix drug" thing and actually explaining the birth control incorrectly to me. In a way that meant if I was relying on it as my sole method of birth control would have STOPPED IT WORKING. It feels like an absolute abuse of trust.
Can you find a better, more receptive or more knowledgeable doctor?
Fufu, I also have hypothyroidism. I think there are different kinds, so what worked for me might not apply to you, but I think if your thyroid hormone levels are in check, that should mean that in turn, the rest of them should be (ie your natural progesterone etc). I didn't have to go on birth control due to my thyroid condition, but we discovered it before I started getting my period (although I was on it for a while for cramps)
I know what you mean about BC sucking - the first kind I used for a couple years, and it was the only time I ever got migraines! It sounds like yours are pretty severe and to me that's a reason to get off that stuff asap. I found out from a more informed doc that the kind I originally took (diane 35) was an extremely high-risk BC in terms of blood clots, strokes, etc. No wonder I had migraines... :S I also experienced the worst mood swings of my life on that stuff.
Anyway...this wasn't as helpful as I intended, but I feel your pain and I know there has to be something you can do aside from BC! good luck
The periods you get while on birth control are not real periods anyway. Its called withdrawl bleeding. Birth control pills gave me bad side effects so my husband and I used condoms or Vaginal Contraceptive Film. VCF is awesome when you dont feel like using condoms, both you and your hubby cant feel it. We used them for a year without making any oopsie babies. Now we are trying to have a baby so we dont use anything. I know I can have kids because I have a 2 year old.
I have hypothyroid to and my periods did return to normal once I got it under control with synthroid. My cycles are a bit long (33 days) but they are regular and I am ovulating so its all good.
The first time I took birth control, it used to make me really sick every morning and I gained a lot of weight because I never felty exercising and it made me depressed. I went off it, but I tried a different one about a year ago and I haven't experienced any side effects whatsoever. I think it's the brand and the dosage. The second one I took was much lower. Maybe they could try putting you on a different one?
I know that's not much but hopefully it helps. I feel your pain!
Aw, sorry fufu. Birth control sucks. I've been on it since June. Of course I still get my period before the placebo week and now it lasts longer. I hate it. I may have to get them to increase the dosage. That's horrible about the migraines and nausea though! I hope something works out and you get to feeling better!
similar situation here! does it ever mellow out ? or is this going to continue the whole time?
Vogel has a supplement called Kelposan, for iodine. I snack on nori sheets, like the ones used for sushi. Miso soup with wakame seaweed. A seaweed named arame can be soaked and braised with onions and carrots in some of the soaking water;season with tamari. And, though it tastes yucky, sometimes I just put a tsp full of kelp powder on a spoon, stick it in my mouth and chase it down with water. It soon makes me feel pretty spry. This is a book I found very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Wise-Woman-Herbal/dp/0961462027/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
I have to ask, because I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else. Have any of you tried the Nuva Ring? I've been on it for a few years, and I think it's just fantastic. Pill birth control used to make me extremely nauseous, and causing headaches, so my doctor switched me to the ring. I haven't had any symptoms since, and it's really convenient (do I sound like a commercial yet?). Part of my problem with the pills is I couldn't remember to take them at the same time every day, so that might've been causing some of the fluctuations. The ring is a continuous dose sort of thing, for 3 weeks. Perhaps that could make a difference?
VeganRun ~
I did try the NuvaRing and it caused ALL kinds of havoc for me down there. I had some sort of nasty reaction. I had to take it out and I didn't try it again. It inflamed everything, caused lots of pain and I was "inoperational" down there for like 2 weeks after while everything repaired itself.
VeganRun ~
I did try the NuvaRing and it caused ALL kinds of havoc for me down there. I had some sort of nasty reaction. I had to take it out and I didn't try it again. It inflamed everything, caused lots of pain and I was "inoperational" down there for like 2 weeks after while everything repaired itself.
Whoa! I am sorry to hear that. I've been spreading the joy of the ring for quite a while now, and I converted 2 girls on my dorm floor freshman year, and they both loved it. That's really unfortunate. I wonder what the reaction was to, exactly.
VeganRun ~
I did try the NuvaRing and it caused ALL kinds of havoc for me down there. I had some sort of nasty reaction. I had to take it out and I didn't try it again. It inflamed everything, caused lots of pain and I was "inoperational" down there for like 2 weeks after while everything repaired itself.
Whoa! I am sorry to hear that. I've been spreading the joy of the ring for quite a while now, and I converted 2 girls on my dorm floor freshman year, and they both loved it. That's really unfortunate. I wonder what the reaction was to, exactly.
I'm not sure.... and frankly, I don't want to find out! :)
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