|
Re: Can birth control pills cause endometriosis?
From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed Jun 24 21:48:16 2009
Yes! I think calcium d-glucarate is in estrosense, which i take every
day. It has lycopene in it, which is supposed to help with adhesions.
(estrosense.com)
At Wed, 24 Jun 2009, Gabrielle wrote:
>
>I also would like to add that most pills contain various amount of
>estrogen. Estrogen is food to endometrial cells and helps them grow. So
>taking the pill for controlling endo symptoms is a double edged sword.
>It can sometimes lessen the symptoms like crapms etc., but at the same
>time can be feeding the endometrial tissue.
>
>I use many naturopathic medicines as well. Things I've used
>specifically for endo include natural progestrone creams (wild yam,
>etc.), and calcium d-glucarate. However, I used these with supervision
>under a doctor's care (even though they are naturopathic), as they have
>an effect on hormone levels.
>
>For those who have digestive discomfort and bowel endo symptoms, I used
>an enteric coated peppermint oil that really helped sooth a spastic
>colon and ease gas pains.
>
>Caster oil patches also really helped me during difficult periods.
>
>If I think of anything else I'll post.
>
>At Tue, 23 Jun 2009, anonymous wrote:
>>
>>Thank you for posting this. I agree. I see many people post that
>>taking the pill ''helps'' them, but that's mostly the lessened bleeding
>>most likely. Taking the pill longterm depletes progesterone.
>>Progesterone helps keep endo symptoms down, so you do not want anything
>>that depletes your progesterone.
>>
>>Can you tell us some of the naturopathic things helping you?
>>
>>At Tue, 23 Jun 2009, anna wrote:
>>>
>>>Hi ALL,
>>>
>>>I just wanted to leave a quick note to say that i too believe
>>>endometriosis is either caused by or severely worsened by taking the
>>>contraceptive pill. my experience is the following:
>>>
>>>age 12 -16 moderate flow periods -moderate managable pain.
>>>
>>>age 16 took the pill for contraceptive reason until approx age 20
>>>
>>>from age approx age 18 i started to have increasingly painful periods
>>>and sexual intercourse began to hurt alot.
>>>
>>>age 21 had a laparoscopy and confirmed endo on the outside of uterus
>>>fusing bowel wall to uterus. ( i also had frequent bowel pain going to
>>>the loo) -removal of endo by a well respected professor.
>>>
>>>did not take the pill after that and had pain free sex ever since :)
>>>
>>>periods were still a little painful but manageable.
>>>
>>>age 24 started naturopathic treatments for period pain and as a
>>>precaution for endo -and im pleased to anounce I HAVE ALMOST NO PERIOD
>>>PAIN!!!
>>>
>>>bottom line: dont take the pill EVER -and definitely seek advice of a
>>>naturopath to get some natural supplements to help balance your hormones
>>>and you will be as right as day. (also i recommend having the
>>>laparoscopy if the supplements dont shrink any existing endo then
>>>continuing supplements to prevent further endo)
>>>
>>>GOOD LUCK!! :)
>>>
>>>At Thu, 21 Jun 2007, Jessica wrote:
>>>>
>>>>My boyfriend always brings this up. I always had bad periods from the
>>>>age of 12. I just chalked it up to "it ran in the family" because my
>>>>mother and aunt always had bad periods.
>>>>When I say bad i mean painful(not always taken care of by Advil) and
>>>>heavy, nothing compared to what I have now) Anyways I had bad periods
>>>>and started birth control when I became sexually active at 17.
>>>>Not until being on birth control for a little over 3 months did I start
>>>>have excruciatingly painful periods. Then it went from just pain
>>>>7-8days out of the week to everyday. I didnt put the two and two
>>>>together untill my boyfriend brought it up. It makes perfect since to
>>>>me. The only two changes in my life at the time were going on the birth
>>>>control and having sex. Sex also did not hurt until about three months
>>>>into taking the pill. I also have problems now with organs sticking
>>>>together and endo all over my appendix that just gets worse.
>>>>A women previosley said that birth control helps with the endo cells in
>>>>the uterus but actual makes the endo growths on the outside worse which
>>>>I def have.
>>>>So i dont have any facts to back my theory up but i def think there is
>>>>something to Birth control making endo worse.
>>>>
>>>>At Wed, 20 Jun 2007, Nisi wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>Hi Andrea,
>>>>>
>>>>>I was so happy to read your post. In 2000 I was diagnosed with endo
>>>>>after a laparoscopy. Prior to the lap I was put on the pill to ease the
>>>>>pain I had. At the time I was 20 years old. My mom didnt want me to
>>>>>take the pill because fibroids run in our family so neither she nor her
>>>>>sisters were ever on the pill. Well it's been 8 years and I have been
>>>>>on several pills, the patch, Lupron, and now the ring. I have been on
>>>>>the ring for four years and I liked it until a year ago. My gyn wanted
>>>>>me to take it continuously and ever since then my periods have been
>>>>>irregular and unpredictable. Next month I am having a laparoscopy for
>>>>>the second time. I am going to Dr. Cook in Los Gatos, CA. I plan to
>>>>>tell him that I no longer want to be on any pill, ring, etc. I am not
>>>>>sexually active and I want my body to get a "fresh" start after the lap.
>>>>>I was concerned about the pain of having a period without being on a
>>>>>pill. However today I woke up with horrible cramps and couldn't get
>>>>>ready for work. So obviously the ring is not helping. Anyway, I was
>>>>>happy to read your post because I felt that I had no option but to stay
>>>>>on some type of pill since I have endo and the doctors have always
>>>>>pushed that as a form of treatment.
>>>>>
>>>>>At Fri, 15 Jun 2007, andrea wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Hi Annie! I just found this message board about a month ago and love it.
>>>>>>There is a lot of info and support on here. I enjoy sharing what I have
>>>>>>discovered over the years to maybe help others save time, money and
>>>>>>frustration that I had to go through to finally get help. I was on the
>>>>>>pill for 17 years, because doctors kept telling me it was the only way
>>>>>>to lessen my cramps and stop the ovarian cysts from forming. Bullshit.
>>>>>>I bled less, but my cramps were much worse on the pill and I had ovarian
>>>>>>cysts every 6 mos! I have been off the pill now for 4 years and feel so
>>>>>>much better and healthier. Only 2 days of cramps instead of 4, no more
>>>>>>nausea and hair always falling out!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Being on the pill actually lowers your natural production of
>>>>>>progesterone, which it did to me. If you are low in progesterone it can
>>>>>>cause depression, chronic yeast infections, abnormal bleeding, which I
>>>>>>was having. Getting off the pill and on natural progesterone was the
>>>>>>best thing I ever did. It lessened more symtoms than any other drug I
>>>>>>had tried over the last 20 years. My specialist told me that the pill
>>>>>>slows the growth of endo INSIDE your uterus, that's why you bleed less,
>>>>>>but the endo on the outside of the uterus reacts totally different to
>>>>>>the estrogen in the pill, and grows like wildfire! Most people don't
>>>>>>know that, and I just found that out. All those BC pills I took over 17
>>>>>>years......just think how much the drug companies make off all of us
>>>>>>from things we shouldn't be taking. I calculated that I spent $6000
>>>>>>bucks over 17 years on BC pills and look at all the women that are on
>>>>>>them! Now I worry that putting all those synthetic hormones in my body
>>>>>>all those years may cause me to have cancer in the future, I hope to God
>>>>>>not. I learned to not just trust any doctor and swallow just any pill
>>>>>>anymore, you need to research it and make sure it is safe and that it is
>>>>>>something you are comfortable taking. Now, I am on mostly herbal stuff
>>>>>>and still take a few vicodin the first couple days of my period. If you
>>>>>>have any other questions, feel free to ask! Take care, and good luck.
>>>>>>Sincerely, Andrea :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>At Thu, 14 Jun 2007, Annie wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Hi all, I'm new to the board. I learned I had ovarian cysts on both
>>>>>>>sides a year ago, and had them removed six months later. One of them
>>>>>>>was just a functional cyst, and the other was endometriosis. I had been
>>>>>>>on and off (mostly on) Orthotricyclin-Lo for two years, first as birth
>>>>>>>control and then for acne. I'd always had normal periods and no
>>>>>>>reproductive problems, so I was surprised by the endo.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>My sister believes she has endo (she hasn't seen a doctor yet to
>>>>>>>confirm, but she's been having bad pelvic pain for years), and is
>>>>>>>convinced that it was caused by her having used birth control pills. I
>>>>>>>have another friend who has ovarian cysts (she doesn't know what kind
>>>>>>>yet), who used the ring for years, and believes that was the cause of
>>>>>>>her cysts. So I'm starting to wonder if the pill could cause endo, and
>>>>>>>I was wondering if anyone else had the same suspicions. I know that the
>>>>>>>pill can do a lot of good for people who have hormonal imbalances, but I
>>>>>>>just wonder if those extra hormones ever get channeled in the wrong
>>>>>>>direction.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I'm very eager to hear what everyone thinks about this.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>>>Annie
>>>>>
>>>>>--
>>>>>Nisi
>>>>>
|
|
![[ endo@obgyn.net ]](../../images/endo_at_obgyn.gif)