|
Post by joannec on Sept 12, 2009 18:09:38 GMT -5
Hello,
I am new to the boards so apologies if I am posting in the wrong section...I feel my question covers several of the topic areas...
I have been on birth control (Marvelon) on an ongoing basis for over two years now. It has been helpful in avoiding very painful periods. A year ago, I had severe pain in my lower right abdomen (not cramping, but an isolated, unrelenting pain). It brought be to the ER several times and the doctors concluded that it was endo or a hernia. I came off my birth control, had a painful period and that seemed to ease the pain...and it soon after disappeared.
Since June I have had pain originating from the lower, right of my back or buttocks...It took a while to rule out structural issues (e.g. bone scan) and the doctors think it may be endo. I was relieved to see on the pain thread that many women who have a retroverted uterus, as I do, experience pain in the back.
In any case, I went off the pill again - I had terrible cramps for a week but no bleeding...it did seem to ease the isolated pain originating in the lower back. Now, that I've recommenced the pill, my cramps are easing but the low back pain is flaring again...
Has anyone ever experienced a relief or change in pain from taking a break from a birth control pill?
|
|
|
Post by sunshine78 on Sept 13, 2009 1:25:44 GMT -5
Yes.
A backstory: So, after going to the doc for years to fill painkillers and muscle relaxers for my horrendous period pain, and the number of days per month I experienced pain increasing, and my cycles getting shorter and shorter, I finally decided to try bc again, thinking if I found something that helped, even though they didn't before, I'd be golden. My cycles got even further out of whack, the debilitating pain during the first 2 days of cycles was shortened, but the number of days I was in pain went up, even further. After going between those three different pills, I finally decided to quit, after almost 2 years.
The cycles immediately returned closer to what a normal cycle length should be, the number of days I was in pain per month went back down to normal (which was still a lot, but at least I wasn't also bleeding 23 days and off for 5).
I can't say that the back pain was any better or worse, in any case - I've always had that, before, but that's my normal.
|
|
|
Post by Karen on Sept 13, 2009 7:43:44 GMT -5
I think you'll find most women have widely varying experiences on BC! For some it seems to help pain, for others it seems to make things worse (either pain-wise or side-effects wise). And, many woman have varying side-effects based on whatever BC they are on. In my experiences, BC was a blessing for years - I had such minor symptoms of endo that I didn't think much of it after my doctor said everything was fine a few times. I honestly think BC pushed back the onset of severe symptoms for me. But, when the pain came, it came hard and fast and horrible, and BC did nothing to help. I've since gone off BC and feel way better, but I've also had a lap and have used alternative treatments but it's hard to say. I'm not sure if you've been officially diagnosed with endo or not (be sure to post an introduction - we're nosy , but there's research out there that shows more women with endo are more sensitive to drugs/side effects, so keep that in mind.
|
|
|
Post by hellsbells on Sept 13, 2009 9:35:32 GMT -5
I had really horrible periods in my teens, very heavy and messy and took me a while to get it under control. I used to make a right mess of the sheets! I never had a 'regular' cycle although I never missed a month. The biggest annoyance other than heaviness and bad cramp was the stop/start I'd get. I'd think it was finished and then it's come back half a day later, or the next morning, so at 17 I went on the pill. I was on it more or less full time til I turned about 30 - I had a couple of months off here and there. But at 30 I thought 'Ok, hopefully I'll meet the love of my life soon and want to think about having kids', so I came off the pill. Still haven't met him! Anyway, I've only suspected endo for the last few months as didn't know much about it until a friend mentioned my symptoms sounded like it and started doing the research, but thinking back over the last 20 years, I think I've had some symptoms since my teens. Looks like I could be one of the lucky few for whom the pill worked and kept it at bay. I've not been diagnosed yet, and my gynae has suggested Mirena anyway, so I might give that a go. But there's been a marked decline in my health in the years since I stopped taking the pill.
|
|
|
Post by joannec on Sept 13, 2009 17:12:24 GMT -5
Thanks for this information. I posted an intro, Olsenka.
|
|