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Post by seashell on Dec 26, 2010 13:56:56 GMT -5
Hear me out...
I have only one ovary left. I don't want to go into menopause yet. I want to soak up all the juices that life has to offer. I don't need any more depression and anxiety than I've already gone through. I'm recovering from trauma and am in one emotional crisis after another. I can't deal with a changing self-image and everything that comes with menopause.
Is birth control really the only way to prevent endometrioma?
I've gone through a few different pills (they wreak havoc on my emotional balance) and have settled on Nuvaring, but even then I feel the quality of my life is significantly reduced. My inner essence caves under. You don't understand what this means for me. From my teenage years until just recently I've been depressed and anxious, hiding away from the world and missing out on so many opportunities. I cannot do this any longer...but this bc is forcing me to go back to that way of life. When I take a break from bc I come back to my self. Then its back to the shadow. I'm ready to LIVE. I don't want to live with birth control!! Help.
p.s.: And no, I'm not going to go back on an anti-depressant just to counter the effects of bc.
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Post by Karen on Dec 26, 2010 14:30:53 GMT -5
I hear you... I decided to go off BC about a year and a half ago, and haven't looked back! (Here's a thread on others that have done it without BC, though it's a bit old and not that in-depth: cjlevett.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=drug&action=display&thread=2516)If you go to most regular docs, they're going to tell you that you need to be on BC or some form of pharmaceutical hormone treatment. And some women probably do need to be on SOMETHING, but there ARE other treatment options than just BC... I just found an article the other day about a study that discussed (at a high level) higher levels of depression on BC... If there's any way you can see a complementary medicine doc, you'll likely get some other options (as I and others have) that may not equate to emotional instability. If you take a look at the natural treatments threads, you'll find lots of ideas. The ones I'm a big fan of are stickied and might be a good place to start if you're looking for an alternative.
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Post by pretty on Dec 26, 2010 17:06:42 GMT -5
I would never go back on BCP even though stopping taking it brought me to endo. I choose the endo diet and no BCP and NO PROZAC even if it's painful. I prefer endo to major, chronic depression any day, any lifetime..
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Post by seashell on Jan 4, 2011 1:30:04 GMT -5
Thank you Karen, and pretty - for replying.
I knew there was an alternative ever since I read Levett's sentence in her book, something akin to her not recommending Bcp for the treatment of ovarian cysts - however she did not go into WHY. (Would anyone know how I could contact her to find this out?)
Karen - that thread does not seem to exist. Is the link broken? Thank you for pointing me in the right direction...I was hoping for something much more specific but I guess all of us have to follow the lead of breadcrumbs as nothing is written in stone. I'm not feeling very enthusiastic yet, but maybe I'll poke around in the Natural treatments section until I can feel more confident about stopping Bcp... I just cannot risk losing my remaining ovary!!
Pretty - Thank you for inspiring me a little! I have been so depressed on Nuvaring as to intensely mull over suicide this past week ...
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Post by Karen on Jan 4, 2011 7:31:47 GMT -5
Doh, not quite sure why that link isn't working... I'll dig around again for it later!
I believe Carolyn has used progesterone cream to deal with her endo (though you can reach her by sending a private message to 'admin'). There are several threads about progesterone cream and bioidentical progesterone in general in the natural treatments thread if you want a preview. There are several books out there on progesterone (Dr. John Lee is the expert) if it's something you want to research more, though I certainly wouldn't suggest trying it on your own without being under the care of a knowledgeable doc. Personally, for me, progesterone and diet changes have been my savior, but everyone is different.
Please please please talk to your doc if BC is pushing you towards suicidal thoughts! That's not normal at all, and you shouldn't have to feel like that! I'm sorry that you are but please know there ARE other options out there - it's just a matter of finding a good doc that listens to what your body is saying and knows endo inside and out!
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Post by pretty on Jan 4, 2011 13:38:37 GMT -5
Hey, seashell, I was on BCP for 20 years and during that time was diagnosed with: 1. Chronic Depression 2. Anxiety Disorder 3. Cyclothymia 4. Bipolar Disorder 5. Insomnia 6. Bulimia
And I did 'have' all those things. Also took BCP every single day. Was hospitalized twice for eating disorder/substance abuse/depression. Got married in 2008, went off BCP 2007-2008, depression GONE. Stopped Prozac, etc. Got endo. I think the endo was there the whole time, but stopping the pill made it grow to stage 4.
WOuldn't trade the endo for more horrible feeling depression, not even for 1 gazillion bucks and my own island! This may help you get perspective on your suicidal thoughts. Please talk to your doc about this.... Feeling suicidal, wanting to get pregnant, and dealing with endo pain is such a great heavy load for you to carry alone. PM me if you need an ear!~ Pretty
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Post by pretty on Jan 4, 2011 13:42:09 GMT -5
Oh and to me, treating ovarian cysts with BCP seems counter intuitive too. I think for me (I had a cyst rupture which is how I first learned I had endo... thought it was my appendix lol) adding hormones seems like it would irritate the ovary.... making it MORE cystic.... I'm no doc but if my ovary is already cystic, wouldn't the hormones just aggravate that? Just a thought.
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Post by katiev on Jan 4, 2011 22:38:42 GMT -5
Just wanted to throw in my two cents. I was on bcp for almost 15 years. I had wicked endo pains (didn't know that for 15 years as well) the week before my period and during. I was depressed. Always blotted, irritated, acne galore. Went off bcp, was told that endo was stage 4. Every day I had pain. I could be in bed for months. Breathing hurt. Married life was suffering, sex life non existent. Then I got on the diet and started doing accupuncture and voila! Pain free now since December 14! Bcp is like a bandaid. Temporary fix but never a cure. Does anything ever really cure endo or does it just get suppressed until to irritate it again? I chose suppress and forget drugs :-)
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Post by cherry on Jan 5, 2011 12:35:52 GMT -5
I think what we need to address here is that due to the fact that most endo treatments are hormonal, being that endo is a gynae and cyclical problem... you get these issues. I'm the opposite to you gals. Yasmin is the only thing that works well for me, I've spent almost all of my reproductive life on BCP if I wasn't on other endo treatments. GnRH caused me a lot of problems, did nothing for my endo and was bad for my mental health. Mirena had me spotting and cramping constantly, caused me to develop cysts and messed with my oil production so that I has greasy hair and developed acne yet again. What you're getting at really is that you're sensitive to these hormone treatments and unfortunately if you're prone to endometriomas then it's trial and error til you find what works for you without unbalancing your mental health (believe me I've been there) but still controlling your endo. You should talk to a gynae for more in-depth info. I was told that the mirena coil is excellent for PCOS. Definitely recommend the diet as the girls have pointed out. And again with the anti-depressants, some people it works for, some it doesn't. It didn't work for me but we think we know why, and luckily for the first time in my adult life mental health is brilliant due to a combination of things. Always keep looking for answers and all the little ways to help yourself, and good luck.
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Post by Karen on Jan 5, 2011 13:24:11 GMT -5
RE: BC and cysts, some type of cysts are common(functional cysts) in women that ovulate, and they often resolve on their own. BC prevents ovulation though, and in theory prevents those type of cysts. There are other cysts, though, that can cause more problems. I'm not at home with all my resources to go into more detail, but wanted to address Pretty's comment.
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Post by JC on Jan 11, 2011 6:44:53 GMT -5
Hey seashell, have you come up with any answers or have you tried anything new yet? I'm interested to see how you're doing.
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Post by seashell on Jan 16, 2011 2:48:54 GMT -5
Hey seashell, have you come up with any answers or have you tried anything new yet? I'm interested to see how you're doing. Hi Jenaya...thank you so much for asking...There is a genuine sense of kinship on this forum which I appreciate. I guess I stopped replying to this thread because I feel discouraged, especially after what Cherry wrote. Not her fault at all however. At first Karen brought up progesterone cream and I felt very hopeful. Until I took a look at the list of things to be avoided (xenoestrogens?). Seems I'd have to be really well-off to afford all of those organic personal skin care products, laundry detergents and etc. I need to do more research. Cherry mentioned the Mirena coil and speaking to my gyno for more in-depth info. I already know that the only thing she can recommend is some form of hormonal treatment in conjunction with anti-depressants. It's deeply disheartening to read that my only option is trial and error, as Cherry put it, with all the different BC treatments. Not only for the obvious reason, but because death from medicinal side effects is one of the leading causes of death. BC has horrendous side effects...it could be liver failure or fatal clotting at any moment. Considering asking gyno for help with this Mirena coil when I see her this week, but I'm terrified of being "trapped" with this thing inside me for a whole month and being at the mercy of whatever emotional side effects it will unleash on me, which I will have to cope with I have No Idea How...already emotionally sapped from all the suicidal thoughts. I need to know more about this progesterone cream and whether or not it's a reliable method of endometrioma prevention. Thank you to Katiev and Pretty, by the way, for what they shared.
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Post by JC on Jan 16, 2011 7:46:05 GMT -5
Hey, I'm sorry this has been so hard for you. I personally hate this trial and error crap too. I really freakin hate it. I have the same reactions as you do with taking all these pills and wondering, hmmm am I gonna go psycho on these too? But I got to the point where I had no choice. I HAD to try something to fix this endo problem. I was terrified when I had to go on the nuva ring. It has definitely been an effective treatment against my endo but I still have the stupid side effects but they are the least amount of side effects I've ever had with a birth control so I just deal with it. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wonder how good I would feel if I didn't have to take this crap. I try really hard not to think about it but it still comes to me.
And funny you mention the organic products. I recently had this conversation with my husband about how I want to try products that are safer for me and he wasn't very understanding. He doesn't have to go through half of what my body does. My mom ended up feeling so sorry for me that she sent me a bunch of stuff that she uses and swears by. I really think it's making a difference. I am not sure how "expensive" it is, my mom says it's about the same as you would spend at the store but you have to buy all this stuff online. It's not sold in stores. If you want to investigate this stuff further I can give you the name and a link.
I'm glad you are here talking to us about how you feel. I am really worried about you feeling suicidal. I really don't want you to give up hope! The task is so daunting at times and exhausting but I really believe that there is something out there to help you. In the mean time, you can always come here for people who understand.
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Post by Karen on Jan 16, 2011 8:55:38 GMT -5
Going the natural route certainly isn't easy, but I found it's been well worth it, and it's not something I have to do completely overnight. I've slowly eased into it bit by bit. If you're looking for a different option, I'd highly recommend finding a doctor that is comfortable with different options, but also knows endo well. I was able to find a doctor that focuses on women's issues BUT treats them with supplements and bio-identical hormones. I still go to my gyn and would expect her to do surgery if I need it again, but I see my new doc for my hormones. We monitor my hormone levels and adjust as needed, and overall feel so so so much better. I guess what I'm trying to say is that with the correct medical partner, you may find other options that might work for you.
It's funny - for years I didn't have many symptoms of endo and didn't think twice about being on BC (though I had to try a gazillion before I found one I could tolerate), and it wasn't until AFTER I found out about endo that I decided to swear BC off forever! I honestly don't think I could ever go on it again!
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Post by cherry on Jan 16, 2011 10:58:46 GMT -5
I'm sorry if my reply was discouraging, I actually mean to do the opposite. I've been there with the depression (so they got me onto newer types of the pill which purportedly have less severe side effects) and though it wasn't based in my treatment I've been through the suicidal and self-harming stages too, they weren't helped by my GnRH treatment which ruined me mentally for the time I was on it. Can you get separate psych help whilst you try something else suggested by your gynae? I think an expert in that field would be most helpful, and then your gynae can stick to the job of finding something that is helpful and has minimal side effects. We all react so differently to each treatment that it's hard to say. I found starflower oil helped me with the side effects of things I tried. Hope you feel better soon.
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