Rin
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Post by Rin on Feb 9, 2007 11:49:45 GMT -5
Hi I have been taking birth control pills for a long time, I had to try a few different types before i found the right one. I am currently taking marvelon and have been for a number of years now.
When my OB/GYN said that I had endo (no lap was done) He gave me different pain meds and anti-inflammatory. None of them worked and my periods were horrible ( unbelievable pain!!!).
My periods were so hard on me that the OB/GYN wanted me to take my birth control pills straight for 3 months and then at the end of the three months stop them and have a period. Then repeat the process.
At first I had some breakthrough bleeding, but that stopped after a few months. My periods are still extremely painful, but it is easier to deal with them once every 3 months! I have been doing this for 4 or 5 years now. Now that I'm older and hopefully wiser (lol) I view this as a temporary band-aid to a bigger problem.
So back to my question has anyone heard of any harm being done by taking birth control this way for long periods of time?
Any comments or suggestions would be great!!
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Post by ouchy on Feb 9, 2007 12:45:14 GMT -5
Depends on the type of harm you are talking about. BC pills actually lower the risk for certain types of cancer. And you're not having a real period while on the pill to begin with, so there isn't much of a difference between taking them for 3 months at a time or having a withdrawl bleed each month (placebo week). However, bc pills can cause vaginal atrophy beyond your body's ability to repair. Check out this thread. "Birth Control Pills and Induced Aging of the Cervix" (3 pages, so you'll have to flip-through manually) cjlevett.proboards33.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=infertility&thread=1143958385&page=1
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Rin
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Post by Rin on Feb 9, 2007 13:24:00 GMT -5
Great I'll definitely check that out thanks Ouchy!!!!
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Post by cherry on Feb 15, 2007 18:53:48 GMT -5
Please excuse the going off topicness! I found that only having my period every 3 packs was horrific, but I'm glad it worked for you. And yeah I definitely think it should be looked into properly cos you won't wanna take the pill forever. Another problem is that some pills actually give you a slightly higher risk of breast cancer when you're older xx
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trish
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Post by trish on Feb 16, 2007 11:57:59 GMT -5
From what I have read it is not bad or hard on your body to not have a monthly cycle. I tried to do that at the suggestion of a Dr and my period did not stop for 9 months. They acutually had to give me something to stop my period.
I have had friends who take BC with no breaks and no problems.
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Post by cherry on Feb 18, 2007 17:01:47 GMT -5
It is bad and hard on me, except after I finished the injections. That was an anticlimax and a relief! For me, having a withdrawal bleed every 3 packs was like saving up 3 months of pain and bleeding and cramping, so I started thinking that was what it was! xx
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Post by akcheryl on Feb 19, 2007 3:01:35 GMT -5
Just found this on another site and thought it might be useful: " Birth Control Pill for EndometriosisI've heard that birth control pills can clear up endometriosis. Is this true? How long would it take to clear up a case of moderate-to-severe endometriosis? M.G. One should not look at any therapy as a "cure" for endometriosis. A more realistic goal is to focus on the symptoms and how they can be controlled or eliminated. Like diabetes and high blood pressure, endometriosis is a chronic disease. The disease has a genetic and an immunologic component. Until our therapy can address an individual's genetic makeup or address specific immune abnormalities that are seen with endometriosis, we achieve the best results by listening to the patient's symptoms and offering various treatment options that may directly address those complaints.
Traditional treatment has often involved surgery, hormonal manipulation, or both. Hormonal therapy that attempts to mimic either menopause or pregnancy can often provide relief of symptoms. For instance, drugs like danazol (Danocrine) and GnRH-agonists (Lupron, Zoladex, Synarel) work by creating a low- estrogen menopause-like environment in which the endometriosis becomes dormant. Similarly, administration of continuous estrogen and progesterone with birth control pills to mimic pregnancy may relieve symptoms. This seems to be quite effective for many women.
Once you begin after therapy with continuous birth control pills, there is often a period of time during which the pain may intensify. Many women also find they are unable to tolerate continuous use of the pill due to headache, depression, bloating or breast tenderness. For those who do stay on the pills for a few months, however, the pain often responds. Unfortunately, once you stop taking the pills, the pain and endometriosis return rather rapidly.
Research studies have shown that while birth control pills are often effective for endometriosis on the surface of the peritoneal membrane lining the abdominal cavity, they are much less effective dealing with endometriosis of the cul-de-sac (the space between the rectum and the vagina). Painful intercourse is less likely to respond to birth control pills than to a GnRH-agonist treatment." ivf.com/faq-one.html
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Rin
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Post by Rin on Feb 19, 2007 10:20:32 GMT -5
Wow I didn't know any of that. Thanks ladies. The response that Cherry posted sorta freaked me out because my Mom and my Aunt are both breast cancer survivors. Definitely something to ask my Doctor about.
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abornich
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Post by abornich on Feb 11, 2008 14:00:00 GMT -5
Well, tonight I will start back on birth control. This will be my first time trying continuous birth control and first time trying lo ovral (generic to it). I hope I don't feel aweful for the first few months! I also hope I'm doing the right thing by not going with Lupron.
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abornich
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Post by abornich on Feb 12, 2008 11:07:21 GMT -5
I don't know if this is the effect of the pill already, but after taking lo ovral for the first time at 9p.m. last night, I am feeling very unstable and emotional this morning. I don't know if that's even possible after the first does, but I feel so strange. I felt a little sick this morning and haven't felt like eating yet. I sure hope this isn't a sign of something worse the more I take the pills. I'm trying to think positive though.
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Post by ouchy on Feb 12, 2008 14:24:30 GMT -5
I felt sick right away w/ Lo/Ovral and also all the pills I have ever been on. Lo/Ovral was the devil for me. Hope you have a better time with it!
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Post by ouchy on Feb 12, 2008 14:35:21 GMT -5
^BTW, I've been off of Lo/Ovral for about 2 years now, and I STILL have effects from it!
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abornich
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Post by abornich on Feb 12, 2008 14:43:29 GMT -5
wow, scary. I wish there was a way to test for at least some of those possible effects before getting on it.
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Post by ouchy on Feb 12, 2008 14:50:07 GMT -5
^I know. Me, too!
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abornich
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Post by abornich on Feb 12, 2008 15:05:45 GMT -5
You would think with all the modern technology these days, there could be some kind of shot, sort-of like an allergy shot to test for side-effects of a drug. Maybe it could easily be done but no one want to put their efforts into that. I think it would be a hit though.
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