A Word of Warning About The Birth Control Pill

W.O.W. This may be a reason many women are on antidepressents, and also, if it makes your body produce certain pheremones, it causes aggrressive females and passive males. I was on the pill before age 30 and, yes, even though it didnt give me major side effects, my emotions felt ‘dead’ Could this be why there is sooo much ‘pink’ around today?

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I just want to add here that coming off the pill was the best decision of my life (all thanks to you Renee). When I was on the pill I felt DEAD inside. No juice, no emotion. Well, that’s a lie..there were emotions: depression and sadness! Since coming off the pill, I feel ALIVE again. I feel sexier, more desirable, more in-tune with my true feelings and sense of self. I feel CONFIDENT in myself.

The trouble is, when I was on the pill..I didn’t realise how different I was from my genuine self. I didn’t realise how bad it got. I knew I felt dead inside, but it wasn’t until I came off the pill and saw the huge positive change in myself that I realised how BAD it really is.

It’s taken me a year to recover from the pill. Yes, a whole year but it was worth it. Finally… fin-a-lly, I’ve got my period (and libido) back after 7 months. Yes, a whole 7 MONTHS.

I strongly URGE all woman out there on the pill to come off it NOW! I feel, in my heart of hearts that it held me back from the enjoyment in life. Sure, there’s a lowered risk of pregnancy and you “can” have sex without condoms (providing your partner has been tested to not have any STI’s) blah blah…………but the sex is just not as good!! So whats the point!

So from one sister to another..please PLEASE if you are on the pill, do yourself a favour. Come off the pill and start really experiencing life again.

xoxoxoxoxox

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hi.
Pill was the first contraception i needed and had, and during 9 days i took it, i almost died. My heart drummed 3times faster, i had hot and cold shivers, nausea, severe back pain, i just quit the pill on my own decision. i feel, gone bit longer, day or two, i would be in terrible trouble. when i told this to gynecologist at the hospital, when i was in my second (and now happily) realtionship, asking for Nuvaring, gynecologist smirked and looked at me if i would tell nonsense, that Pill causes problems? she never heard of that. i adviced her to research, and wondered, why i pay for appointment i have to wait weeks, to get such unprofessional doctor. luckily, she gave me year prescribtion for Nuvaring, and for nexts i looked another doctor. ..
with Nuvaring i dont have problems. of course i would love to go all natural, counting by Moon calendar and all, but am uncertain if that would be really safe option for now 1-3 more years before we settle for baby. i shall do more research on natural ways to do contraception (no condoms hey, i really mean natural .. but Pill?? my niece says she doesnt have problems, but i have worst opinion about Pill. it almost killed me in less than two weeks, and doctors just laughed at me that i tell nonsense… companies are shutting-up researches that reveal dangers you really have to be interested and know your body, sense changes and ‘google’ up data yourself ..

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I took orthotricyclen too.

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I had a problem while taking birth control pills. It wasn’t serious because the doctor was able to figure out what it was but he also said that it was potentially deadly if it didn’t go away and that the main cause was birth control. Anyways, I had bumps on my lower legs and one on the top of my foot and they kept going up my leg, apparently the birth control did something to my blood because he figured it out through a blood test. They went down but the one on my foot was worrisome because where the bump was previously there was a circular indention that didn’t look very good.

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For me, the birth control pill is helpful, and I also have not noticed any side effects. I guess I must be lucky. I take plain old orthotricyclen, and now I finally have a regular period. From age 12 until age 20 (when I started pills) I never used to have regular periods, always irregular, and very heavy when they did happen. But for the last eight years, I’ve been regular to where I can predict when I get my period down to a few hours… Hopefully I will not have any major side effects down the road in the future from the pills…

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Ok, you said to wait til the sugar pill cycle to stop, but I’ve been on the pill for only a week so can I stop now? I really hate taking medication & refuse to take anything else, even an aspirin. I take prenatal & coconut oil pills only. The only reason I asked for the pill is because my boyfriend hates wearing a condom because he “can’t feel anything” during intercourse with it on. I don’t know if that’s true or not because I don’t have a penis, but that’s his excuse. I’ve never been on the pill before, but I have a 2 month old now, been with my boyfriend for over a year & don’t want to have another baby for a few years. I’ve noticed that I act as though I’m still pregnant (like a b*tchy cry-baby)…excuse my french. Plus, I’ve been spotting for the last 3 days. I thought I was going to start my period, which are always heavy for the 1st 3 days, but nope, no period. I want to eat all the time now, but keep myself from doing so. I just don’t feel right & I get sharp chest pains every now & then. My libido is still the same, but I don’t get as “wet” as before. It’s weird. I’m only 20 years old & really don’t need my body to mess up already.

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@blar: no, he doesn’t see only a sex object in me, but it is true that we have decided to stay childless. I do not think you are in a position to judge whether this choice makes me less feminine or not… some women are born to be mothers, others are not. It feels very right to me and my love and this is what counts.
I am a “true woman” and I do not care what you think about it. Everyone should be free to make their own decisions.

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Thanks so much for this Renee, I can’t believe you made the effort to look it up!

And I just subscribed to Dr Mercola as you keep mentioning him, and I am excited to explore his site

Stefanie, thank you for your advice! That is really kind of you and I appreciate it very much:) I think you are right, and I have stressed myself about too many things lately anyway so that might be just the solution. Thank You so much!

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Renee Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 6:16 am

YAY!!!! You subscribed to Dr. Mercola!!!! Mercola is everybody’s new local doc. I’m such a huge fan of him. enjoy his articles!

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hello Ms Summer,

Pain killers aren’t good! Lots of women use too much of them, they’re just not the solution. The pain is there for a reason: It’s signaling to you to take it easier. If you listen, acknowledge it, and heed the warning, then the pain subsides. Pain is unpleasant, but we should all be grateful for it – without it, our species wouldn’t stand a chance of survival!
I’ve found that simply doing less, engaging in the world/the work/the conversations/the company a little less and rushing a little less, taking some time to relax and especially relaxing my stomach makes an enormous difference in the amount and the severity of the cramps.
It’s also a good idea to keep your belly nice and warm if you’re cold, that helps for me at least.
When you find it hard to relax your stomach, you could try to do some sit-ups. Because really clenching it also makes it easier to relax after, because you feel how it relaxes and your muscles are more tired.
I also find that a relaxing distraction (funny movie, romantic book) really helps, whereas the distraction of something stressful (work/chores/drama) doesn’t help at all.
Basically the healthy thing to do is pull back from the world, meditate and take really good care of yourself.

Hope that helped, good luck!

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Hey Ms Summer!

Firstly, natural pain relief is different to curing the pain. If you cleanse for 14 days, you may just find that it helps you get rid of the pain.

I’ve also done a bit of research for you, and these articles may be of interest to you:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/07/28/diet-endometriosis.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/09/29/endometriosis-health.aspx

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This is remotely on the subject, but does anyone know natural pain relief methods for period pains? I frequently take lots of pain killer pills but I’m thinking this can’t possibly be the best solution… so if anyone has some advice I would be so grateful! Thanks:)

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I didn’t know that taking the pill could be so dangerous!
I have been taking the pill for a while because of the severe acne that I had and I have to admit that so far I have no side effects.

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if you like poisoning yourself…go ahead
the pill attacks a woman’s natural fertility
and as kleine O says – “I can have sex whenever I want to”
meaning her husband/boyfriend sees her as nothing more than a sex object…completely separating sex and children

http://thepillkills.org/

http://onemoresoul.com/category/contraception

real women don’t poison their bodies
real women treasure their fertility

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When I first dated my boyfriend, I didn’t take the pill. Now I do, been taking it for about three years straight. I don’t think I’ve changed in any way and I’ve never experienced any side effects. It doesn’t feel “unnatural” either… I really, really love your website, but I can’t accept your advice.

Maybe for some it’s the wrong choice, for others like me the pill is a blessing. I can have sex whenever I want to – spontaneously. Why would I want to give that up?

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Thanks for the interesting article and all the links with added information. I’ve tried the pill 4 different times and 4 different brands over the past decade. My side effects have never been as extreme as some mentioned in the article, but I’ve never stayed on the pill more then 6 months. It’s just not for me…I feel like it changes me…my mood, my decisions, my body. It doesn’t feel natural.
I think birth control is a wonderful thing and the pill definitely has many benefits if you can handle the side effects. Each woman needs to make this decision on her own of course, but I wish physicians would be more proactive with information about other methods of preventing pregnancy.

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I was put on the pill after my 2nd period when I was 15 years old to help with very heavy painful periods. Some 15 odd years later I stopped taking it because I felt it wasnt natural that I could run for 2kms and not sweat. What I discovered after stopping the pill was an amzaing sense of control over my body – I felt amazing. Yes the painful periods returned however I soon discovered it was due to a massive tumour wrapped around my appendice, intestine & bowel. With each period the endometrial tissue would cause the tumour to constrict my internal organs – causing unbearable pain & severe vomiting I couldnt even hold water down. SO yes the pill helped my endometriosis but it also covered up my tumour all those years. Im pleased to report the tumour has been removed (portion of the intestine & bowel too) and I no longer have painful periods. We hear so much about artificial additives and preservatives in our food and the negative health effects – its only a matter of time until the effects of artifical hormones are truly known.

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That was informative and helpful. Thank you for addressing the subject – the only thing I had heard about the pill in the news lately was that ‘women who are on the pill live longer’ (by reduing heart disease i think it was)
So your article was so important for us to read! Thanks:)

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Thank You for all your contributions lovelies.

For the women who aren’t so sure about this article, think it’s one-sided, over-the-top, etc:

I admit, this subject angers me and I’m passionate about it. But not about the pill itself necessarily; about big drug and food companies: They mainly treat the SYMPTOMS not the CAUSES of our problems.

Not to mention, there are a number of men and women out there exposing the ruthlessness of big drug companies, and how they only care about the profits they make.

Our society is all about the quick-fix: drugs for depression, fast-food to fill the void swiftly in our tummies, casual and unfulfilling sex just for the sake of sex…..you name it.

If you have pain, and think that the pill is helping you, well yes, it may be: but what would you do without the pill?

And when will you stop? Are you going to rely on it forever? What about if you want to stop and have children?

There are MUCH better ways to treat pain: the pain women experience with endometriosis can be a result of a whole host of other things such as build-up of free-radicals, BAD DIET (processed foods, over-consumption of sugar, and high STRESS levels.

If you don’t trust me, I’m fine with that. But at least listen to Dr. Mercola. He has earned the respect of millions of people around the globe. Go to his site: mercola.com, use the search bar at the top-right hand corner, and educate yourself on everything to do with your health.

The big drug and food companies aren’t so keen on him, and for good reason too.

As for endomertiosis, see this article: ‘The Connection Between Diet and Endometriosis‘.

P.S – CLEANSE CLEANSE CLEANSE. Detox your body!!

Renee.

-XxX-

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Ive always thought the birth control pill was a little scary, well anything that tampers with your body in any which way is scary. But I remember about 2 years ago I suddenly had acne that I didnt have before. My skin had always been a little oily but never had acne problems, then suddenly when I was 22 I started breaking out.

I talked to my friend who is a nurse about it and she said to just go to the doctor and they will give you the pill, no questions asked, and I’d have clear skin again. I figured it sounded easy and safe enough (she was a nurse afterall) so I went to the doctor. I give props to this doctor because she told me that I shouldnt go on the pill. She explained that it can throw off a woman’s hormones and if you are healthy without taking it, you shouldn’t be on it. It was pretty good advice and I was somewhat surprised to hear her discouraging the pill. She believed that it was unnecessary for me and I was glad that she told me. She gave me some topical medication and within a few months my skin was back to normal. Who knows what kind of health problems I would have now if I had taken the pill 2 years ago…

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Great article!

Yes, the pill does change who you perceive is a good mate. n This can be tragic if you marry someone who is not a good fit for you, not only relationally, but also with bearing children–we instinctively look for people with different immune systems than we have in order to have stronger children. If we are “scenting” that someone is a good fit, but it is related to the pill, then that can, possibly, have implications for children.

It makes sense for us to want to be near to people similar to us while pg– presumably they would be family and more likely to protect the mother and child. (Mind you, this is all instinctive, not something we consciously choose). However, similar immune systems have the potential of not giving the child as broad of immune system genes.

Two points that are not mentioned in this article: unintentional abortion and polluting of water.

Abortion: One of the medications in the pill and the main chemical in depo shots or implants causes a fertilized egg NOT to be implanted–a passive abortion. Now, many people want to prevent pg but do not want to abort if they did get pg, so that is something to consider. Uterine implants also prevent pg this way.

Pollution: the body only takes in some of the hormones in the pill. The rest is put in the water system through urination. Filters in city water systems do NOT remove the extra hormones, and the population ends up drinking them. There is an increase in gynocomastia (“man boobs”) as well as infertility. There are reports of animals downstream from waste water discharge that are becoming only female BECAUSE of all the hormones.

I ofte wonder if the “baby vacations” work because the couple drinks less water or drinks different water.

Is there any time where hormones are useful? Yes!! However we must be careful to a)use backup contraception b)take only what we need and only for specific medical problems. Hormones are not tylenol–they are powerful–you can even turn a man into a woman, and a woman into a man with them! THAT is a serious medicine. Please be careful!

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Not to mention the fact that this ridiculous amount of hormones is going straight back into the water, messing with nature.

I’ve been on the pill, but I quit, because I didn’t want to mess with my fertility. I found that I was more attracted to my boyfriend after quitting.

I’d like to add that there are alternatives. I find that sit-ups, keeping warm and plenty of rest help against the pain, there are many alternatives for acne and I became more regular with age. Condoms do the trick in avoiding pregnancy, as would abstinence. Mood swings can be lightened by avoiding stress, meditation and eating right.

By the by, if the birth control has lowered my libido, thank God! I was an animal at 14, lol, I’m glad I had a ‘protected upbringing’ (ie. very strict parents) or I’d have done some pretty stupid things. I thought it was just an age thing :p

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I was on the pill in my twenties for a while, but i wondered why I kept bloating. I believe theres other birth control thats worse: It’s the one that allows you to have only 4 periods a year. I would think your endometrium would get too thick and maybe can get an infection or you can become infertile. I hear it advertised like its very cool. That’s crazy!

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I am somewhat taken aback by this article. I have endometriosis & for most women other than a Hysterectomy, the only option for relief from the pain is birth control pills or shots to treat the symptoms. I feel the article was one-sided in terms of how some women’s only options are birth control or suffering from intense pain.

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Hm. I know women can have bad side-effects from the Pill, but I don’t think it’s all as bad as it seems.

I am on the Pill now (just started it about 3 months ago as I have an ovarian cyst and the Pill stops it getting bigger) plus due to contraception. I am not suffering any ill-effects. The risk of clotting is minimal and certainly far less than if you got pregnant due to unreliable natural methods of contraception.

I wouldn’t be one of those women who is constantly on the Pill for years and years but I think it is a convenient way to delay pregnancy if you are not ready. I am in a good relationship but in no financial shape to have a child and using the ‘withdrawal method’ isn’t something I want to risk.

I know you mean well but I think the Pill is useful and often scare-mongered, plus I wouldn’t want women to be put off from this and fall pregnant without being ready.

I have had bad experiences with the Pill, including suffering a lot a couple of years ago (getting every non-serious symptom under the sun) and the doctor refusing to believe the Pill could have caused it, but there are many different brands, and it could be that one just doesn’t sit right with you.

I think if you can afford to risk natural methods of contraception, if you are single, etc., then yes, come off the Pill. But for some of us it’s really useful, and it does have its health benefits as well as negatives.

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I used to be on the pill for both acne-reducing and contraceptive purpose. Side effects that I suffered from was terrible mood swings, drastically reduced sex drive and lost the attraction to my then boyfriend. I was constantly in a bad mood, depressed and at rage for no reason. When I was off it, my acne problem came back and became even worst. It took about a year for the effect to wear off.

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I refused to take the pill at the beginning of my twenties and never have. I always used what you call the alternative methods, a variety of them and they have always worked for me. I figured at that time that anything that so drastically alters your hormonal system was suspect. I am glad I made that decision.

That being said, I think there are some women who probably do need the pill, I’ve heard of some pretty bad cases. Assessment should be done on an individual basis, really and risks and benefits weighed carefully for each individual case.

The problem here is the doctors. How can you be sure that he or she is trully weighing risks or simply shoving a quick fix down your throat and moving hurriedly to the next patient?

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I always knew that it cannot be healthy to mess with my body’s natural processes with artificial hormones. I don’t need bc currently but we’ll probably use condoms [I believe they're more reliable than statistics suggests, if used correctly] together with the calendar method [if you're not on pills and have regular cycles you can recognize yourself your time of ovulation].

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That article came just in time Renee darling! I have start birth control at the top of my to do list! No seriously I have it written on an actual to do list!! My gosh babe truly a God sent! I was supposed to start it from since last month but keep pushing it further and further. Your words surly won’t fall on death ears. Thank you again doll.

I have tried B.C. twice. The first time got nausea, the second time got serious depression, mood swings and suicidal thoughts! I was gonna try again cause I have been told not all react the same way…

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I am against anything that involves taking hormones! I developed breast lumps when I was on the Pill, in my 20s. Then I noticed a lowered libido, more breast tenderness and just a feeling that all this just wasn’t right. My migraines were more frequent and more intense. I never had period problems or acne -for me it was purely a contraceptive that seemed convenient. I haven’t taken anything ‘artificial’ since – used a diaphram, spermicied etc -during our ‘have children’ years. We decided it was a health issue – not a sex issue. For so many reasons it needs to be closely monitored for each individual case – and I think it involves looking at how long you take it also. This was 25 yrs ago!! BUT – now we have proof – back then we weren’t sure and evidence was concealed. (we couldn’t google lol.) The opposite happened when I breast fed 2 babies – it’s as if my breasts became different, more healthy. That experience encouraged me to find alternatives for anything that could use a hormone!

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I have had this discussion with my doctor many times. I am on the Depo shot and don’t intend to stop. I always have an overflow of testosterone in my body when not on it and I am covered in acne and suffer horrific mood swings. After receiving the shot, I have control over my life again. As for the bone density problem, regular calcium intake along with a calcium tablet with vitamin D greatly helps. But I don’t deny that birth control pills are a bad idea because your hormones still fluctuate, which can cause cancer. However, your hormones do this even worse without pills or shots, creating cancer still. You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t in other words.

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Over the past 10+ years every time I start on hormonal birth control my body goes nuts. My mind even goes nutty. Hormones make me crazy emotionally. They also negatively affect physically. Headaches, blood clots, weight gain, loss of sex drive, infections, severe fatigue, etc. Yuck. Hate hormonal BC. I decided to stop taking it a few weeks ago so I can be a better wife and mother.

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I have a girlfriend who takes the pill every single day so she can avoid having her period – she never takes a week off. She hasn’t had a period in over a year and she thinks it’s “cool”. I’ve spoken to her on several occasions about the stupidity of this, but she just won’t listen. I don’t think she’ll get it until she wants to have a child and can’t because of the damage she’s causing herself now.

I’ve always been of the opinion that, despite the major inconveniences menstruation causes, it’s NORMAL. It’s how the human female body is supposed to exist. So to me, doing something against nature (such as the effects of the pill) will only result in abnormal consequences.

I hate my period like most women – especially since I sometimes get heavy bleeding for up to seven days and painful cramps – but I’d rather suck it up and take it then cause myself worse problems later on.

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Oh, wow, this is scary. I was on the birth control pill for awhile because of my terrible periods, and after only a few days on it, I started feeling a heaviness in my chest and felt that I couldn’t take a deep breath. It got worse and worse, but the doctor said that it wasn’t serious and would go away after my first cycle. Well, it didn’t go away, just got worse and worse, and then I started feeling that I couldn’t breathe at ALL! Very very scary feeling…I got off of them on my own, without consulting my doctor, and haven’t been back on them since. I’m glad to know that it wasn’t just in my head. These things really are dangerous.

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