fertility problems from the pill - Page 2

[XM]

Zombiemama, if that is your flora at 7 months, I would be concerned glad to have made you smile!

I fully stand by my statement (perhaps I needed to be more clear? pregnancy brain here) that I have never known anyone who has been unable to bear a child due to having used hormonal birth control. Christy was concerned that she would never have children and that is what I was speaking to. And yes, I did do my time on the ttc thread, and I am active in the P&BL thread, where so many of the women who have had losses have also had fertility problems, so I feel confident in my reassurance to Christy regarding her ability to have a child.

Also, Charlotte, regarding your comment about the 'misinformation' on the thread... some of the ladies who were offering reassurance to Christy have themselves dealt with infertility issues and/or problems coming off hormones, please be respectful of them and what they have to offer someone else from their own experiences... just because they did not say what you said does not make it 'misinformation'.

XM

[Clarity]

A lot of women who are having cycle problem post pill, or especially, post-depo have had success with acupuncture to get their cycles going and regulated again, including my sister. Depo users espeicaly often have trouble having regular cycles afterwards it seems like from reading TTC board.

A lot of trouble women on TTC board have are complex in origin...like were they even ovulating before they used hormonal BC? Just not having periods afterwards when you did before is not a total indicator of whether or not you are ovulating. WOmen are often older, heavier or have additionl health uisses once theylre TTC they may not have had a few years earlier. Your fertility at 20 and 30 are already markedly different. IMO, just means it pays to know your own body well so you can accomodate the changes.

[Charmie981]

Okay, I think I can add everyone on this thread to the list of people I've angered in my pregnancy induced hormonal state. XM, I also don't know anyone who has failed to conceive after going off the pill, but I do know people who struggled with IF after the pill.

The misinformation I refer to is NOT the ladies on this thread, but the doctor's take on PCOS and her sad statement that Christy may never conceive just b/c of the pill. Although it is also misinformation that one can ovulate without having a period, I was referring to the doctor more than anything else. I should have made that more clear and I apologize!!

Women's bodies and the misinformation surrounding them are a passion of mine. I hate that even the doctors who are supposed to know what's going on with our bodies perpetuate these myths and thus provide such horribly inadequate health care. And why women, who are only able to get pregnant maybe 5 days a month, are subjected to a constant barrage of artificial substances in order to be infertile during those FIVE DAYS while men are allowed to remain fertile every day of every month of every year, I will never understand. Surely we could design a hormonal concoction that would render them unable to produce sperm just like we've rendered women unable to produce eggs!!

[Pookietooth]

the pill is not necessarily the cause

Originally posted by Charmie981
I'll spare you my soapbox lecture on the conflict of interest involved in doctors prescribing artificial hormones to keep you from getting pregnant (which they know can screw up your natural hormones) and then years later making even more money by prescribing hormones to GET you pregnant when you wouldn't have had any problem in the first place if they would teach you to read your own body's fertility signs. Okay, maybe I won't spare you.

I have to say that as someone with PCOS, the Pill does not necessarily cause the problems with fertility. I did not go on the pill, but had irregular periods for years before finally being diagnosed with PCOS -- which involves an excess of testosterone, insulin, and LH; and a deficit of progesterone and FSH. I then took the pill to relieve my symptoms (excess facial/body hair, irregular periods, etc.). Being on the Pill did not cause my PCOS -- I had PCOS from the time I began to go through puberty. And I'm not the only one.

I'm not saying that the Pill is the answer, or harmless, just that taking it is not the main cause of infertility. PCOS is -- although they don't know what causes PCOS. There are theories that it has to do with a high carbohydrate, unhealthy diet, but nothing is known for sure. And I do personally know of several women with PCOS who never took the pill until AFTER they were diagnosed. Sometimes it's used as part of fertility treatments, to put the ovaries on hold and prevent the growth of cysts, so that fertility meds are more effective. I've even heard of women with PCOS getting pregnant on the pill, because it normalized their hormones.

Hope I didn't get anyone mad, I'm just saying that not all cases of infertility are caused by the pill.

[Kirsten]

After reading (and posting) on this thread, I looked this up in Our Bodies, Ourselves (I think that was the one I was in) and read something new to me - it said that women who started having periods later than average age (which is ??? 12? 14?) should not be on the pill. It also said women who have irregular periods should not be on the pill. Made some link to PCOS and fertility problems later. Don't quote me but I think I'm close.
I agree with whomever said your fertility is different in your 20s than in your 30s. I think we are led to assume all is well until you are approaching 40 when you should start to worry. Well, in my case, we conceived very easily (first month trying) the first two times (26 and 30 years old) but it took five months at age 33. My theory is that it is a gradual thing, not a big leap to trouble at age 40.
Kirsten

[Charmie981]

No, definitely not all cases are caused by the pill. A lot of women with PCOS go on the pill about the same time the PCOS symptoms would kick in (late teens early 20s) and then go off of the pill and have PCOS symptoms. To say the pill caused the symptoms would be wrong. My main problem with IF and the pill has been that after reacting badly to ortho-tri-cyclin, I was put on a progesterone-only pill (mini-pill). That didn't work to well for us either and so we just stopped taking it. Then we found out that i had (have) a progesterone def. My cycles had totally changed from before the pill to after the pill, and I read later that your body will try to regulate the amt. of prog. in your body by not making its own progesterone if there's too much in your system. So apparantly my body never really got back into the groove of making its own progesterone again.

On a thread in the homebirth forum, there's a discussion about how doctors don't give you all of the facts about drugs when they prescribe them. The same concept applies here: They say "this will keep you from getting pregnant" but don't tell you that some pills are *known* to damage fertility if you spend too long on them (I have a friend who was removed from a pill b/c of this but it definitely didn't hinder her fertility!). Just like when you go to the dr. and they vax your child w/o even giving you the package insert and telling you the warnings and such. Yeah, the weird reactions are rare, just as IF from the pill is rare, but it does exist and we have a right to know if what we're putting into our body can cause damage, even if the damage is rare!

[Christy1980]

wowie-zowie!! alot has happened in the 2 days I've been gone!!

I'm still taking the hormones, I only have 2 days left. And I am finding out *lots* more info about pcos and prometrium that concerns me about my dr.

After I finish this dosing of progestrin, I am DEFINATELY going to seek some herbal therapy...although I can't force myself to go to an acupuncturist because I hate hate HATE needles: "oh you need a blood sample?" Also, I am driving to the library tomorrow to get the reccomended books. Thanks to all for the help!

Charmie, i am SOOO not mad at you!! I am in awe that my doc wouldn't have sent me for more testing. Although in addition to my pap, she did also collect swabs for STD's and bacterial infections.

Oh and something funny--when I was 17, I had these strange red bumps on my arms and legs and I started reading a medical journal to find out what they were and I came across something about chlamydia whereby if you have it, you get a rash on your arms and legs...so I freaked out, confessed to my mom I wasn't a virgin and begged her to take me for a chlamydia test. It turned out that my rash was actually a food allergy I have to tomatoes. My mom was SUPER-pissed off. Since then, I have tried to stay away from med journals for self-diagnosis, and I was doing a good job until

someone gave me an article on PCOS, (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome) and all the symptoms sounded like me...

So I was convinced that pcos HAD to be the reason why nothing was happening. Now I'm not so sure. the only symptom I have is being overweight. And I have been big all my life, except for high school, and even then I was a size 14-16.

And I don't trust dr.s either, which compounds my confusion sometimes. "I feel sick, but if I go to the Dr, he will just give me a refferal to his buddy and a prescription for some drug he's paid to endorse, that will probably just make me really sleepy and late to work, and then I'll get fired and I won't be able to pay the dr who *helped* me in the first place." And if any of you haven't visited the links in my sig yet, those will REALLY make you hate dr's...but that is another forum!

The more I think about all my misgivings and such of the medical community, the more I get pissed at myself for going to the dr in the first place. Ugh! I dunno why I let myself get sooo worked up and upset.

Anyway, thank you all for the help. I will be collectively taking your advice, and I *REALLY* and *TRULY* thank everyone for their support and well-wishes and pep talks. I feel 100% better about my situation now.

to all of you lovely ladies!!

[OceanMomma]

Hey Christie! I HATE HATE HATE needles too but acupuncture has saved me totally many times. It's not really the same as needles - like blood test needles. But a good side effect is after a while, your needle phobia almost goes...

[lilyka]

Christy - have you checked your thyroid? This (as well as your ovulation status) can be checked by taking you basal temp (screw the blood test it missesmore cases than it catches). If your temp is low (under 97* I think) and you have other symptoms (depression, overweight, fatigue, infertility, low sex drive, cold hands, hair loss, poor concentration the list just goes on and on. . .) it could be thyroid which is very easy to fix if you have the right kind of Dr. my Dr. (who is not your ordinary jerk) put me on natural thyroid therapy and natural progesterone cream ( i am estrogen dominate which gave me horrible heavy periods and stopped ovulation most of the time). I got preg. within two cycles. i also feel sooooo much better. The hardest part is finding a Dr. who will work with this despite blood levels. My blood work came up that I was the healthies person in the world.

[Christy1980]

If your temp is low (under 97* I think) and you have other symptoms (depression, overweight, fatigue, infertility, low sex drive, cold hands, hair loss, poor concentration the list just goes on and on. . .) it could be thyroid

Hmmm...I think I was checked for my thyroid as a child since I was big then, and all was well, so my parents put me on diet after diet. It's tough being the only kid at the lunchtable in school with a slimfast and an apple.

Anyway, as for the other symptoms of a thyroid problem:

your temp is low=my temp is usually around 97*to99*
depression=I am annoyingly happy in my life, except for work, but that's to be expected when you work retail this time of year
fatigue=again, I'm only super-tired after work
low sex drive=my sex drive is high I guess; does having sex every day, sometimes twice, count as high?

I think I will look into it again, though. But I can lose weight easily when I apply myself, I just hate tofu. And right now is just not convenient for me with the holidays coming up, and being as busy as we are at work. I have cut back on my carbs quite a bit, and my starchier foods, since I went to the dr. lastweek.

tonight is my last night on prometrium. I should start my period within 10 days...got my fingers crossed...and hopefully I won't have to do anything else after this one to have another one. But I am going to start taking vitamins and such to get my body back to normal and flush the prometrium out, too.

I'll keep you ladies updated on my status. you all are great!!

thanks for caring and sharing!

[Christy1980]

I got a spot today!!!!!!!!



But that was all. Nothing else since this morning.

[XM]

Hooray!!!

Congratulations, Christy!! That's a start...



Dancing banana is here to kick off a Red Party for you! He's such a party freak that a spot is all he needs to get his groove on.

XM

[Christy1980]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!




nothing sice the spot, though

But that's ok, I am feeling crampy today, so I'm sure that "period from hell" it on it's way!

lots of love to all....

[lilyka]

Good grief I have never looked forward to a period so much - and it isn't even mine.

And to think that I am happy about your cramps. I feel like a traitor. Oh well, take a few Midol for me

[Christy1980]

hey guess who showed this morning in full swing??!!??

It was my old Aunt Flo....


I'm so happy! and crampy, haha!

What sucks though is I have to use disposables as my lunapads are not built for this kind of pressure!! :LOL

I'm so happy that my parts are working!! And I am going to start taking vitex soon to keep me "regular."

Thanks to all of you lovely ladies for your help and understanding!! I love you all!!

[Kirsten]

Congratulations!!!!! Sorry they scared you with the "worst case scenario". Bet you are feeling on top of the world right now.
Kirsten

[XM]

Yeah!! Christy is bleedin' and crampin' and back in the game!!!



You want to know what a freak I am? The other day reading this thread, I got concerned for a moment... I wa like, "hey, wait a minute... when was MY last period? It's been a while, wonder what's wrong?"

Duh. Pregnancy brain. Sometimes I scare me.



XM

[Christy1980]

hey XM~~~~
:LOL maybe you're pregnant! :LOL

pregnancy brain RULES!! Wouldn't it be cool if there was a "pregnant brain smiley?" That would make it easier to type!

Yes, I feel tons better. eating chocolate and loving the fact that my ER dr gave me a prescription for tylenol3 That helps alot!! All my girl friends at work were sooo excited when I told them i got my period! It was funny b/c just like lilyka said, they were so anxious about this period and it wasn't even theirs!!!

I hope this means all my parts work right. I would hate to go through this again. I'm definately going to get on a vitamin regimen to keep my cycles regular, or at least as regular as possible.

Thanks for my Red Party!!


And thanks for the hugs!:better

[XM]

Hooray for menses!!!!

T

You know what kills me? I had tonsilitis about a month ago, and the doc asked me if I needed anything for the pain (geez, I gave birth w/o drugs, a sore thorat is nothing!). I asked her what she had in mind and she said Tylenol 3!!! I protested and she assured me it was safe for the Spawn. Then I realized, "Duh! I'll just keep it for gnarly period cramps!" and went ahead and got it. It's in a drawer waiting for my post partum cramps from hell.

So take one of them puppies for me

As far as pregnancy brain, I am told that there is also lactation brain... but I refuse to beleive these sacriligious rumors. My mental capacity will be 100% once I birth this baby (all of you who know otherwise, please just leave me alone with my dellusion I can't bear the thought of losing my keys daily till this babe is weaned).

[OceanMomma]

:LOL XM I've got pregnancy & lactation brain. Yesterday I had to go into the office. I was leaving so I put my car keys in the pocket of my jeans. When I got to the car, I put Saffron on the boot while I rumaged thru my bag to find them. There I am rumaging away telling her I can't find my keys & she's jumping up & down babbling away in her cute little baby language pointing at my pocket. I eventually got it : So slightly T but one of the joys of extended nursing is your toddler can help out with lactation brain

Congrats on the red party Christy