Vent : veiled advertisement for the pill

[ShadowMom]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/03/13...ill/index.html

This article kind of miffed me. They certainly glossed over the long time side effects of depo provera, not that the article was focused on depo. However, I have hard time believe the pill is all that and a bag of chips and there are no deterimental side effects.

What do you other mamas think, is the pill all that and a bag of chips?

Personally, I would never take anything that I had to remember to take every day. But after using depo, I swore I'd never use anything but the most gentle (to the body) and natural forms of birth control.

I guess if the pill is so great, maybe I should rethink it. Not that I have any prospects right now

So, just curious what others think of this article.

[Kitten]

I was on the pill for almost ten years. I stopped taking it after I had a stroke at age 26. Yes, a stroke. I had NO other risk factors, I am in otherwise great health, I have never smoked, all my bloodwork came back normal. Being on the pill was my only risk factor. Wish I had known about #10 on that list as I do get migraines with auras. I will never take the pill again. I was lucky to not have any serious problems after my stroke.

[Logan's mommy]

I don't know about the pill, but I am very anti-depo. I was on it for five years, not told of any of the side effects other than possible weight gain. And gain weight I did, about 30 pounds. I've been off it for a little over a year and have yet to have a period. I have lost about 15 of the 30 pounds. Depo has made me very anti- birth control. Sorry, I guess I didn't really answer your question. The article doesn't really give all the side effects of depo. I believe it is far worse than they made it out to be.

[shelbean91]

I was on the pill from age 15 to 25 with no known side effects. I've been on the pill for almost a year now, maybe closer to 2, with no known side effects other than it's slowing my weight loss that I've been working so hard at (not gaining, though) and it's hurt my sex drive. I like having a very regular, short, light period.

[sparklefairy]

I have too many risk factors for the pill and even the minipill has horrible side effects for me. I was considering a Mirena, but wonder if that would have effects too -- I'm just so sensitive to everything!

I guess I need to not have sex until having a baby will be an option AND have it with someone who is NFP/FAM and condom compliant.

[DomerJen]

OMG - did you see the link in "myth 7": http://www.health.com/health/article...594249,00.html

"Taking your temperature or checking your cervical mucus every day to figure out when you’re ovulating has never been a convenient or reliable birth control technique."

Ugh. Makes me so mad! :

I am just going off the pill now (TODAY!) and it's b/c my sex drive is down to below zero, I have absolutely NO vaginal fluids, making sex hurt, and I'm ready to see how my body *really* works. To be fair, I had none of these problems when I was on ortho tricyclen, just since I've been on some seasonale generics.

[pumpkin]

Um, #10 is a bold-faced lie.

I get at least one migraine a month on the pill. No matter what pill I took. In fact, I could even predict the day I would get my monthly migraine.

Off the pill, rare migraines liked to specific triggers.

I know I'm not the only woman with that experience.

[FiberLover]

Sorry. The pill does have side effects. BIG ONES.

Like, #1 for me:

It killed my sex drive. Killed it. And got rid of my natural vaginal fluids.
It took a few years to kill the sex drive, so it was a slow decline and I didn't notice it at first. I feel so bad for DH and the strain it put on our relationship.

#2

Made me completely out of tune with the natural rythym of my body.

I was on the pill for 12 years.

I'll never, ever use hormonal BC of any form again. My sexual relationship with my husband is far too important.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[barose]

We all know a good number of those "myth busters" are lies. I had NO sex drive and I instantly and rapidly gained weight on the pill w/o any changed in diet to the tune of 40 lbs in 6 months. It turned me into a raving, mean, nasty monster. I also had daily nausea and vomiting.

Of course this is trumped up the pharmaceutical industry.

[guestmama9908]

Ok I was 95 pounds when my husband and I began dating and got engaged. I had never weighed more than 95 pounds in my life no matter what I ate. I am also 4'11" so generally very petite and small boned. In the two years that I was on the pill I ballooned from 95 pounds to 145 pounds with no change in diet! Yeah the pill doesn't cause you to gain weight :

ETA: After going off the pill...once again with no change in diet my weight dropped to 110 pounds and has steadily stayed there minus when I am pregnant, then I expect to gain weight LOL.

[Romana]

I read that article and was incredibly angry.

Vulvar vestibulitis is a long-term (life-long) debilitating condition that studies have shown to be strongly associated with long-term use of the pill. Because there aren't piles of studies to prove it, doctors don't even mention this "remote" possibility to patients. Yeah, it's really remote when it happens to you and sex is painful for the rest of your life, with essentially no available treatment.

I couldn't even begin to cover how much of that article is totally, wholly, and irresponsibly wrong and inaccurate.

Julia
dd 1 year old

[ShadowMom]

Originally Posted by DomerJen

OMG - did you see the link in "myth 7": http://www.health.com/health/article...594249,00.html

"Taking your temperature or checking your cervical mucus every day to figure out when you’re ovulating has never been a convenient or reliable birth control technique."

Ugh. Makes me so mad! :

Yeah... I don't get how taking your temperature every day could be any more of a hassle than taking a pill every day.

And, less problematic if you miss a day - if you know where your cycle is, missing your temp for a day could be no big deal in most circumstances... but missing a pill can getcha pregnant.

[kluella]

I was on the pill for 3 years and stopped taking it this past October. I have never felt better! When I went on it I was a freshman in college and gained 40lb, attributed most of that to being a student but now that I look back on it, I ate so much better then than I do now, so I really think it was all the pill. I cried at the drop of a hat, went into week-long 'funks' where I just didn't feel like myself. I was always tired, just exhausted. I explained away so many of these things for so long b/c the one thing the pill gave me was freedom from mind-numbing pain and nausea and dizziness that came with my periods.

But one day I decided to do a little experiment, and stopped taking the pill. Within a week I had more energy, was in better spirits, and was happier. Now, months later, my periods are tolerable, pain-wise, and I feel great.

We're now ttc #1 and I don't see myself going back on hormonal b/c ever again. I'll probably get a diaphragm in between pregnancies, and after I feel 'done' (which dh seems to think will be after #2, we'll see) I plan on getting a tubal ligation.

Going off the pill was the best thing I have done in years.

[Leylla]

I have a love hate relationship w/ the pill. Oddly enough I hate the fact it prevents pregnancy, but on the other hand it certainly helps the symptoms of PCOS, and with complete cycle supression I can eliminate crippling migraines.

On the migraine note, I too think mine are hormonally triggered. As when I went on a 50mcg pill, and skipping the sugar pills, my migraines stopped completely. As well the WORST migraine I ever had happened about 48 hours after DS3 was born.

I almost hate being in this TTC phace b/c obviously one cannot take the pill...but it does do wonders for me.

Steph

[425lisamarie]

I don't know, yeah, the pill is artificial. For me, I have very irregular cycles and have O'd twice in a month, next one is like 6 weeks....etc. I have pregnancy worries every month, and my whole family is feeling the stress of it. I have NFP'd for over 4 years now. Having another child before I had DD wasn't the end of the world, now it would be. I need something more than that and I cannot wear a diaphragm. I know that is not THE only option but condoms are just yuck to us. I will most likely take some form of other birth control because I know it's better for all of us. I took BC for 2 months several years ago and did fine.

I guess everyone does what they need. I never thought I'd even consider any other form of BC, but now I'm re-thinking. I probably should be able to chart and not worry, but it is just not the case, every month I do worry. It's maybe a mental thing, i don't know.

[witchygrrl]

I've been taking the pill for 2 years, after a break of over a year, from which time I was on it for another 2 years.

I hate it. My sex drive went away pretty quickly after I started. And I'm pretty sure I have adrenal fatigue, because I'm a stress freak, and the pills prevent my normal flow of hormones anyway.

I have two more weeks. I started charting for this cycle, just to get in the habit, then we'll just use FAM TTA until August-ish, and then TTC.

But you can see from the chart in my sig line just how wonky my temps are right now. And if I'm above a certain temp, (97.9) I can guarantee a headache by the evening.

[Pyrodjm]

Bc hormones caused me to gain 10lbs in 6 weeks and I completely lost all sex drive. I also had tender breasts all month and extremely vivid nightmares that stopped 3 days after I stopped using BC. I know everyone's body is different, but for me it was not the answer. Never again.

[turtlewomyn]

I was on the pill from about 24 years old until 29 years old. I developed migraines at age 27. When I went off the pill I had a whole month of extreme mood swings, and was violent and angry during that time. I then got pregnant, and have been using NFP since I got my cycles back post partum. I haven't had a migraine since going off the pill/getting pregnant, have more stable moods, and am generally overall more healthy.

[fek&fuzz]

The pill is all that and a bag of chips for me. I've never had any side effects from it. I've been on it for 5 years or so.