best bcp for teen?

canadian mom · 03-18-2006, 04:46 PM

My15 year old daughter was dx a few weeks ago by blood tests. She just had an ultrasound. Dr waiting for results of that and has said probably will then get her on a bcp to start her periods. She hasn't had one in 5 months. She at this point doesn't have a problem with weight or extra hair. She has a bit of acne. Could any of you suggest a bcp that you think would be a good one for a teen to try? I have been reading about Yasmin. Would that be good to lower her high testosterone level or do all bcp do that? Thanks for any help!

MyJourney · 03-18-2006, 07:41 PM

Personally, if I had a teenage daughter I'd discourage her from taking BCP - either with PCOS or without.
My take on BCP is that it masks the problem and is not conducive to solving it. All woman should learn more about there bodies - Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Welchel is a good place to start this process.
PCOSers in particular need to be even more aware and make the necessary lifestyle changes - in terms of eating, supplemeting and exercising - and IMHO the earlier this happens the better. The key here is education and awareness.

I wish your daughter the best of luck on any path she chooses.

Oshrat

a-mac · 03-18-2006, 09:22 PM

I agree with oshrat. I went on BCP at an earlly age because of irregular periods. It seemed to help for a while, but eventually it lost its effectiveness. When I went off BCP my symptoms returned with a vengance. Any problems I may have had before BCP were way worse. I felt like a completely different person, and I still haven't fully recovered. The sooner she deals with the underlying causes of pcos the better. I'm sorry that you have to deal with this, but it really is better that she found out now and can make any necessary changes before it gets out of control.

canadian mom · 03-19-2006, 08:13 PM

Thank you both for your replies. I certainly agree that good lifesyle choices are important. We all can benefit from eating properly and exercise whether we have PCOS or not. Thanks again...your opinions are very much appreciated.

guineapig · 03-22-2006, 06:06 AM

If she must go on a pill, how about a lower-estrogen one, or the ring? Especially for a teen, maybe a once-a-month ring would be easier to remember than a daily pill. NO depo though--it's evil! Lower estrogen pills are Mircette, and there's a new lower dose Yasmin, called YAZ, I think? Has almost half the estrogen (and therefore half the moodiness, bloating, and risk of blood clots).

purplerose · 03-22-2006, 06:47 AM

I take Mircette and it's worked well for me. I was diagnosed at age 19 (although I had been having symptoms since age 9-10), initially took Ortho Tri Cyclen, then switched to Mircette after Ortho Tri made me depressed. I've been on Mircette for over a year and I like it a lot. I think it's the lowest estrogen pill available in the US, but I don't know anything about what pills are available in Canada. I'm assuming from your name that's where you are

guineapig, how long have you been having allergy shots? I took them for 12 years, from age 4 to age 16.

PS, I'm glad that your daughter was diagnosed so early. I knew when my period started at age 9 that something wasn't right because I only got one every other month, but doctors kept telling me that it would just somehow fix itself...it took me 10 years to find a doctor who took me seriously!

guineapig · 03-22-2006, 08:54 PM

I've been on them since August 2005. I got really excited at first, because I had a few more-normal AFs the first few months after I started them (and enclosed my mattresses in dust-mite cases, etc). They reverted back to wild though, of course I was still on spiro at the time.

I notice one thing: when our cat (who I am moderately allergic to, but doc only put a twinge of cat in my serum) gets sick, and sneezes, wheezes, etc, I get sicker too. I get much more tired, and my cycle for the month is blown--AF shows up waaay too early or is totally "off." So I make SURE kitty is in good health now--she's on prednisone for the month, then she'll get allergy pills after that shot wears off. She's happier too.

purplerose · 03-23-2006, 01:05 AM

Maybe you're getting more cat fur/skin/whatever floating around in the air when she's sick. I hope she does well on prednisone....I had to take that once and it made me so jittery, I felt like I drank a gallon of espresso every morning.

Anyway, I would also add that sometimes it might be harder for a teenager to take a pill at the same time every day since they're usually so busy (I know I was at that age). The ring might be better because of that. I would definitely suggest not using the patch or shot though, because some women get serious medical problems on the patch and everyone I know who took the shot had really bad side effects.

Cyster Shannie · 03-23-2006, 05:10 AM

Hi there,

I was reading your posting regarding the choice of a BCP for your daughter. I have a really good book about PCOS by Dr. Elizabeth Vliet. It is called "The Saavy Woman's Guide to PCOS.". It is a new book and goes into great details about the kinds of BCP that seem to help women with PCOS. You can get the book at amazon.com. One of the bc pills that Dr. Vliet mentions is Diane 35, which is available only in Canada. It seems to be like Yasmin, in that the progestin in it acts as an anti-androgen.

I was raised in Canada, and when I was a young teen with PCOS, I took Ortho-Cept 28 for a while and did pretty good on it. It has a lower dose of estrogen then some of the other pills. It is also a monophasic pill, meaning that there is the same dose of hormone every day, and keeps hormones levels more steady over time-which is important in PCOS. I certainly am no doctor, but as a PCOS patient, I can sure relate to what your daughter is dealing with. I would go months without a period, and had the acne, etc.

I highly recommend Dr. Vliet's book. It is fantastic! It would be a great reference guide for you, your daughter and her doctor. It really gives a clear overview of treatments and risks and really put me at ease over the medication issue. Best Wishes to you, and I pray your daughter gets the best treatment. Don't lose hope, because hope never disappoints!!!

-Shannie

emma42 · 03-23-2006, 05:45 AM

Hi,

I was on Yasmin and of the pills I've used--liked it the best. The ones w/ lower estrogen caused me to have in between bleeding--only after upping to a higher does estrogen pill did this stop for me. I'm not on any bc pill now, but if I were to get back on I might ask about Mircette because I like how it has pills for the fourth week too. I remember the week of no pills on birth cotnrol I was always tired and cranky.

If your daughter has acne though, they will probably recommend Yasmin. There was a link somewhere -- http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm -- this site compares different pills and their ingredients. I'm not sure if it's been updated since I went so it may/may not have the newest pills out there.

I agree about the concern w/ bc pills, and the focus should first be on diet and exercise even if she's not overweight, but it can be a temporary help w/ the excess androgens and symptoms. I think the main key is for the doctors not to just put her on birth control and think that's the only answer, she needs to be have blood work done as followup etc . . .

And finally, my friend's teenage daughter was put on Yasmin for her acne and noe pcos, and has had a good experience on it. My friend was worried but now a year later is more comfortable w/ it.

purplerose · 03-23-2006, 06:03 AM

Mircette is supposed to be great for women who have had side effects, particularly breakthrough bleeding. It only has two days of no hormones so it keeps your hormone levels really stable. The only thing about it I've noticed is that my period keeps starting later in the last week. Now it starts on Saturday of week 4 and ends on Tuesday of the new pack--it used to start on Wednesday of week 4. My doctor told me it's normal.

canadian mom · 03-23-2006, 03:35 PM

Thank you all for your responses! We have only been seeing our GP so far and I have requested she see an Endo..so we are waiting for an appointment. I have decided to wait until I get her opinion before doing anything.

Thanks Shanny for the book suggestion! I will be ordering it!