Do I HAVE to take BC? :(

Addy1girl · 11-07-2009, 01:59 PM

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before, I have trouble navigating the millions of posts sometimes.

I was diagnosed with PCOS earlier this year. I don't know if I have cysts (I know some girls with PCOS don't have them), as my doctor never did an ultrasound or anything. I was just diagnosed based on other symptoms (abnormal hair growth, etc). This concerns me because I do have pelvic pain and I would like to rule out other possibilities as well (how does my doctor know whether or not I have endometriosis without looking?) I am a bit of a hypochrondriac but I know very little about PCOS and my doctor does nothing to help that.

She basically put me on Yaz and said the estrogen in BC would regulate my hormones. Yaz was fine, but the medical concerns made me want to switch pills. I am currently on Microgestin and I can't stop spotting, although I am aware that this is common when switching pills. However, whenever I am on BC I have insane mood swings that cause me to be violent one minute, completely depressed and crying and hopeless the next, and then totally fine five minutes later which is taking a toll on my relationship.

My question is, do I have to be on BC or are there other options? I would like to try other methods of BC (nuvaring, for example) that don't cause my hormones to fluctuate as much, but considering the hormonal problems I'm having as a result of PCOS, my doctor implies that this is an impossibility and that I must take some form of hormonal birth control.

I feel trapped. Any advice? Thanks so much again.

CandiKisses · 11-07-2009, 02:53 PM

I havent been put on nothing yet. I've had pcos symptoms since i hit puberty but never got into it. I was diagnosed with high testosterone. All my drs want to put me on birth control but i've been resisting it. My dr gave me loestrin 24.

I've been trying to a take a more natural route. Changing my diet. Taking biotin, saw palmetto ect... Honestly i don't think its working. Im going to visit an endocrinologist for the first time this thursday. If he tells me to go on birth control i just might do it. I'm tired of the hair loss. Its been coming out more. I thought with the change of diet and me eating healthier it would help. I've been having so much more hair loss lately its so strange. I'm almost bald.

Has your dr put you on anything else besides bc? Sometimes other medications work best when in combination with bc i guess. I'm going to ask my doc if i can take spiro by itself. All these meds hold so much risk with them. I hate it. I hope all of this works. I feel trapped just like u. Hell if u do hell if u dont. 5 steps forward 10 steps back. Everythings a dead end with this pcos.

Perhaps you have pelvic pain from the cyst. I get alot of pelvic pain not so much lately. but its always on my left side. They did an ultrasound thats where all my cyst are at on the left.

Have you changed your diet. I watched this video and this woman motivated me to change mine. I'm not raw 100% but about 70-80%.
I cant enter links but you can go to youtube and type in raw diet pcos.

Have you asked your dr about a low hormone bc like loestrin. Maybe you'll take better to a lower one.

I was diagnosed back in april. I was given birth control i never went on it. Scared that it might cause for hair loss. Now my hairs almost gone and i might get on one. I feel i dont have much to lose anymore.

Best wishes to you. If you need someone to talk to about this feel free to message me. We're all trying to fight this horrible thing together.

Addy1girl · 11-07-2009, 03:10 PM

I feel the same way as you!! I didn't want to be on BC at all and she made me feel like it was the only option. I hate the way BC makes me feel, physically and emotionally. I would like to look into other options but she hasn't provided me with any.

I am not currently taking anything with the BC which also concerns me. Is BC really going to treat PCOS alone? It seems kind of lazy to me, but then again I don't know much about it.

I am so so sorry about your hair loss, I completely understand where you're coming from

I'm so embarrassed...a lot of people comment on it (my hair is thinning and it's noticeable when I wear my hair up) and I try to be understanding and let it roll off, but it hurts my feelings when ignorant people comment and they don't know why I am the way that I am.

I am so sorry you are experiencing the same things, but I do feel slightly better knowing I am not alone. I feel exactly like you. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Yaz was the only thing that made me feel ok, and with the dangers of it, I feel like I can't even take that either. As soul cysters, we really don't have many options that aren't dangerous to us in other ways.

I will look into the diet thing for sure, I really truly appreciate your advice and you sharing your experiences with me. I can't really offer too much advice because I am lost and searching for answers too, but if you ever need someone to talk to or bounce off ideas with or just someone to chat with, I would be more than happy to chat. I really really hope you find something that works for you too, and wish for nothing but the best. I am sorry you have to go through this too.

Goddess Hectate Help · 11-07-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Addy1girl

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before, I have trouble navigating the millions of posts sometimes.

I was diagnosed with PCOS earlier this year. I don't know if I have cysts (I know some girls with PCOS don't have them), as my doctor never did an ultrasound or anything. I was just diagnosed based on other symptoms (abnormal hair growth, etc). This concerns me because I do have pelvic pain and I would like to rule out other possibilities as well (how does my doctor know whether or not I have endometriosis without looking?) I am a bit of a hypochrondriac but I know very little about PCOS and my doctor does nothing to help that.

She basically put me on Yaz and said the estrogen in BC would regulate my hormones. Yaz was fine, but the medical concerns made me want to switch pills. I am currently on Microgestin and I can't stop spotting, although I am aware that this is common when switching pills. However, whenever I am on BC I have insane mood swings that cause me to be violent one minute, completely depressed and crying and hopeless the next, and then totally fine five minutes later which is taking a toll on my relationship.

My question is, do I have to be on BC or are there other options? I would like to try other methods of BC (nuvaring, for example) that don't cause my hormones to fluctuate as much, but considering the hormonal problems I'm having as a result of PCOS, my doctor implies that this is an impossibility and that I must take some form of hormonal birth control.

I feel trapped. Any advice? Thanks so much again.

nope, I got off mine found it causes insulin resistance and can throw your hormones off in the long run. Try maca it's supposed to help balance your hormones naturally (although avoid it if you have thyroid issues), take a good multi-vitamin like GNC's women's ultra mega. eat healthy lots of veggies, high protien foods like meats, eggs, fish, nuts, beans etc. cut out all white carbs, sugary/salty foods, drink only water and organic milk..

Personally I would consult with a narupath, evening primose oil, women's toner tea, white peony can all help. I would also try a soul healer or reflexology and excercising.

mloverstreet · 11-07-2009, 05:55 PM

Get a new doctor. Your doctor should respect you and take time to answer your questions. I went through probably half a dozen docs like yours before I found Dr. A. She is so fabulous. She took the time to do a complete workup and made sure to explain every step of the process. We discussed bcps in depth and finally settled on Desogen, a monophasic pill that drastically improved my horrid PCOS symptoms (hair loss, hirsutism, acne, weight problems, hidradenitis in my underarms, no periods for years, cysts on my ovaries, etc.)

While on Desogen, I took control of my body and started eating according to the Insulin Resistance diet. I also worked my way up to 60 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training 3 days a week and trained for a 5K race 3 days a week. I dropped fifty pounds in six months and saw an amazing change in my PCOS problems. I stopped bcps in November and became pregnant in December sans any fertility meds.

Now that I'm fully recovered from birth and my kiddo is recovered from her heart surgery, I'm slowly returning to my old exercise routine. I intend to drop the rest of this weight by next October and hope to conceive again in much the same way.

FaithRose · 11-08-2009, 03:36 PM

Have you tried herbs? I did BCP to regulate my cycles for years and i just cant take them they make me so sick. Right now i am using Femaprin(vitex) to see if that will help me.

musicteach · 11-08-2009, 08:50 PM

I agree with the getting a new doctor. Your doctor should be willing to discuss other options with you, I think. I stopped taking birth control last year, and I began taking prometrium (a progesterone pill to induce a period), but then we were trying to conceive so it's a little different. Good luck!

ducky · 11-08-2009, 11:11 PM

I was on BCP's before I was diagnosed by an RE and could not handle them. Once I was diagnosed it was offered but I did not want to take them again. At that time they were just starting to use metformin and I have been on it ever since and it has made a huge difference. The hair growth stopped, I was able to go for laser treatemnts, my hormones normalized and my testoserone levels went down. I still struggle with my weight, but I'm not as disaplined with diet and excercise as I should be

- but I have 2 & 1/2 kids with the help of clomid & met.

Pnksunflrws4ever · 11-09-2009, 05:46 AM

You could have PMDD while on BCPs... you could just be on the wrong type of BCPs... First I was on OrthoTricyclinLo, but was having CRAZY mood swings, I explained to my doc what was happening so my doc put me on Loestrin.

Addy1girl · 11-09-2009, 07:09 PM

Thank you all for your advice, it really means so much to me!!! Now I think I will try to talk to my doctor or find another doctor.

The funny thing is she put me on Prometrium to start my period, as soon as I got my period she put me on birth control, and now I can't stop taking birth control otherwise my period stops and then I'd have to take Prometrium again to get on another type of BC if I take a break lol it's a little ridiculous.

I also tried talking to her about conceiving; I'm 21 years old but within the next few years I would like to have children. I asked if I would have to see a reproductive endocrinologist (something I learned HERE from you ladies, those words never came out of her mouth ever) and she simply said "we'll take you off birth control and see what happens. If you can't conceive, I'll send you to one." Umm if I don't get a period without the help of birth control, doesn't that mean that I'll definitely have problems having children? I'm trying to figure out how much help I'll need with having kids, but I from her I get the impression that I won't know until I try. So I just sit here on my hands and wait. Also frustrating. This whole disease is so frustrating!

Pnksunflrws4ever · 11-10-2009, 02:53 AM

Ya. Most doctors will not discuss an RE until you've been actively trying for 6 months.

I have Tricare and we can't get refered to infertility until we've been trying for a year. And we can't just go ourselfs our Primary Care Manager has to approve it.

I know it's rediculious... but that's just the way it works!

musicteach · 11-10-2009, 09:30 AM

Same thing with my doctor, about the 6 months. My first doctor though didn't even discuss 'the plan' with me, she just said, "after BCP we will see what happens." I'm a little too type A for that

. The doctor that I am seeing now (just a regular OB/GYN) is always talking about next steps. I appreciate that more than, "we'll see." My Gyn perscribed clomid, so I think regular ob/gyn's can help a little with fertility things. (PS I NEVER get a regular period either). Good Luck!

un4getbl · 11-10-2009, 09:40 PM

Hi I am a neebie, I would like to add that in March 09 is when I found out I had pcos my ob/gyn put me on bcp (fencon) to treat the cysts and regulate my period, ok it did do those things but also made me have major mood swings and feel all yucky. 4 months later I was sent to an endocrin specialist who then put me on Metformin (but told me to continue to take bcp because it causes ovulation) Hello that is my goal!!! Anyway I continued to take bcp for the next month and by then I was sick of it how are you going to concieve if you don't want to have sex? But all in all Metformin brought my period in August with out the bcp (but I was wondering if my decision to stop bcp caused me to keep the cysts?) I haven't been back to her and won't return until 4/10 for my yearly pap. One more thing before I go--My endo doc told me he doesn't want me prego right now because I am over weight with pre-diabetic issuses thyroid issuses and perfect blood pressure, has any one heard of anything like this standing in the way? Look forward to chatting with you ladies soon.

JuniperLily · 11-12-2009, 05:18 PM

I was put on metformin/glucophage to try to control the insulin resistance part of it first and when that didn't work, I also had to go on BCP's at the age of 19.