Does anyone think the pill could be causing this for some of us?

Laura32 · 12-12-2007, 06:25 PM

I just wondered, because I see so many stories like, "I was on the pill for 14 years, then my periods went away." The same is true for me. I know that they say that the pill is just masking the symptoms, but I went on the pill just 2 years after starting my periods, and I think sometimes, maybe my body never had a chance to regulate my cycles naturally, as they say that most girls are irregular for the first couple of years, and now it's been so long that my body doesn't know how. Just wondering if anyone else felt this way.

abenard · 12-12-2007, 06:29 PM

hi laura32
I feel that way also...I took bcpills for 12 years and it just covered up all my pcos symptoms. The doctor said if your not TTC then you should take bcpills to help with the pcos. I wish I had knew all this 12 years ago.now i'm on metformin and getting ready to do clomid.

sheepiegirl · 12-12-2007, 07:21 PM

Personally, I don't think the pill had anything to do with my PCOS (of course I'm not an expert or a doctor or anything!). I had regular periods for maybe a year and then they started getting wacky after that. I got my first AF at 12 and by 14 they were all messed up. I didn't go on the pill until I was 21, so that's several years in there that I had naturally messed up periods. I do think that the pill masks symptoms, but that doesn't bother me and doesn't necessarily seem like a bad thing. I mean, ideally you'd be able to fix it completely, but if the pill helps in some way, then I think that's not a bad thing.

And for me, the only thing that BCP masked was my lack of periods. That's really (aside from hormone levels) my only symptom.

And I don't think it's really that normal for young girls to have irregular periods, at least not after the first few. I think a lot of people go on the pill at a fairly young age before all the symptoms of PCOS can appear, but once they go off the pill, the symptoms appear. But I think the symptoms would have appeared at some point (probably a lot sooner) if they had not been on the pill.

Again, those are just my thoughts...

mnstrpc · 12-12-2007, 07:35 PM

For me, I'd also have to say no. I started having periods at 13 and they were wonky from the beginning. By age 16, they were not any more "normal." At that age, I'd spot/bleed for about 2 weeks, have 2 weeks off, then start again. I went on BCP at age 18 and was basically on them more than not until age 32, when we started thinking about TTC. When I went off at 32, my cycles were very long (45-63 days) and irregular. But they were irregular in the other direction when I started, so I don't think the pill had anything to do with it, really.

I think there has been some research on whether or not the pill could impact IR. And I DO think it had a bit of that effect for me. This is all speculation on my part, as I've never been tested for IR. But I have had bouts with hypoglycemia throughout my life, and while I don't know of any other PCOS'ers in my family, there is diabetes on both sides. The first couple of times I fainted from low blood sugar were before I ever started on the pill, but it seemed to get worse when I was on the pill. I had to eat every 4-6 hours or risk getting very light-headed. When I went off the pill, that improved a good bit and I could go up to 7-8 hours without eating, or with just a small snack and be fine. Like I said, I've never been tested for IR, don't really know for sure how it's related (or not) to hypoglycemia, but my bouts with hypoglycemia definitely improved off the pill, so I wonder a little about that.

Basically, I think the pill is a great thing for a lot of women, but that it would help all of us better manage our reproductive health to have more knowledge about what irregular periods could mean before just going on the pill as a fix. But my overall feeling is that BCP probably doesn't cause PCOS.

Fairyblessing · 12-12-2007, 09:44 PM

Hey,

I was wondering about the pill thing too. My periods were never regular either, but I thought it was because I ran a lot. The pill was a blessing in regulating things for me. I just can't tell if I've ever ovulated. Doc said clomid was first marketed as a birth control pill. Obviously it had the opposite

Love,
Fairyblessing

TrishainAZ · 12-12-2007, 10:34 PM

I don't think it caused it for me. I got my period at age 12 and it was always irregular. I always assumed it was because I was very athletic. I didn't go on the pill until I was 18 and then only for 2 years because of migraine issues. I'm not a big fan of the pill, but only because I think it causes migraines for me and increases my risk of stroke (which is higher because I'm prone to scary migraines that mimic strokes).

FieryGirrl · 12-17-2007, 01:27 AM

I would have to join in on the "no" side of this speculation. I'm 22 now, and I went on the pill at 19 after five years of irregular periods that gradually got less and less regular. I started out every two months or so, and I thought for a while that it was just the normal irregularity everybody says you have when you start, but then it never got better. I'm also a thin PCOSer and newly diagnosed.

AHoff01 · 12-19-2007, 06:38 PM

I've struggled with this issue also. I'm not sure if I'd be willing to say that I thought BCP's caused it, but it's made me wonder if the doc has my Dx correct. I've accepted it now though b/c I have more proof (bloodwork, u/s, etc). Anyway, I started my period at 13 and never had an irregular period (you could set your watch to my 28 day day cycle!) until age 27!! I was on the pill from age 17-20, then off for 1.5 years (normal 28 day periods) then back on the pill until I was almost 27 and I came off of it. When I came off, I was all wacky and wasn't having AF. I chalked it up to my body adjusting to coming off of BCPs. I came off in Oct '06, had AF in Nov 06, March 07, April 07 and then not again until I was placed on Prometrium in Sept 07. Now, I'm not having a period unless I force them with Provera. Very frustrating!!

Rose28 · 01-07-2008, 12:25 PM

I've wondered too. I'm thinking that BCPs might trigger PCOS, but that it's mainly genetic. All I know is that I took the morning after pill (so stupid) when I was 20 and since then I've been a complete mess, but I do know that it runs in my family, who knows what can trigger it. Poor diet, medication, lack of exercise.....

mkaz · 01-16-2008, 03:59 PM

I think the bcp masks PCOS symptoms, but eventually they will show through. At least that's my experience. I'm reading a book that my naturopath suggested (it's by an endocrinologist) and it suggests that doctors are too quick to give a perscription instead of looking at how to let ourselves heal naturally. I know diet and exercise can solve a lot of problems. I'm done with the pill after 15 years. I'm going to tackle this head on.

grahamgirl · 01-16-2008, 08:41 PM

I was wondering about this, too. Was on the pill for 14 years and went off last April. After such a long time I honestly can't remember what my periods used to be like...but I haven't had a period since going off BC, except for a Provera-forced one this fall. Never thought I would actually HOPE for AF to arrive.

NolitaFairytale · 01-16-2008, 11:53 PM

From my experience, bc had nothing to do with my PCOS. My periods have always been semi-regular, but every once in awhile I did skip a month, but never more and it didn't happen often. However, I had terrible cramping every month, and then this past summer I stopped having my period altogether. I didn't have my period for 3 months, and then when the dr diagnosed me w/ PCOS she prescribed BC, which has done wonders regulating my period and getting rid of the cramps. I still get them, but I can now at least function when I have my period. So yeah, from my experience BC had nothing to do with it and the only symptom I had was extreme cramping until my period stopped altogether. So, from my experience I don't think BC would cause PCOS

carliemarie16 · 02-01-2008, 07:16 PM

I have thought this from the beginning! It is crazy how many people share this same situation. I have known and read about numerous people who all feel that the pill could have some connection to PCOS. Obviously this isn't the case for everyone but there are quite who took BCPs and ended up realizing they had PCOS after they came off of them. HMMMM, it is very interesting!

TrishainAZ · 02-01-2008, 07:41 PM

Well, part of the reason that they find out after they have been on the pill is that the pill would mask the symptoms of it. The periods that you get while on the pill aren't "real" periods.

carliemarie16 · 02-01-2008, 07:43 PM

That makes sense! A lot of people probably got put on BCP's from the beginning because the docs thought that the BCP's would regulate AF's.