Progesterone-only BCPs?

Scoot · 10-03-2006, 06:11 PM

I have very high blood pressure, and I am on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. I am at a point where I have decided that I would rather risk a heart attack or stroke than live every day with the crap that my PCOS symptoms are putting me through. When I am on OTC, the symptoms virtually stop. I still have the world's hardest time losing any weight, but I don't grow anywhere near as much body hair, my skin clears up, and I have normal periods and such. My doctors have, at some points, recommended that I go on a progesterone-only BCP, so as not to make my blood pressure issue any worse, but it has so far been my understanding that progesterone-only pills are not nearly as effective at controlling PCOS symptoms. However, I just listened to a radio broadcast by a doctor specializing in hormonal distortions, and she made it sound as though progesterone is what fixes that problem. Anybody have any further info on this? I've been through at least 4 doctors recently who all have no idea what I'm talking about.

4042 · 10-03-2006, 11:58 PM

Hi there,
When i was first dx my dr. put me on pops b.c when i went to my appointment my blood pressure was sky hi. I tried to explaiin to her that i was just nervous since it was my first visit. The only thing i did not like was that i had alot of breakthrough bleeding. I was on them for about 4 or 5 months. I would have two weeks out of the month with breakthrough bleeding. I could not handle that. After monitoring my blood pressure for about 5 months, i was put on a combined birth control pill.

Zoesmama · 10-13-2006, 06:21 PM

I took progestrone only pills while nursing my dd. I didn't have periods but I did have breakthrough bleeding every couple weeks and hated it. I know it was caused by the pills because I couldn't afford them a couple months and the spotting stopped then when my dd quit nursing I got AF back the next month.

The spotting has turned me off from trying them and I chart my temps to avoid(with diaphram) or did before now I don't have nothing to "avoid" seeing as I'm separateded from husband and not having any reason to need birthcontrol. And also off from the thought of the depo shot which I knew I'd never get after hearing nothing but horror stories about it.

guineapig · 10-15-2006, 05:01 AM

First off, progesterone is the natural hormone and is NOT the same as the synthetic progestin in the minipill, bcp, or depo/norplant. The synthetic stuff worsens IR, and IMO makes me crazy & fat. When I'm on the real deal, such as NPC or Prometrium pills, I am my normal self. However, docs don't view the real deal as effective birth control.

I just don't feel progestin by itself helps with PCOS, not just worsen IR, but it doesn't regulate cycles. It only stops ovulation in 40% of women. The rest of the way it prevents pg is changing mucous & implantation potential. You also might spot alot. Don't do depo IMO it caused my PCOS and it's not stopped by simply throwing away the next day of pills, you know?

Now REAL progesterone does seem to help symptoms of PCOS, especially if you're not ovulating at all already. But that's not the minipill, and many docs won't do bioidentical hormones.

Have you talked to your doc about even lower-dose monophasic pills? I mean, OrthoTriLo still has a lot of estrogen, and it's unopposed for half hte month for the most part--bombing you with all those nasty side effects of extra estrogen (headaches, high blood pressure, bloating, moodiness, etc).

Perhaps a pill with lower estrogen and opposed daily by progestin would be better. YAZ has low estrogen and has a mild diuretic effect--further potentially lowering your blood pressure or keeping it in check compared to OrthoTri. Plus its progestin doesn't worsen IR (made from spiro). Or the Ring, that produces the lowest blood levels of estrogen of any combined birth control.

artistic1 · 04-03-2007, 04:35 PM

I have the same question; (although using diff bcp) I went off of Diane 35 because my doc said that it was the worst pill for potential blood clots and other side-effects; (he said it was 4X worse than other pills) he reccommended yaz first; but i opted to try ALESSE (has anyone tried this?) is it strong enough to help us pcosers get our period? i'm only trying it for a month to see how it works; and if it doesn't i was thinking of trying ortho-tricyclen. The reason i ask is that i think it is a low hormone pill; right?

thx.

academama · 04-03-2007, 06:29 PM

I hate the mini-pill. Hate it. I was on it while I was nursing and I didn't like a single thing about it. It made me bloated, crampy, and hormonal, plus it caused spotting and acne.

artistic1 · 04-04-2007, 04:57 PM

Is Alesse the 'mini pill?' i'm just not sure with the term.... I'm only gonna try it for one month; but i think it prob won't be a high enough dose for me to even get my p... and if it gives me more acne and hair than for sure no way!

RunnerDuck · 04-04-2007, 08:32 PM

Hrrrrmmmm... I can't keep the terms straight right now... I THINK mini-piil refers to progestin-only pills and yet I think I have heard the term used for very low dose combination BCPs as well.

The different pills all contain the same estrogen (I believe) but they all have a different progestin. It is the dosage of each, as well as the type of progestin, which makes for better or worse side effects.

I think that many PCOSers will see a worsening of symptoms on the progestin-only pill. Progesterone, I have read, acts as an androgen, hence the acne women tend to get while PMSing. Add in oily skin, greasy flat hair, moodiness, the desire to eat through the fridge 4 times a day - wow, there's a great idea. A pill that gives me PMS 24/7! But at least I can't get pregnant, right?

Of course some women may do great on the progestin pill... I just have never met or heard of one.

I think that the idea that the progestin only pill can help PCOS comes from the notion that progesterone stops ovulation and ovarian activity... and so... would make the ovaries clear up... lessen symptoms... etc. There are people who believe a round of progesterone cream will do the same thing. But I don't know about you, personally for me my PCOS is at it's nastiest when I am progesterone dominant (ie post ovulation) I don't care what the theory is, I just know how I look and feel.

As for the low dose pill such as Alesse... the progestin in Alesse is SUPPOSED to be bad for PCOS as it is one of the more androgenic types. But that said, I did so, so wonderfully on Alesse... my head hair didn't fall out, my body hair got lighter, I lost weight, I didn't have mood swings... but I did have breakthrough bleeding like crazy, probably due to the low estrogen content. So every oneis different. There are guidelines but our bodies don't always follow them.

I have seem some argue that the low dose pills don't provide enough control to keep our PCOS in check, but the only way to know how they will work for you is to try them.