BCP's not recmmended for cysters whose mom's took DES!

[KatCarney]

Ok...this is news to me. I was rx'd Demulen when I was first diagnosed with PCOS, and to say it 'didn't agree with me' would be an understatement. I stopped taking it (with Dr's permission), and then switched Dr's. My NEW doctor asked me if my mom had been given DES (a fertility drug used in the 60's.) I didn't know, so I asked my mom, and she said, 'Yes'...she HAD been given DES...(So I'm a DES Daughter - you'll find lots about DES Daughters online. Now some studies are looking at DES GRANDdaughters to see if problems related to the drug extend to the granddaughters...

ANYWAY...I was reading the INCIID FAQ on pcos (for the hundreth time) and saw this:

Are birth control pills safe for women and adolescents with PCOS?
Most doctors feel that oral contraceptives are safe for women with PCOS and may even provide some health benefits. Besides regulating menstruation, birth control pills can increase sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and thereby reduce circulating androgens. Different varieties may be more effective at reducing androgen levels and helping to clear acne.

Adolescents with irregular cycles should have an endocrine evaluation before being put on the pill.

Some concerns about using the pill include the possibility that it may contribute to insulin resistance, and that oral contraceptives containing ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone may not work effectively if taken at the same time as rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia), or pioglitazone hydrochloride (Actos). Use of birth control pills is also contraindicated in women who smoke and those who were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero.
Source: http://www.inciid.org/faq.php?cat=infertility101&id=2#169

Like I said...that's NEWS TO ME!

[JeannieNB]

That was one of the first questions my RE asked me!

[Chaque]

It was also one of the first questions my Endo asked me and I wasnt born until the late 77.

I had never been asked it before though and I had been on birth control from a few different doctors between the age of 18-22.

Its sorta scary how some doctors do the right things and others just assume you are ok for the drugs without doing the proper work beforehand.

[BeetleGirl]

That's really interesting.
I still think there is some connection between DES & PCOS.

[VivC]

I'm just popping in with a warning - if your moms took DES, you're at increased risk of incompetent cervix. So, when you're pregnant, make sure your doctor monitors your cervix CLOSELY starting at 14 weeks.

[ms_sassy5976]

I think there is a correlation between pcos and des, my mother lost 5 children, then she was given des, she was able to birth 4 of us, and i was born in 1979! I asked my dr. about it, he said it didn't matter!

[blue_rose]

I am new to the board and when I read this post it hit home. I am unsure that my mother tood DES but I have been asked many many times. See I have a birth defect called Brachydactyly type B. When I was pregnant I had complications. I went into labor at 30 weeks. They stopped it but I was on bed rest. When I was in the hospital the Drs kept asking me if my mother took DES. She dont remember taking it but she does remember when she first got pregnant with me she was spotting. The Dr gave her a couple of pills and told her that if she was pregnant the spotting would stop. Any way After my second child I switched Drs and was DX with an incompitant cervix. The Dr put me on rest when I was 29 weeks and I didnt go into preterm labor. The dr has put me on Ortho lo. I am afraid to take it now. What is the deal with BCP and DES?

[Jashobeam]

I am afraid to take it now. What is the deal with BCP and DES?

It seems it often sets the son or daughter up for a lifetime of reproductive problems.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040515/2395.html

Women who were exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero may have structural reproductive tract anomalies, an increased infertility rate, and poor pregnancy outcomes.However, the majority of these women have been able to deliver successfully. Recommendations for gynecologic examinations include vaginal and cervical digital palpation, which may provide the only evidence of clear cell adenocarcinoma. Initial colposcopic examination should be considered; if the findings are abnormal, colposcopy should be repeated annually. If the initial colposcopic examination is normal, annual cervical and vaginal cytology is recommended. Because of the higher risk of spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm delivery, obstetric consultation may be required for pregnant women who had in utero diethylstilbestrol exposure. The male offspring of women who took diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy have an increased incidence of genital abnormalities and a possibly increased risk of prostate and testicular cancer. Routine prostate cancer screening and testicular self-examination should be encouraged.

[KatCarney]

It seems it often sets the son or daughter up for a lifetime of reproductive problems.

So much so that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has established an entire section dedicated to it:

http://www.cdc.gov/des/consumers/abo...daughters.html

[pinkmittens]

do they know yet if it affects granddaughters? my memere took it when pregnant with my father and i have some lovely problems

[ladywriter]

This is news to me!!!! Looks like there are a lot of things we are missing out on.

[beekerbump]

OMG I am a DES daughter and was on the pill for years!! Thanks for posting this info...I now found out I have two blood clotting disorders... another reason not to take anything. Oh well, and the bcp was working well for me.