warning about birth control

blue200 · 12-04-2003, 01:10 AM

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 10 years ago and since then have struggled with weight gain, extra hair on my face and belly and irregular cycles. The irregular cycles are the biggest thing, since I have about 1 every 3 months and end up using only 2 or 3 tampons and then it is over. This is scanty periods if anything is...

I would like to go on metformin and spironolactone once I find a job and/or have health insurance. Hopefully, I would lose the extra weight but the irregular cycles and the PCOS are the biggest thing. One thing that I would have liked to do years ago but just recently changed my mind on is using the birth control pill. I heard about a girl who went on the birth control pill and had a massive stroke related thereto. However, she had a history of stroke but it still is a frightening story since she lost so many function. So use the pill in advisement. If you have any contraindications on the patient circular or your doctor advises against it, please try other methods of treatment. This was a big thing for me to give up, since the pill has gotten rid of the cysts in the past (in only three months time) and has straightened out the irregular cycle. Alas...

Anyway, I hope that all of you will have happy holidays and that you will find a treatment that is right for you. I also will continue to read messages and contribute on here as I have new advice or experience. God Bless!

TracyW2 · 12-04-2003, 01:23 AM

WELCOME TO SOUL CYSTERS.

I am going to move this post to the BCP forum. I think the girls there will benefit from this.

I do want to add that I knew of a girl who died because of birth control pills. She wasn't suppose to be taking them and the dr put her on them any way. I do not know the full story, but the is the jist of it.

~Tracy

oohmercyme · 12-04-2003, 01:36 AM

I (obviously) did not die from using bcp's (but with extended use, I could have), however, I agree, use them with caution! My blood pressure went through the roof, I had unbearable headaches for a week at a time, and tingling on one side of my body. When I went to the doc about it, the first thing she was concerned about was that I might have a stroke from the bcp's. They aren't for everyone!

Moonshoot · 12-04-2003, 01:38 AM

Thanks for the info....I am about to go on them for one month.

Little_Lady · 12-04-2003, 06:28 PM

Is it all BCP's or just a certain type? I've heard of some of the dangers of BCP's but never anything so drastic as someone dying from them! I'll def have to do my research. Thanks for sharing that info xx

CysterChrista · 12-04-2003, 07:13 PM

As of recently I know 2 women who have had strokes from BCPs. One of them has been in a persistant vegetative state since 1996. The other had several small strokes over a period of days. She now has short term memory problems.

I read several years ago that many people have mini-strokes and don't even realize it. These are sometimes happening when we have those horrible, unexplained headaches (headaches not caused by stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, hunger, etc.). I know that I have these kinds of headaches when I am on the pill. Everytime I go on the pill the headaches start sooner, are worse, and more frequent. After my last bout on the pill (which was when I was dx with PCOS and not so knowledgable about what's going on in my body), I had a horrible headache just about everyday. At the very least it was 3 times a week. Since then, my memory, which has always been excellent, is not at all what it used to me. I believe I was having those mini-strokes I read about years ago.

You may respond badly to one pill and not another. The doc might be able to put you on another brand or dosage. I had some relief from my headaches that way. I still don't think they are safe.

I think it's money that keeps the drug companies in the BCP business. They are certainly more safe than they were when they were first invented, but I think they paint an overly optimistic picture of just how safe they really are because they want to keep pulling in the money. I think that's wrong.

Christa

kcrumpette · 12-04-2003, 07:49 PM

I would be very careful about taking spiro without also using some form of BC everytime and would not take it if TTC. This an excert I copied from WebMD about spiro:

Who should not take spironolactone?
• Before taking spironolactone, tell your doctor if you
· have kidney disease;
· have liver disease;
· have diabetes mellitus;
· have high levels of potassium in your blood; or
· are taking a potassium supplement or an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) such as captopril (Capoten), benazepril (Lotensin), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), enalapril (Vasotec), or others.
• You may not be able to take spironolactone, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
• Spironolactone is in the FDA pregnancy category D. This means that spironolactone is known to harm an unborn baby. Do not take spironolactone if you are pregnant.
• It is not known whether spironolactone passes into breast milk. Do not take spironolactone without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

I am currently taking spiro and bcp, but plan to stop both are just be one met when we start TTC. HTH! GL!

Blue Cat · 12-05-2003, 09:11 PM

Hi Blue200,
My doctor assured me that it was ok to be on the pill as long as my high blood pressure was under control. She did say that people with hbp should'nt take Yasmin however. I can't remember why. I was on Alyesse for several years, and it did a good job of controlling my PCOS symptoms.

But I just turned 37 and I had a couple blood-pressure scares. I just don't feel comfortable being on the pill anymore at this age with high blood pressure and heart problems that run in my family. I've got enough to worry about, lol!

oohmercyme · 12-05-2003, 09:42 PM

I didn't have hbp UNTIL I took Allesse. It went from 118/78 to 150/95 and I was only on it for 5 weeks, with the excrutiating headaches and tingling the whole time (moronic doc at the walk-in clinic said it was the flu, though I tried to tell him it was from bcp's- IDIOT!). Wise to keep a close on on those things.

VivC · 12-06-2003, 09:33 PM

Yasmin raises potassium levels, which raises blood pressure. What's weird is that my doc wants to put me on Yasmin (after looking at all of my current test results), but my blood pressure at my appt Thursday was 150/90! Um, that's more than a little high. I think I'm going to check it myself several times over the next few weeks at those chairs in the pharmacy. If it's still high, she can forget about the Yasmin. The drug company's literature is full of warnings, but according to my doc, Yasmin controls PCOS symptoms the best of the BCPs.

StarMaiden · 12-06-2003, 11:34 PM

Yes, it's true that there are so awful side effects from BCPs for some patients, and yes, there are deaths that result from their use.

But, on the other hand, you also have to consider that pregnancy, the condition that the pill is supposed to prevent, has a higher mortality rate than birth control pills. Perspective, perspective.

But yes, for those of us who primarily use the BCP to ameliorate PCOS symptoms, the decision requires a lot of thought.

guineapig · 12-07-2003, 03:34 PM

The progestin in Yasmin acts as a weak spironolactone, which is a potassium-sparing diuretic. Therefore, the potassium will tend to stick around a little more than usual with Yasmin.

cmmarti3 · 12-08-2003, 01:57 AM

I was on Yasmin for over a year and it did an awesome job of controlling my PCOS symptoms - all facial and body hair gone, I was able to lose weight (obvioiusly I had to exercise and eat right as well but just that didn't help before). I had my potassium checked before going on it and again a few weeks after going on it - and I did just fine. I ran out of my RX while I was studying in South America but I'm now on Provera (sigh) so that I can get a period and go back on the Yasmin. It regulates your periods (every 28 days, right on schedule) and shuts the ovaries down so that they stop producing excess testosterone (all BCPs do this I think). Since being off it, I have actually gained weight. It might not be for everyone, but it certainly has worked for me!

Juliekaboolie · 12-09-2003, 01:09 AM

I have to say that Yasmin didn't work for me. My bloodpressure kept going up and up until my bloodpressure consistently hovered at 140ish/90is at all times. I, too, had chronic headaches... *bad* ones... and this is coming from someone who never had them previously. I was also chronically tired although I attribute that to the high bloodpressure... my body was working hard! Anyway, I made the informed decision to get off of the Yasmin and let Metformin do its work for me... which it has. I've been off of BCP's for almost 4 months and have been having 30 day cycles. I think it helps that I had been on met for 3 months prior to stopping the BCP. FWIW, my bloodpressure is now down to 120/70 and I don't get headaches anymore.