Birth control question.

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Ruthyankees

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Hello, just a question i was curious about. i have had HORRIBLE disabling migraines (most of the time i end up in the ER) i was put on countless migraine meds but to no avail, they didn’t help, i was finally put on birth control (my migraines are hormonal) which has helped drastically. my question is, as a catholic * when/if i were to get married would i be required to go off it? and just suffer with them? before birth control, i was just on hormones that were supposed to “even things out” but they didn’t work. so far birth control has been the only thing that helps.

thanks!*
 
Ruthyankees said:
Hello, just a question i was curious about. i have had HORRIBLE disabling migraines (most of the time i end up in the ER) i was put on countless migraine meds but to no avail, they didn’t help, i was finally put on birth control (my migraines are hormonal) which has helped drastically. my question is, as a catholic * when/if i were to get married would i be required to go off it? and just suffer with them? before birth control, i was just on hormones that were supposed to “even things out” but they didn’t work. so far birth control has been the only thing that helps.

thanks!*

Contact the Paul VI insitute…they may be able to help.

(as to the pill…there are of course the side effect to be considered (cancer?) and of course the abortive functioning that can take place…)
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The Church does not allow “artificial” birth control under any circumstances. However, the hormones you are taking are for medicinal purposes, not for birth control. As a result, it is acceptable.
 
I also take hormonal meds for a medical problem, which have birth control side-effects. For me, I had painful periods, and as a result had several days off a month. Since I’ve started taking hormones I’ve had a reduction in my symptoms and I want to keep it while I’m a student as it was disrupting my studies. Once I have finished my course I will stop using it and seek another method, but right now it works, so I’m not gonna fix it while it ain’t broke.

It’s fine so long as your intent is not to prevent pregnancy.
 
Obviously, right now, there isn’t any sin, though there could be bad side effects. Once your married, though, it would be different. You should probably ask a priest. Actually, first I would get a different doctor who might be able to offer you other kinds of treatments because birth control pills are not good stuff and then it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
 
Ruthyankees said:
Hello, just a question i was curious about. i have had HORRIBLE disabling migraines (most of the time i end up in the ER) i was put on countless migraine meds but to no avail, they didn’t help, i was finally put on birth control (my migraines are hormonal) which has helped drastically. my question is, as a catholic * when/if i were to get married would i be required to go off it? and just suffer with them? before birth control, i was just on hormones that were supposed to “even things out” but they didn’t work. so far birth control has been the only thing that helps.

thanks!*

These posts from the Apologists section of the website ought to help. They state that “birth control” used as a medicine rather than contraception is acceptable, and can be continued during marriage. See the posts for details:

Is it OK to take birth control pills for medical reasons?
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=15756

Pill allowed as an abortifacient?
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=4618
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It is my understanding that the teaching of the Holy Magisterium is as follows:

Artificial birth control is banned under all circumstances. However, medication is not, and should alleviate suffering if at all possible. If one takes a hormonal drug for the purpose of contraception, it is illicitly used. If one takes a hormonal drug for the purpose of treating a medical condition, in the opinion of a qualified medical doctor, it is licitly used. If one of the side-effects of this treatment happens to be temporary or permanent sterility, but there is no other treatment for the main condition being treated, the side-effect of sterility does not make the entire treatment illicit.

I am not a member of the Magisterium, nor am I a Canon Lawyer, nor am I ordained. Take anything I say with a grain of salt, or with ecclesiastical confirmation.
 
Khalid said:
Artificial birth control is banned under all circumstances. However, medication is not, and should alleviate suffering if at all possible. If one takes a hormonal drug for the purpose of contraception, it is illicitly used. If one takes a hormonal drug for the purpose of treating a medical condition, in the opinion of a qualified medical doctor, it is licitly used. If one of the side-effects of this treatment happens to be temporary or permanent sterility, but there is no other treatment for the main condition being treated, the side-effect of sterility does not make the entire treatment illicit.
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This is correct, although it’s not necessary that there be no other treatments available to you.
 
Bookcat said:
Contact the Paul VI insitute…they may be able to help.

(as to the pill…there are of course the side effect to be considered (cancer?) and of course the abortive functioning that can take place…)
Click to expand...
Yes,…and for married people there is the fact that the pill is an abortifacient. There are times when it can prevent a fertilized ovum to not attach to the uterine wall. (I hope I said that correctly).
 
Allegra said:
Obviously, right now, there isn’t any sin, though there could be bad side effects. Once your married, though, it would be different. You should probably ask a priest. Actually, first I would get a different doctor who might be able to offer you other kinds of treatments because birth control pills are not good stuff and then it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
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i have gone to about 7 doctors for it, and have tried everything before birth control. but it is the only thing that has worked.

thanks everyone! i guess i won’t really worry about it till i have too. just a question i have been wondering about.
 
Bookcat said:
Contact the Paul VI insitute…they may be able to help.

(as to the pill…there are of course the side effect to be considered (cancer?) and of course the abortive functioning that can take place…)
Click to expand...
i’ve considered the down sides and up sides. and i much rather be migraine free, i simply can’t afford er visits, nor the pain. yes, there are risks, but there are benefits too.
 
I would consider seeing someone recommended the PVI Institute - there are many treatments out there that are available once someone has looked at charting, etc that most gynecologists simply are not trained in. NaPro is very much an emerging medicine not to be discounted. However that being said it is something that should only be talked over with your doctor - try having this discussion with your doctor and seeing what he/she thinks because one thing you will need to look at is your fertility when you do get married and DO WANT children later down the line - because then you would go off these meds regardless. God bless - and I wish you luck on your journey.
 
Migraines are often the result of some type of allergic reaction, be it food or various other causes. Since western doctors have minimal to no training in this area, they treat the symptom, but not the cause. As always, I recommend seeing and osteopath or some similar type of medical professional.
 
Warrior1979 said:
Migraines are often the result of some type of allergic reaction, be it food or various other causes. Since western doctors have minimal to no training in this area, they treat the symptom, but not the cause. As always, I recommend seeing and osteopath or some similar type of medical professional.
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not the case with me, i was tested, and it is for sure hormones. i only get them certian times in my cycle. i have gone the natural route, change my diet. even went organic (it was actually must worse then)

i really think my only option is birth control. which, i have no plans on getting married anyday soon, so i won’t worry about it till it comes up i suppose.
 
Khalid said:
It is my understanding that the teaching of the Holy Magisterium is as follows:

Artificial birth control is banned under all circumstances. However, medication is not, and should alleviate suffering if at all possible. If one takes a hormonal drug for the purpose of contraception, it is illicitly used. If one takes a hormonal drug for the purpose of treating a medical condition, in the opinion of a qualified medical doctor, it is licitly used. If one of the side-effects of this treatment happens to be temporary or permanent sterility, but there is no other treatment for the main condition being treated, the side-effect of sterility does not make the entire treatment illicit.

I am not a member of the Magisterium, nor am I a Canon Lawyer, nor am I ordained. Take anything I say with a grain of salt, or with ecclesiastical confirmation.
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I think this is probably correct provided the treatment in question does not have an abortifacient effect a la most female birth control pills.

If it is the case that it is medically necessary to take birth control pills that act abortively, then I think it is licit to take those drugs only so long as one abstains from sex. I cannot see how it would be morally licit to risk creating and then destroying an innocent child for the sake of sexual gratification and release from migraines.
 
Ruthyankees said:
not the case with me, i was tested, and it is for sure hormones. i only get them certian times in my cycle. i have gone the natural route, change my diet. even went organic (it was actually must worse then)

i really think my only option is birth control. which, i have no plans on getting married anyday soon, so i won’t worry about it till it comes up i suppose.
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You might also find that as you get older, your hormones will even themselves out and you won’t need the hormones by the time you are ready to get married.
 
Taking the pills to prevent migraines is okay. If you marry you would probably have to stop taking them at some point in order to have children.

But if the pills are ones that prevent pregnancy by preventing the embryo from attaching to the uterine wall (many act in that way) you should abstain from sex during your fertile times so that you don’t conceive and then inadvertently abort the embryo. If the meds prevent ovulation 100% of the time this would not be an issue but I don’t believe any of them do that. Of course, if you’re unmarried and living chastely that’s not a problem.
 
So we technically cannot give medical advice, but just to put a thought out there to discuss with your doctor especially in the future when you get married:

Menstrual related migraines are related to drop in estrogen at the end of your cycle which people propose that leaves blood vessels sensitive to other hormones that can lead to the vasospasms that are thought to drive migraines. Besides OCs to basically regulate hormone levels there are other options to supplement estrogen at the end of the cycle including patches, or percutaneous injections that would not in theory disrupt the cycle or cause an abortion. Again you can talk to your provider to see if this could be an alternative to the pill when you get married, but it is accepted in medical literature.
 
Claire_from_DE said:
But if the pills are ones that prevent pregnancy by preventing the embryo from attaching to the uterine wall (many act in that way) you should abstain from sex during your fertile times so that you don’t conceive and then inadvertently abort the embryo. If the meds prevent ovulation 100% of the time this would not be an issue but I don’t believe any of them do that. Of course, if you’re unmarried and living chastely that’s not a problem.
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The problem with this is that “the pill” acts to prevent ovulation, but is not effective all the time, so the ovulations that do happen would be unpredictable and it’s unlikely that the woman would know it was a “fertile” time. What does one do–abstain while on treatment to prevent the abortifacient effects of “the pill”?
 
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