Contraceptive Question

[bunnynessuk]

Hi !

Im in the process of planning my wedding and I have a moral question … i have REALLY bad periods and as a general rule dont take anything but paracetomol / ibuprifen however i really DONT want a period on my wedding so my doc has recommended norihistorone (a drug you take everyday upuntil you want a period) now im not to sure how it effects your fertility but it does stop you getting a period and your period returns about 2-3 days after you stop taking it.

I cant plan my wedding around my period because they are so sporadic I can have nothing for 6 months and then 4 periods in two!

Any help?

Jay

 

[Cari]

Hi !

Im in the process of planning my wedding and I have a moral question … i have REALLY bad periods and as a general rule dont take anything but paracetomol / ibuprifen however i really DONT want a period on my wedding so my doc has recommended norihistorone (a drug you take everyday upuntil you want a period)now im not to sure how it effects your fertility but it does stop you getting a period and your period returns about 2-3 days after you stop taking it.

Ok, I’d stop right there. If you’re not sure how it effects your fertility, I’m guessing you’re not sure how it works. Or what it has in it. Personally, I wouldn’t let anyone put anything into my body that I didn’t understand. What are the side effects? What are the risks? Honestly, having your period for your wedding is a pain, but hardly worth pumping unknown chemicals into your body for.

I cant plan my wedding around my period because they are so sporadic I can have nothing for 6 months and then 4 periods in two!

Any help?

Jay

You need to find out how this medication works. That’s priority no. one. After that, here’s what the Ask An Apologist people have said about marital relations while on birth control:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=255886&highlight=medical+reasons+for+birth+control

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=15756

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=43491&highlight=medical+reasons+for+birth+control

Hope this helps.

 

[Jennifer_J]

I don’t know anything about the drug, but I would want to find out WHY my periods were so irregular. Have you ever tried to chart fertility signs and see what was up? Mucous and temps can indicate hormone problems.

You might try to find a doc that is trained to find these problems.

omsoul.com
popepaulvi.com

some NFP methods:
nfpandmore.org
ccli.org
boma-usa.com
creigthonmodel.com
marquette.edu/nursing/NFP/Model.shtml

 

[thenewmrssears]

Hi! I have a friend who did the same thing, because she has really bad periods and knew she would have it for the wedding.

The doctor told her that it did not affect her fertility at all.

Whether or not that statement is true, I cannot say for sure, but at least that is what he told her.

As for the irregular periods, I feel ya! I get about one a year, but it is because I run a lot and eat very very healthy. Exercise can have a huge effect on your cycle…as can your eating habits…or something as serious as PCOS.

Try tracking with NFP. It will help you sort it all out!

 

[bunnynessuk]

NFP isnt really publisised here in the UK how does one go about it???

I am seeing doctors at the moment regarding my periods - they have no answers Ive been told - Im to fat, Im to young, Im over dramatic, its because im a woman, i have endo, i have pcos, I have dysmenorrah, i have an enlarged ovary - these change all the time dependant on my doctors !!! All they offer is the pill which I refuse!

I have had a laproscopy/endoscopy/colonoscopy which have all reached different conclusions! And my periods really are hell I normally end up hospitalised to be honest so I really dont want one on my wedding day particularly as the wedding is in rome!

J

 

[1ke]

You can click on the websites Jennifer J posted. Many US NFP societies have arms in other countries.

Also, here’s a website for the UK: fertilityuk.org/

The best course is to visit the Creighton website and find out how you can learn this method and then consult with a Creighton trained doctor, even long distance.

 

[Jennifer_J]

NFP in the UK
World Organization of Billings Method
woomb.org/index.html

Couple to Couple League
cclgb.org.uk/

It may be hard to find a Creighton teacher in the UK. I only see the US and Canada listed right now. You could contact them and see what they tell you, though. Creighton is really a medical model of NFP and is helpful in diagnosing issues with fertility and cycles and such.

 

[Rach620]

NFP isnt really publisised here in the UK how does one go about it???

I am seeing doctors at the moment regarding my periods - they have no answers Ive been told - Im to fat, Im to young, Im over dramatic, its because im a woman, i have endo, i have pcos, I have dysmenorrah, i have an enlarged ovary - these change all the time dependant on my doctors !!! All they offer is the pill which I refuse!

I have had a laproscopy/endoscopy/colonoscopy which have all reached different conclusions! And my periods really are hell I normally end up hospitalised to be honest so I really dont want one on my wedding day particularly as the wedding is in rome!

J

A couple of things…

First, charting your fertility signs should be step ONE in determining fertility problems. Seriously, try to track down ANY NFP teacher in the UK (I simply can’t believe that there are none) and start learning about how to track your signs. Simply looking at a woman’s chart can show a doctor (who knows what he’s looking at!) so much.

Second, I’m not sure how horrible your periods are (you say you’ve been hospitalized for the pain? Ouch!), but my wedding day was Day 1 of my period and it wasn’t so bad. Seriously, I usually feel the cramps down to my knees, but somehow power-loading advil, in combination with the adrenaline and excitement of the day, took my mind off the pain. I was upset when I found that it had started, but you make it through. There are worse things in the world than having your period on your wedding day (as horrible as I’m sure that sounds as a bride-to-be…I was in your shoes a few short weeks ago!).

Finally, I would never take any “magical” pill from a doctor that is supposed to change my body’s natural system to do exactly what I want it to do. Your fertility is a fragile thing, and toying with it like we modern women tend to do with our hormone pills and patches and such is really like playing with fire. (I’m not trying to be scary here–just honest. Most BC pills have had fatal side effects at least once or twice, and hormone replacement therapy doesn’t have such a great reputation, either.) I’m sure there are hormones involved, and hormones inevitably affect a) natural fertility, and b) every other bodily system. It’s just not something to mess around with, and can have long-term consequences.

 

[kage_ar]

Bunny -

Your doctor is perscribing one of the many variations of the pill - know as the mini pill. It IS a contraceptive, and can be an abortificiant.

tiscali.co.uk/lifestyle/healthfitness/health_advice/netdoctor/archive/100004333.html

 

[dkoinzan]

I had periods like the OP’s. It is hard! Loosing weight does help as well as excersize, eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, go decaf, drink lots of water, and only use pads.

As for the drug, ask about it on EWTN Q&A with Judy Brown. She has Catholic Dr.'s she uses to help answer questions.

 

[bunnynessuk]

Hey! Thanks for all the websites being going through them and they are brill will deffo be doing sum research!

J:thumbsup:

 

[surfinpure]

Bunny -

Your doctor is perscribing one of the many variations of the pill - know as the mini pill. It IS a contraceptive, and can be an abortificiant.

tiscali.co.uk/lifestyle/healthfitness/health_advice/netdoctor/archive/100004333.html

In fact, this progesterone-only “mini-pill” causes more early abortions than the regular Pill, I’ve read. So bunnynessuk, please don’t take this drug. It would be a horrific thing to chemically abort a couple’s first child.

 

[ecp007]

A couple of things…First, charting your fertility signs should be step ONE in determining fertility problems. Seriously, try to track down ANY NFP teacher in the UK (I simply can’t believe that there are none) and start learning about how to track your signs. Simply looking at a woman’s chart can show a doctor (who knows what he’s looking at!) so much. .

So, in fairness to the OP, people without dysmenoreah (irregular periods) should really not offer advice here. I have PCOS. I tried charting my “fertility” for 6 months and the problem when you don’t have periods is that you are basically not fertile. So the charts tell you absolutely nothing, and are very frustrating.

Second, I’m not sure how horrible your periods are (you say you’ve been hospitalized for the pain? Ouch!), but my wedding day was Day 1 of my period and it wasn’t so bad.
Seriously, I usually feel the cramps down to my knees, but somehow power-loading advil, in combination with the adrenaline and excitement of the day, took my mind off the pain…

Again, the OP is talking about her, and her periods, not you and yours. When you don’t have a period for 6 months, the one you do have is huge, painful, impossible to control with tampons and pads together, even changing every 15 minutes. And, the pain is unbearable (ovary pain, back pain, leg and muscle pain) and you are exhausted.

Finally, I would never take any “magical” pill from a doctor that is supposed to change my body’s natural system to do exactly what I want it to do. Your fertility is a fragile thing, and toying with it like we modern women tend to do with our hormone pills and patches and such is really like playing with fire. (I’m not trying to be scary here–just honest. Most BC pills have had fatal side effects at least once or twice, and hormone replacement therapy doesn’t have such a great reputation, either.) I’m sure there are hormones involved, and hormones inevitably affect a) natural fertility, and b) every other bodily system. It’s just not something to mess around with, and can have long-term consequences.

Not trying to be scary

OP, please find a good endocrynologist. From what you say, it sounds like you have PCOS. I have PCOS. Interestingly enough, the only time I get my periods is when I go on vacation, or have an important life event (yes, I did get my period on my honeymoon

If you have PCOS, you maybe(are probably) infertile anyway. The pill may actually be exactly what you need to regulate the hormones in your body to help you be more fertile in the future.

I am no doctor, and can not offer you medical advice (but neither are the other posters). I understand and empathize with your dilema. I suggest you discuss this first with an endocrinologist to understand your fertility, and then with a priest. But I would guess, since the chances are you are not fertile, and taking hormone pills for a period of a year or so may actually improve your fertility, your priest may say its OK.

 

[dkoinzan]

I would also recommend a good endocrynologist, but I not the pill. The pill only masks the real problem and may make the problem worse. Get ahold of the Pope Paul VI institute and see if there may be a doctor near you that can help. I know you are out of the states, but I also know they have trained doctors in other countries. When I was last there there was a doctor visiting from Poland, so anything is possible. I also know Dr. Hilgers of the Pope Paul VI institute treats people from all around the world. It is worth a shot and I know for a fact his treatment is totally in line with the Catholic Church.

 

[apricot_yogurt]

Try lifefertilitycare.co.uk/

 

[Rach620]

So, in fairness to the OP, people without dysmenoreah (irregular periods) should really not offer advice here. I have PCOS. I tried charting my “fertility” for 6 months and the problem when you don’t have periods is that you are basically not fertile. So the charts tell you absolutely nothing, and are very frustrating.

I don’t know your situation or your experiences, but I do know that the Creighton Model system is made specifically to address women’s fertility issues (PCOS included). It is a mucus-only method that goes into a fair bit more detail with the mucus observation than sympto-thermal does, as far as I can tell, and NaProTechnology doctors (trained in the system) should be able to use the chart as a tool to help their diagnosis. Even a woman who is not menstruating can use the chart as a tool, with the right kind of guidance. I stand by my opinion that it is not a step that should be omitted in trying to treat major fertility problems. The OP should contact the Pope Paul VI Institute to see if they can direct her anywhere in the UK.

Again, the OP is talking about her, and her periods, not you and yours. When you don’t have a period for 6 months, the one you do have is huge, painful, impossible to control with tampons and pads together, even changing every 15 minutes. And, the pain is unbearable (ovary pain, back pain, leg and muscle pain) and you are exhausted.

She didn’t describe that kind of debilitating pain–I was just trying to offer a bit of reassurance that even having experienced debilitating, migraine-inducing cramps myself, I was able to live through a Day 1 wedding. If it looks like the “monster” period might be coming on her wedding day, then there are other alternatives; the mini-pill is not the only way.

Not trying to be scary

BC pill hormones ARE scary. They do not do a woman any favors, nor do they actually address any medical issues. They mask the problem, and can have some pretty awful side effects.

I agree that the OP should seek professional medical advice. But as many of us have learned from personal experience, doctors don’t usually prescribe ‘solutions’ to our medical problems that are totally in keeping with the Church. And the reality of Church teaching in this case–I think–would be that it is morally unacceptable to take the mini-pill to delay a period. The reasons given are not objectively serious enough to warrant taking a contraceptive pill.

This question has probably been asked in Ask-an-Apologist before, but the OP could submit it to them as well.

 

[bunnynessuk]

Hey Ladies! Thanks for all the advice! I didnt think i shoudl take it - for the same reasons I refuse the pill (over and over again!!!) I have looked at the websites and I have downloaded some of the period charts!!! (weirdly excited about using the…)

Mine are hellish - I end up in ER usually after spending 6 hours round a toilet bowl chucking up and having very strange dreams/hallucinations - my mom says I sound like I have the devil in me with all the screaming and moaning!! They are not ‘normal’ periods I end up with temperatures around 104 (highest was 107!) so I seriously dont want one on my wedding day - but hey not much I can do in good conscience!

I have another appt on the 22nd and maybe can get some more advice then from a new doctor!

I have tried to loose weight but my body doesnt want to even in period weeks where I dont eat for like 5 days and livve of water I dont loose weight - sooo jealous of friends who can have the flu and loose 10lbs!

Nevermind - I guess its one of the crosses I have to bear!

Jay

 

[Tinajo]

NFP in the UK
World Organization of Billings Method
woomb.org/index.html

Couple to Couple League
cclgb.org.uk/

It may be hard to find a Creighton teacher in the UK. I only see the US and Canada listed right now. You could contact them and see what they tell you, though. Creighton is really a medical model of NFP and is helpful in diagnosing issues with fertility and cycles and such.

Took the words right out of my mouth I used the Billings site to teach myself the basics, then rang them up and got contact details for a teacher in my area and met her to make sure I’d got it properly. I’m lucky in that my cycles are pretty regular, but as far as I’m aware Billings teachers are trained to advise women with widely varying difficulties - you should mention it if you ask for a teacher’s details since it would probably be helpful to have a more experienced teacher.

Good luck!

 

[maryj]

Hey Ladies! Thanks for all the advice! I didnt think i shoudl take it - for the same reasons I refuse the pill (over and over again!!!) I have looked at the websites and I have downloaded some of the period charts!!! (weirdly excited about using the…)

Mine are hellish - I end up in ER usually after spending 6 hours round a toilet bowl chucking up and having very strange dreams/hallucinations - my mom says I sound like I have the devil in me with all the screaming and moaning!! They are not ‘normal’ periods I end up with temperatures around 104 (highest was 107!) so I seriously dont want one on my wedding day - but hey not much I can do in good conscience!

I have another appt on the 22nd and maybe can get some more advice then from a new doctor!

I have tried to loose weight but my body doesnt want to even in period weeks where I dont eat for like 5 days and livve of water I dont loose weight - sooo jealous of friends who can have the flu and loose 10lbs!

Nevermind - I guess its one of the crosses I have to bear!

Jay

Have you had your thyroid checked?