Doc put me on birth control-am I sinning?

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Hi all- I am disturbed by the fact that my doctor has me on birth control pill. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2002 and I produce almost zero estrogen on my own. My Ob/Gyn has me on birth control for hormonal support. I’m pretty much unable to have a child. I had one, but we had some help from infertility drugs. Am I a sinner because I take the pill? If I don’t take it, I’m at a big health risk as far as uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, heart disease, etc. He tells me that I’ll probably take it until my late 30’s and then go off and go into “menopause”. But by taking it, I’ve really eliminated the possibility of pregnancy. DH says it’s ok to take it because I can’t get pregnant anyway? any thoughts? twk
 
Short answer…no, if your taking it for health reasons, it is not a sin to take it.
 
It seems that you are taking this for your personal health: an objective good. The secondary effect is loss of fertility which was marginal and problematic in the first place. You will probably be better able to raise the one child you have, and care for and love your husband better for the treatment. As it says in Sirach, be guided by the wisdom of the physician.

Matthew
 
There are many diets out there for PCOS. You might want to try one of them. Doctors always seem to want to throw the pill at you first.
 
I also have PCOS. If at all possible, get off the pill. It is only masking the symptoms you have rather than treating them. My doc put me on 2500mg of Metformin/day and curtailed my intake of refined sugar and carbohydrates. It made a huge difference.
 
The pill does absolutely nothing to treat PCOS!!! It makes me so angry to keep hearing about Drs who are too lazy to actually treat the problem, so they give you the pill to ease the symptoms. If your symptoms are masked, then you won’t bug them anymore. :mad:
You must treat the cause of PCOS. Metformin is a good way to start. Find a doctor who actually knows something about it, most OB/GYNs do not. You probably need a reproductive endocrinologist (RE). At least check with a dr or nurse practitioner trained in NaPro www.popepaulvi.com to find out what you can do to treat the disease.
I have PCOS too, and trust me, most drs are clueless. Along with metformin, one of the only drugs to actually have been proven to do any good, you may need other hormone supplements. You definitely need to cut carbs out of your diet, that makes a huge difference for almost everyone.
But I reiterate, the pill is NOT a treatment, just a placebo-effect so that your dr won’t have to do any work. You owe it to yourself to do some research on it and find way to treat the disease, not just cover up the symptoms.
 
I would seek a second, third, and fourth opinion if necessary. Those things are bad news. The long term side effects can include breast cancer, having no children of your own you would be at a higher risk. 😦

Also, there are lots of natural treatments out there. Try the Pope Paul the VI Institute. They are specialized in treating lots of types of health problems for women and fertility care. www.popepaul****vi.com Give it a try. There ARE alternatives out there. I have horrible menstrual cramps. The first doctor said B.C. so did the second. But, the third gave me options. There ARE options.

**VERY IMPORTANT, if you choose to use the B.C. you need to use STRICT Natural Family Planning. Even if you think you are completely infertile, there is always a possibility for conception. Many B.C. pills cause early abortions by not allowing your darling child to attach to your uterus. Some will kill of the child before it even gets there! Don’t risk abortion with B. C. it is all to common. :nope: Make certain to learn, use, and STRICTLY adhere to NFP. **
 
no there is no problem with taking this or any drug for a medical condition, as long as its primary purpose is not to prevent conception, and that is an unintended side effect. Please search on PCOS there are a lot of people here with a lot of experience who have shared, and there are alternatives to ABC to treat it. In the long run the pill is not addressing the underlying causes of this syndrome and the side effects are dire.
 
puzzleannie said:
no there is no problem with taking this or any drug for a medical condition, as long as its primary purpose is not to prevent conception, and that is an unintended side effect. Please search on PCOS there are a lot of people here with a lot of experience who have shared, and there are alternatives to ABC to treat it. In the long run the pill is not addressing the underlying causes of this syndrome and the side effects are dire.
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I don’t think this is true when it comes to the pill. It can be an abortificiant and as other people here have stated it treats the symptoms not the cause of PCOS anyway. The side effects of the pill is self are very scary and very real. I also agree with what someone said about NFP previously. I would refuse to take it and look for a Doctor that will treat actual problem.

Here is an article about a Catholic OB/GYN and BC
nfpoutreach.org/physicians/Martin_article1.htm
 
Convert in 99,
It would be nice if a person taking the pill for serious medical reasons could use NFP to avoid the abortifacient effects, but it is not possible. Because the pill overrides a normal cycle, there is no cycle of fertility that can be tracked to avoid intercourse on days that could lead to pregnancy.

twk001
Taking the pill for medical reasons could be covered by the principle of the double effect. That’s a fancy way of saying that if the contraceptive aspect of the pill is viewed as an unintented, unwanted side effect, and the symptoms being alleviated are comparably grave, the use of the pill is not sinful. So, it depends on how serious your PCOS symptoms are. Obviously someone should not be taking the pill because the doctor said it would help with bad acne. The proportional good of relieving acne does not justify the contraceptive side effect. I suggest speaking with a spiritual advisor about the seriousness of your PCOS symptoms and whether a contraceptive side effect is justified. I tend to believe that unless it is actually treating the condition, not just the symptoms, the case for double effect is pretty weak. That’s just my personal opinion.

On the other hand, please read and reread StratusRose’s and Teakafrog’s posts. There is no reason for you to suffer with PCOS and have drugs thrown at the symptoms while the disease goes untreated.

From a drug standpoint, the ONLY FDA-approved use for the pill, as far as I know, is the contraceptive use. It is highly inappropriate that physicians frequentlys prescribe it for acne, pcos, cramps, mood swings, etc…
 
You’ll get as many opinions here as there are posters. Best bet, if you’re comfortable with your doctor, take the pill; the verdict isn’t in yet on the cause and cure of PCOS. If you’re not comfortable with your doc, get a second opinion.

Whatever you decide, you’re not sinning because you have a genuine condition and are not just taking the pill to prevent pregnancy.
 
vluvski said:
Convert in 99,
It would be nice if a person taking the pill for medical reasons could use NFP to avoid the abortifacient effects, but it is not possible. Because the pill overrides a normal cycle, there is no cycle of fertility that can be tracked to avoid intercourse on days that could lead to pregnancy.
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That’s a good point too. I was taught in my pro-life sphere that NFP was to be used when woman had to take pill for medical reasons. I guess it could be difficult to predict for sure.

I agree that there really is no reason to have to take the pill. I mean…how is something that is supposed to prevent conception going to aid a woman with hormonal inbalances, menstrual cramps, acne? It just dosen’t make sense. That would be like a doctor prescribing (and they do) an antibiotic becuase you have a sore throat, a fever, body aches, etc. Or that the Birth Control Pill will cure breast cancer (after all, it is a WOMAN problem) :rolleyes: ONE PERSCRIPTION DOES NOT CURE ALL!

Get a second opinion! 👍
 
vluvski said:
From a drug standpoint, the ONLY FDA-approved use for the pill, as far as I know, is the contraceptive use. It is highly inappropriate that physicians frequentlys prescribe it for acne, pcos, cramps, mood swings, etc…
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Do you have a basis for such a sweeping statement? Do you know how many drugs out there are being used to relieve people’s suffering that are not yet approved for that use by the FDA? A very common medication used to bring on labor and deliver babies safely, is still awaiting FDA approval for that use. Another one used to prevent women from bleeding to death also has not yet had that indication approved. Things don’t always work: A…B…C… That’s why people have doctors.
 
seekerz said:
Do you have a basis for such a sweeping statement? Do you know how many drugs out there are being used to relieve people’s suffering that are not yet approved for that use by the FDA? A very common medication used to bring on labor and deliver babies safely, is still awaiting FDA approval for that use. Another one used to prevent women from bleeding to death also has not yet had that indication approved. Things don’t always work: A…B…C… That’s why people have doctors.
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Yes. The FDA is in place for a reason, and that reason is to protect people from harmful effects of drugs and foods. The number of misused drugs is irrelevant, anyway.

Look what happened with the abortion pill. The proper avenues for approval were circumvented, and now women have died from taking it.

The principle of the double effect also applies here. If a woman is going to bleed to death unless she receives immediate treatment, then use what is available and effective. If a girl is going to have to face another day with zits, tough cookies. The side effects of the pill are too serious to go prescribing it for any old thing.
 
vluvski said:
The side effects of the pill are too serious to go prescribing it for any old thing.
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:amen: to that!

The Catholic Church has condemned these pills for a reason. They are LETHAL to unborn children in the womb. You wouldn’t hear of giving your child loaded a gun to just “hold on to.” That’s absurd! So to with B. C. It IS a loaded gun. Just because the trigger isn’t getting pulled now…dosen’t mean it won’t in the future. Please reconsider! 😦
 
vluvski said:
Yes. The FDA is in place for a reason, and that reason is to protect people from harmful effects of drugs and foods. The number of misused drugs is irrelevant, anyway.

Look what happened with the abortion pill. The proper avenues for approval were circumvented, and now women have died from taking it.

The principle of the double effect also applies here. If a woman is going to bleed to death unless she receives immediate treatment, then use what is available and effective. If a girl is going to have to face another day with zits, tough cookies. The side effects of the pill are too serious to go prescribing it for any old thing.
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Excuse me, but simple zits and PCOS are in completely different categories and just for your information, the appearance of zits may be just part of hormonal imbalances and that may be what the doc is treating.

As for using what’s available and effective, let’s just say the search is still on…and if what’s going to save my life or avoid more risky treatment is something not yet approved for that purpose by the FDA would you have my doctor write to them while I bleed?

We are not talking about new, untested drugs just about the conditions which established drugs are approved to treat. The FDA may just be waiting for data from studies before being able to make a particular use for a drug official. Meantime where does the data come from? People with that particular condition on whom the drug is used.

It’s one thing to be against artificial contraception, but it’s another to be dogmatic about things you don’t fully understand. Worse yet when that involves the life or suffering of someone other than yourself.
 
seekerz said:
Excuse me, but simple zits and PCOS are in completely different categories…

…if what’s going to save my life or avoid more risky treatment is something not yet approved for that purpose by the FDA would you have my doctor write to them while I bleed?
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Please show me where I equated PCOS to acne:confused: . I was providing extreme examples to illustrate the concept of double effect. In fact, I recommended the OP seek spiritual direction regarding the gravity of her PCOS, and qualified my opinion as just that- an opinion.

Please also refer to the part of my post where I said that the use of FDA-approved drugs for unapproved indications would fall under the principle of the double effect. By “available and effective” I thought it was pretty obvious that I think it is entirely more appropriate to misuse an approved drug than to let a patient bleed to death.
 
ABC is inappropriate for acne because acne is not serious enough to merit a drug with such serious side effects. If the acne is the result of hormonal imbalance, the hormonal imbalance should be treated, not masked with ABC.

ABC is inappropriate for pcos because it does not treat the condition, only masks the symptoms. Same with pms, etc…

My mistake for being unclear in my attempt at brevity. I never meant to imply a woman should suffer with PCOS because the FDA approval process is so rigorous and time-consuming. ABC is overprescribed for conditions it cannot treat, only hide. That is the part that makes it inappropriate. ABC has been around long enough that it should have been approved for these uses if it was actually dealing with the problem.
 
Convert_in_99 said:
:amen: to that!

The Catholic Church has condemned these pills for a reason. They are LETHAL to unborn children in the womb. You wouldn’t hear of giving your child loaded a gun to just “hold on to.” That’s absurd! So to with B. C. It IS a loaded gun. Just because the trigger isn’t getting pulled now…dosen’t mean it won’t in the future. Please reconsider! 😦
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The Church condemned artificial contraception; to my knowledge they never condemned the use of the pill for other conditions. This question comes up all the time and there’s so much misinformation being given.

All the pill contains are hormones similar to those that are normally made by the body, therefore they can be used not only to manipulate a woman’s cycle and prevent ovulation, but to treat conditions caused or characterized by a lack or imbalance of hormones. That’s all.

If someone wants to suffer illness rather than risk the side-effects of a necessary treatment, that’s their choice and one to be respected. We just shouldn’t make others feel guilty about choosing differently. According to all of the Church’s teachings that I’m familiar with, women are free to make that choice and it’s not a sin.
 
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