Doctors and Birth Control

[Pup7]

I think the “bandaid/fix” thing depends on what you’re talking about.

Near as we can tell, I have something where other parts of my body really hate the hormone changes that come with periods, and the response is a punishing amount of pain and other symptoms. They know that some women have this sort of issue - there’s generally nothing wrong with the hormones per se, just for some reason the rest of the body doesn’t handle them well. But there really isn’t any sort of fix they can apply that fixes the underlying problem. The solutions are either birth control, or various forms of symptom management. Birth control has fewer side effects.

Exactly. That’s the best correction we have.

I mean, you could say that all medicine is a band aid in a way. What I meant was it’s not a careless oh-lets-do-this type of decision. It can be the only option a non-specialist has, and in most cases, it does work. There are exceptions. As someone who’s dealt with these problems her entire life (to the point I am 44 and childless) I am sincere when I say I am so very sorry that you’re dealing with this. I have empathy for the frustration, the stress, and the disappointment. I hope it’s okay that I say a prayer for you.

There is a LOT of modern medicine that we actually can’t explain - we just know it either works, might work, or works in many cases. For all we know, we really know nothing.

 

[Pup7]

Fluctuating hormones make women miserable, can put a damper on your sex life with cycle unpredictability, and can confuse a man into thinking he’s doing something wrong or that he’s to blame. (Guys, I don’t mean that as a slight or a condescension - only going by what I personally saw and experienced and what I’ve been told).) It can cause massive amounts of stress for the relationship. It can make it impossible to get pregnant, and that can cause its own set of problems.

It can be huge.

 

[DarkLight]

I mean, some medication fixes things, some medicine patches symptoms.

Antibiotics fix things - they’re meant to make an infection go away, and once the infection is gone you should be doing better. But there are a lot of things we can’t deal with that way. Pain medications, for example, don’t really fix things either. They just make it more bearable for the person dealing with it. We’d generally prefer to fix things where we can, but if we can’t we try to find a way to mitigate the effects.

 

[Pup7]

It’s called symptomatic supportive treatment. An example is the common cold - all we can do is treat the symptoms/signs. There is no cure for the common cold. We can treat the congestion, the cough, the results - but not the virus. It has to run its course. To an extent flu is the same way (Tamiflu is marginally effective and has a specific window after which it will not work). Pain is a very good example - we block receptors with narcs. Some meds can fix it (Tylenol actually blocks prostaglandin production, and prostaglandins are produced with certain types of bone pain - like arthritis - so it actually treats the cause). Gabapentin acts on neurotransmitters produced during nerve pain, and it can actually stop the cause. Most meds, though, can’t.

For all we know, we know nothing.

 

[Pup7]

No, what actually happens is people come in looking for the pill and the quick fix. They don’t want to make the changes. They just want the statin.

I see it every day. The minute you say diet and exercise the patient stops listening. And sometimes the providers get tired of the rebuke and rebuttal.

Trust me when i say it’s not the providers. Do some literature review on that subject.

Wanted to add this as well: there are many times when insurance plans will not pay for counseling and classes but will pay for a pill. Nope, it doesn’t make sense.

 

[Anicette]

NFP can be practiced with irregular cycles, at least when there is consitent cycles, and not amnenorhea or very erratic cycles.

I parctice NFP myself.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

NFP can be practiced with irregular cycles, at least when there is consitent cycles, and not amnenorhea or very erratic cycles.

I parctice NFP myself.

Great. It doesn’t mean that for the vast majority NFP is incredibly difficult…even without irregular cycles NFP can be tough. Mine are perfect and p(name removed by moderator)ointing ovulation can still be difficult.

Your experience of having no issues with an irregular period causing no pain and other issues and being able to seamlessly and easily practice NFP is incredibly far outside the norm.

 

[Clementine14]

NFP can be practiced with irregular cycles, at least when there is consitent cycles, and not amnenorhea or very erratic cycles.

I parctice NFP myself.

If a woman’s cycles are very long, that’s a lot of abstinence. There’s a pretty big range in which cycles can still be considered “normal” length, even if they are not exactly the same amount of days every month. That’s not considered irregular. Truly irregular cycles are a sign that something’s not right.

 

[Anicette]

I had experienced myself very painfull periods. But it all was gone after the birth of my first child. So i believe that is nothing bad.

No, I don’t practice NFP easily. P(name removed by moderator)ointing ovulation is hard for me, and I not always succeed in. It depends of how I chart and what signs I observe. So I add some days until I am sure to be in the luteal period. But It is easier for me to find some days in the end of the cycles than in the begining.

@Clementine14,
Yes I agree.
I always believe that irregular cycles is when there is more than 2 days gap between the differents cycles. It is not the case?

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

I had experienced myself very painfull periods. But it all was gone after the birth of my first child. So i believe that is nothing bad.

No, I don’t practice NFP easily. P(name removed by moderator)ointing ovulation is hard for me, and I not always succeed in. It depends of how I chart and what signs I observe. So I add some days until I am sure to be in the luteal period. But It is easier for me to find some days in the end of the cycles than in the begining.

@Clementine14,
Yes I agree.
I always believe that irregular cycles is when there is more than 2 days gap between the differents cycles. It is not the case?

Again, you’re just lucky. What happened to you happens to very, very few women. Birth can resolve issues, but not always. And getting to the point where you concieve with a painful period that disrupts your life is very difficult for many.

A 2 day difference is NOT an irregular cycle. Quite frankly, that’s very normal. It has to be more than 8 to 20 days different between each cycle before it’s even considered irregular. My friend will have an 10 day cycle, then a 90 day one, then 30 day one. That is an example of an irregular cycle.

 

[Xantippe]

A 2 day difference is NOT an irregular cycle. Quite frankly, that’s very normal. It has to be more than 8 to 20 days different between each cycle before it’s even considered irregular. My friend will have an 10 day cycle, then a 90 day one, then 30 day one. That is an example of an irregular cycle.

Right.

I wouldn’t even consider 2 days irregular.

 

[Anicette]

Again, you’re just lucky. What happened to you happens to very, very few women. Birth can resolve issues, but not alway

It seems that I am not an isolated case. (sorry I haven’t found better reference in English).

https://www.babycenter.com.au/a553467/painful-periods

And getting to the point where you concieve with a painful period that disrupts your life is very difficult for many.

It depends what the cause is. I believe that you think of endometriosis or an other illness like that. But not painfull period is caused by this illness, and even if there is this condition, it depends of the state and damages. It’s not always impossible.

A 2 day difference is NOT an irregular cycle. Quite frankly, that’s very normal

Of course it is normal!
I have read that between 21 to 35 days it is normal.
And MORE than two days of difference is irregular cycles, but can be still normal.
But perhaps there is a better definition, that’s why I ask the question.

My friend will have an 10 day cycle, then a 90 day one, then 30 day one. That is an example of an irregular cycle.

It has to be more than 8 to 20 days different between each cycle before it’s even considered irregular. My friend will have an 10 day cycle, then a 90 day one, then 30 day one. That is an example of an irregular cycle.

That’s obviously not normal and a sign that something is wrong. (PCOS or other cause).

I am never been at that point. But 8 days of difference between each cycles, is a possibility for me.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

1. A mommy website is not a valid source. I’m going off of information from a NaPro doctor. That site has women who claim you can induce labor with fruit. Scientifically that has been proven false.
2. I didn’t say it was impossible, just not as hunky dorry as your response makes it sound.
3. Incorrect. A 2 day variation is normal and healthy. That basically accounts for slight differences in timing over a month.
4. 8-20 days varying is the very definition of the minimum requirement of having an irregular period. The clock on that doesn’t include the first 2 years after a woman’s first period or the six months after the first postpartum period (including miscarriage). A one-off of being 8 days late is not irregular. The variations in length must show a sustained lack of regularly for a minimum of 12 months.

 

[Pup7]

I’m out of likes.

Xanthippe, as my husband says, is spot on.