Pill question for the ladies

  • Thread starter Thread starter keri6789
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Hi, I was on the pill for a while to help with severe menstrual pain. It was great to be able to function normally every day of the month and be able to go on vacations without worrying about the calendar. Before, I also had to stay home in bed and would often be sick from the pain. I was on prescription ibuprofren for a couple of years when not on the pill but my family was worried about what that was doing to my digestive system. I started to notice some side effects from the pill after about a year so I looked for other alternatives. Eventually, I started taking daily women’s multivitamins and that helped a little. What really fixed my problems was vitamin E. There was a study out about 3 years ago about it.

I just googled the subject and came up with an article that basically shares how I use vitamin E. It was a wonder! Have you tried it yet? Here’s a clip from the article.

bastyrcenter.org/content/view/373/
As an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, vitamin E has been studied for dysmenorrhea treatment. Previous studies have shown that 500 IU of vitamin E taken daily during the menstrual period can significantly reduce dysmenorrhea. The new study examined the effect of a lower dose of vitamin E on dysmenorrhea in 278 young women aged 15 to 17. Over four months, participants received either 200 IU of vitamin E two times per day or placebo, beginning two days before the expected start of the menstrual period, and continuing through the first three days of bleeding. The amount of menstrual blood loss and changes in the severity and duration of pain were assessed at two and four months.

Pain was significantly less and of shorter duration among the women in the vitamin E group at two and four months than among the women in the placebo group. Women in the vitamin E group also lost significantly less blood than did women in the placebo group. There were no significant side effects associated with vitamin E treatment.

The results of this study suggest that treatment with low-dose vitamin E is an effective means of reducing menstrual pain and blood loss among women with primary dysmenorrhea.
 
As someone who suffered immensely from horrible periods in the past I will play the devil’s advocate here and say to try the pill. The formulations are different than they were in the past, the estrogen dosages are lower and the probability of getting blood clots (your number one concern) is low - especially if you are a non smoker and under 35 and have no major health issues. Since you are not sexually active, you are not sinning by using it for birth control. There have been studies that suggest being on the pill for a while reduces your chances of ovarian cancer, that is something no one seems to mention here. It gives your ovaries a rest by stopping them from releasing eggs every month and thus also decreasing the probability of painful cysts. You have to see your doctor to be monitered and report any side effects if you should get any.

Another regimen you can try is to take daily NSAIDS in higher dosages than what you are taking. These would have to be in rx dosages, Ponstel is one drug that comes to mind. This one is also given to women with fibroids to decrease the heavy bleeding and cramping associated with fibroids. Of course prescription NSAIDS are also not without risk (GI bleeding)

So I can think of two choices here for you to talk over with your gyne. Good luck!
 
Celeste88 said:
There have been studies that suggest being on the pill for a while reduces your chances of ovarian cancer, that is something no one seems to mention here.
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The Pill is also known to increase breast cancer risk.
 
Keri, there is nothing wrong with taking hormone therapy like the pill as long as you are not having sex. The problem with the pill is the contraceptive and the abortifacient effects. If you are not having sex, then you are not subjecting yourself and your children to the contraceptive and abortifacient effects of the pill. But, as I’m sure previous posters have already well pointed out, the pill will only mask the real problem, it doesn’t cure a single thing, and for some women can cause other serious health issues.

I don’t practice the Creighton method, but I’ve heard wonderful things about it as it pertains to a woman’s overall reproductive health. I think your best option is to research Creighton, but as long as you are not having sex, you can take the pill as hormone therapy without fear of mortal sin. In the end though, if you are planning to be married and have children in the future, you would be better off learning Creighton now so you’re not dependent on hormone therapy for your physical comfort. The first year of marriage can be difficult under the best of circumstances, so you wouldn’t want to knowingly add the heavy weight of coming off the pill and meeting up with your nightmare periods when you’re supposed to be enjoying your honeymoon time.

I pray you find relief from your suffering. I hope the best for you!
 
LittleRose said:
The Pill is also known to increase breast cancer risk.
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Perhaps but you don’t have to be on the pill to increase your risk of breast cancer. Being overweight increases your risk of breast cancer, being estrogen dominent increases your risk of breast cancer, early puberty and late menopause (prolonged estrogen) increase your chance of breast cancer, drinking more than two drinks a day increase your chance of breast cancer, there is some speculation that fibrocystic breasts may develop into cancerous nodules and lastly your heredity has a part to play.

Sorry for the bad news.
 
I sympathize with your pain. I went through the same thing myself years ago.

You need to know that there is nothing morally wrong with going on the pill for medical reasons. This is the case whether you are married or single. It was true back in the 1960’s when women first started taking the pill, and it is still true now. If you look in the “Ask an Apologist” section, you will see documentation for this.

Whether or not it is smart to go on the pill because of undesirable side effects is another question. I would think that you would want to try the natural things first (diet, exercise, etc.) If that doesn’t help, there is nothing wrong with trying the pill out to see how you feel while you are on it.

It is better to listen to your doctor than to follow the advice of strangers on a forum who may not know what they are talking about.
 
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