Question about the Pill

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Kaia

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What is the Catholic stance on taking the Pill for medical purposes? I was put on birth control to ease my monthly cramps, which were just excruciating. If I convert to Catholicism, would I have to stop taking it?
 
“The Pill” is a valid medication for easing cramping pains so long as that is your only intent in using it. In that case, the lack of fertility is an unwanted side-effect. You are encouraged, however, to seek out alternate forms of treatment that don’t necessarily have the fertility risks associated with the pill.

This has been covered on the Ask an Apologist Forum, and more authoritatively by the Humani Vitae encyclical.

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

God bless!!! 😃
 
Thanks for the reply! I was wondering what “alternative forms of treatment” you know of? The Pill was a last resort for me. I tried pain medication, herbal remedies, even yoga stretches, but nothing really helped. If you have any other ideas, I would love to hear them!!!
 
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Kaia:
Thanks for the reply! I was wondering what “alternative forms of treatment” you know of? The Pill was a last resort for me. I tried pain medication, herbal remedies, even yoga stretches, but nothing really helped. If you have any other ideas, I would love to hear them!!!
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If you find out, let me know. My 23-year-old daughter has been on BCP since age 14 because of excruciating menses and also mittelschmerz (for which she was hospitalized twice because they thought it was acute appendicitis).
 
  1. The following regimen effectively treats menstrual cramps and bleeding 90% of the time. It also helps with migraine headaches related to the menstrual cycle. There is no need to take oral contraceptives.
    • Take 800 mg of Magnesium starting 7 days prior to your period and end the last day of your period.
    • Take 1,000 mg of Calcium starting 7 days prior to your period and end the last day of your period.
    • Take 3-4 Advil (ibuprofen) with meals starting on the first day of your period. If you are not sexually active, start them 3-4 days prior to your period.
    • Take Pepcid AC (famotidine) on each day that you take the Advil.
    • Let your doctor know what you are taking.
 
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mercygate:
Thanks! THAT link has been zapped to DD – hope she has enough interest to check it out. Her cramps are SO bad (and migraines!) that she’s terrified to go off the pill.
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Have her check into the potential side effects of the pill- she should be terrified to be on it!:bigyikes:
 
Thank you so much, buffalo! I do have a question though.
Take 3-4 Advil (ibuprofen) with meals starting on the first day of your period.
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Does this mean 4 pills a day in total, or 4 pills per meal? I presume it’s the former, because anything over 6 pills per day is considered overdose.
 
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Kaia:
Thank you so much, buffalo! I do have a question though.

Does this mean 4 pills a day in total, or 4 pills per meal? I presume it’s the former, because anything over 6 pills per day is considered overdose.
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I do not know. Email your question here - drchris@polycarp.org
 
I got a response from Dr. Chris, and he said that it was 9-12 pills per day-- twice the recommended dosage. I’m a little reluctant to try it.
 
When you take the pill for medical reasons, you also should abstain from sex when you are fertile. So you should also look into NFP. Rember that the BCP do no always stop ovulation.

I find exercise and eating right are ways to improve my cramping and headaches. No extra sugars like sodas and sweets. I find walking is really a good way to exercise.
 
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Kaia:
I got a response from Dr. Chris, and he said that it was 9-12 pills per day-- twice the recommended dosage. I’m a little reluctant to try it.
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I am not a doctor.

Doctors 20 or more years ago gave out doses of ibuprofen of about 600 mg or 800 mg to be taken 3 times a day (this results in a daily total of 1800mg to 2400 mg per day). This does not work for all women to control the pain.

It used to be given out under the title “Motrin” back when it was not available generic or over the counter. Some women have side effects at those high doses. They are having you take the antacid for that very reason, I’d guess.

If it can be done, it works substantially better (way less pain) to start taking the ibuprofen 3 days before the period starts.

I’d be sure there was not something specific wrong with you before just treating yourself for cramps for the next 30 years. (see a doctor FIRST, and every so often thereafter).

Yes, a Catholic woman may take the Pill to control a medical condition.
 
FYI

Please also check into the Pope Paul VI institute;
popepaulvi.com/

and look for a NFP only physician

omsoul.com/nfpdocs.php

The pill is used for a lot of things, even though the FDA has only approved it for achne and birth control (according to a Doctor). There are a lot of better formation hormones that can be used (natural vs synthetic). Doctors trained in the Creighton method should be affiliated with the institute.

I wish you all luck.

John
 
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psalm50:
When you take the pill for medical reasons, you also should abstain from sex when you are fertile.
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I have heard this advice many times, but I wonder how it is possible. For me, personally, while I was on the Pill (yes, for medical reasons) I never had any cervical fluid. I would not have been able to tell when and if I was fertile.

I was very confused when I started researching NFP before going off of the Pill. I had no idea what all the different kind of fluid were! It took quite a few months post-pill before I started to get any fluid. It took close to a year before the fluid pattern resembled anything in the books.

So for any women out there who are thinking of getting off of the Pill before you get married, do it as soon as possible so that your body has a chance to get back to normal and make it easier to use NFP in your marriage.

One other thing I would like to note… I was put on the Pill for heavy bleeding and severe cramps. It did reduce the severity of both, but now that I am off of it, my periods are lighter than ever and the cramps are not nearly as bad. Go figure.

Malia
 
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