Birth control successes?

nickyfm

Hi ladies,
I know this is an extremely overdone, controversial subject, but I really wanna revisit it anyway.
Is there anyone out there that have seen some positive outcomes from being on BC?

I've had PCOS officially since 2009, but it was only within the last 6 months that it has been its worst.
I have not had a period since my progesterone bleed in may 2011, have acne and the worst sugar cravings I have had yet. So bad that I'm nearly in tears. So I cave around once a week.
I have been on metformin, but seeing as my insulin and blood sugar tests have come back normal, it didn't do much for me.
I am, and always have been at the lower end of a healthy bmi.

The worst part of it all, is that now my weight is going out of control. I have been gaining on a deficit, and have not really seen a loss in 3 months, hence caving to cravings. I used to lose weight easily beforehand, by eating well and exercising, but it seems like now my body is refusing.

I have tried the natural approach with acupuncture, vitamins and herbs, but to no avail. I still eat low glycemically and watch carbs though. I have also tried nuvaring, but it would not stay in -.-.

I am about to start taking Loestrin to hopefully get my periods back, and get this weight under control. I know BC supposedly promotes weight loss, but my dr thinks it will help, as it will shut down my wacko hormones that are making me insatiable and constantly out of balance. I also feel like the BC side effects will be exactly the same as the ones I feel naturally, so those wont be a problem.

Thoughts? Opinions? Success stories?

Thanks

LoyalAngel16

I feel I am much better being on BC. The few times I have gone without, it wasn't ever good. My cycles would be wacky and my hormones all over the place. I get very emotional and tend to cry over anything. When I am on BC I for once don't feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster, plus I don't have the awful cramps and bloating. All the weight I have lost I have been on BC the entire time. I don't have sugar cravings because I am eating low glycemic and only good carbs. I also don't get the acne either. I don't know what I would do without my BC. The last time I went without, I started on my own but then it wouldn't stop on its own. Ended up getting a dnc.

pland54

I think you'll see a big variation of experiences here. I always had problems with the pill. I was always underweight, with lots of acne and anxiety (didn't know they were related to hormone problems till recently). I have tried 6 or 7 different prescriptions of the pill over the past 10 years, and I've had problems with each one.....frequent nausea, constant headaches, no sex drive (which makes b.c. pointless lol), worse anxiety, and even the ones that specifically are prescribed for acne never helped with the acne.

I've heard a number of times that it's not healthy to switch bc pill prescriptions over and over so I finally got fed up and got off it all together. I also wanted my hormones tested because I've known there was a problem for 10 years, but it was masked by the pill and I could never get a diagnosis. Now I have a copper IUD, and in a lot of ways I feel a lot better! No more headaches every day, no more nausea, no more feeling bloated or foggy....

Unfortunately, my PCOS symptoms are more obvious since getting off the pill....I started losing my hair, and then growing some in places it shouldn't be. This led to my diagnosis, finally. My acne is just as bad, but not worse.

Overall, I have to accept that the pill didn't benefit me much, and even though some of my symptoms are worse now, I feel healthier overall off the pill.

I have some general reservations about the bc pill that I think people should ask themselves:
1. Women are taking such high concentrations of synthetic hormones these days that they are actually finding elevated levels of estrogen in FISH, because so much is secreted out in urine.
2. There is evidence that women with PCOS need to have real periods (not bc 'fake' periods) in order to reduce their risk of endometrial cancer.
3. The bc pill masks symptoms of PCOS, but doesn't treat the actual problem and isn't a permanent fix. If you can't see the symptoms, how can you really know if the steps you take to treat the problem are actually working?

I should say, though, that I don't want to ever tell anyone they should get off the pill if it makes them feel better. I would just caution someone against using ONLY the pill to 'treat' their PCOS. But the ladies on this site certainly are not doing that anyway. It doesn't work for everyone, and it didn't work for me, but I hope everyone can find something that does!

Celeigh12

Make sure you are put on the right BC for your hormone imbalance. Loestrin is a bad choice if your hormone imbalance leans to high androgen levels like testosterone. Many women with PCOS have high testosterone. With that, you want a low androgen BC to not exacerbate high testosterone problems like acne, hirsutism, and hair loss. Some of the low ones are Desogen, Mircette, OrthoCyclen, OrthoTriCyclen, and Yasmin. Loestrin is at the opposite end of the spectrum.

nickyfm

Thanks for all your responses ladies!! I was on yaz in 2008 and didn't react well to it, so that's why my doc put me on Loestrin.
And as for it being used as a sole treatment, you're totally right. Other changes need to be put in place, not just t.he mask up of BC. I eat low glycemically and exercise 6 days a week, so I hope that BC will just help with the uncontrollable aspects such as acne, sugar cravings and weight instability

starrynigh8

My doctor placed me on BeYaz last year for about 3 months. It started shrinking my "cysts" right away, but it wasn't working as fast as my doctor preferred. She then placed me on SAFYRAL, which has Drospirenone to help with the abnormal hair growth, and I've been having great success with it. I am also on anti-depressants and the two medications together have totally changed my life. I have felt awful for so many years, but couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong. I always thought I was over-reacting to how I was feeling. After starting BC and Wellbutrin, I feel like my old self again...I'm happier, have more energy, and my mood swings are few and far between. BC helps with my "cysts", excess hair, and adult acne. I certainly wasn't happy to hear that I have PCOS, but I am thankful for meds that make me feel good again.