if not birth control, then what? For the ladies :)

I have heard hormonal bc is best for PCOS, but I really don't know as I never had to deal with that. Id do some research and make an educated decision for what is best for you!
Are you planning to have children...one day? If not, there are alternatives (besides a tubal). But if you do want children, I do not know if non-hormonal bc can be of any help. Look up PCOS websites and support groups. Might be better than an MFP forum.

I am so very glad I do not have to deal with these decisions anymore.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3070-p-c-o-sis

You may want to join this group for assistance and support. Best of luck!

There are also more PCOS-related groups to be found here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/search?phrase=PCOS

I haven't, but I applaud you for actually caring what is going in your body. Society today is so pill happy - fix the symptom, not the problem. Good luck.

^This.

Major props to you for trying to do your own research instead of just going with what your docter's say. Even though docter's are right a lot of the time, they often would rather shove a prescription pad at you instead of trying to find an alternative way to treat the condition. That being said, many conditions do require meds.

I've had absolutely craptastic experiences with hormonal birth control due to extremely high levels of estrogen, but many women absolutely love it. I say keep researching and then make an informed decision.

Also, like a previous poster said, like any meds, birth control does have side effects, but they are VERY rare. I wouldn't get too caught up in them.

I don't know the details of treating this issues, but I will point out that if you are healthy and don't smoke, it's incredibly unlikely that you will experience those side effects. While real, they are very, very, very rare.

I won't give up my hormonal BC. My periods are heavy and uncomfortable without it. I've been on some form of it for 17 years with no real issues, though the Mirena I have now has caused weight issues and I want it out for that reason. I'll be going back on the pill with no qualms.

But if you don't want to take the pill or whatever, don't. You may have to deal with symptoms of your conditions, though.

ITA with this post. The benefits can really outweigh the risks sometimes! Life was painful and miserable for me without hormonal birth control. I've continued to take it years after my husband had a vasectomy. The pill vastly improves my quality of life.

What do you do when you don't want to take hormonal birth control anymore and your doctors keep pushing it on you? They suspect that I have PCOS and Endometriosis although the Endo has never been proven. it's just an assumption. I don't want to be on birth control as I don't like the long term scary side effects (blood clots, stroke, heart attack...) Is hormonal birth control the only way to "treat" PCOS and endo? Why are doctors in America so hung up on shoving pills down your throat? I have even tried switching doctors, and got the same response everywhere I turned, to the point of one doctor telling me he would perform surgery on me then I would have to be on Lurpon for the rest of my LIFE. Am I really that crazy to think that I don't NEED hormonal birth control?? The main reason they tell me I should be on it is because the hormones will help, I'm not sure what I need "help" with? I do have mild discomfort from the suspected endo, but it's not unbearable. Other than that, I feel normal except when I have a cyst burst. I've read that you can suppress your estrogen naturally by altering your diet and herbology. anyone go through something similar?

(1) Serious, long term side effects from oral contraceptives are rare.
(2) Instead of asking strangers on the internet for medical advice, have you tried asking your doctors for a *thorough* explanation of exactly how taking oral contraceptives will help your PCOS. Although it may not be making you uncomfortable now, it is possible that there are long-term effects that the oral contraceptives will help with. Doctors aren't always immediately responsive, but I have found if you push them, you can often get a detailed response.
(3) I trust well-tested, regulated oral contraceptives a lot more than I would trust untested, unregulated "herbal supplements." But I'm hung up on science and actually knowing what I'm putting into my body (herbs are completely unregulated in many places, so you don't even know if what it says on the label is actually what it is).

I have PCOS. It has been treated for the past 7 years with Glucophage (Metformin). The Glucophage treats the insulin resistance that is caused by PCOS. The insulin Resistance is what causes the hormonal issues. I have never taken birth control for this issue. I have had my tubes tied (after 2 healthy children) and will remain on Glucophage for who knows how long. I'm ok with that because when I do not take my Glucophage, I gain weight and begin looking like I have a barrel gut. It is harder to maintain/lose weight without the Glucophage.

I hope this helps. Are you seeing a GYN or is this just a general practitioner? I would think a GYN would be more in touch with your needs where this is concerned. BC was an option, but I chose not to take it.

Doctors push birth control on you because they get a kick back from the drug companies.....they tried it with my friend because it was the answer to all her problems...she went to a naturopath doctor whom fixed her hormones with a natural cream. She never touched birth control again. Its all about money.....if you want off......get off...there are other ways to deal with the issues you may or may not have!

I've never been on it...nor will I ever touch that ****.

You'd be surprised at kick backs doctors get for all kinds of drugs they prescribe that people don't need.

You can always try alternative medicine. I have very high estrogen so can't be on hormonal BC...I use DIM-plus to reduce my estrogen levels, Evening Primorse Oil to reduce fibroid cysts, etc. I work with a naturopath MD who's been super helpful. I also go to a Physical Therapist who uses myofascial release and reiki to help improve my overall health. Best of luck!!!

I have PCOS too and I am not allowed to take the pil because I apparently get 'ora' migraines or something and if I take them I can have a stroke... Although this is the same doctor that when asked "Is there anything I can do to help it" and she responded with no even though I know there are so many things that can help naturally. Hope you find something that helps x

I have PCOS, and my estrogen is so elevated it contributed to a heart attack a few months ago. I'm 28.

I am now on the mini-pill (progestin-only, I'm on Errin but it's also marketed as Micronor and a few other brands), and I'm not thrilled with having to be on it, but I was told it basically is a necessity for the time being. It doesn't cause a lot of the problems with the standard birth control pills, so that's a plus, but it does have a slightly higher failure rate and /must/ (like, SUPER must) be taken at the same time every day.

Not sure how to help with PCOS and endo, but I use non-hormonal birthcontrol to avoid pregnancy.

The research I did lead me to the conclusion that a non-hormonal IUD was the best option for my needs. After using several versions of "the Pill" over 6-7 years, I went off birth control for 2-3 years and subscribed to abstinence.

Then I decided I wanted a reliable form of birth control without hormones as I feel the hormones had too many undesirable side effects for me. The solution I found was Paragard. A non-hormonal IUD, that uses copper to prevent pregnacy. It was approximately $1400 to have installed after all the necessary follow up appointments with my gyno, but it lasts for 10 years and, If I decide to start a family, I can have it removed and potentially get pregnant the very next day.

The Paragard has some side effects that I could elaborate on, if you want to know more.

Good luck!

I have endometriosis, and I can't stand hormonal birth control. I don't feel like me while on it, and I've tried so many kinds of pills. I have heard good things about paragard (non-hormonal IUD) but I haven't tried it. For birth control, I used condoms. But for my endometriosis, I take evening primrose oil and coconut oil. I have also changed my diet, which has helped the most. I eat more broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. I've limited my gluten intake (not going gluten-free, mind you. But I don't have gluten with every meal anymore). And I have red raspberry leaf tea twice a week. Light exercise on a daily basis has also help. Taking a 45 minute walk does wonders for cramps.

Apparently no one is reading the actual post.

To the OP:

You're good to stay away from hormonal birth control. They are so so bad for you. Not just the blood clots, strokes etc. "side effects" but the way it tricks your body into thinking it's pregnant. It messes up your hormones bad. I was on the pill for 18 years and just got off of it last year. I would always get blood work done and my hormones were so out of whack when I was on the pill it was incredible! Not only that but because of the pill I had to "disregard" the numbers because they weren't right. Never mind the fact that I thought I had an underactive thyroid and was displaying all the symptoms of such but my numbers were normal. Literally within weeks of going off of it I felt 100% better.

I honestly think you should do your own research for some holistic approaches to your problem. Go to a health food store and ask them if they can recommend anything. The problem with doctors these days is they are just so quick to write a prescription out for you because they have the FDA in their back pocket that they don't take the time to sit down with the patient, listen to them and find a different approach to the problem.

I really hope you can ease your pain and your issues naturally.

..........

<BEGIN RANT!> For all the people who supposedly trust "science" and consider "bioengineered hormones" to be "science" I say this....

> The absolute, true definition of science is non-biased, factual information & studies that are determined to be either "conclusive" or "inconclusive." Bioengineered hormones are neither. Why? They are biased because medical doctors are paid more to speak positively & promote Hormonal BC. Hormonal contraceptive require constant use & are more profitable. Also.....How about GMOs? They are the same thing as H BCs but in food form. Then we come to the "conclusive" part... no studies have been conducted over a long enough period of time to determine that birth control does Not cause cancer. In fact, cancer.gov says that breast cancer & cervical cancer are higher with Hormonal BC use. Other studies that say hormone use "decreases" cancer risk are A) usually promoted by pharmaceutical companies OR were edited to say "conclusive" when the original studies actually said that they were "unsure" or "inconclusive" because of certain "unknown factors." A small amount of promising studies in favor of hormones also indicated that pregnancy decreases the risk of cancer & osteoporosis much more effectively than any medication.

Here's the TRUTH...

> If doctors "push" anything on you, especially that which affects the fertiility that defines us as women... they are taking away your reproductive rights & objectifying you by limiting your options & education on the matter.

> Medical doctors are Not *usually* formally trained in psychiatry or therapy, so they do not educate their patients on the negative effects like reduced libido, sexual dysfunction & intimacy issues that Hormones cause.

> A Pharmacist (named Curtis) who regularly gives opinions based on his use & consumer reports of medications, says that "Lady.Comp" (a non-hormonal BC that is EQUALLY effective) has increased intimacy with his wife, is non-invasive, & has NO side effects.
[Go to AskCurtis.com and search LadyComp] It is rated on the official Pearl Index as as being .07 which is More effective than Hormones [only with perfect use.]

> When the birth control pill first came out, several women DIED during testing. When they test men's fertility products & get complaints of discomfort... they STOP testing. Hmmmmm *misogyny?* cough* cough*

> Leading Sexual medicine Expert Dr. Irwin Goldstein, MD wrote, “When you fool around with your sex steroid hormones, you gamble with your sex life.” He has CONCLUSIVE studies that show that the synthetic estrogen increases levels of a protein called sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which adheres to testosterone and makes it less available to the body. (thus reducing libido significantly...sometimes to the point of causing other dysfunctions)

> A recent German study by Dr. Alfred O. Mück concludes that the level of sexual dysfunction is much higher when women use hormonal contraception as well.

> You can also look up all the studies/lawsuits related to pulmonary embolism (which is NOT rare!!) & other clotting or fibroid tumor issues. Here is a story: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6642/How-My-Birth-Control-Pill-Almost-Killed-Me.html

> I had a friend who had more than 5 tumors removed because she started BC in her mid-teens & many others are wrongly diagnosed with mental disorders because the hormones can cause severe mood swings & anxiety issues.

> The reduction in intimacy that is often observed by HBC users is often attributed to 2 things >>
A) When women are solely responsible for their BC method, men tend to view them as "always sexually available" even if they don't do it intentionally. This behavior begins to develop into a form of objectifying women because the male partner views them as a means of pleasure with no responsibilities attached. (I study behavioral science & this is very clearly documented)
Reduced libido & lack of lubrication caused by the synthetic hormones; both extremely common side effects that can cause intimacy issues (& even end relationships.)

Whew... ok... well I'm happy you decided that it was just masking problems & hope that more women like you decide to respect their bodies, cherish their intimacy & value their health !!! Our culture needs to change. Fertility is not a disease that needs to be treated with a daily pill, it's something that needs to be respected & handled safely by women who are educated !

<END RANT> Hope that helped someone! haha :laugh:


Edit: Absolutely did not mean to offend, but I feel that because I have information, I have a duty to my fellow wonderful women to share it.