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

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.