(Photo Credit: Favor)
(Disclaimer: This is based on my personal experience and opinion. I am not a health professional, please talk to your doctor if you have any questions)
I was on hormonal birth control pills for 4 years, it relieved my pain for a while, then it made it worse. I was taking a pill that gave me a period every 3 months, which is great in theory, except that endometriosis is present throughout your entire cycle not just at menstruation.
When I first went on the pill, I bled heavily for a month straight. My ob-gyn at the time told me my body would adjust to it, "it could take a year" she said. She acted like it was normal to bleed for a month. It finally stopped. I gained 20 pounds from the pill, I lost 10 of those in the first week after I went off of it. Water weight is fun!
For the first 2 years of being on the pill, the pain was minimal, I didn't feel like my periods stopped my life anymore.
In the 3rd year, my mood completely shifted. I was angry all the time, super depressed, and making questionable choices when it came to men. It honestly was like I was PMSing all year round, it was awful. My mom says I was a completely different person. And to make matters worse, every 3 months my periods were the worst thing ever, worse than when I wasn't on the pill. So many people urged me to go off of it, but I was scared that my pain would be unbearable again.
In the 4th year, I saw a new ob-gyn who said we could explore other birth control options, but I didn't want more hormones and I didn't want an IUD, so I felt trapped. At the time, I felt like my only option was to stay on the pill. I started pelvic floor physical therapy and started researching things that would give me relief if I went off the pill. In August 2021, I finished my last pack of birth control. I had filled my prescription for the next 9 months, just in case. It took a while for my body to adjust and return to homeostasis. I think my body may still be adjusting to this day. Quite honestly, my endometriosis symptoms are completely different than when I was on the pill, but overall they seem a little bit better. I also think there are many factors that have improved my symptoms, not just going off birth control.
Recently, I have been looking into birth control alternatives, such as Plexxi, Natural Cycles, FAM, etc. I decided to try Natural Cycles, which I will write a separate post about. I chose Natural Cycles because I feel that it educates me on what is going on with my body while determining when I am fertile and when I am not. That being said, it takes a lot of obedience to wake up every day and take your temperature, but it is worth it. We are not taught enough about how our bodies work and quite honestly it's heartbreaking.
We prescribe birth control to anyone with a painful period without educating them on ways to combat this pain. We do not educate young girls on how their cycles work. We focus on putting a band-aid on painful periods without ever addressing the cause. Yes, birth control is useful for some people. Yes, birth control is extremely effective in preventing pregnancy. Yes, birth control has helped people who have painful periods. I am grateful that we have access to birth control in this country. But, we really need to educate those with painful periods on alternative options, because adding synthetic hormones to a body with a hormone imbalance is not the only solution. I have made it my mission in life to educate those with endometriosis and painful periods on ways we can find relief and heal our bodies without hormonal intervention.
Painful periods are not normal and should not be pushed aside as if they are nothing.
Sources:
Hormonally Active Contraceptives Part I: Risks Acknowledged and Unacknowledged
“No adverse outcomes?” Debunking the bad science on birth control risks
What Are the Side Effects of Birth Control Pills?
Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk
Birth Control — What Doctors Don’t Say About Birth Control Effects
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