i've been on the pill for about 10 years. recent studies linking it to all sorts of scary things made me decide to go off it for a while. i've been taking meds for the things like acne that the pill helped me with, but my periods have been left to their own devices. the thing is, my periods keep getting heavier and heavier, and all the cramping, pms, and everything else that comes with it has been getting worse and worse, too. i originally went of the pill because of these things, not for birth control. my boyfriend and i are very careful, so there is no reason i need to be on the pill, other than the periods. i don't want to go back on the pill any time soon. but the way my periods are, i'm thinking i may not have any other option. are there any herbal or alternative things i could try?
My experience is that the pill is the best option. Evening primrose oil may help some, but it does absolutely jack and shit for my cramps. I tried every otc option I heard of, and none of it did nearly enough. Also, just because it's herbal or alternative doesn't mean that it is necessarily safer than the pill (I realize that statement is blasphemy among many hippy types). How many controlled studies, comparable to the studies that the pill has been put through, have been done on those options? And, what are the potential side effects of the replacement meds you're taking, such as the acne meds? Are you really that much better off?
Did the pill hurt you for the 10 years you were on it? To me, it sounds like it helped you. If not, why let some quack recent study change your mind about it?
That's silly. Adding fake hormones to your body IS linked to all sorts of bad side-effects, and if she's learned this after 10 days, 10 months, or 10 years, the length of time she was on BC shouldn't effect her decision. To the OP, if you're looking for a BC method that is safe and hormone-free, read the book Take Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Not only will it help you to connect with your body and its signals, but it will give you a greater understanding of yourself, and how to diagnose potential problems. Yes, this method takes a bit of dedication on your and your partner's part (condoms/abstainence on fertile days) but it is well worth it due to it's lack of side effects!
i know what you're saying, and in a way i agree with you. its just that i dont like the idea of being so dependent on a drug for some long, no matter how much it might help me. i mean, i've already been on it for 10 years, and if i went back on it, it'd probably be another 20 years. i called my doc and she said i should just give it some more time to let my body get used to this. since i started at such a young age my body has never had to really deal with a very heavy period before. when you think about it like that, it makes sense that my hormones would be on overload. thanks for your help and advice though ladies!
not saying that drugs are the solution but when i did get periods(which i haven't had one in a long time) i use to take 3 aleve pain killers. i use to get the worst cramps in the world, they were killer. i would have to sit in a bathtub filled with hot hot water for six hours. i'm serious when i say six hours. i would get out and sit on the toilet for a like 20 minutes because i felt like i had to do a number 2 but then i wouldn't so i'd get back in the bathtub and slowly suffer some more. sometimes it hurt so bad that i would get out and roll around on the dirty ass bathroom floor. i didn't care because all i could focus on was the pain. i suffered with those cramps for a long time and then finally one day i decided to up the dosage on my aleve but only when i felt the cramps coming on, it was too late if the pain got too bad. they worked though. did you try that proative for acne? dannayelli
