Study A New Study On Contraceptive Pills...

[J_trustno1]

I was always told by my GP to take contraceptive pills due to my severe PMS symptoms but I refused to because these pills play with your hormones. I knew that these synthetic pills affected estrogen levels and caused them to elevate but what I didn't know was them altering the brain shape.

Here is what the study suggests:

[DLMURL]http://www.sciencealert.com/the-pill-can-change-the-shape-of-your-brain-new-study-suggests[/DLMURL]


Please feel free to drop any feedback.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

But don't panic just yet. Even if the pill does turn out to shrink brain regions in certain women, there's no evidence that this is dangerous. But it's definitely cause for more research.

A shrinking brain is no cause for concern?

Ok, so I TOTALLY get that you don't want to jump to conclusions and such, but at the same time, I hate it when scientific research is just too.....uhm......SCIENTIFIC for its own good!

There are plenty, and I do mean PLENTY of other brain disorders in which shrinking parts of the brain are indeed a cause for concern. (Isn't PTSD one of them? Or is it still correlational at this point?)

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for scientific research.....however, by the time anything *conclusive* is shown in regards to the pill, even the youngest pill users may be well past menopause. (As in, sometimes research takes decades to show any sort of definitive result!) I oftentimes think that its better to err on the side of caution rather than wait for scientific "proof" that something isn't good for the human body.


But, maybe this study is popping up at the right time for me....Maybe I was meant to see that article. I was considering starting the mini-pill, but I'm not so sure. Well, to be fair, I wasn't all that sure to begin with. There is so much contradicting information out there. My doctor told me that BC pills would help balance my hormones and that I should take one with estrogen in it even though my estrogen levels are a bit high. She tried to convince me that adding estrogen to my system which is already overloaded with estrogen wouldn't be a bad thing. I have no idea where this logic comes from?

My system is already at its emotional brink, so I don't know if I even want to risk adding something to my system that could send me over the edge. But of course, doctors don't understand how sensitive I am to medications and even natural herbs/minerals/vitamins. They tell me that I can't possibly have such bad emotional side effects. Then again, most doctors have no clue about how PTSD affects one's system. (These side effects didn't get bad until after I went fully symptomatic and was diagnosed.)

 

[J_trustno1]

Hi @Solara, Just be cautious when you go on any hormone pills. Please please ask for natural progesterone that will go with natural estrogen. Don't ever go on synthetic form of hormones as they do more damage than good. Whenever you go on female hormones it is recommended to go on both estrogen and progesterone together so they balance out and don't cause more damage to your body. One hormone imbalance can cause cancers of ovaries or other types of cancers. I don't mean to scare you but to inform you to be extra careful about what you introduce to your body in form of hormones. All the best.

I also have high estrogen 1 (estrone) and I'm prescribed this natural supplement DIM for healthy estrogen metabolism. I am still going to bring up the natural progesterone to my doctor and will ask her to confirm with my psychiatrist because he has more knowledge about natural herbal medicines.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Is DIM a prescription there? Here you can get it over the counter. I have tried it in the past but had negative side effects. I think it made my muscles ache if I recall correctly.

It's hard to find a doctor here who knows much about natural supplements and such. Medicine is big business and unfortunately there isn't much money to be made from natural supplements.

 

[J_trustno1]

I had to order DIM from iherb.com because we don't have it here. My psychiatrist gave me their site. I am currently thinking over stopping DIM because I don't see any improvement in my mood. But it could also be due to other factors : new job, new people, self image issues, increased dose of antidepressant which caused me suicidal ideation. I will be bringing everything up with my GP on Saturday to find what will be suitable for me.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I got mine from iHerb, too. It's a great website! I'm going to give it another try, but start at a lower dose as I'm sensitive to supplements.

 

[J_trustno1]

Yup, take the lower dose. I'm also very sensitive to all types of medicines. Can you ask your doctor to get you to do a proper hormone test? It's a Saliva test and it will have all your hormones tested precisely in comparison to a blood test. I'm sorry to admit it's a bit expensive (cost me $238 NZD, because the samples had to be sent to Australia). Once you get your results you'll be more aware of what's wrong.

Also get your doctor to get you natural progesterone but only after the tests.

I hope things go well for you.

 

[Senecia]

I went on the pill for about 6 months and hated it. It sent my anxiety into overdrive, panic attacks so frequent and horrible. The doctor didn't believe me that it changed my moods at all. When I went off of it, the doctor said my periods would resume normally. It took like four months for my cycle to be even remotely normal, and I'm confused as to why...but that's the way it was. It also took a long time for the panic to die down. I've thought that perhaps, I was just taking it at a really stressful time in my life and it's just coincidence that my panic was out the roof, and I blamed it on the pill. Still can't deny the periods though.
I overheard a woman talking at my former college, saying how the pill did the same thing to her. Doctor didn't believe her either.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Ok, I have decided to not go on the pill.....LOOOOONG story short.....I had the copper IUD which is non-hormonal but copper in the body does indeed affect hormones and WHOA I was off my rocker for months! Daily panic attacks. Everyone was asking me what was wrong, and I couldn't explain to them as it was a private thing, yanno? Even my doc told me that I couldn't possibly have such a bad effect....but in this case, google was indeed my friend and others experienced the same thing. I cannot risk being de-stabilized at this point, so I will continue with my DIM and Calcium D Glucarate (another supplement used for hormone balance).

 

[Senecia]

@Solara Good idea. It really sounds like we are not alone. Hormone imbalances do crazy things! Why else would puberty and menopause be joked about with the mood swings? (bleh).

I'm a little surprised the doctors aren't recognizing this as a symptom...Hormones control everything, is it really out of the question that the pill would affect it? Sheesh! Have you thought about the plastic IUDs? I don't think they have hormone release. I've been thinking about one, but I'm still just unable to handle the doctor at the moment. So much stress, I question if it's even worth it. Heh.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I know the mirena one releases hormones. It hurt so bad to have the last one put in. Never again....I'm not sure if there are others out there . My current insurance doesn't cover it .