Update about me and THE PILL

keriamon · December 28, 2005, 5:08pm

I think we should just start a women's group to ban periods forever. If we never have them, then we wouldn't have these problems to begin with.

Michelle, I think you should get a second opinion. I don't see why you can't come off birth control whenever you want. It's not like it's insulin for your diabetes or anything. It's there for YOUR convenience, nothing else. If you are prone to cysts or to endometriosis, then you may want to stay on it to keep them at bay, but other than that, it's your choice. I mean, what if you wanted to try to have a baby? You can't stay on it and get pregnant, lol. Since you've been on it for so long, you may have to be weaned off with lower doasges to keep your body from going into hormone shock (i.e. really bad PMS), but that shouldn't take too long, I wouldn't think.

I have come to the conclusion that everything both causes and prevents at least one form of cancer. You know what? Life is a terminal illness. You can either make yourself miserable for decades trying to squeeze out one extra year of life (which you will be too old to thoroughly enjoy anyways), or you can try and live well now while you are young. Periods suck and impare my quality of life. Therefore I elect not to have them. If going without them increases my chance of uterine or ovarian cancer, then so be it. Take those things out if necessary; I certainly don't plan to use them. If going without a period decreases my chance to have certain cancers, then that's just peachy keen. I'm not really worried about anything except how my digestive tract is functioning today. After all, almost everything is genetic. Either you're destined to get it, or you're not. What you eat and what medinces you take have only the smallest imact on it (if any at all). Given that I come from two families that have above-average life spans and very little in the way of life-threatening illnesses, I'm set for life. Between my genes and medical advances, I plan on living to be 130.

flybullseye · December 28, 2005, 5:31pm

Keriamon, you're too funny! I totally agree with you, too!

I called my gyno and told her nurse that I wanted to come off of this Microgestin (Levsin) because it has been making me nauseated for 4 months. She said to go ahead and stop taking it and I have an appt on Jan 3rd to discuss other options. She didn't even say to try to take the Alesse. I think she's thinking I need to get on a different form of BC, and get away from the pills. I have never taken any other form of BC.

Oh, well......we'll see how it goes. At least I get to stop taking this BC that I'm on now!! I hope it doesn't make me feel worse coming off of it. It's been so long!!!

Michelle :)

flybullseye · December 28, 2005, 5:34pm

7Lil,

Which pill were you taking??

Michelle :)

7Lil · December 28, 2005, 5:39pm

I was on Necon 1/35 for 8 years, and I didn't have any problems coming off. Good luck, Michelle, I really hope you start to feel better off the pill. Keep us posted as to what happens after your apt on the 3rd. I have mine on the 10th and I'd love some input from you before I go.

Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum

flybullseye · December 28, 2005, 5:42pm

Will do, I hope you CONTINUE to feel better!

Thanks,
Michelle

flybullseye · January 2, 2006, 2:32am

Well, it's been 6 days since I stopped the BC and the nausea is pretty much gone unless I have an IBS attack. I have been having more attacks because of the cramping but they're not as intense!! I'm having withdrawl side effects. I have been on this pill since I was 14 and my body is really hurting. I have had a headache ever since I stopped using it, really bad cramps, and I'm actually bleeding like I have never bled before. Which is very unusual for me because I don't have a cycle without the pill. Well, I am now!! So, that's 2 periods this month, so far!!

I go back to the doc on tuesday so I will let you know what happens.

Michelle

7Lil · January 2, 2006, 5:00am

Hey Michelle,
I'm sorry you are feeling the side affects of being off the pill, but I'm glad you are trying it. I still haven't had an IBS attack since I stopped taking the pill. It's been over a month now.
I hope it lasts for the both of us. Good luck!

Give us an update about how your docs apt goes.

Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum

7Lil · January 5, 2006, 8:25pm

Michelle,
How'd the doc apt go?

Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum

flybullseye · January 9, 2006, 3:19pm

Hey, 7Lil!

I cancelled it. I want to wait and see if my body will have a cycle on it's own this month because I bled for 7 days when I came off the pill. I think my body might be able to cycle on it's own without the pill and she wants to keep me on birth control. I have to have a pap again in March, so I will just wait till then and see how my body is doing.

As far as IBS attacks, they are better but not gone. I had an attack yesterday and on new year's day..... But, I think it helping my GERD alot!!! I have been sleeping well at night and I haven't woken up with GERD at 2AM ever since I quit taking the pill. so, that's a good thing!!! Something good did come out of me quitting the pill. But, Ido still have the IBS-D!! Big Time!! Wish I had a better report......

Michelle :)

pb4 · January 9, 2006, 4:47pm

My only suggestions for your IBS-D is trying prodiem (similar to metamucil), if you're not already...it's a soluble fibre and stool bulker/mild laxative, don't let the laxative thing scare you from trying it because first and foremost, it bulks up the stool, but needs to have a small amount of mild laxative so you don't get constipated...taking things like prodiem or metamucil on a daily basis is safe and highly recommended for anyone who suffers with C or D, IBS or IBD. I have crohns and my GI suspects I have IBS as well and he told me to take prodiem and it was one of the best things I could have done...of course it took about 3 months for my body to adjust which is not unusual, even for healthy peeps it takes time for the body to adjust whenever increasing or adding some form of fibre into the system...in those 3 months I had ALOT of gas with some cramping but stuck through it...now, instead of going so often to the bathroom with small deposits, I go fewer times and have bigger movements, that's so much better for your colon.

take care

flybullseye · January 9, 2006, 5:06pm

I have heard of the Prodiem but I never knew anyone that actually took it. I am on Citrucel "Clear" three times a day and it works very well for bulking up my stool!! However, my colon is irritated so when I have to actually "go", it won't stop!!! I don't actually have "D".....I just have like 7 BM within 2 hours or something like that until it's eventually very loose and I'm nauseated and stomach is upset and all that...so, I take Imodium to stop the BM's once I have went twice. When I go twice...it's not over!! so, I take 2 Imodium and it stops it until the next day.

I don't understand why I can't just go ONCE and be done with it. My colon just keeps right on moving once it starts.....it never stops!!!

thanks for the info on the prodiem, though. If the Citrucel ever stops working for me, I will try this!!

Michelle :)

7Lil · January 15, 2006, 2:22am

Went to my OB/GYN today and told him that I stopped the pill and it practically got rid of my IBS. He wasn't at all surprised. It actually kind of annoyed me because I should have been told it can cause digestive problems. He thought I only recently developed IBS so he didn't think there was a connection.
Anyway, I'm going to stay off the pill and see what happens. If my cysts act up again in the next few months he wants me to try the NuvaRing.
Did you all know what causes cysts? My doc gave me a little lesson today.... The egg is supposed to be released 2 weeks prior to your period. When it is released it needs to break through the lining of the ovary. This process of breaking through creates a cyst. The cyst burst and lets the egg and some liquid through. For those of us who get painful cysts, usually what happens is that the cyst builds for about 1 week. When the egg finally bursts through, about 1 week prior to our periods, it is super painful because it releases the egg and twice as much liquid.
It was interesting to me to learn that because I was under the impression I had "cysts" that no one else got. In reality mine are just a little "off" and more painful. I just hope it doesn't happen every month. There have to be some little suckers that get through normally.

Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum

pb4 · January 15, 2006, 3:49am

I don't know why, but reading your post 7Lil, took me back to when my daughter was in grade 4 and in "health" class they were learning about womens menstral cycles, so I asked her how it worked, she said, "once a month a women drop eggs in their panties"...I almost cried because I wanted to laugh so hard that this is how she imagined it in her little head (made me think of the easter bunny for some odd reason), of course I didn't because I didn't want to cause her any embarassment at the time....she's going to be 16 this wednesday and she just started getting her periods (late bloomer) so she told me about it because the week before she got them she had severe stomach pains, with me having CD and IBS I thought the worst at first but then figured, she's gonna be 16 soon, maybe it's finally her periods, so when she got them and she told me that's what all the greif from the week before was, I said to her, "sounds easier said then done, dropping those eggs in your panties ey!"

7Lil · January 15, 2006, 3:56am

Wow, pb4, she was a late bloomer. Good for her. That was a cute story that made me giggle. Thanks! I was 11 when I got my period and I cried for days. I had no idea how I was going to wear a diaper (that's what I thought pads felt like) for 1 week out of every month for the next 40 or so years. Thank goodness for tampons!

Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum

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