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Ladies...I have a question!

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/1/2011 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
Have any of you been on the birth control pill for years and years and then either 1.decreased to a lower estrogen pill, 2.switched to a progesterin only pill, or 3.gotten off the pill entirely?  if so, what kind of effect did it have on your uc...did it make you flare?  what kind of effect did it have on you non-uc-wise?  did you get acne/did your periods get all wonky?  i need to make a change, and am scared it will mess up my uc after being on the pill for so long.  i would like to get off estrogen completely as i know we are at greater risk of blood clots w/our uc.  however i read the progesterone only pill side effects, and it still listed blood clots as a risk.  and reading some of the other troubles people have had w/those pills scares me...some people gain weight, grow facial hair, bloat, etc...i just got off pred and don't need a repeat lol!  ugh...fear of the unknown i guess.  any feedback would be appreciated for those of you with experience with this sort of thing! 
Posted 9/1/2011 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
Getting off birth control pills can be a good thing for IBD sufferers because the hormones in the pill can cause yeast overgrowth and worsen gut dysbiosis - which is almost always present. I had no issues getting off the pill. Now that I'm premenopausal, I researched and started taking bioidentical hormones - testosterone and progesterone creams. You can learn about it here:
www.thewileyprotocol.com/

If you can find a gynecologist who will test hormone levels and work with a compounding pharmacy that offers bioidenticals, these can help with any PMS or irregular period issues.
Posted 9/1/2011 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
I stopped taking my BCP 3 months ago and I didn't notice any changes for the negative.. Did it help my UC? Can't really answer that because I made alot of changes at the same time so not sure which was the "magic" idea or if it was a collection of them all...
Good Luck!
Posted 9/1/2011 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
I stopped 4 years ago and it did not change my UC, I am very regular and my major complaint about it is that I do get very bad cramps every few periods and can't take my fav aleve or ibuprofen to relieve me.

If I take xtra strength tylenol right before I get my period and keep it up it makes it bearable. Also, good 'ol heating pads.
Posted 9/1/2011 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
thanks for your replies...not to get too personal, but if you are off the pill what do you use for birth control then?
Posted 9/1/2011 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
condoms
Posted 9/2/2011 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
bump?!
Posted 9/2/2011 1:11 PM (GMT 0)
I had been on BCP for about 10 years, when I quit so that I could have a baby. I hadn't yet been diagnosed with UC at that point. I started back on BCP when my son was about 10-12 weeks old, because I lost my supply due to all the diarrhea. I hadn't been diagnosed at that point, but it made no difference in my symptoms. I stayed on them until a couple of months ago (so I'd been back on them for a little over two years), when I quit because my prescription didn't transfer when we switched insurance, and I've been too lazy to go to an OBGYN and get a new RX. Plus, we're thinking about trying to have another baby. Anyway, I didn't notice any differnce in my UC symptoms when I quit. I do, however, tend to get some loose poops and slightly increased frequency (not really diarrhea) in the few days before my period starts when I'm not on BCP, but that's been my norm ever since I started having my period.

We use condoms for birth control. You can also learn how to chart your cycle, and then either abstain or use condoms during your fertile period. The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a great guide.
Posted 9/2/2011 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
I stopped taking the pill last fall after taking it non-stop for about 14 years. Have had 2 flares since then, but that's normal for me, so I don't think they're connected. Didn't know that the pill was bad for us though, good to know!
Posted 9/2/2011 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
I switched to a no estrogen pill recently and I am feeling better. I do believe it is a coincidence because I have changed pills and I even stopped taking the pill for a few months during my first flare (year long+) and I had no change in my UC symptoms. I am sure it will effect different people differently but there is a good chance it will not have much impact on your UC.
Posted 9/2/2011 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
I second the recommendation for the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It's a great book and that's what we use. I HATE condoms!! We abstain on my fertile days and he also *ahem* withdraws when we do have sex just to be extra safe. I think a vasectomy is in his near future because we're pretty sure we're done having babies.

I quit taking all hormonal birth control about 8 or 9 years ago (and had been on the pill for about 6 years) and didn't have any menstrual weirdness. That was years before I developed UC, so I can't say anything about that. I can't remember if my cramps went back to their adolescent awfulness, it is a possibility. Since having kids the cramps etc have all lessened for me. I don't think I got any acne either.
Posted 9/3/2011 5:20 AM (GMT 0)
I never took the pill. Both my mom and older sister got blood clots from the pill. Good thing too because I think I would have gotten blood clots from the pill. I get blood clots when I flare.
Posted 9/16/2011 12:52 PM (GMT 0)
 

Hi

I'm on a progesterin only pill for years now with no side effects to speak of (I am sure your doctor told you to be more careful with it in terms of taking it at the same time each day).  The standard pill just did not agree with me....there were lots of tears.....  I don't think that there has been any effect on UC at all.  Thought I would post (even though late) as there does not appear to be alot of us on this pill. 

Hope you are keeping well.

Geraldine.

 

Posted 9/16/2011 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
thanks for all your replies...they have all been very helpful!
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