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The Case Against Birth Control Pills
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by drerika | December 8, 2006 at 04:07 pm
17050 views | 6 Recommendations | 65 comments
Dear Dr. Erika,
Thank you for keeping me up on this valuable information. I am currently taking Activella.
I have a question for you - I am concerned for my daughter who is 25 - she like many of us,
has been taking birth control for many years. Are the hormones in birth control the same harmful
"non-bioidentical" ones used for menopause? I would assume they must be. How can we protect our girl's futures, as they become mothers, and older women? My generation was the guinea pig on birth control and now on menopause. I would like to look into the future for our daughters.Thank you,
We have been brainwashed.
Led to believe birth control pills are reasonable, safe and viable methods of contraception. The doctors who prescribe them believe birth control pills are safe (If they don’t they are really dangerous). We believe birth control pills are easy to take and since we are young and they are only supposed to prevent pregnancy, they must be safe. Why isn’t everyone asking: “How will taking the pill affect me or my 16 year old daughter in 20 years from now?”
The belief that birth control pills are safe comes from more than 40 years of continuous brainwashing by the pharmaceutical industry to both physicians and the public. We are victims of misinformation and dangerous practices.
It starts with our teen daughters.
While it is not necessarily abnormal or uncommon for young girls to have irregular periods into their early twenties, the birth control industry would have us think otherwise.Without scientific information to the contrary, over the past 30 years almost every girl who goes to a gynecologist or clinic for a routine examination and reports irregular periods, automatically gets placed on birth control pills.
Mothers don’t even question the validity of this course of action by the gynecologists.Using birth control pills to regulate periods is not necessary or safe.
Many young women in their teens and early twenties do not ovulate regularly. If you do not ovulate, you may not get a period. Periods occur naturally and normally only 14-15 days after ovulation ( release of an egg) if pregnancy does not occur.
There is nothing wrong with irregular periods, they are just part of life. When ovulation doesn’t take place, menstruation does not follow.
Taking birth control pills to regulate or even eliminate your period (like the new pill, Seasonale, that has girls menstruating three times a year) is dangerous. There is no data to support safety of use.Birth control pills are synthetic hormones that override the normal hypothalamus-pituitary- ovarian hormonal axis to prevent ovulation. This is not a natural state for any woman and without a doubt this situation leaves us open to potentially major problems later on in life ( eg. Infertility, cancers, strokes, blood clots).
There are no studies to secure safety of birth control pill usage over time.As women become sexually active, birth control pills are promoted as the only safe and reliable option for contraception.
Another fallacy. Birth control pills may be reliable but are far from safe.
Birth control pills are synthetic hormone impostors. Just like Premarin, Provera and Prempro, the maligned synthetic HRT that started the change in awareness of the dangers caused by synthetic hormone replacement and changed our treatment of menopause, birth control pills are the same breed of synthetic drugs.
Their goal is to override our hormonal systems and stop our bodies from ovulating. Their action prevents the egg from being released from the ovary. The periods we have while on birth control pills are not real. They are created by artificial changes in our hormone levels caused by our master gland, the pituitary, misreading signals sent by the synthetic birth control pills and sending on erroneous messages on the ovaries.
Birth control pills are like a virus in your computer, it screws up the whole system with one false sequence of information.
The side-effects are complex and long lasting.
Symptoms like weight gain, breast engorgement and tenderness, bloating, mood swings, severe PMS, headaches and loss of libido are what we experience within days or months of starting on the pill.
In time, long term dangers create an even bleaker picture. Reliable and recurrent scientific studies warn of breast and liver cancer, strokes, heart attacks, blood clots and infertility.
I spend much of my time taking young and not so young women off birth control pills.
Ten years ago I took care of a 24 year old woman with breast cancer. She had been on birth control pills for 8 years. When I called the manufacturer of the birth control pill to report the case, I was told they did not take this type of reports because I could not prove the connection between the woman’s breast cancer and her taking birth control pills.
I was appalled and saddened that the drug company did not care. The young woman went off the pill and was treated with chemotherapy. The tumor disappeared.To this day I am sure the cancer was connected to her taking the birth control pills. I no longer feel sad or need to contact the drug companies. I now teach the women to protect themselves. It works a lot better.
Before we even start talking about using bioidentical hormones, we must stop using birth control pills. Many of the symptoms women complain about when they are taking birth control pills are symptoms caused by the use of birth control pills and do not treatment with yet another medication of any type. So, to answer your question, dear Betty, we need to stop taking birth control pills now! We must do it for ourselves, our daughters and their daughters!
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at 17:05 on December 20th, 2007
I agree with you Dr. Erika.. but would you care to share with women like me how to go off our pills and NOT have unwanted pregnancys? Are there Bio - Identical Hormone Contraceptives??
at 07:32 on October 6th, 2008
use a condom... not so difficult!
at 12:10 on November 18th, 2008
The Paragard IUD is effective, non-hormonal birth control. It is so sucessful in preventing pregnancy that it is almost like reversable sterilization.
at 21:40 on November 29th, 2008
Condoms have a much higher failure rate than the pill or the mini-pill. However, there are other options available.
at 08:51 on October 20th, 2008
Dr. Erika, You are absolutely right! I was put on BC when I got my first period at 11years old. The doctor convinced my mother that it would stabilize my emotions. I am now 29 years old and stopped taking them two weeks ago. I can hardly believe that it took me so long to make the connection between the pill and the problems I have known all my life. I have always struggled with depression, anxiety, mood-swings and always feeling disatisfied with my life, regardless of circumstances. I made the connection a couple of weeks ago when I noticed that I was severely depressed at the same time of month (the last week of the hormone pills) and that I felt much much better (mentally and emotionally stable) when my body was free to have a cycle. When I would start back on the hormones I would experience a dulling/numbing of my emotions for three weeks until again the fourth week of severe depression. I did not make this connection until I charted out my experiences on a calendar! Since I had taken BC since 11 year old, I just accepted these symptoms to be a part of my personality that I would always struggle with. I've changed pills several times over the years but these symptoms were the same. The last one I took was YAZ, which for me had the worst side-effects out of all of them. I should have figured it out the first few weeks I switched over to YAZ from Desogen. I was so depressed I missed week of work and sat and stared at the TV for hours...not even talking to anyone. I also had an axniety attack and diahreha. I remember I did bring this up to my Dr. at the time and he assured me that the best thing I could do was "keep taking it". He said that my body was just adjusting to it and that the side effects would eventually go away. I did as he suggested and the severity of the depression decreased and other symptoms decreased but have never gone away fully! After just a few short week of being off of the pill I feel so much better. It is really hard to explain this difference to someone. But I feel as though my mind is sharper/clearer and more aligned with my heart and body. I used to feel like I was struggling to figure out my life in a hazy fog. I am however, having some side-effects which I think are withdrawal symptoms such as cramping and severe headaches and I had another anxiety attack out of the blue last week for no reason. Although I am very relieved to have figured this out - I am also very angry. I feel like the quality of some 18 years of my life was cheated, and I am worried about some of the possible long-term effects the pill may have had on my body such as elevated cholesterol and blood clots, cancer and infertility. I would very much encourage anyone who happens to read this to take a hard look at their experience with the pill and re-consider the risks vs. benefits. Doctors I think too often are just there to push medicine from the pharmaceutical companys. And they don't look too closely at the drugs themselves unless YOU tell them that you believe the pill is what is causing you problems they won't make the connection for you because they are covered from liability with the warning labels and FDA approval. YOU have to take your health into your own hands and make the decision for yourself for your body for your quality of life - no one will do that for you. I wish that someone had told me that at least 10 years ago. Dr. Erika
at 07:25 on November 12th, 2008
Amen to that...I AM absolutely done with birth control!
The mental, behavorial, emotional, and physical side effects are not worth it at all!
Anyone still putting this crap in their bodies is crazy...it's only logical to believe that its's unhealthy to suppress your natural hormones...
And anyone considering taking this shit think about this...
the pharmaceutical companies Do Not produce exact copies of our natural hormones because they can't patent them. Naturally occuring hormones can not be patented, so they can't make money off them...
So everything in birth control pills is synthetic
synthetic = patent = money....
But what does that do to our bodies...
Many negative things...People need to wake up and see that the pharmaceutical companies have an agenda, and they would love for as many girls as possible to be on birth controls
They brainwash our doctors...
And who performs the studies that measure side effects and long term effects of birthcontrol...
the pharmaceutical companies...i would imagine their interests and study results are pretty much tied with the success of their drug
Wake up and smell the coffee girls...
It's not that hard. You may think you're getting sexual freedom from birth control pill but all you are really becoming is LAB RATS. I for one will not be a lab rat anymore.
at 07:30 on November 12th, 2008
p.s. condoms are your friends!
since I stopped birth control 3 years ago due to a variety of side effects that my doctor had dismissed for years,
I have yet to have a problem with pregnancy..and this is with very consistent sex over a 3 year period with my significant other.
it's about responsibility not pumping yourself with synthetic hormones.
if you can't be responsible maybe you should not be having sex at all..
Don't let yourself be brainwashed otherwise...it's a shame more doctors do not take the time that Dr. Erika does to
at 13:22 on November 21st, 2008
Never touching this stuff again with a ten foot pole.
Gynecologists need to start making sure their patients realize the truth about putting hormones in their bodies. Two months on BC and I felt the worst that I have ever felt in my entire life.
A lot of girls I know don't even realize the birth control is causing some of the mental /emotional problems they deal with. But sure enought more and more of my friends have started to make the connection. I guess it takes time to realize.
Stop being brainwashed girls.
And read that leaflet that comes with your BC and lists sideeffects
They are real. And you shouldn't just jump on the bc bandwagon.
I learned the hard way.
Any gynecologists pushing this stuff on their patients should have their licenses revoked.
at 21:44 on November 29th, 2008
I find it a bit irresponsible that you recommend that women go off birth control without explicitly discussing why. Many, likely most, users of birth control pills do so to prevent pregnancy, not to regulate periods.
Your blog post offers conspiracy but little science. (For example, the cancer case was not strongly supported. Did she have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors? etc.)
at 18:43 on June 21st, 2009
Of course the cancer case isn't supported by strong facts. It is obviously not in the best interest of pharmaceutical companies to do studies of that nature. For that matter I very much doubt these companies do long term studies as to the effects of prolonged exposure to synthetic estrogen. And to challenge a giant pharmaecuetical company is like david fighting Goliath. In years to come there may be more conclusive studies done on the links between prolonged birth control use and development of illnesses. In the meantime, there have been a great many cases with new BC's like the Patch where otherwise healthy users were dying from sudden blood clots. I have even had a friend whose life has been irrevocably changed because she suffered a blood clot in her early 20's. However, despite the many lawsuits the manufacturer of the patch was receiving, their profit margin was still enough after they settled the court cases that they could continue to manufacture and sell this drug.
I very much don't think she was assuming that most people take this drug to regulate their period, however I believe the daughter of the person that asked the question had and so she was simply going from that information.
And for that matter, theres nothing wrong with a little healthy skepticism about drugs we put into our bodies. It is our health, our lives at stake, best to ask questions first then when things go wrong C:.
at 21:46 on November 29th, 2008
I find it irresponsible that you recommend that women go off birth control without explicitly discussing why. Many (likely, most) users of birth control pills do so to prevent pregnancy, not to regulate periods.
Your blog post offers substantial conspiracy but little science. (For example, the cancer case was not strongly supported. Did your patient have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors? etc.)
at 05:17 on December 1st, 2008
Interesting read.
and to answer "Just googled it"
Because a lot of women do experience side effects and birth control is so readily prescribed these days without considering OTHER methods that could effectively prevent pregnancy. I've had some bad experiences myself. Go to askapatient or any other drug review site to see what some girls have experienced. They went on birth control believing it would ellicit NO side effects at all. Because that is what many doctors and the pharmaceutical industry promote. Ovulation is a natural part of a woman's menstrual cycle and using completely synthetic hormones to prevent ovulation may not be the wisest decision. Like some of the other posts said the fact of the matter is a lot of the pharmaceutical companies fund and control the research done on birth control. Don't think that couldn't skew any results linking BC to things like increased risks to soemthing like the woman who developed a tumor. And even if it's rare, the fact of the matter is it's possible. Some hypothalamic tumors (in your hypothalmus) have had a possible link to artificial hormones like those in BC. What we are all saying is many women do have tangible and real side effects and the only thing that's disgusting is the fact birth control is pretty much shoved down women's throats these days. There are many other birth control options that don't involve synthetic hormones, and they are effective. And if you end up being one of the women who experiences some of the side effects I or other girls have experienced you would change your tune real quick. Maybe you're lucky. OR maybe you have side effects you don't even realize. Especially behavorial and Mood based ones that from my personal experience I never linked to BC pills until some other things happened that forced me to go off of them. The fact is a lot of our doctors don't even realize what some of their patients are experiencing on BC pills because we fail to notify them or we ourselves can not link something we experience back to them. Because there's suppose to be "no" side effects. You rarely put something into your body and have no side effects whatsoever. There is plenty of literature on some permanent effects BC has on testosterone uptaking receptor sites on cells. (YES I'm one year away from Med School) So there are effects and many have not been properly measured.
Doctor Erika is no dummy and she herself had some very real side effects when she was on BC.
at 07:08 on December 1st, 2008
The evidence is all there. Dr Erika's statements on BC pills pretty much sums up the situation that we as patients fail to consider with Birth Control. Women are just living a fallacy because BC pills are easy for preventing pregnancy. But we are all only kidding ourselves as to the types of risks associated with them.
Birth control pills are synthetic hormones that override the normal hypothalamus-pituitary- ovarian hormonal axis to prevent ovulation. This is not a natural state for any woman and without a doubt this situation leaves us open to potentially major problems later on in life ( eg. Infertility, cancers, strokes, blood clots).
There are no studies to secure safety of birth control pill usage over time.
As women become sexually active, birth control pills are promoted as the only safe and reliable option for contraception.
Another fallacy. Birth control pills may be reliable but are far from safe.
Birth control pills are synthetic hormone impostors. Just like Premarin, Provera and Prempro, the maligned synthetic HRT that started the change in awareness of the dangers caused by synthetic hormone replacement and changed our treatment of menopause, birth control pills are the same breed of synthetic drugs.
at 09:50 on December 3rd, 2008
All so true
at 17:59 on December 7th, 2008
I have always opposed birth control pills, but took them for 2 years when I was in a relationship. I am no longer in a relationship or on BC pills. Many of you have mentioned the other options for birth control. Outside of condoms and BC, what is the next reliable natural (if any) form?
at 20:35 on February 3rd, 2009
Natural Family planning has multiple forms, some of which are very reliable.
I have used the "sympto-thermal method" and am now using the "Creighton Method".
The perfect use effectiveness with either method is greater than 99% and the typical use is 96% with one and 98% with the other. So this is comparable to the effectiveness of the pill and there aren't any side effects.
at 20:48 on March 12th, 2009
This is not true.
http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/1997/conceptbl.html
at 20:52 on March 12th, 2009
'Natural Family Planning' results in an unplanned pregnancy within one year 25% of the time, while an Estrogen / Progestin pill results in an unplanned pregnancy within one year 5% of the time. Both of these figures are 'typical use rates'
at 01:21 on July 21st, 2009
While it is a safer, maybe effective form of birth control, family planning does not protect against AIDS/HIV. Thus, I don't think it should be recommended. One may argue that they are in a monogamous relationship, but truthfully, one cannot know if it is really monogamous...unless you follow the other person around 24/7.
at 01:47 on July 21st, 2009
With all do respect, family planning does not protect against AIDS/HIV. One may argue that they are in a monogamous relationship, but truthfully, one cannot know if it is really monogamous...unless you follow the other person around 24/7.
at 05:22 on December 8th, 2008
I made out great with teh paraguard IUD
No Hormones :)
and actually 99 % effective.
I had some bad sid effects with BC and this was a godsend.
The insert isnt even that bad and after you forget its even there.
I had a friend that got a pulmonary embolism on birth control i couldnt believe that happened. i never thought something like that would but i guess hormones arent somethign you want to mess with no matter how low "they" say the dose is.
at 05:31 on December 8th, 2008
feel sorry for all the girls brainwashed into thinking how great bc pills are. damn shame. never used them. never ever will. suppressing a natural part of your natural monthly cycle (ovulation) with HORMONES. ha. sounds like recipe for disaster to anyone with half a brain. ive def seen some side effects with some of my friends on bc. not the serious potential life threatening ones. which we all know are pretty rare. but a lot of them get super BITCHY. which is definately a side effect that can be just as bad if some pill you're taking is effecting your emotional and behavorial health. Sad what some girls will go through for sex when they or their significant other can not be bothered with just practicing some safe sex practices. condoms and a little communication have always worked for me. Coming from a girl who has been very sexually active for the past 7 years so dont go tellin me it's not possible to be careful. But you can have problems if you're going to be lazy.
at 11:31 on December 10th, 2008
Just seen a women died once from BC pills. It was her first time using them in her life and she happened to develop blood clot. Don't believe me watch Dr. G medical examiner on Discovery health. That was the show. Made my draw drop. Sure it's rare. But that fucked up if she hadnt been on BC pills she would still be live today. Fact. Dont bellieve me watch it or look up episode
at 10:51 on December 17th, 2008
HAD THE WORST EXPERIENCE EVER ON BC PILLS. NEVER AGAIN. FELT LIKE SHIT
at 12:14 on December 21st, 2008
I had a variety of side effects. Funny how my Gyn acted like it was no big deal. BC pills are not as simple as they're made out to be
at 12:28 on December 22nd, 2008
I am totally against the use of birth control pills. I strongly believe that they are responsible for the increase in breast cancer cases. Since the pill became popular in the 1960's, the breast cancer cases have steadily increased. Obviously there has always been breast cancer before the pill, but I think it creates more cases and in younger women. I also think that since most scientists and doctors are men - they don't really care of the impact on womens health - as long as it makes it easy for men to have sex with none of the responsibility. That is why it is forced on women and now they are doing trials in London of having it available in the chemists without prescription!! Imagine that! The birth control pill available with no prescription! I will never take their pill, it isn't right to stop your body performing a normal function via synthetic hormones.
at 12:31 on December 28th, 2008
I will never use birth control. I have used condoms for 4 years with no problems whatsoever
at 05:30 on December 29th, 2008
bc pills completely numbed my emotions and i felt horrible. Many of my friends have felt the same way. Most did not realise their bc pills were causing these problems because their gynecologist never mentioned that the darn things could just make you feel bad. Not taking them now. or ever again.
at 06:11 on January 6th, 2009
i hear yall i found out that bc pills are not a very positive experience. i wish i had not believed that taking them was no big deal. because it was....and it threw my body out of wack for quite some time. there's always some kind of side effect. thats why you need think long and hard before taking any sort of medicine.
at 21:45 on January 7th, 2009
BC pills were a terrible experience for me. They;re really not worth the risk of side effects. and trust me those side effects are a lot more frequent and complex then the drug makers or even your doctor might have you believe..