birth control dilemma

[hiitdogs]

The only hormone in it is progesterone, and the effects are minimal compared to estrogen.

I don't want to be argumentative but that is not entirely true! Breast cancer tumor growth can be caused by either estrogen or progesterone. Scientists at Michigan State University have recently found that exposure to the hormone progesterone can activate genes that trigger inflammation in the mammary gland. The progesterone induced inflammation appears to be a key factor in increased risk for breast cancer.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161348.php

It is now believed that inflammation plays a major role in the development of cancer. State of the art cancer testing now often includes checking for homocysteine and CRP levels in your blood stream as an indicator for inflammation and cancer growth.

I am sure Mirena is great for people who suffer from a hormone imbalance with too little progesterone but that is not everyone. Many people do experience side effects. Mirena contains levenogesterol, a synthetic progesterone, known to induce insulin resistance, anxiety as well as thyroid problems, etc. Personally I would not expose myself to any synthetic hormones, nor would I mess with artificially creating a hormone imbalance but I understand other people feel differently about this.

 

[spyrosmom]

Be forewarned TMI coming up. For those of you thinking of getting the IUD that have not had a baby, be forewarned it HURT!!! My uterus was so swollen after the insertion that it was swollen almost out of my body. I was actually icing in a place that I never thought I would ice. That lasted a couple of days. Even with that I think it was one of the best decisions I have ever made and next May when my 5 years are up I plan on getting a new one. You really can not put a value on no longer losing a week and a half of your life every month to PMS symptoms and migraines. I am so grateful to be able to have such a wonderful device to get my life back.

Shayne

I had 1 baby before my IUD and it didn't hurt at all. Kinda felt like a pap smear. Just a little uncomfy, and I had cramps for a couple hours (not bad though) Dr had me take some Motrin. He did also have me take a course of preventive antibiotics afterward. Just in case. I guess that is standard procedure. You do not want to get a uterine infection. I don't like taking antibiotics w/out a reason (not being already sick) but I saw the purpose, so I did it. At first DH said he could feel the string (kinda like fishing line) and it was a little annoying, but had the Dr cut it back a little, and now he says he doesn't notice it.

Nan

 

[morningstar]

There is no safe amount of alcohol.

Could you explain what you mean by this and provide the source of your information on this topic?

 

[Govtgirl]

Heidi, I just noticed that you said you are 42....I'm just curious if tubal ligation is a consideration? Of course if you are planing on having kids that's not an option, but frankly, at 42 you'd have to get hopping on that right now! If having an IUD involves a trip to the hospital and sedation, why not go for the ligation? I had mine done under light anesthesia, was out in a few hours, and just took a couple days off of work more because I felt like pampering myself than because of any real pain or discomfort

 

[hiitdogs]

Could you explain what you mean by this and provide the source of your information on this topic?

What I mean by that is that drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing breast cancer because even moderate amounts of as little as half a glass raises estrogen levels. Alcohol also changes the way the body metabolizes estrogen.

The American Cancer Society lists alcohol as a risk factor for breast cancer. There are several studies that confirm that.

Women who drank the equivalent of a half glass of wine a day were 6% more likely to develop breast cancer.
Women who drank a glass or two a day faced a 21% increased risk of breast cancer.
Those who drank more than two drinks a day were 37% more likely to develop breast cancer.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/14/health/webmd/main4014147.shtml
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/women-alcohol
http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/FactSheet/Diet/fs13.alcohol.cfm
http://www.naturalnews.com/026192_cancer_breast_cancer_alcohol.html

The source of "there is no safe amount of alcohol" is my oncologist.

Does that mean everyone who drinks alcohol will develop breast cancer? Of course not! Will everyone who smokes develop lung cancer? No! But every individual is different, and you have no idea how much smoking a body can take without developing cancer and you don't know it for alcohol either. There is no "safe" amount of cigarettes and there is no safe amount of alcohol.

I didn't know about the link of alcohol and breast cancer and I paid a steep price for it! I don't want this to happen to anyone else and their family!

 

[spyrosmom]

Heidi, I just noticed that you said you are 42....I'm just curious if tubal ligation is a consideration? Of course if you are planing on having kids that's not an option, but frankly, at 42 you'd have to get hopping on that right now! If having an IUD involves a trip to the hospital and sedation, why not go for the ligation? I had mine done under light anesthesia, was out in a few hours, and just took a couple days off of work more because I felt like pampering myself than because of any real pain or discomfort

An IUD doesn't require a trip to the hospital or sedation (I think a previous poster said she had to, but there was something w/ her anatomy) Mine was in the Dr office w/ no anesthesia of any sort, and I think that's the way most of them are done. I'm thinking of Essure for sterilization myself. I go to the Dr in Nov and will tt him then. DH and I had originally talked about getting him snipped, but he doesn't do well w/ blood, needles, stitches and the like. A vial of blood for a blood test will make him pass out. Doesn't seem like a good candidate for the "snip, snip" to me.

Nan

 

[NRG Woman]

My IUD didn't require any sedation at all. It was just a regular appointment to my dr. office, with just a regular copay. Best medical value ever.

 

[intensityjunkie]

I second a tubal if you are for sure not wanting more kids. I just had that done about 4 weeks ago and it was so easy to recover from. I was put to sleep. woke up and wasn't even sore. After a nap at home I felt great. The insicions healed quickly, you'd never know they cut by my belly button it healed so well. Feels good to not worry about it anymore. I'd rather go through that than a dr appt procedure. It won't help the difficult periods but you'll not have to worry about the BC anymore.

 

[nspire]

I got the DEPO shot for years and loved it. Never gained weight, no periods, I was in heaven. My doctor recommended I come off because of my age (41).

I began the pill and the nightmare began. After consideration and due that my daughters are 22 and 23, I knew another baby was out of the question, so I had a tubal but I'm still having the cramping, moodiness, but mine are because of ovarian cysts that occur every month.

 

[buckeyegirl]

You guys have given me a lot of food for thought-thanks! I have an appt with my gyn in early Dec. Hopefully we'll come up with what is right for me. I'm not sure about the IUD. Unfortunately, I've had some bad luck in the past with medical procedures - so, I tend to be a little tenuous about volunteering for one (besides, way TMI, but I have a slightly tipped uterus and difficult cervix to get to. Had to have it "pulled up" with forceps once for a procedure when I was sick at Cleveland Clinic - NOT a pleasant experience) I also have had several abddominal surgeries and prefer not adding another one to the mix with a tubal. So, we'll see. Thanks for the ideas/experiences and knowledge you've provided (especially you, Carola - I always appreciate your insight)

Heidi