new pill info....

Kimenem

Kimenem

Cathlete
Did anyone read the new study saying that pill users (long term) have a 20-30% increase in risk from stroke/heart attack/sudden cardiac death due to build up of plaque than non users. GREAT.

I've been on the pill for 16 years and am FIGHTING the urge right now not to call my gyn to schedule a tubal. I know you can lower the risk in general through diet, exercsie, not smoking...and the study also mentioned this, but I'm wondering if stopping the pill now will even be beneficial. The damage may already be done. Also, it didn't say if this was from the OLDER pills becasue they made a comment that women who began the pill in the 60's would now be reaching the age where these health issues could come up. Any other pill users out there?
 
Yikes, this is scary stuff! I've been on the pill for 13 years since my DH and I are not planning on having kids, and this has me really worried. Can I ask where you read or heard about this study?

Leanne
 
I would recommend people check out the actual study since from what I read there were links but not necessarily conclusive. Visit your library and read the facts before you decide whether or not you should panic ;-)
 
>I would recommend people check out the actual study since
>from what I read there were links but not necessarily
>conclusive. Visit your library and read the facts before you
>decide whether or not you should panic ;-)
>
Really good point, which is why I'd like to know more about where the study came from. There have been so many studies about the long-term effects (some good, some bad) of being on the pill that it can get confusing!

Leanne
 
I didn't see the study and I have never been on the pill, but I wanted to offer this FWIW. :) If you have regular cycles you can prevent pregnancy pretty easily w/out taking BC. I am not one to take any sorta pills or meds anyway so I have always been leary of the pill or anything hormonal for that matter.

I would do some more research on it. I am sure there are plenty of studies that say something else. It is hard to know with these sorta things.

Oh and one more thing. My neighbor is an ER nurse and we were just talking about this the other day. She said she sees a lot of young women coming into the ER w/ blood clots from taking the pill. That is scary enough.
 
The link to the article actually came up on AOL's main home page.
Blood cots would definitely be no fun either. I just wonder if I go ahead and stop taking it, will that help or am I already doomed?
 
I would do a bit of research and discuss your concerns with your doctor (who hopefully keeps abreast of the medical/pharma literature out there!)
 
And I'll bet you any money the bulk of those women are smokers. Really. The info that comes with the pill and all prescribing doctors make it very clear that hormonal birth control and smoking are a recipe made in hell.

Please ladies do not give in to panic. Read studies published only by research based medical institutions and get informed. Then make your decision. There are excellent methods of birth control that do not require hormones. Coil, diaphragm, etc. I would also be wary of any sensationalist "study" which claimed that the pill was this dangerous. Previous research does not back up such new claims.



Clare
 
Well, here's my input to back that up a bit. Again, just my case, but still...

When I went on the pill, my cholesterol was consistently low. 130's.
Once on the pill, it shot up to 250+. The highest it ever was was 285. The lowest it ever was (on the pill) was 255. This was the case for 13 years that I was on it (and I'm 30, but the way).

My doctors said there was no need to be concered, because my HDLs were so high due to all of the fitness work. Typically I came in 80+ on the HDL side. My LDLs were always a little high, but offset by the HDLs. Overall, I was outside of cardiac risk because there was a balance.

Now that I am off the pill and expecting our first, it has dropped back again. Sub 200. But not great. We'll continue to watch it, but like others, we're now wondering if there's been permanent damage done.
 
>
>When I went on the pill, my cholesterol was consistently low.
>130's.
>Once on the pill, it shot up to 250+. The highest it ever was
>was 285. The lowest it ever was (on the pill) was 255. This
>was the case for 13 years that I was on it (and I'm 30, but
>the way).


That is so interesting because I have noticed that my cholesterol has been running high the last few years, and I can't figure out why. I've also been tracking my nutrition information the past six months with an on-line program, and my cholesterol levels are always well below the daily maximums. (I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, which I think helps a lot, and I never eat any kind of fast food or super fatty food.)

I talked to my Dr. about it when I went in for my yearly physical this summer, and she said that it could just be hereditary and was nothing to worry about since I work out so much, even though I'm now 36. This new information, though, really makes me wonder if the pill could be to blame . . . .

Kimenem, would you mind sending the link to the article? I tried finding it on the AOL page, but couldn't.

Melimcn's experience makes me wonder if those cholesterol levels are, in fact, linked to the pill!

Leanne
 
I'm going to second some of the other posters' comments about other forms of BC. I recently went off the pill at the end of August (after 5 1/2 years) and have been using FAM - and it's been going surprisingly well. I had no major problems while on the pill, but the extra added pounds just weren't coming off and I really missed my sex drive (DH did, too!). I already feel less "puffier" - no one but me probably notices it, but it still feels better! I was on a low-dose pill (Mircette) that worked really well for me, but I have to admit that all of the warnings about embolisms, etc. kinda scared me (obviously not enough to stop taking it, though).

DH and I do NOT want children right away, but I wanted to make sure my cycles were back to "normal" well before we start trying. I liked the convenience of the pill and was initially turned off by FAM, but now I'm SO happy with it! Plus, I'm really enjoying understanding exactly what's going on with my body - stuff nobody ever tells you during the 4th grade talk at school! ;-) I think I'm going through this "natural" phase right now and FAM is perfect for it! :D

Good luck to you as you research your options and make the best choice!
 
Annette Bethel

I was on the pill but because I smoke I gave up the pill and use other means. Now I have a tubal. I am done with having children plus I am getting too old have children. My nerves ain't what they used to be and furthermore, I can't do their homework :D
 
Definitely research proper articles.

There are lots of alternative birth control methods out there other than pills. IUD (both hormonal and non-hormonal), Implanon, Ring, Patch, FAM, etc. Maybe look into some of these?

Also remember that all pills are not created equal. Just saying you take 'the pill' doesn't mean much. I've been on pills for over 10 years now and i've bounced around on a few of them because the hormone combo's weren't right for me. Be it a decrease in libido, weight gain, or bad skin. Talk to a doctor who knows a lot about the different kinds of pills out there. I've finally found a pill that works great for me.

Since i'm under 35 and don't smoke my risks are very low. I don't know why 35 is the magic number, but it's always the age that gets cited when telling women maybe they shouldn't use a hormonal method. There's always going to be horror stories out there for every birth control method, sometimes it's a matter of knowing how much salt to take with it all. :)
 
> Also, it didn't say if this was from the
>OLDER pills becasue they made a comment that women who began
>the pill in the 60's would now be reaching the age where these
>health issues could come up.

This is why you should take media interpretations of studies with a grain of salt. That's pretty important information to leave out. It could make a big difference. You really should discuss your concerns with your doctor or another medical professional, preferably one familiar with the study. :)
 
Zora~just wanted to say I am the same w/ you. I love knowing how my body works and it really is amazing once you learn it. I had to ttc my oldest for 12 months so I really learned when/what to look for each month. It is so easy to avoid getting pregnant. I hate using medications of any kind and I like to keep my body as pure as I can and doing exactly what it was designed to do.
 
Trish,

Glad to see another FAM-er out there! The whole "no, it's NOT the Rhythm Method!" response is starting to get old and nobody believes me when I tell them that going off the pill = getting pregnant! I've been using the Ovusoft software (and loving it) and the forums there are just as addictive as the ones here!!! :eek:
 
Leanne - I saw someone posted a link. Was that it? I can't find the article now either.

I AM 35 and have never smoked a day in my life. Last time I had it checked, which was too long ago, my HDL's were high and LDL's were lower than the cut off for risk. My triglycerides were also low enough but the overall number was little high. I was on the pill then too. I really should just go ahead and have the tubal. I'm just worried how my body will react coming off the hormones that it's had for so long.
 
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