Expert: Brigid Kowalczyk - 4/6/2006

Question
I'm 23 and I've been on bc for about 7 years. I was put on it when I was 16 for cramps during my period, it definately helped. I'm not sexually active enough to really be on the pill and recently they've gotten pretty expensive through my college health program so I was wondering  what crazy things my body might do if I quit taking it? Could I lose/gain weight? Will the horrible cramps come back? Also I heard that the pill aides in constipation or irregularity, is that true? You say that the pill is "a dangerous steroid that has serious side effects," what short/long term side affects does it cause? All my doctors keep saying that it's safe to be on it for as long as I want, but I beg to differ and it would be nice to hear an answer from the other side. Thank-you so much for your time, Anne.

Answer
The pill isn't fixing anything, so I don't know if your cramps will still be a problem when you quit.  because you are older, your body may have changed over time and the problem could have improved or gotten worse.  The pill usually causes weight gain, so you might lose weight.  Doctor's do like to say it is safe but it isn't.  There is a long list of side effects that are on the package insert and any good doctor will request that you read it and make your decision based on the facts.  Just because it might happen to a percentage of people, doesn't mean that thre is no risk.  You might be in that percentage.

Here is the list:

Study Finds Adverse Sexual Side Effects of Birth Control Pills
The birth control pill can have significant adverse effects on sexuality and mood in some women, increasing the likelihood of early discontinuation, according to a study by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University.
Of the women in the study who started on the pill, 38 percent were still taking it after one year, 47 percent had stopped, and 14 percent had switched to another pill. The women who stopped or changed to another pill were four times as likely to report adverse sexual, emotional and physical side effects as the women who continued with their oral contraceptive. Some of these effects included decrease in sexual thoughts, less frequent intercourse and negative mood changes.
There is no way of predicting which women are likely to experience adverse mood or sexuality effects from oral contraceptives, or which oral contraceptive formulations are more likely to be responsible.   Estrogen can clearly cause breast cancer. There is just no way around it. I cannot think of one clinical indication for birth control pills and believe that no one should use them.
Do birth control chemicals have unpleasant side-effects or health hazards?
Combined OCs
Side effects of birth control pills can include:

•   Increased risk of breast and cervical cancers
•   Increased risk of blood clotting, heart attack and stroke
•   Migraines and headaches
•   Gall bladder disease
•   Increased blood pressure
•   Weight gain
•   Mood changes
•   Acne and/or oily skin
•   Nausea/Vomiting (especially at the beginning)
•   Nausea
•   Irregular bleeding or spotting
•   Benign liver tumors
•   Breast tenderness
•   Yeast overgrowth and infection

Progestin-Only Methods
•   Common Side-Effects (not comprehensive)
o   Untimely bleeding or spotting between periods
o   Prolonged menstrual bleeding (8 days or more)
o   No bleeding at all (amenorrhea) for several months or over a year
o   Headache (very common)
o   Nervousness/anxiety
o   Lower abdominal pain
o   Dizziness
o   Loss of sex drive (libido)
o   Depression
o   Acne and/or oily skin
o   Change of appetite
o   Weight gain
o   Breast tenderness (mastalgia)
o   Increased facial or body hair growth (hirsutism) or hair loss
o   Whitish vaginal discharge (leukorrhea)
o   Excessive growth of body/facial hair or hair loss
o   Infection the implants site for Norplant
o   A brief period of pain or itching
o   Enlarged ovarian follicles
o   Bone density loss

•   Less Common Serious Health Hazards
o   Ectopic pregnancy
o   Cancer

The most important thing to remember about hormonal birth control methods such as the pill is that they are synthetic hormones. It isn't healthy for a woman to be exposed to them.  In fact, their long-term use will invariably increase a woman's risk of developing serious chronic illness. In addition to increasing health risks as dangerous as cancer and blood clots, birth control pills also deplete important nutrients, including vitamins B2, B6 and B12.


The use of birth control pills or synthetic hormones is actually rarely justified. If you're using birth control pills to control menstrual cycles, irregular bleeding, cysts or endometriosis, you are not treating the underlying dysfunction. Instead, you are simply increasing the risks to your health.


It is essential to balance the adrenal glands in these situations, as cortisol levels modulate and control the female hormones, especially progesterone. The pill only treats the symptoms instead of the disease, and causes its own side effects as your body continues to remain in an unhealthy state.  In addition, long term use of the pill will permanently damage your libido, your desire for sex.  Permanently.  It won't come back.


I hope this helps you make your decision.