Taking birth control for period pain or other menstrual and hormonal issues is about as ubiquitous as taking tums for a stomach ache. It is commonly prescribed not just to prevent contraception, but often for irregular cycles, painful menstruation, heavy bleeding, migraines, and even acne. While many women are told to take birth control to “regulate their cycle and/or hormones” this is a common misconception and a bit of a misleading statement.

Let’s help clear things up… birth control does not help to naturally regulate our body’s own hormones. It is comprised of a synthetic version of estrogen and progestin and interferes with our own essential and natural hormones. The result of giving women synthetic hormones shuts down our body’s own biological hormones and natural physiological processes. Oral contraceptives prevent ovulation by providing a plateaued dose of synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone every day. When a woman is not on birth control, her hormones naturally rise and fall and fluctuate by different phases of the menstrual cycle, rather than staying at a steady level. This plateaued level of hormone keeps Luteneizing hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) from firing and triggering ovulation. If a woman, does not ovulate, she cannot get pregnant. Birth control pills interfere with a key component of women’s health- to produce essential natural hormones, thereby shutting down the natural cycles of ovulation and menstruation, and causing infertility via a synthetic version of hormones.

Often when we use birth control to “fix” underlying hormonal issues, women find that they are trading one set of symptoms for another. Also, any underlying hormonal issues won’t be addressed- but might be put into a more silent and dormant state, which could potentially make prolonged hormonal issues worse when a woman decides to stop taking the pill. Because synthetic hormones are used in oral contraceptives, they don’t quite fit “lock and key” into our hormone receptors and can cause a slew of unwanted side effects.

The most common side effects include headaches, breath-through bleeding, breast tenderness, nausea, elevated blood pressure, bloating, and loss of libido. However, more serious side effects also occur such as an increased risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke, liver disorders, gallbladder disease, and post-birth control syndrome- which can include loss of the period for several months after going off birth control.

Dr. Jolene Brightsen states that “Post-birth control syndrome is the result of both the effects birth control can have on the body and the withdrawal of exogenous synthetic hormones,” Most people will notice symptoms within 4 to 6 months of stopping the pill or other hormonal contraceptives. Sometimes It resolves in a few months, and other women might need more long-term support to help regulate the cycle, and fix any underlying hormonal imbalance that existed before birth control or was exacerbated by the use of synthetic hormones. Symptoms of post-birth control syndrome include amenorrhea, acne, hair loss, blood sugar dysregulation, depression, heavy and irregular cycles, headaches, gut issues, etc.

Modern research has also found that taking the birth control pill depletes several essential nutrients over time. Birth control depletes B vitamins, most notably- B2, B6, B12, as well as folic acid, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E and even essential minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and selenium. It is especially recommended for these women to be taking supplements; however, unfortunately, most women are not informed of these nutrient deficiencies by the doctors prescribing oral contraceptives.

This blog was written by Samantha Kloss, L.Ac.

Sources

https://drbrighten.com/post-birth-control-syndrome/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23852908/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7001015/

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Common Birth Control Misconceptions