Quick update (since I live my life on the Internet): the round of birth control pills did not do what they were supposed to do, which was to force me to have a period (and no, I'm not pregnant). I realize that most women do not look forward to their 'monthly visitor,' but it's been so long (and I took the pills against my better judgement), so I was disappointed to not have a period. By around Wednesday of last week (when it was becoming pretty obvious that nothing was happening), I was getting worried.
Worried, but yet still very, er, calm?
In the back of my head, crazy thoughts started to pop up, like maybe my ovaries are full of cancer and that's why I haven't had a period in over a year and a half. Then the more rational part of my brain kicked in, and I would think, absolutely nothing else is wrong with me. I'm pretty sure if I'd had cancer manifesting in my reproductive system for the last eighteen months, something else would have shown (more extensive weight loss, pain, weird lumps, etc.). I am fine. Regardless, I was kind of on the emotional side on Wednesday, having unexpected tears a couple of times during the day.
On Friday I emailed my health care provider at MIT Medical to let her know about my lack of flow. She got back to me later on in the day, and her response gave me a great deal of relief. Although it seems to have been something of a surprise that the birth control pills didn't trigger a period, she also didn't seem alarmed (i.e., she didn't tell me I needed to come in immediately). I'm to do a couple of extra tests, an ultrasound, and more blood work, but this is just to make sure everything is indeed all right.
So, that's where I stand, or sit, or whatever. I'm most likely normal, and I'm just to carry on from here. Personally, I will try to eat more on a consistent basis (rather than making up for the lost calories during the weekend), and I'll continue to take a multivitamin to help me get the iron I don't get from my pseudo-vegetarian diet. I'll also assume that for now, I'm mostly normal, until proven otherwise.
Ciao,
Andrea
Showing posts with label The Pill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Pill. Show all posts
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Amenorrhea--revisted
Remember how I wrote back in the late winter/early spring that I was experiencing post-pill amenorrhea? Well, I still haven't had a period. I've seen two more health care professionals at MIT Medical (both nurse practitioners, one of whom specializes in obstetrics), and I've now been told that what I'm experiencing is hypothelamic amenorrhea.
It's what I kind of thought the problem was, but couldn't quite believe was the problem because I'm not a super trim, high performance athlete. Basically, I'm too lean to support the process of menstruation. My BMI is fine, partially because I have a higher than average amount of muscle for a woman. I only exercise 8-9 hours a week, and spend most of the rest of my time sitting, but I guess that's enough to do it. More probably, of those 8-9 hours of exercise, I spend 2 hours lifting weights in the gym, and 2-3 hours lifting myself practicing aerials (hence why I'm rather muscular).
So, what's my treatment? I could cut down on exercise, or I could eat more. I know from tracking my diet for the last several years that I consumed between 2,100-2,300 calories/day, and on average have a balanced calorie intake/output every week. The other option was a chemical reminder to my brain and ovaries about what their supposed to do once a month.
Presently, I'm back on birth control pills. This isn't necessary because I wanted the quick and easy fix, but I want/needed the definite (or should be definite) fix. It's just for three weeks, which is what I have to continually remind myself. Three weeks only, and I've decided if it doesn't work, I will NOT be continuing on them no matter what. I've gained around 6 pounds in 2 weeks thanks to the pill. As Andrew repeatedly reminds me (and as I know myself, I really do), it's the pill that's caused this weight gain, and it's because my body is retaining water.
That doesn't help me feel better.
As I've blogged before, I was overweight as a child and teen, so any hint of gaining weight makes me worry. I hate that the weight gain has happened so quickly (2 weeks!) and it will probably take me a couple of months to get back to where I was before January. Except, given that my weight and body compilation seem to be the source of my problems, maybe I just need to accept that I need to be 5 or 8 pounds heavier to be healthy. That, my dear readers, if definitely more easily said than done.
I'm not going to delve into the issues of popular culture and female body image. Others have done, and will continue to do so better than I am capable of, but there are times when being a young-ish health-conscious woman sucks.
Ciao,
Andrea
It's what I kind of thought the problem was, but couldn't quite believe was the problem because I'm not a super trim, high performance athlete. Basically, I'm too lean to support the process of menstruation. My BMI is fine, partially because I have a higher than average amount of muscle for a woman. I only exercise 8-9 hours a week, and spend most of the rest of my time sitting, but I guess that's enough to do it. More probably, of those 8-9 hours of exercise, I spend 2 hours lifting weights in the gym, and 2-3 hours lifting myself practicing aerials (hence why I'm rather muscular).
So, what's my treatment? I could cut down on exercise, or I could eat more. I know from tracking my diet for the last several years that I consumed between 2,100-2,300 calories/day, and on average have a balanced calorie intake/output every week. The other option was a chemical reminder to my brain and ovaries about what their supposed to do once a month.
Presently, I'm back on birth control pills. This isn't necessary because I wanted the quick and easy fix, but I want/needed the definite (or should be definite) fix. It's just for three weeks, which is what I have to continually remind myself. Three weeks only, and I've decided if it doesn't work, I will NOT be continuing on them no matter what. I've gained around 6 pounds in 2 weeks thanks to the pill. As Andrew repeatedly reminds me (and as I know myself, I really do), it's the pill that's caused this weight gain, and it's because my body is retaining water.
That doesn't help me feel better.
As I've blogged before, I was overweight as a child and teen, so any hint of gaining weight makes me worry. I hate that the weight gain has happened so quickly (2 weeks!) and it will probably take me a couple of months to get back to where I was before January. Except, given that my weight and body compilation seem to be the source of my problems, maybe I just need to accept that I need to be 5 or 8 pounds heavier to be healthy. That, my dear readers, if definitely more easily said than done.
I'm not going to delve into the issues of popular culture and female body image. Others have done, and will continue to do so better than I am capable of, but there are times when being a young-ish health-conscious woman sucks.
Ciao,
Andrea
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
What is amenorrhea?
Next up in the discussion, amenorrhea. What is it, and just exactly how do you say it?
Amenorrhea (said: a-men-o-REE-uh) is the absence of menstruation. According to Williams Gynecology 2nd Edition, there are a couple of different situations for which amenorrhea can be diagnosed. The first two are in the case of young girls who haven't started to menstruate by a) 14 years of age and are showing no other sides of puberty; or b) 16 years of age with other signs of puberty visible. Obviously this isn't my case. The third definition is for females who had previously been menstruating, but missed menses for 3 cycles in a row, or 6 months.
The most common cause of amenorrhea is pregnancy, but again, this isn't my case.
If you look through the links you'll find a variety of reason for why amenorrhea occurs. Included among them are use of oral contraceptives, discontinuation of oral contraceptives, sudden weight loss, low body fat percent, and extreme amounts of exercise. Related, there is condition called Female Athlete Triad syndrome, where female athletes involved in sports that emphasize low weight (i.e. gymnastics, figure skating, diving, long distance running, etc) can experience a combination of: eat disorders, amenorrhea and decreased bone mineral density (for more information on this condition, see Female Athlete Triad Coalition Website).
Other causes of amenorrhea include: other medication use (chemo drugs, antipsychotics and antidepressants), hormonal imbalances (especially the thyroid, but also the pituitary gland), and structural abnormalities with the reproductive organs themselves.
Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic pages on amenorrhea (click through the tabs for more information): http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/amenorrhea/DS00581
Here is to the UptoDate page on amenorrhea (this may require a password or subscription): http://www.uptodate.com/contents/etiology-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-secondary-amenorrhea
Here is the MedlinePlus page on amenorrhea: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001219.htm
Here is the Wikipedia page on amenorrhea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amenorrhoea
Ciao
Amenorrhea (said: a-men-o-REE-uh) is the absence of menstruation. According to Williams Gynecology 2nd Edition, there are a couple of different situations for which amenorrhea can be diagnosed. The first two are in the case of young girls who haven't started to menstruate by a) 14 years of age and are showing no other sides of puberty; or b) 16 years of age with other signs of puberty visible. Obviously this isn't my case. The third definition is for females who had previously been menstruating, but missed menses for 3 cycles in a row, or 6 months.
The most common cause of amenorrhea is pregnancy, but again, this isn't my case.
If you look through the links you'll find a variety of reason for why amenorrhea occurs. Included among them are use of oral contraceptives, discontinuation of oral contraceptives, sudden weight loss, low body fat percent, and extreme amounts of exercise. Related, there is condition called Female Athlete Triad syndrome, where female athletes involved in sports that emphasize low weight (i.e. gymnastics, figure skating, diving, long distance running, etc) can experience a combination of: eat disorders, amenorrhea and decreased bone mineral density (for more information on this condition, see Female Athlete Triad Coalition Website).
Other causes of amenorrhea include: other medication use (chemo drugs, antipsychotics and antidepressants), hormonal imbalances (especially the thyroid, but also the pituitary gland), and structural abnormalities with the reproductive organs themselves.
Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic pages on amenorrhea (click through the tabs for more information): http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/amenorrhea/DS00581
Here is to the UptoDate page on amenorrhea (this may require a password or subscription): http://www.uptodate.com/contents/etiology-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-secondary-amenorrhea
Here is the MedlinePlus page on amenorrhea: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001219.htm
Here is the Wikipedia page on amenorrhea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amenorrhoea
Ciao
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
What do oral contraceptives do?
The way the birth control works is fairly straight forward. Okay, so I'm sure controlling the hormones involved isn't so simple, but the affect on a woman's body is fairly easy to understand. From what I can tell, it plays out the same way whether you're on a combination pill (estrogen and progestin), or the minipill (progestin only).
(Sorry, I haven't really talked about the difference between the combination pill and the minipill. Having to research my posts takes way more time than just throwing my thoughts all slap-dash together in a few paragraphs.)
Basically, when a woman takes an oral contraceptive, it causes the mucus in her cervix to thicken, while thinning the lining of the uterus, preventing an egg to implant there. Taking an oral contraceptive can also prevent ovulation all together. Simple, right? Hm.
Here's a website from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals that has a nice animated graphic on how menstruation works and how it's affected by different birth control methods: http://www.arhp.org/hormonalcontraception/
Here's a link to the Mayo Clinic's resources on oral contraceptives: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control/MY01182/DSECTION=birth-control-pills
Here's a link to a fact sheet by the American Collage of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on the pill:
http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq021.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20130416T2308279410
Here's a link from the Women's Health Resource Center, which is run by a non-profit organization called Healthy Women: http://www.healthywomen.org/condition/birth-control-pills
Finally, once again I give you the Wikipedia page on how oral contraceptives work (do you see a theme emerging?):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill#Mechanism_of_action
Ciao,
Andrea
(Sorry, I haven't really talked about the difference between the combination pill and the minipill. Having to research my posts takes way more time than just throwing my thoughts all slap-dash together in a few paragraphs.)
Basically, when a woman takes an oral contraceptive, it causes the mucus in her cervix to thicken, while thinning the lining of the uterus, preventing an egg to implant there. Taking an oral contraceptive can also prevent ovulation all together. Simple, right? Hm.
Here's a website from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals that has a nice animated graphic on how menstruation works and how it's affected by different birth control methods: http://www.arhp.org/hormonalcontraception/
Here's a link to the Mayo Clinic's resources on oral contraceptives: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control/MY01182/DSECTION=birth-control-pills
Here's a link to a fact sheet by the American Collage of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on the pill:
http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq021.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20130416T2308279410
Here's a link from the Women's Health Resource Center, which is run by a non-profit organization called Healthy Women: http://www.healthywomen.org/condition/birth-control-pills
Finally, once again I give you the Wikipedia page on how oral contraceptives work (do you see a theme emerging?):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill#Mechanism_of_action
Ciao,
Andrea
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The history of oral contaceptives
As promised, today I'm going to provide a little history behind the development of oral contraceptives, or the Pill. I don't feel it's necessary to re-write the facts out in detail, but I hope the links below will be useful and provide some insight into how the pill came to be.
In short, humans have tried to control fertility dating back to the Greeks. The mechanics of how pregnancy occurs, however, wasn't discovered until the late 1800s. The earliest commercially available forms of birth control include materials such as diaphragms and suppositories, which were introduced in the 1890s.
In the 1930s, scientists started to understand that high doses of steroids such as androgen, estrogen, and progesterone prevented ovulation. At first these hormones were synthesized from animals, but due to the high cost of production alternative methods were tested, and eventually were extracted from Mexican yams. Further investigation into the use of progesterone to prevent ovulation began in the 1950s, including trials of treatments in women beginning in 1951. By 1957 the FDA approved the use of a drug called Enovid for use in menstrual disorders (the use of birth control wasn't permitted by law for some time yet).
Reports of side effects of the pill began to circulate in 1962 (including blood clots and heart attacks). Throughout the remainder of the 1960s data was gathered on the safety of the pill, culminating in the mandatory addition of a patient safety sheet to birth control pill packages in 1970. By the 1980s new, lower hormone doses of birth control became available.
Journal of the History of Medicine:
http://jhmas.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/2/117.full.pdf
This article provides history om the development of the pill.
PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/index.html
This site provides a variety of information, from history, to how the pill works.
CBC Digital Archives:
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/health/reproductive-issues/the-birth-control-pill/looking-back.html
This link provides a look at the history of the pill from a reproductive rights standpoint.
American Chemical Society:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/progesteronesynthesis/CNBP_027297
This link provides history on isolation of progesterone for prevention of pregnancy.
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill#History
The wikipedia article on the history of the pill, easy to read, but never the first line for information.
Ciao,
In short, humans have tried to control fertility dating back to the Greeks. The mechanics of how pregnancy occurs, however, wasn't discovered until the late 1800s. The earliest commercially available forms of birth control include materials such as diaphragms and suppositories, which were introduced in the 1890s.
In the 1930s, scientists started to understand that high doses of steroids such as androgen, estrogen, and progesterone prevented ovulation. At first these hormones were synthesized from animals, but due to the high cost of production alternative methods were tested, and eventually were extracted from Mexican yams. Further investigation into the use of progesterone to prevent ovulation began in the 1950s, including trials of treatments in women beginning in 1951. By 1957 the FDA approved the use of a drug called Enovid for use in menstrual disorders (the use of birth control wasn't permitted by law for some time yet).
Reports of side effects of the pill began to circulate in 1962 (including blood clots and heart attacks). Throughout the remainder of the 1960s data was gathered on the safety of the pill, culminating in the mandatory addition of a patient safety sheet to birth control pill packages in 1970. By the 1980s new, lower hormone doses of birth control became available.
Journal of the History of Medicine:
http://jhmas.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/2/117.full.pdf
This article provides history om the development of the pill.
PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/index.html
This site provides a variety of information, from history, to how the pill works.
CBC Digital Archives:
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/health/reproductive-issues/the-birth-control-pill/looking-back.html
This link provides a look at the history of the pill from a reproductive rights standpoint.
American Chemical Society:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/progesteronesynthesis/CNBP_027297
This link provides history on isolation of progesterone for prevention of pregnancy.
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill#History
The wikipedia article on the history of the pill, easy to read, but never the first line for information.
Ciao,
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Recall alert for birth control pills
Since I'm currently writing a series on oral contraceptives, I thought I would post this alert for a recall in all provinces of Canada (except Saskatchewan and Alberta) for Alysena-28 manufactured by Apotex. The code on the packages subject to the recall is: LF01899A. The recall has been issued because there may be two weeks of placebo pills rather than one.
The link to the CBC news story is here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/04/08/ns-birth-control-pill-recalls.html?cmp=fbtl
More information on the recall from Health Canada can be found here: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2013/26663r-eng.php
Ciao,
Andrea
The link to the CBC news story is here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/04/08/ns-birth-control-pill-recalls.html?cmp=fbtl
More information on the recall from Health Canada can be found here: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2013/26663r-eng.php
Ciao,
Andrea
Saturday, April 6, 2013
The Pill and my period, full stop
Since I discuss just about everything going on in my life on this blog, I'm going to go a bit more personal for the next few posts. You might wonder, after tearing apart my personality, how could I get more personal? First, let me reassure you, dear reader, that what I'm going to discuss isn't ichy or scary or depressing, but it is of a...womanly nature? Further, I've decided to share this because I expect there are other women out there who have undergone similar problems, and being a librarian, I would like to provide helpful information.
Here's the big share:
I used the oral contraceptive Marvalon for seven and a half years. It was fine. I didn't experience any major side effects, my periods were always very light, mainly just a regular monthly irritation. Late June 2012, I decided it was time to go off 'the pill.' I'd had enough of ingesting extra hormones, and Andrew and I were starting to talk more seriously about the possibility of having children. Therefore, it seemed like a good time to stop.
Okay, so?
So, I haven't had a period since. That's closing in on ten months, and I'm really, really not pregnant. Nor have I been at any point since last June. I also dropped eight pounds in about two months--I know this sounds great, except I didn't change anything diet or exercise wise (I know, I track it all), except that I stopped taking Marvalon.
I'm experiencing something called post-pill amenorrhea. Amenorrhea is the absence of a period in a woman (who had hitherto been menstruating) for more than three months. Opinions seem to vary as to how quickly a woman's period should come back after using the pill, possibly because it varies from woman to woman. However, I am definitely on the long side of normal at this point and I am seeing a doctor to try and get this sorted out. I'll touch on that later.
Here's what I'm going to do over the next couple of posts.
1. I'm going to provide some history on the pill.
2. I'm going to provide some information on how the pill works.
3. I'm going to provide some information on amenorrhea.
4. I'm going to provide some information on what can be done to treat amenorrhea.
For the most part, I'm just going to provide links to information, with a short summary on each topic. I'm not an expert in this field, and there's plenty of information out there so that I don't need to regurgitate it all here.
Ciao,
Here's the big share:
I used the oral contraceptive Marvalon for seven and a half years. It was fine. I didn't experience any major side effects, my periods were always very light, mainly just a regular monthly irritation. Late June 2012, I decided it was time to go off 'the pill.' I'd had enough of ingesting extra hormones, and Andrew and I were starting to talk more seriously about the possibility of having children. Therefore, it seemed like a good time to stop.
Okay, so?
So, I haven't had a period since. That's closing in on ten months, and I'm really, really not pregnant. Nor have I been at any point since last June. I also dropped eight pounds in about two months--I know this sounds great, except I didn't change anything diet or exercise wise (I know, I track it all), except that I stopped taking Marvalon.
I'm experiencing something called post-pill amenorrhea. Amenorrhea is the absence of a period in a woman (who had hitherto been menstruating) for more than three months. Opinions seem to vary as to how quickly a woman's period should come back after using the pill, possibly because it varies from woman to woman. However, I am definitely on the long side of normal at this point and I am seeing a doctor to try and get this sorted out. I'll touch on that later.
Here's what I'm going to do over the next couple of posts.
1. I'm going to provide some history on the pill.
2. I'm going to provide some information on how the pill works.
3. I'm going to provide some information on amenorrhea.
4. I'm going to provide some information on what can be done to treat amenorrhea.
For the most part, I'm just going to provide links to information, with a short summary on each topic. I'm not an expert in this field, and there's plenty of information out there so that I don't need to regurgitate it all here.
Ciao,
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