There are many of us women who take the birth control pill not just for safe sex but for other reasons such as treatment of irregular periods, acne, PCOS/Polycystic ovarian syndrome and lower risk of anemia or certain cancers. After weighing the benefits of taking the pill, there are contra-indications of BCP and these may be reasons we reach a decision to give it all up (aside from deciding to actually conceive). Most of these reasons’ outcome is an imbalance that manifests via increase level of testosterone, changing gut health, blood clots, PMS, weight gain, increased risks of breast or cervical cancer.
Upon the withdrawal of BCP, one may experience withdrawal symptoms. These are symptoms are so slight that women may have the tendency for ignoring these as they seem are the same. These symptoms are called Post Birth Control Syndrome and may include amenorrhea or the direct opposite of it which is extreme bleeding. It could be painful or shortened periods. It could be hair loss or hyperthyroidism. It could be the return of acne or weight gain. It could be mood swings, migraines, digestive tract problems and other inflammatory problems. During this crisis, what we must hone in on is the actual care for that one organ in our body that will regulate the hormones that cause all these. We need to care for the liver.
Centering efforts on the liver area means eating food that sustains the liver. Sustaining the liver means feeding it vegetables, proteins, healthy fats and lots of water! Sustaining your liver also means avoiding foods that harm the liver such as sugar, alcohol, and fats that cause inflammation. And items not relating to food that will help you sustain the liver would be anything that will get your body moving enough for it to be considered your exercise.
You may do your due diligence of watching all these factors, but it doesn’t stop there. One must also consider if she is taking medications that affect the liver. It could something as simple as acetaminophen (Tylenol), amoxicillin or some cholesterol medication. It could be several other drugs that help cure tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ectopic pregnancy, and epilepsy. These contra-indications are normally mentioned in the labels from the drugstores. Read these labels! If you have to take these medications, be sure you have the doctor monitoring your liver health by blood analysis.
Women entering their 40’s to 50’s have estrogen and progesterone beginning to decline and may have considered hormone replacement to ease their symptoms. Some women who have just been treated for breast cancer may have considered hormone replacement therapy for avoiding the recurrence of cancer or for treatment of cancer that has come back. At this state, there would be a medical doctor involved and you will want to have that conversation with the symptoms that you experience. Ask your doctor what the healthier approach is whether it is for treatment or prevention and be as open as possible with everything that you have experienced. Do not take the easy way out rather the one that is most recommended.
