I'm under impression that everyone in my generation and around it (I'm 44) have taken birth control pills. Am I the only one who didn't have any pills all her life? I'm wondering if menopause symptoms would be similar or different in these two groups.
Most people probably did, but my mom was always against them. My mother is 60, never went on BC and is going through menopause now. She has some thyroid problems though. She gets hot flashes and goes through some uncomforable dryness too. What she describes sounds like what other people describe.
I was on BC pills for many years. I do feel they contributed to my endometriosis and later having to have a hysterectomy 10+ years ago. I am 46 and had to deal with menopause after having the surgery. If I had it to do over I don't think I would have taken the BC pills.
Julie
I was on bcp for several decades and don't feel that it impacted my menopause at all. In fact, when I was about 50 and started having peri symptoms, my doctor just changed my prescription and it helped tremendously. Then when I was 56 and skipping a period every now and then on the pill, she switched me to HRT. I've never had another period and that was 6 years ago. It's been great. BTW, i had my first period at age 10 - so by 56 I was so over it!
I was on BC pills for many years. I do feel they contributed to my endometriosis and later having to have a hysterectomy 10+ years ago. I am 46 and had to deal with menopause after having the surgery. If I had it to do over I don't think I would have taken the BC pills.
Julie
I was wondering, too, if the the fibrosis/cysts/pcos that so many women have are "helped" by the BCP.
I was on bcp for several decades and don't feel that it impacted my menopause at all. In fact, when I was about 50 and started having peri symptoms, my doctor just changed my prescription and it helped tremendously. Then when I was 56 and skipping a period every now and then on the pill, she switched me to HRT. I've never had another period and that was 6 years ago. It's been great. BTW, i had my first period at age 10 - so by 56 I was so over it!
Good for you! I had my first period at 10, too. I never felt right about any "help" for the body, though, and hope to avoid HRT, especially in the light of the last findings. Seems it all goes in circles, going back to the basics, to the way things were since the beginning of humanity, before modern medicine.
Like Titchou I was on the pill for decades and it was a god-send for me. It stopped my horrendous cramps and lightened and shortened my periods.
Fast forward to this past spring my Dr takes me off of them and puts me on hormone therapy (HRT) as she felt the pill was causing some problems with anxiety and blood pressure issues. Well life has been he** since then. My periods have returned full force along with the usual cramps.
When she tried putting me back on the pill I started having major digestive issues and had to stop. I'm 53.
Titchou what pill did your Dr switch you to at 50. Maybe I could tolerate a different pill?
Bottom line for me is that my quality of life was better on the pill and I wish I had never stopped when I did.
Chantal
Edited to add: I do not have high blood pressure after all. It was all related to panic/anxiety.
Last edited by Chantal231; 12-27-2008 at 12:24 PM.
Reason: add a comment
Chantal: I don't remember which pill it was. What HRT were you one? I'm on a generic Activella now...only $15 on my insurance....and i take the same pill every day so there are no breaks in the med like on bcp so I should not have a period but did have a bit of light bleeding one day in the last 6 years! That was it.
I started out on the Vivelle Dot patch (.75) along with 100mg of Prometrium every day. The Prometrium tore up my stomach so my Dr switched me to the Climara Pro patch which would have been fine except I'm still getting my period.
She then put me back on the BCP (Mircette) but that made a mess of my stomach too.
Right now I'm not using anything.
Chantal
Last edited by Chantal231; 12-30-2008 at 03:23 AM.
Reason: correction
Hi,
I never ever ever took the pill. I had such a great time going out and partying that I always forgot to take it plus I was never hardly home and I certainly didn't want to drag that around with me. I had the coil - it was great for me. Hardly have any menopausal symptoms - didn't have any symptoms/problems with my period either. Think I may have been lucky. Im 55 and still partying and going strong hehehehe
I am 48 and have never taken the pill. I haven't had any female problems (knock on wood) so far. This month my period turned out to be very, very light, and I have been having the night sweats for a few month's now. I am thinking this may be the beginning of peri, so I am jotting this down on the calender. I think I better start reading some menopause posts and get better educated on this subject. Thanks ladies!
