In the 1970s, the world’s first oral contraceptive was introduced. It revamped the women’s revolution and pushed on the feminist movement. Since then, women’s health has evolved so greatly and hundreds of different birth control pills have been developed. Interfering with the body’s normal hormonal balance is a tricky thing and each of different types of birth control forms available have differing doses of two female hormones: estrogen and progestin.
Thanks to Obamacare, most forms of birth control are a $0 copay on some insurance policies. While this provides so much more access to women, there are some important side effects of birth control that are vital to know. While some of these side effects are rare, everyone is different—you know your body best, and it is important to recognize any changes and abnormalities you are experiencing while taking birth control.
The first sets of side effects can result from an improper balance of the hormones that you are taking. Depending on the type of pill you are taking, you may be getting too much or too little hormones. Effects of progestin excess are acne, oily skin, breast tenderness, tiredness, fatigue, hair loss, high blood pressure, increased appetite, weight gain, and liver problems. Not enough progestin may result in late breakthrough bleeding, no menstrual period at all, or too much bleeding during your cycle. Too much estrogen can represent as nausea, headache, high blood pressure, breast tenderness, and edema. Estrogen deficiencycan cause early to mid-cycle breakthrough bleeding, increased spotting, or a low volume cycle.
More serious side effects that are require immediate medical attention are described below via Drugs.com (www.drugs.com):
• Cardiovascular. One of the most concerning side effects of OC’s is the risk of a blood clot, especially for women who smoke and over the age of 35. Blood clots occur mainly in 4 places: In your legs, lung, heart, and brain. In your legs, it is called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT’s present as an unbearable pain that feels like someone stabbing you and excessive swelling. In your lungs, it is a pulmonary embolism—a clot that has broken off and traveled to your lungs. You can experience difficulty breathing and coughing up blood. A clot in your heart is a heart attack. It is described as a lot of pain and pressure on your chest, like an elephant is sitting on you, nausea, and pain radiating to your shoulder and/or arms. Lastly, a clot in your brain is a stroke. Symptoms of stroke are sudden unilateral numbness or weakness, severe headache, confusion, problems of vision, speech, or balance. If you experience any of these symptoms. Immediately stop taking your birth control and call 911. The sooner you get help, the higher the chances of survival. Women taking drospirenone-based oral contraceptives (Yasmin, Yasminelle, Yaz, Beyaz, Ocella, Gianvi, Angeliq, Zarah) have the added risk of Potassium abnormalities, including dangerously high levels. When first starting these medications, monthly lab levels are required to make sure you are healthy. Dangerous heart defects can occur when potassium levels are too high.
• Cholesterol. The progestin component in birth control pills are linked to changes in your lipid—or cholesterol—profiles. Its effects can decrease HDL (good cholesterol) and increase LDL (bad cholesterol). The estrogen component, however, exhibits the opposite effect. The changes in your lipid panel depend on the type of birth control you are on and how your body reacts to them.
• Liver. While rare, there are some effects on the liver when taking a birth control pill. They include focal nodular hyperplasia, cholestasis, liver cell adenomas, hepatic granulomas, among others. While it is difficult to tell if you are experiencing liver problems as a result from your OC’s, it is important to call your doctor if you have very dark urine or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
• Cancer. While the progestin content in birth control pills have decrease the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer, there is some conflicting evidence regarding the possible increase of breast cancer that may result from the estrogen component. Monthly breast checks after your period are vital in a preliminary detection for breast cancer. Dense and tender breasts are common around the time of your period, but cancer development can feel like a marble inside your breast.
Any questions? Ask your doctor or pharmacist. And notice those thick packets of paper with the itsy bitsy print? That has all the information that your doctor and pharmacist refers to when you have questions! On the go? You can use a free drug reference app, such as Micromedex (https://itunes.apple.com/us/
The pill may lead us astray where sniffing out a perfect mate is concerned, but it doesn’t cloud our common-sense judgement, so remember to use condoms, in addition to the pill. While oral contraceptive is a great way to prevent unwanted pregnancies, it does not protect against unwanted STDs and HIV. And put in a little of your own research to find the birth control method that best suits you. Everyone’s different, after all.
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