Can You Take Probiotics While On Birth Control
Yes just know that there are many kinds of probiotics.
Different species of probiotics are like different animals at the zoo. Different strains of probiotics offer different benefits. And we feel best when we have a robust population of many different kinds of organisms in our gut, in the right place .
To get the most benefit of taking a probiotic, we recommend working with a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner that can match your symptoms, health goals and the right dose of the right probiotics.
Mood Swings & Anxiety After Stopping Birth Control
Lets not forget that for as long as youre on the birth control pill, your brain and your ovaries arent talking, so its to be expected when you ditch that pill that theyre going to take some time to come back online and start communicating again. And as they start talking again, there may be some ups and downs in your mood. This could result in symptoms of anxiety after stopping birth control.
Your body has been dealing with a combination of inflammation, blocked ovulation and nutrient depletionsany one of which can lead to mood issues.
Ive seen women in my clinical practice have symptoms that vary from anxiety and debilitating panic attacks to feeling depressed and falling out of love with their life all while on the pill.
It might feel scary to come off the pill, but listen, you can do a hell of a lot more for your mood off the pill than you can on the pill. For however long youre on it, its depleting nutrients, creating inflammation and doing a whole lot of things that are going to mess with your mood.
I recommend women work with a counselor or mental health specialist if they are experience extreme ups and downs with their mood and anxiety after stopping birth control. Leveraging a mental health expert alongside a Naturopathic or Functional Medicine Doctor can help you get ample support in breaking up with these hormones and rediscovering you off of hormones.
Can The Pill Cause Weight Gain
Ever had a PMS-fueled late night munchies session? Yeah, I know, who hasnt right? While studies show that hormonal birth control does not cause weight gain, Ive seen enough women in my practice who say otherwise! I dont think most women take the pill and suddenly put on 15lbs, but it definitely seems to have a more indirect effect on appetite and weight gain.
Women who use a combination of estrogen and progesterone show lower levels of ghrelin and higher levels of leptin than do women who use estrogen-only birth control. Which means that combination pills might mean less weight gain than estrogen-only pills or progestin-only birth control options.
It appears the biggest offender of birth control-induced weight gain is the Depo-Provera shot with some women gaining 11 pounds and going up 2 dress sizes!
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Common Medications That Can Irritate The Esophagus Or Stomach
The lining of the stomach and the esophagus are delicate. It doesnt take much for certain medications, even in small amounts, to cause irritation. Among these are:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs taken orally, such as aspirin, ibuprofen , naproxen , and indomethacin .
- Antibiotics, such as tetracycline and clindamycin.
- Dietary supplements, such as iron and potassium.
- Medications used to treat osteoporosis and similar diseases, including bisphosphonates taken orally such as alendronate , ibandronate , and risedronate .
Many of these medications cause problems because they inhibit the production of mucus and other substances that protect the stomach lining. This may lead to chronic heartburn and other digestive issues if left untreated.
If you still need to take an NSAID to treat pain or inflammation, but are worried about adverse side effects, try taking the drug after a meal or with a full glass of water. The Hospital for Special Surgery also suggests that you limit your alcohol intake while taking these medications.
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Hot Flashes And Night Sweats
One of the most common symptoms of perimenopause is hot flashes, which often coexists with night sweats. Almost 80 percent of people who are in perimenopause or transitioning into menopause have hot flashes. Also, most women who receive chemotherapy or undergo surgery to remove their ovaries will experience hot flashes.
Scientists know that hot flashes occur as a result of low estrogen levels. Each hot flash involves a sensation of heat that starts in the chest area and travels to the neck and the head. It can last for a few minutes and may cause sweating. Some women also develop a faster heart rate during hot flashes.
If a hot flash happens during sleep, they are called night sweats. Women who have night sweats often wake up in the morning feeling tired.
Some people experience redness along their neck and face during a hot flash. This is called a hot flush.
On average, each hot flash lasts for about three to four minutes. Hot flashes can occur for a few months to several years. In a few rare cases, some people had hot flashes for 10 years.
Other signs of hormonal imbalance include:
- Pain in the muscles, tenderness, and stiffness
- Pain and swelling in the joints
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What Other Information Should I Know
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. You should have a complete physical examination every year, including blood pressure measurements, breast and pelvic exams, and a Pap test. Follow your doctor’s directions for examining your breasts report any lumps immediately.
Before you have any laboratory tests, tell the laboratory personnel that you take oral contraceptives.
If you wish to stop taking oral contraceptives and become pregnant, your doctor may tell you to use another method of birth control until you begin to menstruate regularly again. It may take a long time for you to become pregnant after you stop taking oral contraceptives, especially if you have never had a baby or if you had irregular, infrequent, or complete absence of menstrual periods before taking oral contraceptives. However, it is possible to become pregnant within days of stopping certain oral contraceptives. If you want to stop taking oral contraceptives but do not want to become pregnant, you should begin using another type of birth control as soon as you stop taking oral contraceptives. Discuss any questions that you may have with your doctor.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
Contraceptives That Might Suit You Better
If you have IBS or IBD youll know that keeping your diet, exercise and stress levels in the right balance to keep your tummy happy can feel like a big task. You may have plenty of doctors appointments and medications to take already and the idea of figuring out your contraception on top of that is just another thing to juggle.
Dont worry, weve got you here are some alternatives to the pill that may suit you better.
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Can I Use Emergency Contraception If I Have Ibs
If you are in need of emergency contraception, a copper IUD can be fitted instead of taking the morning after pill so you dont need to worry about whether the morning after pill will exacerbate IBS or IBD symptoms, or whether youll be able to absorb it properly through your GI tract.
IBS, IBD and contraception vary so much based on the person, so its worth looking through our reviews for each method, and filter by side effects. Dont be afraid to ask your GP about switching to a different method that might suit you better. Or, you could book an appointment with one of The Lowdowns friendly team of womens health GPs for advice on switching contraception they specialise in contraception and really know their stuff.
For more help choosing a contraceptive method that might work best for you, The Lowdowns contraception recommender is also a massive time saver.
Take a look at Alysias story: an IBD sufferer and big fan of the coil, she tells The Lowdown about her journey to the best contraception for her.
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There Can Be Negative Side Effects
Like all medications, birth control pills can have side effects. But most usually go away after 2 or 3 months. Many people use the pill with no problems at all. You can keep track of any side effects with our app.
The most common side effects are spotting or bleeding between periods , sore breasts, nausea, or headaches. But these usually go away after 2 or 3 months, and they dont happen to everyone who takes the pill.
Birth control shouldnt make you feel sick or uncomfortable. Luckily, there are many different types of birth control, so youve got options. If you keep having side effects that bother you after using the pill for 3 months, talk with your nurse or doctor about trying another brand of pill or another birth control method. But dont stop taking the pill without starting a new method, or you wont be protected from pregnancy.
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Quick Review: What Is Ibs
Women are more likely to have IBS this may be due, in part, to differences in our hormones. And hormonal birth control may just make your digestive symptoms worse ack!
While symptoms of IBS can vary from person to person , IBS might feel like:
- Feeling full too soon during eating
- Gas and bloating
- Constipation, diarrhea
There are many potential causes of IBSand there can be more than one. For more in-depth information about IBS, .
In the meantime, lets start to explore what is in your birth control as well as the potential link between IBS and birth control medication.
Vomiting And The Birth Control Pill
If you throw up after taking the birth control pill, you may need to take a second dose to make sure youre protected from pregnancy.
Whether or not you need to take another pill depends on the total amount of time thats passed between you taking the pill and vomiting:
- If you took the pill more than two hours before vomiting, youve likely already absorbed the hormones in the pill and do not need to take a second dose.
- If you took the pill less than two hours before vomiting, youll need to take another pill to make sure youre protected.
If youre currently taking the inactive pills and throw up after taking your birth control pill, you do not need to take an extra pill to stay protected.
If you have ongoing nausea that makes it difficult to take your birth control pill without vomiting, talk to your healthcare provider about changing to a form of birth control thats more suitable for you.
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How Should I Use This Medication
Take 1 blue tablet daily for 24 days, then 1 white tablet daily for 2 days then 1 lilac-coloured tablet daily for 2 days. The blue tablets contain both norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol, the white tablets contains ethinyl estradiol only and the lilac tablet contains no active medication.
This medication can be taken with food or on an empty stomach. For it to be most effective, it needs to be taken at the same time every day. Talk with your doctor about the best time to start your pills. The first day of your menstrual period is known as Day 1. Your doctor may have you start your pills on the first Sunday after your period starts or on Day 1 of your period.
It is advisable to use a second method of birth control for the first 7 days of the first cycle of pill use, if you choose to start taking this medication on the first Sunday after your period starts.
Many women have spotting or light bleeding or may feel nauseous during the first 3 months of taking the pill. If you do feel sick, do not stop taking the pill. The problem will usually go away. If it does not go away, check with your doctor or clinic.
If you experience vomiting or diarrhea, or if you take certain medications , your pills may not work as well. Use a backup method, such as latex condoms and spermicidal foam or gel, until you can check with your doctor or clinic.
If you are not sure what to do after missing pills, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Your Boobs May Feel A Little Different
Many women report achy breasts before their period . Since birth control pills regulate your hormone levels, they may alleviate this symptom for some women. So going off the pill could mean that your breasts start to feel a little more sensitive post-ovulation, says Dr. Klein.
However, breast tenderness can also be a side effect of being on the pill, says Guirlaine Agnant, MD, chair in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital in Mount Vernon, NY. If your breasts felt super-sensitive at certain times of the month when you were taking birth control, it might actually go away once you stop taking it. For these women, stopping the pill will bring back normal breast tissue, and no tenderness should be experienced.
You might also notice slight changes in the appearance of your breasts: Some women will see their breasts deflate a bit when they go off the pill, says Dr. Dweck.
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Unplanned Pregnancy In A Woman With Crohn Disease
Abha GovindDr Nisha LakhiCopyright
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease and bowel resection might experience reduced effectiveness from oral contraceptive agents. We report a case of a woman with Crohn disease who became pregnant while compliant with her combined oral contraceptive pill regimen. Patients with Crohn disease have a greater risk of contraceptive failure because the diseased bowel causes increased passage of stool and malabsorption. This report describes some of the special needs and pitfalls surrounding contraception for patients with IBD. Family physicians routinely oversee their patients contraceptive needs, and it is important to understand that patients with IBD require additional attention.
Can You Take Probiotics With Birth Control
The short answer is yes and you should. Because if we know that hormonal birth control messes with those good gut bugs then we best do everything we can to turn that ship around.
In fact, the impact of birth control on your good gut bugs, aka micorbiome, is so profound, some studies have compared it to antibiotics. And lets keep in mind, you dont take antibiotics for years on end.
To start crowding out that yeast and restore gut health while being mindful of SIBO, I started Laura on Women’s Probiotic. She started at 1 cap daily for seven days then increased to 1 cap twice daily for several months.
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How Is A Hormonal Imbalance Diagnosed
First, make an appointment with a health care provider for a physical exam. The health care provider will ask about your symptoms. Then, depending on your symptoms, they will suggest which hormone imbalance tests to do. These could be evaluations like:
- Blood test: Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroxine, TTH, insulin, and cortisol levels can be detected in the blood.
- Pelvic exam: A health care provider will search for any lumps or cysts.
- Ultrasound: Images of your uterus, ovaries, thyroid, and pituitary gland can be obtained.
How Should This Medicine Be Used
Oral contraceptives come in packets of 21, 28, or 91 tablets to take by mouth once a day, every day or almost every day of a regular cycle. To avoid nausea, take oral contraceptives with food or milk. Take your oral contraceptive at the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take your oral contraceptive exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it, take it more often, or take it for a longer time than prescribed by your doctor.
Oral contraceptives come in many different brands. Different brands of oral contraceptives contain slightly different medications or doses, are taken in slightly different ways, and have different risks and benefits. Be sure that you know which brand of oral contraceptives you are using and exactly how you should use it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient and read it carefully.
If you have a 21-tablet packet, take 1 tablet daily for 21 days and then none for 7 days. Then start a new packet.
If you have recently given birth, wait until 4 weeks after delivery to begin taking oral contraceptives. If you have had an abortion or miscarriage, talk to your doctor about when you should begin taking oral contraceptives.
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So What Does The Pill Have To Do With This
Contraceptive pills contain oestrogen and progestogen to prevent ovulation, or progestogen alone and these hormones also have an impact on our digestive system.
Oestrogen
Found in the combined contraceptive pill, oestrogen can cause nausea, or make it worse if you already experience it. This is especially true when you first start taking the pill, and for some people the nausea can pass after a few months of taking the pill or be minimised by taking it at night or with food. However remember a common cause of nausea is pregnancy, so if this is a new symptom consider doing a pregnancy test.
Oestrogen also slows down the movement of your gut, so it takes much longer for things to move along and out. This means bloating, constipation and discomfort can be more likely.
There is also a relationship between the oestrogen we produce and the good bacteria that live in our gut its plausible that the microbiome could also be affected by oestrogen taken in the pill, but we dont know for sure at this stage.
Progestogen
A synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone progesterone progestogen is found in the combined pill, and the mini/POP Pill. It can slow down digestion as it relaxes the smooth muscle of the gut, sometimes a little too much, which can cause constipation and bloating.