Practical Practitioner

Birth Control Pills Aren’t the Panacea Once Thought

JANUARY 23, 2008 – In my younger days, Birth Control Pills were 300 times the dose they are today. Needless to say, there were lots of side-effects including headaches, nausea, weight gain, breast tenderness, mood swings, etc.

I’m asked on a daily basis to prescribe Birth Control Pills to younger and younger women, and must admit that I don’t condone the use of Birth Control Pills despite the lower dose. I am appalled that these synthetic hormones have been approved for use in young girls with acne. How will their breast tissue be affected?

To date, discoveries that high-estrogen birth control pills contributed to breast cancer, embolisms and stroke had some women thinking twice. The newer, lower dose birth control pills, although popular, continue to cause serious health risks for women.

In my opinion, although birth control pills do prevent pregnancy, the risks far outweigh those benefits.

Currently, 17 million plus American women are using birth control pills, spending $3 billion plus per year. The pill is being used today in young girls with painful, irregular, or heavy periods. Cramping, painful and irregular periods are often due to a deficiency of progesterone and excess estrogen. So synthetic Estrogen birth control pills often compound the problem. Side effects seen with these pills include weight gain, mood swings and breast tenderness.

Other birth control methods substitute synthetic Progestin for natural Progesterone. Unlike natural Progesterone which is an anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and sleeping pill, Progestin can cause depression, anxiety, insomnia and mood swings. It is not uncommon for a 20 year old new to the birth control pill to follow up with her clinician complaining of depression and anxiety only to be placed on anti-depressants.

What most people don’t realize is that medications lead to nutritional deficiencies. All synthetic birth control methods lead to deficiencies in vitamin B2, B3, B6, B12, C Folic Acid, Magnesium, Selenium, & Zinc. Anti-depressants lead to deficiencies in Vitamin B-12 and Coenzyme Q-10.

Furthermore, when estrogen levels remain high without being balanced by progesterone, some side effects we know about include: Increased risk of breast cancer, increased risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke, migraines, gall bladder disease, increased blood pressure, weight gain, mood changes, nausea, irregular bleeding or spotting, benign liver tumors, breast tenderness.

The use of birth control pills is a major risk factor for developing yeast overgrowth because it promotes estrogen dominance. Science has shown us that there is a close link between estrogen dominance and yeast overgrowth.

So now that we have an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases & cervical cancer in younger and younger women, as well as all of the side-effects listed above, so what are the alternatives? Male condoms continue to have a 98% effectiveness rate when used correctly, and are nearly as effective as birth control pills, diaphragms, cervical caps, as well as some science based modalities such as NaPro Technology (NaPro).

Working with an open minded healthcare provider, a woman has many options for birth control.

Pamela Egan, FNP-C, CDE is a board certified Adult & Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Diabetes Educator & Clinical Specialist in Mental Health. She practices in Women’s Health with Kathy Posey, MD & can be reached at 985-867-1700 or www.pamelaegan.com.

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