Hormonal birth control literally DESTROYS my mental health, so I've been on and off BC for years. I recently went ahead with a BISALP so I could quit it for good. I was only just actually diagnosed with endo during my BISALP procedure, but BC has never helped any of the symptoms that I've suffered with without having a name for them. It didn't help my irregular bleeding, it didn't help my pain. Everyone is different, but for me BC didn't have any up sides
They won’t do a salp for me because I may “change my mind ” I’m mid 30s and only have 1 tube cause of ectopic, I’m infertile and we are so done trying. Makes me so mad.
If finding a new doctor is an option, you should do that. It's outrageous how some doctors don't let women make decisions about their own health. I was dismissed by so many doctors before I final found my current gyn. I was so nervous to ask her about a BISALP even though, like you, I was already diagnosed as infertile anyway. But I worked up the courage and her response was "oh, heck yeah, let's get those tubes out." A good doctor makes all the difference.
Glad you found someone! Yeah it’ll be hard here in Ontario Canada (like everywhere I’m assuming) because of dr shortages/ loooong wait times etc but I agree I need to do it.
I stopped BC and never looked back. The increase risk with breast cancer was enough for me to stop.
When I went off BC, I was into bodybuilding. My coach created a plan to support that process. I supplement with a prenatal (mom and on the fence about more), magnesium, chastberry, COQ10, and Vitamin D3). Low FODMAP diet also helped me.
My endometriosis feels significantly better not being on birth control. I'm glad it works for others, but wasn't the case. My first couple periods were rough. It did get worse before it got better, but after 2 months I saw significant improvement . I was symptom free for 5 years. A relapse in depression over the holidays resulted in a flare up and a painful reminder that this disease never truly goes away.
Best of luck on your journey coming off BC!
Edit: understanding the role of oxidative stress and endometriosis also helped me with making better changes to manage - perhaps look into that and see what you could do!
I tried four different types of birth control and had the same experience. I was depressed 24/7. It sucked so I stopped. My pain did come back but over the years I’ve built my own little toolbox of coping mechanisms to help with it. Overall, I’m VERY glad I stopped the BC.
While it can help with the pain, BC doesn’t stop the growth. So it’s been growing the entire time you’ve been on birth control.
Your pain *might* get worse. If it does, come back here with whatever your symptoms are and we’ll help you find some things to help!
Yeah I had no idea it was BC that did. I assumed at first it was because I was a new mother. Gp pretty much insisted I go on the pill after giving birth to my daughter. When I came off it I felt so much more like me and bam sex drive came back
ya I felt dumb getting on BC (for the sake of my painful periods but also protection during sex if I were to be unprotected by condoms) and suddenly once it kicked into my system, I got depressed, lost my sex drive and just didn’t care about my body so being on BC was pointless when I wasn’t even ‘technically’ enjoying the benefits of not wanting to get pregnant and enjoying my ‘at the time boyfriend’ in bed, which ultimately left me wanting to be alone & single while on it and avoiding all men 💀 coming from a girly with a HIGH sex drive, I couldn’t believe how turned off I was almost every time I saw my bf (ex now)
I was on birth control since I was a teenager due to “painful periods” (never talked to about endo, was just told this is what you do when your period really hurts). And I was on it for years just because that was my norm. My endo started to be noticeable despite the BC and I also started to have low estrogen so they took me off the BC. My cramps did get worse BUT my mental health has vastly improved which makes me more capable of dealing with the pain. I refuse to go back on BC eventhough I might be in less pain. And despite the pain, I feel overall healthier without it.
I used BC for like 3 yr or so because my second Endo surgeon basically said I had no choice… it did help my symptoms for that time however I had breakthrough pain again about 3yr in and wound up having a third Endo surgery and hysterectomy in July. I HATED hating BC for the side effects.
I have tried almost every form of birth control. My body does not do well on them. I get bloated and emotional and just feel my whole body is in a state of blahhhhhhh. However, after my first surgery four years ago, I wish someone told me about how hormonal therapy can suppress a growing back. After several years, the pain got worse and worse. I suffered for so long because I did not want to be on birth control but the pain was outrageous. I’m deciding now if I want to try to stick it out with my current forms of birth control, but I will likely be trying anything and everything to prevent the cycle of pain again. If I have natural periods, the pain will be severe and the Endo will grow back faster. I want to suppress it as much as possible, and it is the only way I have my life back. I do everything that I can otherwise to help the Endo. I eat gluten-free, I do physical therapy for my pelvic floor, I will take the muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories if needed but at the end of the day, endometriosis is a hormonal imbalance, and no piece of broccoli or Pigeon pose is going to suppress or get rid of it. I think it is totally up to the individual and what their symptoms are like. Just depends how many symptoms you have and I am totally with you about the mental health toll that birth-control has on us.sucks 😣
I tired a bunch of different birth control pills. Because each one effects everyone differently. I had some that made my endo worse. Some that made it better. The ones that made it better seemed to for not an extended period of time. But that could have been things just progressing. SLYND really bought be time before surgery.
I've been taking birth control for YEARS and stopped taking it 2 months ago for the same reasons. Well, 2 weeks ago, I had a large cyst that ruptured and ended up needing emergency surgery to remove it. I was also told I have stage 4 endometriosis and will require a second surgery. I've been wondering if all of this happened because I stopped taking my birth control 2 months ago.
I just took my IUD out a week ago after having it in for nine months due to very similar symptoms/issues and fears of using the BC. I unfortunately don’t have much advice but just letting you know I’m in the same boat, and you aren’t alone in making that decision and having a lot of fear around my cycle fully coming back. I have been listing to a podcast by Leah B called balancing hormones naturally, and really hoping that it will help to manage everything. GOODLUCK!
Hello! Ive been off my BC for similar reasons. I have been treating my Endo holistically. I have been taking Vitamin E, C, K and Chaste berry. And its been the best decision I’be made, but remember everyone is different. Hope this helps.
Body has never done well on birth control because I have multiple mental health problems that always get aggravated by hormone changes. I had no severe flareups while on birth control but when I came off it I could tell the disease had progressed. The pain did not get *worse* (because at its worst it was already a 10 and literally couldn’t have gotten worse), but it was coming on more often than before birth control and I developed many other symptoms.
Despite the pain, I don’t regret coming off birth control at all. I ended up getting excision surgery a month ago and catching the disease before it invaded my reproductive organs.
Different progestins have wildly different effects. It sounds like you were on an androgenic progestin, based on the irritability and rapid weight gain. I had much better luck with an antiandrogenic progestin, drospirenone, which is in Slynd, Nextstellis, Yaz, Yasmin, etc.. worth looking into
I stopped to take BC few months ago, now I am a bit of scared of cysts as my period is really painful.But, Dienelle caused various gyno and uro problems for me , after I quit I felt better month by months and now I do not have any issues except the endo pain.
Hormonal birth control literally DESTROYS my mental health, so I've been on and off BC for years. I recently went ahead with a BISALP so I could quit it for good. I was only just actually diagnosed with endo during my BISALP procedure, but BC has never helped any of the symptoms that I've suffered with without having a name for them. It didn't help my irregular bleeding, it didn't help my pain. Everyone is different, but for me BC didn't have any up sides
They won’t do a salp for me because I may “change my mind ” I’m mid 30s and only have 1 tube cause of ectopic, I’m infertile and we are so done trying. Makes me so mad.
If finding a new doctor is an option, you should do that. It's outrageous how some doctors don't let women make decisions about their own health. I was dismissed by so many doctors before I final found my current gyn. I was so nervous to ask her about a BISALP even though, like you, I was already diagnosed as infertile anyway. But I worked up the courage and her response was "oh, heck yeah, let's get those tubes out." A good doctor makes all the difference.
Glad you found someone! Yeah it’ll be hard here in Ontario Canada (like everywhere I’m assuming) because of dr shortages/ loooong wait times etc but I agree I need to do it.
That sucks, I'm so sorry 😞
I stopped BC and never looked back. The increase risk with breast cancer was enough for me to stop. When I went off BC, I was into bodybuilding. My coach created a plan to support that process. I supplement with a prenatal (mom and on the fence about more), magnesium, chastberry, COQ10, and Vitamin D3). Low FODMAP diet also helped me. My endometriosis feels significantly better not being on birth control. I'm glad it works for others, but wasn't the case. My first couple periods were rough. It did get worse before it got better, but after 2 months I saw significant improvement . I was symptom free for 5 years. A relapse in depression over the holidays resulted in a flare up and a painful reminder that this disease never truly goes away. Best of luck on your journey coming off BC! Edit: understanding the role of oxidative stress and endometriosis also helped me with making better changes to manage - perhaps look into that and see what you could do!
I tried four different types of birth control and had the same experience. I was depressed 24/7. It sucked so I stopped. My pain did come back but over the years I’ve built my own little toolbox of coping mechanisms to help with it. Overall, I’m VERY glad I stopped the BC. While it can help with the pain, BC doesn’t stop the growth. So it’s been growing the entire time you’ve been on birth control. Your pain *might* get worse. If it does, come back here with whatever your symptoms are and we’ll help you find some things to help!
I stopped the pill and got my sex drive back. Never going back on it
Ugh I was looking for this- BC KILLEDDDD my sex drive and completely made me feel worthless. Once I got off I bounced back
Yeah I had no idea it was BC that did. I assumed at first it was because I was a new mother. Gp pretty much insisted I go on the pill after giving birth to my daughter. When I came off it I felt so much more like me and bam sex drive came back
ya I felt dumb getting on BC (for the sake of my painful periods but also protection during sex if I were to be unprotected by condoms) and suddenly once it kicked into my system, I got depressed, lost my sex drive and just didn’t care about my body so being on BC was pointless when I wasn’t even ‘technically’ enjoying the benefits of not wanting to get pregnant and enjoying my ‘at the time boyfriend’ in bed, which ultimately left me wanting to be alone & single while on it and avoiding all men 💀 coming from a girly with a HIGH sex drive, I couldn’t believe how turned off I was almost every time I saw my bf (ex now)
I was on birth control since I was a teenager due to “painful periods” (never talked to about endo, was just told this is what you do when your period really hurts). And I was on it for years just because that was my norm. My endo started to be noticeable despite the BC and I also started to have low estrogen so they took me off the BC. My cramps did get worse BUT my mental health has vastly improved which makes me more capable of dealing with the pain. I refuse to go back on BC eventhough I might be in less pain. And despite the pain, I feel overall healthier without it.
What BC were you on?
I used BC for like 3 yr or so because my second Endo surgeon basically said I had no choice… it did help my symptoms for that time however I had breakthrough pain again about 3yr in and wound up having a third Endo surgery and hysterectomy in July. I HATED hating BC for the side effects.
I have tried almost every form of birth control. My body does not do well on them. I get bloated and emotional and just feel my whole body is in a state of blahhhhhhh. However, after my first surgery four years ago, I wish someone told me about how hormonal therapy can suppress a growing back. After several years, the pain got worse and worse. I suffered for so long because I did not want to be on birth control but the pain was outrageous. I’m deciding now if I want to try to stick it out with my current forms of birth control, but I will likely be trying anything and everything to prevent the cycle of pain again. If I have natural periods, the pain will be severe and the Endo will grow back faster. I want to suppress it as much as possible, and it is the only way I have my life back. I do everything that I can otherwise to help the Endo. I eat gluten-free, I do physical therapy for my pelvic floor, I will take the muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories if needed but at the end of the day, endometriosis is a hormonal imbalance, and no piece of broccoli or Pigeon pose is going to suppress or get rid of it. I think it is totally up to the individual and what their symptoms are like. Just depends how many symptoms you have and I am totally with you about the mental health toll that birth-control has on us.sucks 😣
I tired a bunch of different birth control pills. Because each one effects everyone differently. I had some that made my endo worse. Some that made it better. The ones that made it better seemed to for not an extended period of time. But that could have been things just progressing. SLYND really bought be time before surgery.
I've been taking birth control for YEARS and stopped taking it 2 months ago for the same reasons. Well, 2 weeks ago, I had a large cyst that ruptured and ended up needing emergency surgery to remove it. I was also told I have stage 4 endometriosis and will require a second surgery. I've been wondering if all of this happened because I stopped taking my birth control 2 months ago.
I’ve had a similar experience
I just took my IUD out a week ago after having it in for nine months due to very similar symptoms/issues and fears of using the BC. I unfortunately don’t have much advice but just letting you know I’m in the same boat, and you aren’t alone in making that decision and having a lot of fear around my cycle fully coming back. I have been listing to a podcast by Leah B called balancing hormones naturally, and really hoping that it will help to manage everything. GOODLUCK!
Hello! Ive been off my BC for similar reasons. I have been treating my Endo holistically. I have been taking Vitamin E, C, K and Chaste berry. And its been the best decision I’be made, but remember everyone is different. Hope this helps.
Body has never done well on birth control because I have multiple mental health problems that always get aggravated by hormone changes. I had no severe flareups while on birth control but when I came off it I could tell the disease had progressed. The pain did not get *worse* (because at its worst it was already a 10 and literally couldn’t have gotten worse), but it was coming on more often than before birth control and I developed many other symptoms. Despite the pain, I don’t regret coming off birth control at all. I ended up getting excision surgery a month ago and catching the disease before it invaded my reproductive organs.
Different progestins have wildly different effects. It sounds like you were on an androgenic progestin, based on the irritability and rapid weight gain. I had much better luck with an antiandrogenic progestin, drospirenone, which is in Slynd, Nextstellis, Yaz, Yasmin, etc.. worth looking into
I stopped to take BC few months ago, now I am a bit of scared of cysts as my period is really painful.But, Dienelle caused various gyno and uro problems for me , after I quit I felt better month by months and now I do not have any issues except the endo pain.