BCP and hormone levels Options

[Mrs Barista]

Hi all
I was prescribed Yasmin a couple of months ago for peri symptoms (heart flips, racing heart, worsening PMS, periods coming closer together and lighter, mid-cycle spotting, etc). I know this should even out my estrogen/progesterone levels, but does anyone know what happens to them? In theory should they be completely flat over the three weeks on the pill then drop in the week off, or do you still have some sort of cycle of your own making with peaks and troughs in hormones and the pill is like a "supplement" on top? I still get PMS before I finish the pack, but how does my body know I'm about to take a week off to get my period?

Also does anyone know whether your hormone levels fluctuate during each day you're on the pill; ie if you take the pill first thing in the morning do you get a quick release of estrogen that is absorbed in a few hours, or is it released more slowly?

Thanks for any answers!

[skiergirl]

Hi,
I think bcp's are supposed to level out your hormones, but it doesn't always work that way. I think our bodies often supplement the estrogen in the low-dose bcp's. When I was on YAZ, the lower dose version of Yasmin, I experienced PMS symptoms and then started bleeding during the fourth week, even though I was taking the pills continuously. (I only took the placebo pills every 12 weeks.) My doctor said my ovaries were "overriding" the pill because it was such a low dose. Also, if I was training very hard or experiencing alot of stress, sometimes I would start spotting--maybe caused by dropping hormone levels? Who knows? Our bodies do strange things, especially in peri.

[Mrs Barista]

Thanks for the info! I'm still adjusting to the bcp and still have many of the peri symptoms, so I guess time will tell whether it helps in my case. Was spotting continuously for the first 5 weeks buy seems to have stopped now so maybe things are evening out. Thanks again

[Lady E]

I still feel my symptoms sometimes,they just are not as bad.The bcp make a huge difference for me.GODbless

[enough]

I started seasonique in july and for two months I felt great and then there are times when I still get palps, hot flashes, sleeplessness,etc. It helped a great deal witht he anxiety, I used to feel constantly revved up, now it's not as often, but still there, to a lesser degree. I have xanax to help throught he really rough times. Good luck.

[davinci817]

I am on my fifth day of Yasmin, when did/do you start noticing it was helping/not helping? I started about five days to early, with terrible anxiety symptoms, palps, the works. So I took my first pill Sunday, and it seems my symptoms are worse (maybe just in my mind). Waking in the night with a vertigo sort of feeling, very nervous feeling and having to pop xanax like candy. Can anyone relate? I know it is early in the game with the bcp so hoping they work.

[Mrs Barista]

I am on my fifth day of Yasmin, when did/do you start noticing it was helping/not helping? I started about five days to early, with terrible anxiety symptoms, palps, the works. So I took my first pill Sunday, and it seems my symptoms are worse (maybe just in my mind). Waking in the night with a vertigo sort of feeling, very nervous feeling and having to pop xanax like candy. Can anyone relate? I know it is early in the game with the bcp so hoping they work.

For the first cycle didn't see much improvement at all and spotted every day for 5 weeks. I've always had bad menstrual headaches - now getting headaches more frequently but less severe. Similarly still getting heart flips, probably more frequently but not so far getting days where I have quite a few and a racing heart. Cramping is better now - I have endo and so far this is much improved. My doctor advised me to take in the evening to avoid nausea. Do you find symptoms worse/better near when you've taken the tablet or all day? I'm guessing that the hormones are probably absorbed pretty quickly after you take the tablet, so you still get a fluctuation within the 24 hour cycle. Anyone else know whether this is true?

[epdp2]

during my reproductive life, i have used birth control pills on & off. 1st in my late teens/early 20s to help regulate my system/reduce cramps & then later for birth control. never felt great on them, but they made the periods predictable & the pain was lessened even if the pms wasn't. always had other problems, like brainfog/sinus issues/mood issues & am not sure if the pill helped or made these worse at times.

i went off the pill at 35 (both of my parents had strokes at age 56; my mom died from hers). immediately i developed melasma & i don't know why & no doctor has thought anything of it. peri type symptoms started a few years later.

now 44. a little over a year ago, the gyn suggested yaz as a way to lesson the worsening pms. i had a horrific reaction. over 5 days i went from bloated/nauseous/hyper to hot&cold flashing/severe muscle/joint pain & eventually to major mood disturbances - weeping for hours, light/noise severe sensitivity, crushing despair, thoughts of suicide. all disappeared after i stopped the pill. i was told by the gyn that she had never heard of a reaction like that. none of my other doctors have said much about it besides - oh, side effect.

i guess i'm throwing this out there for a number of reasons. for one, if any of you are experiencing severe side effects, trust yourself. i kept calling the gyn's & they kept telling me that it couldn't be from pill & that i wouldn't see any effects that soon. by the last day i wasn't thinking clearly enough to dispute anything but was fortunate that my husband was with me that last awful evening to watch over me & help me to understand that i was not to take another dose the next morning.

i am curious if any of you have had such immediate bad reactions or have any idea why it triggered such bad symptoms? for those of you who are having good luck with bcp - very glad for you. my current pcp wanted to try me on another bcp, but i was terrified because of my prior reaction & concerned because of my family history. waiting on final endo eval results & further discussions with my doctors before continuing.

i'll be reading here to hear more of what all of you have to say/share/experience.

good luck & thanks,
ellen

[davinci817]

I took the bcp for the first time Sunday night, right after I started my cycle. That night was pretty bad, I woke up with that foggy, dizzy, vertigo feeling all night long. So I have taken it in the morning the rest of this week, and notice most of all the heart palps and dizziness (like the feeling you get when you haven't eaten in ages) comes within a few hours of taking my meds. Generally my period is over within 4 days, currently on my fifth day and still going.....imo it has to be the bcp. *shrug* When I was in my twenties, I was unable to take bcp I never stopped cycling figured I was in no mood to have sex anyway so the pills were pointless lol.

I have read that forum on Yaz/Yasmine and your symptoms sure do not seem odd edpd. That is now my main concern is this going to make all the things I want to get rid of that much worse?

I have a pro cream on the way, and magnesium to take now so maybe I will see a difference soon. It can't hurt to wish.

[davinci817]

Like Mrs Barista, my curiosity is up as to how the bcp works with us peri gals. Obviously I know why we take them during our early years. Going to have to google this! I need to start journaling again just to see what is going on. Keep me up to date everyone, interested in your stories with bcp.

[davinci817]

Well I am on my eleventh day, and noticing in the mid afternoon a very week feeling comes over me almost like tremors or as I described before as though I haven't eaten in ages. The only thing that has changed is I am now taking a multi vitamin, magnesium and calcium, so thinking it has to be the bcp making me feel like this. I really don't like the feeling at it seems to take about 4 or 5 hours to go away. Anyone else?

[Mrs Barista]

Well I am on my eleventh day, and noticing in the mid afternoon a very week feeling comes over me almost like tremors or as I described before as though I haven't eaten in ages. The only thing that has changed is I am now taking a multi vitamin, magnesium and calcium, so thinking it has to be the bcp making me feel like this. I really don't like the feeling at it seems to take about 4 or 5 hours to go away. Anyone else?

I'm on tablet 14 of my second Yasmin cycle. I have to say that so far I'm not convinced there's any hormone "balancing" going on. I had a racing heart on wakening this morning; interestingly at the same point in my cycle that I used to get it before starting bcp. I've had a few days of heartburn, some breast tenderness, a full week of headaches (tablets 1-7) and still getting mild heart skips - seems to be mid afternoon if I've forgotten my magnesium. Had some internal shaking today from mid morning to early evening but that's a new one for this cycle. I'm keeping a detailed diary too - I'd never remember it all! I've also only had 5 days (tablets 3-7) without any spotting. I'm guessing that I need to give it more time to settle down, but no improvement so far.

Hugs

[davinci817]

I'm on tablet 14 of my second Yasmin cycle. I have to say that so far I'm not convinced there's any hormone "balancing" going on. I had a racing heart on wakening this morning; interestingly at the same point in my cycle that I used to get it before starting bcp. I've had a few days of heartburn, some breast tenderness, a full week of headaches (tablets 1-7) and still getting mild heart skips - seems to be mid afternoon if I've forgotten my magnesium. Had some internal shaking today from mid morning to early evening but that's a new one for this cycle. I'm keeping a detailed diary too - I'd never remember it all! I've also only had 5 days (tablets 3-7) without any spotting. I'm guessing that I need to give it more time to settle down, but no improvement so far.

Hugs

Argh, that is disappointing! No more spotting here that ended Sunday for me after seven days (which was enough mind ya). I dunno, thinking about trying to go back to taking it at night so that jittery/weak feeling will be when I sleep. I wondered about taking it along with the magnesium so I took the bcp a couple of hours later.

I am going to hang on to taking it and hope to read your updates, everything points to the side effects going away and it doing what it needs to do takes about 3 months. We shall see I suppose.

Ohhhhh and I got a UTI, one of the most common symptoms with bcp usage. So now I have that to contend with along with an antibiotic.

[Mrs Barista]

Ohhhhh and I got a UTI, one of the most common symptoms with bcp usage. So now I have that to contend with along with an antibiotic.

Peri's a blast isn't it? Reminds me of that game, "Whacamole" where moles keep coming up out of different holes and you have to bash them with a hammer. Just get rid of one weird symptom and another one pops up! . Good to hear your experiences - I'll keep posting.

Hugs

[davinci817]

Peri's a blast isn't it? Reminds me of that game, "Whacamole" where moles keep coming up out of different holes and you have to bash them with a hammer. Just get rid of one weird symptom and another one pops up! . Good to hear your experiences - I'll keep posting.

Hugs

I wish someone would whacame!

[epdp2]

thanks for the updates on how you are doing with the bcp. i really hope it helps. for now i have decided not to try them again. between the yaz horror week & my family history of stroke at a young age, i just don't think it would be a good idea. but even if i can struggle through the symptoms, i am scared of whether i am opening myself up to long term effects if i don't intervene now. it feels like a choice between possible stroke/psychotic break & chronic pain/cognitive malfunction (among other things). at least my doc recognizes peri & admits how little the med profession knows about it all, especially for those of us who suffer the most.

so best of luck. i'll be looking for the updates. love wacamole/wacame - just this morning described this as trying to hold a bunch of corks under water at one time. invariably, something goes shooting off...

ellen

[Mrs Barista]

thanks for the updates on how you are doing with the bcp. i really hope it helps. for now i have decided not to try them again. between the yaz horror week & my family history of stroke at a young age, i just don't think it would be a good idea. but even if i can struggle through the symptoms, i am scared of whether i am opening myself up to long term effects if i don't intervene now. it feels like a choice between possible stroke/psychotic break & chronic pain/cognitive malfunction (among other things). at least my doc recognizes peri & admits how little the med profession knows about it all, especially for those of us who suffer the most.

so best of luck. i'll be looking for the updates. love wacamole/wacame - just this morning described this as trying to hold a bunch of corks under water at one time. invariably, something goes shooting off...

ellen

I know what you mean - certainly seems like "which is the lesser of two evils?" right now. I've had quite a few heart skips today - I'm going to persist for at least the end of this and through another cycle as I've not suffered an immediate bad reaction like you unfortunately did.

I'm wondering with my breakthrough bleeding whether overall you actually have lower levels of estrogen on bcp than off it - there's an interesting chart here that seems to show non-bcp estrogen levels in red, and bcp estrogen levels in black. Might not have understood it right, , but I guess it's possible that even if your natural levels of estrogen are falling in peri, they could still be higher than on bcp.
http://www.contraceptiononline.org/slides/...erval&dpg=1

Hope you're feeling better after your yaz experience.

Hugs

[davinci817]

Obviously it isn't a miracle worker, but again I suppose we have to get through those "three" months to see any real results or lack of. Most certainly is two evils, and I am wondering if there is a winning side either way I go. Frustrating, but willing to give it a go.

I have been saving todays dose to take tonight, just to see if that funky feeling passes while I am sleeping. Weird thing is that today I still got a somewhat weak feeling mid-day/afternoon. *SIGH*

[54and countiing]

Well I am on my eleventh day, and noticing in the mid afternoon a very week feeling comes over me almost like tremors or as I described before as though I haven't eaten in ages. The only thing that has changed is I am now taking a multi vitamin, magnesium and calcium, so thinking it has to be the bcp making me feel like this. I really don't like the feeling at it seems to take about 4 or 5 hours to go away. Anyone else?

I'm new here so hope it's okay to post a thought. Is it possible that what you are experiencing is low blood sugar? I am hypoglycemic and get tremors, lightheadness, dizziness and was getting horrible anxiety and find that eating a small amount of protein plus a complex carb every two hours seems to help.
I just started HRT and am hoping it doesn't make it worse.
Lee

[davinci817]

I'm new here so hope it's okay to post a thought. Is it possible that what you are experiencing is low blood sugar? I am hypoglycemic and get tremors, lightheadness, dizziness and was getting horrible anxiety and find that eating a small amount of protein plus a complex carb every two hours seems to help.
I just started HRT and am hoping it doesn't make it worse.
Lee

Thanks for your thoughts. It does feel like low blood sugar, but all of my blood work has come back normal twice. Diabetes was my main concern because I had gestational with my last child. I wish it were that simple, I really really do!

[enough]

Hello everyone,
I started seasonique in July for the peri symptoms. I second guess myself every single day, but take them anyway. The peri was really too much for me. It is now 6 months and the breakthrough bleeding stopped. It only happened the first three months. The super wound up tighter than a drum feeling is mostly gone. that was the worst for me. The internal shaking got really bad too, even with magnesium. I am not saying it is a magic bullet, the symptoms aren't totally gone, but they are more manageable. I do admit, the on and off bleeding is gone, and that in itself is wonderful. I still have moments of anxiety and do take xanax when I am at my worst. Do I like to?, No, but I thnk the high anxiety will lead to more problems later if I continue letting myself get too uptight..

My doctors have said ther still will be moments when everything still goes wacky, the pill tries to balbance but can't always keep up with the flucuations.

I had hypoglycemia years ago and my blood sugar seems noraml now, but I can feel the change in myself when it drops. The shaking, irriitability, nervousness are awful. I eat every two-three hours and never leave the house without a kashi granola bar for emergencies.

Good luck to you all and I hope this may help a little.

[davinci817]

Enough-thanks for sharing. It is comforting to know things get better, even if not perfect. I am at the point right now of wondering if I can come off of the prozac and manage with just the bcp's, xanax as needed (hoping the l-theanine will take that out of the picture). Over all I feel better since starting the magnesium, calcium, multi vitamin, if only I could shake that weird feeling around mid-day. I did take my bcp last night around 8 and sure enough around 2 am I had that funky feeling that I have been having in the afternoons (almost exactly the same amount of time after taking the bcp). Now just to see what happens today around 2p.m.

[davinci817]

Oh just wanted to add, that I have now been xanax free since last Saturday. Even then I only took .25 mg (1/4 a pill). Woo hoo that is a start considering I have been needing the xanax off and on for eight months.

[epdp2]

Thanks for your thoughts. It does feel like low blood sugar, but all of my blood work has come back normal twice. Diabetes was my main concern because I had gestational with my last child. I wish it were that simple, I really really do!

good morning davinci,

i have hypoglycemic issues, no family history of DM, have had normal fasting bg levels. recently, a pretty reliable source told me that the fbg test may be missing up to 70% of women with diabetes. i even read this then in my MILs good housekeeping magazine from ? of last year. my friend suggested that i get a bg meter/monitor & try testing 1 hour & 2 hour post meal to see what's going on. & that this would be better measurements of bg activity.

so - while i have no idea what i am talking about, perhaps you may want to explore this a bit more just to be on the safe side.

best,
ellen

love the quote.

[epdp2]

I know what you mean - certainly seems like "which is the lesser of two evils?" right now. I've had quite a few heart skips today - I'm going to persist for at least the end of this and through another cycle as I've not suffered an immediate bad reaction like you unfortunately did.

I'm wondering with my breakthrough bleeding whether overall you actually have lower levels of estrogen on bcp than off it - there's an interesting chart here that seems to show non-bcp estrogen levels in red, and bcp estrogen levels in black. Might not have understood it right, , but I guess it's possible that even if your natural levels of estrogen are falling in peri, they could still be higher than on bcp.
http://www.contraceptiononline.org/slides/...erval&dpg=1

Hope you're feeling better after your yaz experience.

Hugs

thanks. i would have to believe that my experience is very rare & it is not clear whether some other underlying/undiagnosed condition contributed to the reaction or if it was the synthetic progestin or simply the addition of the hormones. but it was brief, albeit horrible, & over a year ago.

i confess to still not understanding most things, including the question that you asked. but my interpretation is the same as yours. would love to hear that affirmed or corrected by someone with more knowledge than me.

one question that i haven't asked those of you attempting bcp for management of peri is what are your doctors saying about safety these days? how long & to what age does the medical profession now feel it is safe to use it?

good luck,
ellen

[davinci817]

good morning davinci,

i have hypoglycemic issues, no family history of DM, have had normal fasting bg levels. recently, a pretty reliable source told me that the fbg test may be missing up to 70% of women with diabetes. i even read this then in my MILs good housekeeping magazine from ? of last year. my friend suggested that i get a bg meter/monitor & try testing 1 hour & 2 hour post meal to see what's going on. & that this would be better measurements of bg activity.

so - while i have no idea what i am talking about, perhaps you may want to explore this a bit more just to be on the safe side.

best,
ellen

love the quote.

I had thought about purchasing a meter, but then wondered what good it would do if the Doctor continues to tell me it is normal. They ran the screen that covers (supposedly) three months and it read something in the 90's for my sugar level. I know enough about readings and dieting to figure it out on my own probably, just one more thing I would be self treating ya know? Grrr Doctors!

[enough]

I bought a meter a year ago, I was having alot of internal shaking and was convinced it was my blood sugar, but surprisingly it wasn't. I guess it was the shaking from peri. I still watch my intake of sugars and carbs. Even if the meter doesn't say so, I know when I am running low from sugar. Even lack of food makes a difference. It is a lot of trial and error, and some days one thing works and another day it doesn't. It's just a matter of our bodies going up and down and it's a rough balance keeping up with it.

I hope you are feeling better. As far as the xanax, when I have a fulll week without any, I feel I've won an award. I do use it even to help my ibs when it is at its' worst, it realxes my stomach muscles. Maybe an antispasmoid would work, but this relaxes my mind as well.

good luck!!!!

[davinci817]

Well day four of feeling, nearly normal. Coincidence perhaps, but it is awesome! Still xanax free a week from this past Saturday! I have the l-theanine but have yet to use it! Fingers crossed this is working and I won't be shocked next week when all of the peri symptoms hit me again like a ton of bricks!

[KYS]

Hi all
I was prescribed Yasmin a couple of months ago for peri symptoms (heart flips, racing heart, worsening PMS, periods coming closer together and lighter, mid-cycle spotting, etc). I know this should even out my estrogen/progesterone levels, but does anyone know what happens to them? In theory should they be completely flat over the three weeks on the pill then drop in the week off, or do you still have some sort of cycle of your own making with peaks and troughs in hormones and the pill is like a "supplement" on top? I still get PMS before I finish the pack, but how does my body know I'm about to take a week off to get my period?

Also does anyone know whether your hormone levels fluctuate during each day you're on the pill; ie if you take the pill first thing in the morning do you get a quick release of estrogen that is absorbed in a few hours, or is it released more slowly?

Thanks for any answers!

Hi there

I take a low-dose HRT rather than the BCP for my symptoms, but I have definitely experienced my own hormones/cycle breaking through and I would gues that this is down to the fact that I am taking a low dose. It seems to have evened itself out more recently, but a few months ago I had a few quite irregular cycles where my body seemed to have completely overridden the HRT.

I'll take a guess at the answers to a couple of your questions while I'm here:

Concerning getting PMS towards the end of the pack - I would have thought that the cycle length on the BCP will, in a way, remind your body of what the "normal" cycle length could be and this could well trigger the PMS.

And on the release of the BCP's hormones into your system - to the best of my knowledge, the BCP is not made up as a "sustained-release" preparation, in the way that certain other medications are (some beta-blockers, for example), so I would guess that you would get an initial quick release of oestrogen, but as it is processed by the liver and then released, this wouldn't all go into the body at once. Just my conjecture though; I'm not a medic but have worked in a hospital pharmacy for many years and have learned some interesting bits of information about how medicines work.

Also, another bit of information about the comparisons between the BCP and HRT that I got from my doctor - in some cases, the BCP can actually carry a higher dose than some versions of HRT, which is why it doesn't work as a contraceptive. Obviously, this doesn't work for all versions of it as the doses vary.

[Mrs Barista]

Well day four of feeling, nearly normal. Coincidence perhaps, but it is awesome! Still xanax free a week from this past Saturday! I have the l-theanine but have yet to use it! Fingers crossed this is working and I won't be shocked next week when all of the peri symptoms hit me again like a ton of bricks!

Great news! I had a ton of palpitations Saturday (interestingly when I would probably have got my period had I not been on the bcp), calmed down since then - still getting a few in the evening but fairly mild. I think if I can show there's some cyclical pattern to them, at least it's reassuring that it's hormone-related. I've had 3 days with only the mild evening palps now and no other symptoms - not really long enough to call it a pattern, but I'm enjoying the moment! Good to hear your updates!