How to Heal from Long-term Birth Control Use

Birth control pills have a dark side—connected with a host of side effects from unwanted weight gain, infertility, skin breakouts, migraines, IBS and gut issues.

Here’s how to quit the pill, 3 steps to heal your body and an alternative form of birth control instead.

Sixty–two percent of women of reproductive age  (approx. 100-million women, ages 14-45) are currently using contraception—with the vast majority of those (more than 1 in 4) on “the pill.”

Birth control pills are like Advil nowadays in our modern society—easily taken like candy as the “no-nonsense solution” for an assortment of health needs: From contraception (birth control) to acne, hormone “balancing,” getting your period “back” or preventing an unwanted period.

However, the thing that many doctors won’t tell you?

The repercussions of long-term use of these pills, months and years later down the line.

A MODERN DAY EPIDEMIC

It’s an epidemic I see stream through my doors, emails and phone lines on a near daily basis—with many women having NO CLUE why they are “suddenly” experiencing the symptoms they are:

• Unwanted weight gain
• Amenorrhea or irregular periods
• Thyroid imbalances
• Constipation and bloating
• IBS 
• Eating healthy—but digestion still feeling “off”
• Missing period
• Horrible PMS
• Infertility
• Skin breakouts
• SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
• Chronic anxiety or depression
• Imbalanced emotions or mood
• Endometriosis
• Migraines
• Brain fog
• Red flush
• Poor sleep and/or Fatigue
• Dry skin
• Feeling hot at night
• Increased UTI’s

(Just to name a few)

In fact, unwanted weight gain, “slow metabolism” and “gut issues” are some of the top symptoms I see in my clinic—with many women not connecting their birth control pill with any .of these. (ESPECIALLY gut health).

You have hormone receptors everywhere in your digestive tract.

The added hormones in your body from the pill can affect those receptors, and sometimes the result is pretty uncomfortable—ranging from chronic constipation and bloating, IBS and Chron’s disease or ulcerative colitis. 

However, for most women, the signs that the pill is messing with their gut health are more subtle and not as easy to pin down since IBS, gas, bloating, and constipation can ALSO be signs of “dysbiosis,” or bacterial imbalance within the digestive tract.

Got gut, metabolism or weight issues—no matter how “healthy you eat?”

The answer may be in your pill.

While many of these side effects of birth control may be listed in the fine print on the pill refill insert, they are side effects easily overlooked when birth control seems like the ONLY option for controlling unwanted pregnancy, getting your period “back” after a bout of amenorrhea, or clearing up your acne.

HOW BIRTH CONTROL WORKS

In the short term, it’s no question that birth control works.

Birth control pills prevent pregnancy essentially by stopping ovulation—preventing the release of your egg so there is nothing to be fertilized by sperm, and you cannot get pregnant.

Birth control pills ALSO have the ability to give you a (false period) if you haven’t been having one, suppress a horribly heavy cycle (if you’ve been having a strong one), and zap zits since it supplies your body with a double doozy of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to “make up for” your case of naturally low or high levels of these hormones.

In fact, most birth control pills supply your body with approximately THREE to FOUR TIMES the amount of estrogen and/or progesterone you naturally produce, depending on the pill prescribed. Thus, long term use of the pill causes your body to naturally make LESS estrogen and/or progesterone on your own—a repercussion that catches up with your body in the long run.

Estrogen and progesterone have multiple roles in the body, working together like a yin-and-yang when they are in balance.

Balanced, healthy Estrogen levels help:

• Regulate your menstrual cycle (naturally)
• Promote development and growth
• Support skin, bone and mucus membrane formation (i.e. ‘clear, non-wrinkly skin’)
• Clot blood
• Balance mood
• Control excessive inflammation

Balanced, healthy Progesterone levels help:

• Promote normal sleep patterns
• Natural anti-depressant & calms anxiety
• Use fat for energy
• Normalize blood sugar levels
• Maintain healthy libido Stimulate new bone formation
• Control excessive inflammation

And while balanced hormone levels are a great thing, too much or too little of either hormone is not—leading to a host of side effects ironically associated with birth control pills as well (i.e. sleepiness, depression, digestive problems, weight gain, slowed metabolism, blood sugar imbalances, infertility, night sweats, nutrient deficiencies, loss of appetite, headaches, etc.).

WHAT CAUSES HORMONAL IMBALANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Hormones don’t just become “imbalanced.”

Aside from long term use of birth control pills themselves (ultimately suppressing your body’s natural hormone production, and/or over-supplying you with excess estrogen and/or progesterone), the “elephant in the room” in hormone imbalance in the first place is a little guy named: Cortisol.

In short: Stress.

The reason WHY many women’s estrogen or progesterone (or testosterone) get “off” in the first place (amenorrhea, irregular periods, infertility, acne) is because cortisol (your stress hormone) is IMBALANCED due to stress.

Cortisol is one of the primary drivers of the yin-and-yang relationship of estrogen and progesterone in the first place.

In a healthy, happy-hormone body, cortisol levels are fairly balanced. However, in a stressed out body, cortisol gets out of balance—as if it is running from a bear at all times (high cortisol), or as if it has been hit by a truck (low cortisol)—then your body (hormones included) get out of balance as well.

While “stress” is not 100% avoidable in life, the more stressors that come your way—without proper stress management—is like throwing more fuel onto the (internal) fire.

Some examples of stress include:

• Burning a candle at both ends
• The inability to say “no”
• Lack of sleep
• Artificial sweetener or sugar consumption
• Frequent consumption of gut-irritating foods (processed foods, grains, nuts, conventional dairy and meats, packaged foods)
• Overtraining or sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Drinking in excess
• High caffeine or coffee consumption (i.e. more than 1 cup of coffee per day)
• Always on the go
• Toxin-heavy beauty and cleaning supplies
• Long term use of medications (like birth control)

Stress stinks, and chronic stress results in a health pathology technically called “HPA-Axis Dysfunction”—a dysfunction of your hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal systems (the body systems responsible for regulating the production of your hormones and stress-response in the first place).

The bottom line: Stress (birth control included) throws off hormone balance and leads to the variety of symptoms (i.e. weight gain, thyroid dysfunction, digestive distress, infertility, fatigue, headaches, skin breakouts, early aging, breast cancer, etc.)

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT: 3 WAYS TO HEAL FROM LONG TERM USE OF BIRTH CONTROL

Soooo…you’ve been on birth control in the past (or present) and you’re ready to heal and restore your body—not just get by or manage the symptoms you experience on the daily.

You’ve decided to “come clean” and try something new—birth control free.

But now, faced with a “mountain to climb” as you begin sifting through the side effects or repercussions of your former birth control use…now what?

Here are three action steps you can start taking today to take back your health:

1. GET A CLEAR PICTURE
   So you realize you have some type of hormonal imbalance going on—it has to be! But what are your hormone levels actually doing? Are your estrogen hormones sky-rocket high? Is your cortisol tanked or spiked? Is your progesterone suppressed or elevated? A “test don’t guess” philosophy is not the end all be all, but can be tremendously insightful barometer to establish your hormones’ current state of health and integrate the appropriate nutritional, supplement and lifestyle changes to support hormone health and restoration.The gold standard? The DUTCH* test—a dried urine hormone test that measures the yin-and-yang of your hormones throughout the day.Unlike a blood hormone test (one snapshot of hormone levels that do NOT reflect the patterns of your hormones during the day—a key element), or saliva test (high room for error), the DUTCH test is a helpful tool to put into your tool belt on your road to healing.Other potential tests that could help you assess stress—aside from hormones themselves—include gut testing (SIBO, stool, food intolerance). Since your gut is the gateway to your health (and hormones), if and when your gut health is off, then your hormones are not getting “fed” and consequently, get off track.*You can order a DUTCH test yourself, but it can also be helpful to have a practitioner walk you through the results and interpret it for you. For a limited time, book a two-part session with Dr. Lauryn at Thrive for your own hormone restoration protocol and a 15% discount of the DUTCH Test.

2. ADDRESS STRESS
   Birth control pill aside, it’s time to consider other sources of stress as well that are not serving you (and your hormone and cortisol balance). These are unique 100% to you and they could be anything—from:

• A job you hate
• Lack of “you time” in your day
• An overcrowded schedule
• Negative people
• Chronic news or social media consumption
• Running the same 3-6 miles every day, or rarely taking a gym rest day
• Staying up too late or working on screens late at night
• Never asking for help
• Eating Quest Bars and protein shakes (fake foods) over real food many days for snack

  Addressing your personal stressors could be that “slight edge” game changer in resetting your hormonal balance.As you identify stress, acknowledge it, yes, but then make a plan to replace or begin irradiating it. For instance, detox from social media by deleting Facebook off your phone to help prevent excess checking. Replace the Yoplait sweetened with Splenda with the full-fat, organic grass-fed yogurt and add some berries. Cut out the coffee in replacement of Teecino cCandle down 30-60 minutes earlier than usual for bed for a week. Little by little, small changes lead to lessened stress.
  

3. HEAL THE GUT
   The gut IS the gateway to health, and often times in the case of hormonal imbalance, a pre-cursor to your cortisol levels and hormones being “out of balance.” Since your gut is the ONE system in your body that processes every single nutrient, as well as toxin, throughout your lifetime, if your gut is UNABLE to effectively process (digest) your food, then, Houston, you have a problem. GI Testing (SIBO, stool, food intolerance, organic acids, etc.) of course can help assess if or what gut “issues” may be going on underneath the hood, but some simple no-nonsense measures for also healing and supporting your gut health across the board include:Chew your food (really well) and slow down at meals (put your fork down between bites if you’re a fast eater)Eat fermented and prebiotic-rich foods (green tipped bananas/plantains, cooked and cooled potatoes, leeks, onions, asparagus) dailyTake a probiotic (see link below)Also consider HCL tablets or Apple Cider Vinegar to boost stomach acid, as well as Digestive Enzymes, if bloating, nausea, IBS, constipation or gut imbalances are suspected (see link below for recommendations)Sip bone broth, L-Glutamine powder in water/tea and herbal tea regularly(Check out this link and find “Dr. Lauryn’s recommended LOVE YOUR GUT digestive supplements to help heal your gut)

1 HOLISTIC SIMPLE FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL

Interested in “alternative forms” of birth control?

The best way to monitor your cycle and practice natural birth control is by knowing your cycle and taking it into your own hands.

Unfortunately, most of us are NOT taught how to monitor our cycle or track our “ovulation” (the time we are fertile, when the egg drops).

What is ovulation?

Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from the ovary, moves down the fallopian tube, and is available in the fallopian tube to be fertilized (make a baby).

TRACK YOUR OVULATION

Step 1: Uncover the length of your average menstrual cycle. How long does your period last?! Day one is the first day of the menstrual period and the last day is the day before the next period begins.

Step 2: Know your ovulation. Ovulation (“egg drop time”) happens about two weeks before your next expected period. So if your average menstrual cycle happens every 28 days, you ovulate around day 14 and ovulation lasts about 24-26 hours.

How do you know you’re ovulating? 

Some signs that ovulation is about to occur include:

1. Changes in your mucus. Around ovulation time, you may notice your vagina’s mucus is clear, slick and slippery, the consistency of egg white. This is the best sign of when ovulation is actually happening.

2. Use an ovulation predictor kit.You can start testing with your ovulation predictor kit  a few days before your estimated day of ovulation. (Subtract 17 days from your average cycle length and start testing from this day of your cycle, e.g. if you have a 28-day cycle, you would start testing from day 11. A positive result means you are going to ovulate within the next 24 to 36 hours).

3. There’s an app for that. Technology ALSO brings natural birth control right to your finger tips. Apps like Flo helps you stay on your “A-game” so you know when your most fertile times of the month are, and you can plan accordingly.

4. Monitor your temperature. Your masala body temp rises about half a degree to 1-degree Fahrenheit (or after ovulation has occurred. Record your basal body temperature

(BBT) each day. When you note a spike, this can help you work out your own pattern of ovulation.

Step 3: Know your  TOTAL “fertile window” (Pre-ovulation + Ovulation Time). Preovulation is ALSO a time of fertility and typically occurs about 3 days leading up to (and including ovulation day) are the most fertile. Thus, depending on your cycle length the most fertile days in the cycle varies:

• If you have 28 days between periods ovulation typically happens on day 14, and the most fertile days are days 12, 13, and 14.
• If you have longer cycles, say 35 days between periods, ovulation happens on day 21 and the most fertile days are days 19, 20, and 21.
• If you have shorter cycles, say 21 days between periods, ovulation happens on day 7 and the most fertile days are days 5, 6, and 7.

Step 4: Plan accordingly.
Once you recognize your most fertile times, it helps you from “playing with fire” if you are ready to go a la natural and heal from the effects of birth control on your body. So, for instance, if you are on a 28-day cycle, then the days following your preovulation and ovulation period are “your days”—“Post-ovulation” (Also known as the luteal phase). This final portion of your cycle lasts a minimum of 12 days and as many as 16.   Once the egg has been released, there’s not much that can be done until next month. Progesterone levels rise, signaling that the ovaries don’t need to release any more eggs this month. Your cervical will dry up and creates a plug to prevent any additional sperm from entering the uterus.

QUESTION: Can I get pregnant during my period? Chances of getting pregnant during your period are almost nil. (Although you may not be “feeling” it during that time of the month, as you begin to address your cortisol levels and gut health factors we’ve discussed, you may be surprised how much your PMS improves).

OTHER FORMS OF BIRTH CONTROL

In addition to healthy “family planning,” the IUD is generally a better option than the pill when it comes to gut health, since it’s not ingested directly and there are non-hormonal options. (However, metal toxicity can also be a risk factor here and it’s important to support your liver health and digestion while on an IUD or birth control for that matter). Condom use can also be effective as well.

WANT TO GO “NATURAL” AND HEAL YOUR HORMONES?

Connect with Dr. Lauryn for learning how to come off the pill naturally, assessing your own hormonal imbalances (if any exist) and taking back your health (starting now).

She’s offering a limited time special rate on her Thrive Program with Hormone Enhancement (includes lab testing and your initial intake) this month.

Fill out this form here and we will be in touch with you in the next 24-48 hours about scheduling your session.