Birth Control+Headaches+PCOS??
 

I've been on Birth Control pills since I was 16 years old because of "irregular menstruation" it was called at the time. The doctor didn't know what was wrong, but he was at least smart enough to know that only having periods every 10 months was NOT a good thing.

All through college I suffered with what I thought were migraine headaches as well. I'd get them, and they'd knock me down for anywhere from a day to three days. One time I even went to the ER with them.

Well I'm finally getting them worked up. My diagnosis of PCOS is completely based on symptoms (irregular periods, gaining weight around the middle, skin tags, hirsutism, acne, sugar cravings) because my insurance is crap and wouldn't pay for any of the expensive blood tests to actually make the diagnosis. My general practice doctor gave me migraine medicine, but I went back this week because I can't stand to take it because it raises my blood pressure through the roof and makes me feel sick...plus the migraines outlast the medicine anyway.

So the physician's assistant I had to see said that it's possible the headaches are coming from the birth control pills. He suggested getting off of them to get rid of the headaches. I told him that I had PCOS and that's why I was on them in the first place, and his only response was that I might be "stuck between a rock and a hard place". He did at least run a thyroid test (which I'll have to partially pay for) which will determine whether the PCOS is caused by a thyroid problem...I'm thinking it's not because I was tested for that at 16 and it came back fine.

I can't keep functioning with the headaches, which are becoming more and more frequent. But the Birth Control is the only thing I can really do to control the PCOS, since I can't afford to get the tests for a formal diagnosis, let alone any of the medication they say treats it. That's why I was trying to do it by diet and exercise and cinnamon/chromium supplements. Has anyone else had this problem?

I don't know if my BCP story will help but...

What kind of BCP are you on? Is it biphasic or triphasic? A zillion years ago in college I was put on Tri's when I moved to this country because they didn't carry my brand from home. I on BCP at 16 yrs for "menstrual irregularities" too.

So I felt terrible. They told me it takes 3 months to get used to a new brand. I felt so bad I didn't make it to 1 mos. much less 3!

Much later I learned that for some PCOS people, the hormones being delivered in bi-phasic or tri-phasic pattern stinks. We ALREADY have jumping around hormones! We don't need our BCP jumping around too making it like a crazy train rollercoaster.

So now I take monophasic and if for whatever reason it needs to change and I come on and off it (ex: DD's pregnancy) I make sure to stress I want the monophasic version BCP where it is delivered all the same.

Ex: OrthoCyclen (monophasic) vs OrthoTriCyclen. (triphasic)

Usually the name tells you a hint but if not, look up your brand online to see what type it may be.

When I was nursing I took the mini pill... it is progestin only. You may consider that too as an option.

GL!
A.

Well I had to look it up, but I'm on Loestrin 24 Fe, which seems to be classified as monophastic. I was on OrthoTricyclene until switching to the Loestrin, and I still had the headaches on them. I remember now the GYN telling me he didn't like the formulation of OrthoTricyclene, which is why he switched me to Loestrin. He didn't really explain why at the time.

I might have to look into the mini-pill...but the whole "less effective" thing scares me now that I'm in a relationship.

What I'm trying to figure out is if there is another birth control method I can use that don't have headaches as a side effect; but my mom (a nurse) told me I was probably out of luck because anything with hormones in it are going to have headaches as a side effect.

Grrr....:mad:

Well, perhaps you could try mini pill for main prevention thing, and use condoms, withdrawal and/or charting as the back up plan thing?

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/hea...hart-22710.htm

A.

Do you take vitamins? I'm thinking it might be a vitamin deficiency of some sorts- sometimes taking birth control can lower your levels of calcium, and if you have low calcium you'll also have low vitamin D, and that can cause headaches.

Have your vitamin D tested and a comprehensive metabolic panel done. If the vitamin D is under 50 it's low and you should take 50,00 IU's of D - one tiny green pill- per week and in addition to that take a multivitamin per day. If your insurance won't cover the 50,000 IU pills, take one multivitamin per day PLUS one vitamin D + calcium supplement.

Check out my blog link below about PCOS- on the right side there is a link about vitamin D and PCOS/insulin resistance- it'll trip you out!

And no being out in the sun is not enough and unless you drink 8 glasses of milk a day or 7 oz of salmon a day or take cod liver oil (we all know how delish that is) daily you aren't getting enough vitamin D.

Trust me- check into it- so many friends of mine have gone to the doctor after I did only to find their vitamin D is low (mine was 21 and it's supposed to be at least 50!) and now they are also taking multivitamins and extra D- every single one of us feel SO MUCH BETTER- it took me three weeks to really see a huge difference but since then I won't ever not take a multivitamin again!

Oh and btw ask the doctor for the number- my doctor said I was "fine" and the range was 20-100 which isn't right- it should be 50-100 according to my endocrinologist (I forwarded my test results to her after I looked at them).

Good luck!

I take a women's formula multivitamin (meaning it's got extra calcium and vitamin D), and I also take a calcium+vitamin D supplement. As far as my levels, I had some blood work done for the headaches but the results were "normal". I didn't ask specifically about vitamin D levels, but I'll probably call back to ask.

As far as the sun goes...that's a bit of a problem. I burn inside of 5 minutes in the sun without sunscreen, and so spending 10-15 minutes outside without sunscreen is something I really can't do. Skin cancer runs in my family, so I'm super careful about it.