One month after yet another slew of blood work, and I still have no answers.
Mom came with me this time, and all of my blood work came back negative. Dr. Greco ran through the most recent and the last few tests to kind of bring Mom up to date. We discussed how I’d had mono and how certain diseases can contribute to later autoimmune diseases. We discussed birth control again and how the hormones in birth control can do all kinds of crazy things, like kill you or give you lupus. Dr. G admitted that he really is at a loss, but he really wants to help me.
“I can’t give you any answers right now, but I still want to make you feel better.” He asked whether I’m taking Tramadol still, and I told him that I haven’t been taking it recently because it literally fucks me up so bad that I can’t function; if I take it, I get stoned out of my mind. So he suggested Lyrica, which is just like neurontin (which makes me crazy and I refused to even try Lyrica). He asked if I am depressed. I almost didn’t tell him (because we all know what happens when you tell a doctor you’re depressed), but decided to be honest and told him yes, I am.
He said that some antidepressants can relieve pain, and gave me a free trial of Cymbalta. “You should not take this with Tramadol,” he warned as he slipped out of the room to go get the sample.
“I wonder if I should stop taking my birth control,” I said to Mom. “I’m going to ask him.”
“I would like to see you stop taking it,” he said, popping back in. He told us that he wrote a huge report on the effects that hormonal birth control can have on women, and told us that it can cause pain.
We scheduled a follow-up for four weeks from now, and I left with yet another batch of drugs (I should start selling my leftovers). So tomorrow morning, I’m not taking my Ovcon. (Somehow, not spending $40 a month on birth control anymore makes me feel a lot better.) I’m not entirely sure I buy the whole birth control thing, but it’s worth a try. I mean, at least I can say, “Okay, I stopped taking my birth control for a month or two and I’m still having symptoms.” I can’t knock it until I try it. And at this point, I’ll try anything, which is why I’m taking the Cymbalta without griping about how much I hate antidepressants and how Zoloft ruined my life, blahblahblah.
To be honest, medication scares the hell out of me. I’ve learned the hard way over and over that it affects me in really weird ways and, honestly, I have no idea what is in any of the shit that doctors tell us to take. If indeed my problem really lies with hormones in my birth control, I’m going to flip shit; no one ever talks about those kinds of side effects. (Note to self: Google that report.)
So I guess we’ll see. I’m honestly getting really freaking tired of this cycle, but I’ll give the no-Ovcon, yes-Cymbalta a shot. (Part of me wonders if he really does just think I’m crazy and pulled one over me by suggesting I take the antidepressant. But that’s the paranoid part of me.)
Have I told you about my experiences with birth control pills?
I know this is kind of an opener to me telling you about it, but I don’t want to type it all out if I ever told you….
“He told us that he wrote a huge report on the effects that hormonal birth control can have on women, and told us that it can cause pain.”
I haven’t read anything concrete about the effects of birth-control pills, but I have decided to come off of them because I feel better in myself that way!
Good luck with cymbalta, never heard of it before but keep us updated
Also, it would be great if you could check out my website, http://www.jeniwren.com
x
I hope the Cymbalta works for you. I have heard various theories about birth control pills…but never really saw any evidence to back anything up. I’d be interested to read his report thought if you find it.
Gabi
No, you haven’t, tell me!
My mom has been looking into the birth control thing and can’t find anything, either. I ended up not stopping it, because right now my boyfriend and I are so not ready for a baby. Since my mom can’t find anything concrete, she suggested I keep taking them until we do find something.
I can’t seem to find it at all. I’m going to ask him about it next time I see him.
So, when I was 13 my mom put me on birth control pills for acne.
At this time, I was healthy.
I started having my period every two weeks, and it would last for 13-14 days. I was bleeding a LOT. My whole body became extremely pale, I was weak, my stomach and back were in excruciating pain, my hair was falling out at alarming rates, I started getting really bad headaches, my whole body ached. I was made to keep taking them for a few months.
After I got off the pill I thought things would get better.
Since then, I only get my period about once a year. I have ovarian cysts. All the medications they put me on to try and help it end up giving me weird new symptoms, like the one that had me basically go blind in my left eye (I saw a blinding white light and nothing else in that eye). It’s pretty much been said that in the next few years it’s going to get to a point where I won’t be able to have children anymore (I don’t care, I never wanted to, I’ve always wanted to adopt).
My symptoms changed after I got off the pill, but in a lot of ways, I’ve just gotten sicker. I haven’t been healthy since then. Some doctors try and act like it’s a coincidence, but most say that I’m sick now because I took birth control pills for a few months when I was 13, even though they have a hard time figuring out what’s really wrong with me.
Oh my, that is so bizarre and I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that (and that you are still dealing with the aftermath)! Medications really do scare me, because we really don’t know what we are putting into our bodies. I’m also pretty sensitive to a lot of medicines, so I’m always cautious. I would have never thought birth control could do all of that! I mean, I’ve heard the horror stories of Mirena (and of Gardasil, which is so bad), but I’ve always trusted my birth control pills.
I am really going to have to get my hands on that report that my doctor wrote…
….I’m now beginning to wonder if the intense hip pain I’ve been feeling more recently is a result of the pill or not LMFAO. I went back on it. I can’t remember if I’ve been feeling the pain SINCE then or before then or what, I don’t know. Anyways, I hope you guys figure it out soon – or I’m going to give House a call. If anybody can figure it out, it’s totally him.
(Yes, I’m aware that it’s “just a TV show” but let me dream! RAWR House RAWR)
Hahaha, my mom says the same thing: “House would figure it out!” (And I always make fun of her for watching House, because I’m not a fan. But I won’t make fun of you. This time, anyway.)
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