Should You Quit Birth Control?: My Hormone Story + Test Results.

If you read my last post on hormones, recognizing imbalances, and how to cycle-sync in order to heal them naturally, then you know I’ve been eagerly awaiting my test results from my hormone salivary panel. But before I dive into what those are, I am going to share a little more about my health story in regards to hormones.

And for the record….No mom, I am not trying to get pregnant.

 

MY HORMONE STORY

I’ve always had bad cycles. I just thought it was a normal part of being a woman. I had the extremely bloated + nauseated, doubled-over-in-pain-and-could-not-go-to-school type of PMS symptoms. #amongotherthings #TMI #pottytalk

When I was 19, I remember BEGGING my mom to let me get on birth control because I heard it help alleviate the symptoms. And it did. But it wasn’t until I went through the Nutritional Therapy Association did I realize that my use of hormonal birth control was just a band-aid for a serious underlying issue of hormonal imbalance. In fact, did you know that a perfectly healthy female is NOT supposed to experience extreme PMS symptoms? Maybe a little bloating + light cramps, but nothing extreme like so many of us women experience month in and month out.

NOT-SO-FUN-FACT

Birth control (oral contraceptives) severely diminishes your B vitamins, and most women experience low progesterone issues after getting off BC. So, it is really important to be taking some sort of B-Complex! Especially if you are wanting to be makin’ babies after the pill!

From what I’ve learned through my NTP training and reading Alissa Vitti’s book WomanCode, I have a few suspicions regarding the state of my hormones:

1. Estrogen Dominance (bloated, slow digestion, acne along jawline)
2. Low Progesterone (no sex drive, painful symptoms, weight gain)
3. High Cortisol (insomnia, anxiety, stress, fatigue, lack of focus)
4. Maybe Low Thyroid (low energy, weight gain, puffiness, sensitivity to cold)

I also already know I have exceptionally longer cycles, 35-38 days, instead of the standard 28-30. This can be a typical side affect after getting off of BC. When I initially quit it, my cycles were sometimes in the 40-50 (!!!) day range, but over time, it is slowly adjust back to “normal.”

Everybody and every BODY is different. Your experience might look a lot like mine, or absolutely nothing like it. Pay attention to what your body is telling you! It’s the best tool to discover what optimal health looks like for you.

QUITTING BIRTH CONTROL

Right now, over the last 3 years (I quit BC in the Spring of 2015) I have been working to balance my hormones naturally with tracking my cycle (yes, that means no BC #gasp) and implementing the principles of food, fitness + lifestyle during certain phases of the month via the myFLO app. #notsponsored #ijustreallyloveit

The myFLO app will tell you what to focus on during each phase of your hormone cycle regarding:

• what types of foods to eat
• exercise routines
• work tasks
• lifestyle practices

Yeah, it’s pretty cool.

After tracking pretty consistently + adhering to the recommendations for the last 3 years, I can tell you that my symptoms have significantly improved (aside from one month, which I think was due to our stressful move). I was almost dumbfounded the first time I experienced a cycle without any pain, acne, breast tenderness, cravings, etc. #itsamiracle!

THE HORMONE SALIVARY TEST

You could get your hormones tested by blood withdrawal, but the truth is, it is only a snippet of the whole picture. A snapshot of one moment during your entire cycle. Hormones fluctuate based on what phase of your cycle you are in (did you know there are FOUR phases?), and a salivary test checks that throughout the course of a full cycle, so you know EXACTLY what is going on, and if something is a little off.

Starting on the first day of menstruation, you collect a total of 11 salivary samples throughout the course of your cycle until the beginning of your next cycle.

My practitioner had me take this expanded test from DiagnosTechs. You could request this test from your own health care provider, or I have also heard great things about the DUTCH tests, too.

MY RESULTS

Well, they weren’t as bad as I thought! Which is great. My chart readings found that I guessed almost RIGHT on! I am Estrogen Dominant, which also drives my Progesterone levels down. All of which is common after being on BC.

I also discovered that I am higher in Testosterone, and my practitioner said that is a body’s natural reaction to low Progesterone. (Could also be a mild case of PCOS. Oy vey. The research continues!) In my case, I wouldn’t want to supplement with Progesterone in order to bring those levels up. (FYI: synthetic hormones are no bueno…hence issues from BC.) It can cause MORE imbalance by introducing exogenous (aka outside of the body) hormones to your system, thus causing your body to stop producing them on its own.

Our bodies are smart like that. We just need to try our best to support them properly, manage our stress, and hopefully they will handle the rest. Sometimes extra help is necessary, but I would encourage you to try your darn hardest to go the natural route. Do your research. Understand your body. Learn what each of the hormones do and how you can better support your individual situation. It’s not necessarily going to be black + white, or easy-to-understand, or a one-stop-shop-fix-all supplement. It is going to take time, patience, trust and the willingness to do the work. #youcandoit

If you are into charts + graphs, here are a few snapshots from my results!

TIPS FOR QUITTING BIRTH CONTROL (AND POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS)

• Talk to your doctor + your partner. Make the best plan for you. This is especially important if you want to have kids in the future! You body could take quite a long time (or none at all) to adjust back to normal levels and be ready to conceive. Be prepared + proactive. If you don’t have a supportive naturopath or OBGYN that you can trust or is open to a more natural approach, check out the Paleo Physicians Network or search “naturopathic doctors near me” to find someone more aligned with your values.
• Start tracking your cycle. Getting to know your body in this way is so empowering. It truly is amazing how much of our life as women revolve around a cyclical season. Allow it to go through its process, support your body as best as you can, and give yourself grace when you aren’t feeling your best.
• Do your own research. Read the book WomanCode and Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Though the titles may sound like you are wanting to have children (trust me, I’m not) they truly have great insight to the female cycle and how to best understand what is going on with your body and its natural rhythms.
• Use protection. You gotta be smart about this! If you are NOT wanting to start a family right away, be extra careful your first 6 months off BC. Your body is more apt to conceive because the hormones might be all over the place. Sure, condoms aren’t the funnest thing in the world, but once you know your cycle rhythms by tracking (and even temperature!) you can go free without barriers during certain times of the month. Not ready to go completely BC free? Try a Copper IUD instead. It’s non-hormonal BC but be sure to ask your doctor if it’s the right choice for you.
• Prepare for possible breakouts. As your body adjusts back to a homeostasis, your body might be expelling the excess hormone in your system through your skin. It’s not acne, but it looks like it. Though it sucks, this is normal. I still have some breakouts on my back from time to time, and along my jawline.
• Support your liver. This is HUGE. We should be focused on supporting our livers no matter what because your liver is the detoxifier of your body. So, as your body tries to move excess hormone from your system, it can often get overburdened, and not allow things to function optimally. Add dandelion, milk thistle, cilantro, parsley, lemon, beets, chlorella and other liver supporting foods to your diet on the regular, STAT.
• Eat enough fiber. If you don’t get enough fiber, we all know what happens. You can’t do #2. And let’s be real, it’s the pits. Fiber is important not only for digestive health, but it helps pull any excess estrogen hormone that might be trapped in the system.
• Minimize caffeine, alcohol + sugar around menstruation. Though these are the things we often crave around our cycle, they tend to do more harm than good for our bodies. Let’s give our bodies a fighting chance to work properly, and not have to deal with the excess stress that these things might add to the mix.
• Notice how you feel. I can’t begin to tell you how important it is to PAY ATTENTION to what your body is telling you. Not just for hormone cycles, but for tuning into your health on a basic level. Your body will let you know if something isn’t working for it. Listen to it!

EVERY WOMAN IS DIFFERENT

Not every woman will have a situation like mine. Your hormone cycle might be perfectly fine, it might be non-existent, or it might be the death of you. This is where it is so important for you to BE YOUR OWN HEALTH ADVOCATE. Educate yourself. Talk to your practitioners + doctors. Pay attention to your body. Learn it’s natural rhythms. Don’t be afraid to speak up, seek help or ask those questions. Let’s normalize this period talk, because we all know its kind of the worst sometimes, and we could really use support.

BUT when you think about it… it’s also kind of amazing because it is THE reason women are able to create life. MIND BLOWN. So, we might also want to extend a little extra love, hugs and TLC our way during that time of the month because our bodies are kind of like… miracles. Ya feel me?

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Do you have hormone woes?

Feel free to reach out or comment below some tips + tricks you’ve discovered on the journey to becoming your own health advocate!