Contraceptives and PCOS
Today I'm sharing with you various materials that I believe are very useful on the subjects of contraceptives and PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). I would remind you that more on the subject can be found widely and easily at:
https://icaro.med.br/?s=anticoncepcional
FIRST POST:
Women - stay away from contraceptives - Read and share
I've been warning you about the dangers of contraceptives, but perhaps now most of you believe me, since Época magazine has turned them into its cover story, entitled “Quando a Pílula Anticonceptcional É a Pior Escolha” (When the Contraceptive Pill Is the Worst Choice).
https://epoca.globo.com/vida/noticia/2015/03/quando-pilula-anticoncepcional-e-pior-escolha.html
Contraceptives are all hormones, most of which are non-isomolecular (or bioidentical), i.e. they don't have the same chemical structure as the hormones produced by your own body and therefore can't have the same effects on your body as hormones identical to those it produces would have. In fact, in a nutshell, what we see in practice is the use of progestins in contraceptives in women:
- It inhibits your body's own production of progesterone.
- Replaces progesterone in receptors with progestin.
- It reduces the production of various hormones that would come from progesterone, such as testosterone, estradiol and even cortisol (it also reduces DHEA which, “on its own”, tries to replace the mess caused by the lack of progesterone and ends up “exhausted”).
Because of all this, women end up without the progesterone that is vital to them, intoxicated by progestins (more and more) and lacking several important hormones, thus developing a series of effects that are very similar to “constant PMS” over time. This includes mental/emotional performance problems, mood problems, tiredness, thyroid malfunction, weight gain, bloating, poor circulation, low libido, difficulty gaining muscle mass, among others - there are hundreds of symptoms and illnesses caused or aggravated by the use of contraceptives.
And understand once and for all: there are no “weak contraceptives” that would theoretically do less harm. Nature is so wise that progesterone, your own, stays inside your body for a maximum of 48 hours and is then inactivated/destroyed, so your body controls its action well. Progestins can stay inside you for months, which is why their accumulation invariably leads to symptoms.
* From what I've been told, the Disease Industry pays bloggers and even famous people and celebrities to “speak well” of medicines, including contraceptives. Don't fall for this scam!
* Read the contraceptive leaflet carefully... and see if you still want to take it.
* Contraceptives are hormones. Understand how hormones should be used: https://icaro.med.br/hormonios/
* Facebook page: Birth control victims. United for Life: https://www.facebook.com/vitimasdeanticoncepcionais/ –
access this community and read/watch hundreds of testimonials telling the uncomfortable truth that the Época article has only “begun” to reveal.
** Do you really need to use them? Then I suggest the concomitant replacement of the various hormones that have their levels impaired, or you will soon have signs, symptoms and illnesses.
*** Many effects of contraceptives only appear in the medium and long term, and that's where the danger lies, because many women, precisely because of this, don't associate them with contraceptives and so continue taking them and make them worse.
**** Any contraceptive that releases hormones is likely to cause all of the above: be it the hormonal IUD/SIU (Mirena and so on), the “ring” (Nuvaring and so on), the implant (Implanon and so on) and, of course, the pills. And there's no such thing as an IUD or a ring, where the hormone only stays in place or falls slightly into the bloodstream: over time, the amount of hormone that goes into the blood and thus reaches the whole body (even your brain, causing symptoms, yes!) is increasing - after all, how many creams don't you apply in one place and reach the whole body through the blood?
***** Many doctors are “advised” not to order tests for various hormones for women who are using contraceptives, on the grounds that “they'll be really low, but the pill will make up for it”, which is a lie: for all the reasons I've explained above, understand that the use of contraceptive hormones with progestins does not adequately replace the hormonal losses it causes, which only get worse with continued use.
****** If you have any symptoms or illnesses and you use contraceptives, understand that they can always be causing or aggravating your problems. Always, above all because they interfere with one of the most important things for your survival: your hormonal axis and its proper functioning.
******* The women who suffer the most are those with bad lifestyle habits, as they suffer from this and from the effects of the hormonal imbalance caused by contraceptives (which have worse manifestations). Find out more at: https://icaro.med.br/15habitos/
Read and inform yourself. Don't be lazy about seeking out what's best for you! If you're not the person most interested in your health, who is?
SECOND POST of 10/03/15 about PCOS and contraceptives:
https://www.facebook.com/icaro.aa/posts/788867101203567
PCOS - Polycystic ovary syndrome
1 - Please understand that not every woman who has several ovarian cysts has the syndrome, ok? To have the syndrome, there needs to be an associated hormonal disorder, explained below. Cysts can be due to transient, functional conditions, which often won't even have significant hormonal consequences for the woman, thus ruling out the presence of the dreaded “syndrome”.
2 - Contraceptives are not usually the best choice for treating PCOS, given the large number of undesirable effects they bring - understand this here: https://icaro.med.br/anticoncepcionais/
* Interesting text I found on the internet, explaining important details about what the syndrome is, when it is actually present. I've taken from it, in the copy and paste here, what I disagree with (such as stating that therapy with contraceptives and non-bioidentical hormones is safe and indicated for PCOS; in my opinion, based on evidence, it is not and brings great dangers to women when they insist on this approach). The original source, however, is here: https://www.endocrino.org.br/10-coisas-que-voce-precisa-saber-sobre-a-sindrome-dos-ovarios-policisticos/
“Here are 10 things you should know about polycystic ovary syndrome:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinological disease characterized by increased production of male hormones.
To be diagnosed, the patient must have two or three symptoms in combination, and another pathology must be ruled out. In addition, the doctor must assess the patient's medical history and carry out a physical examination. The symptoms of PCOS are: increased ovarian volume, absence or irregularity of menstruation, absence of ovulation, weight gain, acne, hirsutism (hair growth on the face and other places where a woman normally has no hair), hair loss, insulin resistance (IR) and problems with fertility;
According to Dr. Alexandre Hohl, 1 in 15 women of reproductive age has PCOS and IR affects between 50 and 70% of women with the syndrome. And this resistance is independent of the woman's body weight. The literature shows a prevalence of around 5% to 10% in the female population of childbearing age;
Although PCOS is the cause of menstrual irregularity in 85% of young women, it is a disorder that can manifest itself in different ways. In addition, PCOS is associated with a higher risk of developing other diseases such as endometrial cancer (a tumor located on the inner wall of the uterus), heart attack and diabetes;
The treatment of PCOS should be coupled with the encouragement of a diet and physical activity, because, according to Dr. Alexandre, “To treat PCOS and IR, a change in lifestyle is essential. This improves insulin resistance, fertility, regulates ovulation and increases insulin sensitivity.”;
... As it is a syndrome with various symptoms, treatment must include various medications such as oral hypoglycemic agents (in cases of insulin resistance); menstrual stimulants,... , acne cosmetics and therapies to control stress and anxiety;
Women with PCOS generally have higher fat percentage, central adiposity (belly), testosterone, postprandial glucose, basal and postprandial insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. In addition, they present cardiovascular risk factors earlier than women without PCOS, with the same BMI;
According to the Brazilian PCOS Guideline, diet and exercise are the first-line treatment, improving insulin resistance and the return of ovulatory cycles, even in the absence of weight loss. With adequate drug treatment, around 50% to 80% of patients ovulate and 40% to 50% become pregnant. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is also indicated in cases where ovarian stimulation has been exaggerated, with the aim of avoiding cycle cancellation;
Weight loss as a result of lifestyle changes “will favor a drop in circulating androgens, improving the lipid profile and decreasing peripheral insulin resistance; in this way, it will contribute to a decrease in the risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes and regularization of ovulatory function. The prescription of low-dose oral hormonal contraceptives, in turn, will help control menstrual irregularity and reduce the risk of endometrial cancer” (AMB Guidelines Project);
Despite being common, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome manifests itself in different ways in women and for this reason its treatment must be individualized. To date, no cure for PCOS has been found, but by controlling the symptoms it is possible to prevent the associated problems.”.
3 - If your doctor insists on treating you with contraceptives (I don't recommend it), I suggest that the hormonal disturbances caused by them be assessed via extensive and complete tests, correlated with a good, detailed anamnesis, and treated with appropriate hormonal modulation (yes, contraceptives will cause hormonal disturbances in you): https://icaro.med.br/hormonios/
4 - Read this about PCOS; believe me, it will help:
https://acupunturabrasil.blogspot.com/2011/02/sindrome-do-ovario-policistico-sop.html
https://www.medicinacomplementar.com.br/ - search for “ovaries”
Karina Tranjan, on her personal experience with PCOS - Text that accompanied her repost of the words above:
“
Guys, this is a very serious post.
I know many people who treat PCOS with contraceptives.
I myself was wrongly diagnosed with PCOS and prescribed contraceptives as a basic treatment.
What my gynecologist didn't know, and didn't bother to investigate, was that I had low testosterone. She gave me a diagnosis of PCOS based on a simple ultrasound! She didn't ask for hormone dosages, she didn't ask about my symptoms... Nothing! She looked at the ultrasound and prescribed me a box of contraceptives. It was as simple as that.
But if PCOS is mainly characterized by an increase in testosterone in the body, how could I have been diagnosed with such a disorder? That's right.
Do you know what happens when you take contraceptives while you already have very low levels of testosterone in your body and you haven't properly modulated your hormones?
Testosterone levels drop even more!
If you think that testosterone is not important for the female organism and that it only serves to increase libido, read this article: https://icaro.med.br/especialistas-ressaltam-beneficios-testosterona [
[The information shared by Karina in the original post, which was a link to one of my articles and has been deactivated].
From then on, it was a total disaster!
I, who was already tired, became practically a living dead person. I was more tired than ever, not in the mood, sleeping in corners, weak, moody, with aches and pains and allergies that I had never had before, as well as episodes of anxiety and panic. Some of these symptoms were attributed to hypothyroidism which, according to the endocrinologist, would improve with the famous levothyroxine.
Of course, she didn't order any additional tests or hormone dosages either, even though she was aware of the PCOS diagnosis and prescribed contraceptives.
Instead, she said that my prolactin was a bit high and that I probably had a tumor in my head! And she said it like someone giving you a flu diagnosis.
Well, the test results for the dreaded tumor came back negative.
“What now, Doctor?“
“Oh, just keep taking the levothyroxine and you'll be fine!“
No, it's not okay!
It's gotten much worse!
And yes, I disbelieved in life, in doctors, in practically everything every time my face swelled up because of a new allergy, every time I tried to stand up for more than 15 minutes without getting dizzy or my legs wobbling, every time I woke up in the morning and stared at the wall without wanting to do anything, every time I had tachycardia or ran home because my blood pressure didn't hold and I started to feel sick.
I spent more than a year like this until I found a decent, up-to-date endocrinologist who listened to me very carefully, who questioned me endlessly and tried to understand how I felt and then looked at my test results. Yes, complete exams! All possible hormone dosages were requested, the thyroid was thoroughly investigated and many other tests were ordered. More than 20 vials were left in the laboratory.
The result?
My hormones were completely out of whack (I didn't have one within the normal range), my testosterone was barely detected in the tests, my thyroid was being treated incorrectly, I had my adrenal glands in partial failure, which resulted in adrenal fatigue, and I was still low in vitamin b12 and vitamin D.
And no, I never had PCOS! The only thing the contraceptive did was aggravate my condition.
If you don't know or have never heard of adrenal fatigue, read this article:
https://www.robertofrancodoamaral.com.br/blog/fadiga-cronica-adrenal/
Now, with the correct diagnosis and seven months of treatment with the doctor of my choice, I can say that I've returned to a practically normal life. My new tests will make you proud!
So, if I could give you one piece of advice, it would be this: don't get complacent!
Don't accept any diagnosis, especially if you don't show any improvement with treatment.
Don't accept 15-minute appointments where the doctor barely looks at you, barely touches you and barely listens to you.
Don't accept that that unbearable tiredness you feel every day when you get up is normal, that that headache, dizziness, nausea, indisposition, weakness, tachycardia, anxiety and many other symptoms are simply normal.
No! Most of the time they're not!
So get after it!
Do some research!
Get informed!
Life can get better!
And I stayed here to tell you about it.
ROOMI recently reposted two texts by Dr. Lidia Bolfe (@dra.lidiabolfe) on my Instagram @icaroalves.
Post 1 -
“By @dra.lidiabolfe ” Doctor, I wanted to know something because I saw all the problems with hormonal contraceptives, I was shocked and I want to stop!
I have _______ any of the following: polycystic ovaries, fibroids, endometriosis, dysfunctional menstrual bleeding, irregular cycles, acne, monstrous cramps, killer PMS, so I use contraceptives. As I can't find a gynaecologist who has an alternative, I've decided that I'm going to throw the pill out of the window (or rip out the Mirena myself), I'm going to have good eating habits, do some physical activity, take care of my health and everything will be fine, right??!
Sorry girls... That's not how the body works
Women who already have clear signs and symptoms of imbalance (such as these problems) are unlikely to be able to re-establish their health on their own, as they need specific, well-guided treatment - you see, I'm talking about a functional and integral line of medicine.
Follow the pattern and you will have one remedy for one symptom, as long as you use the remedy the symptom ends or improves, but the source of the problem is still there
Think of the whole organism (exposure to pollutants that mimic hormonal action, epigenetics, nutrigenomics, hidden allergies, hormones that are out of balance, stress, lifestyle) and you'll get the answer: integral health, balance and often even an absolute cure for the problem.
Understand that it's impossible to guide a treatment via the web - and let's face it, what kind of doctor wouldn't even meet their client in person to make an individual assessment and then plan the treatment?
When you want to achieve a goal with all your might, the universe conspires in your favor, and the chance of finding the solution to your problem increases exponentially.
Believe me, do your research, get to know everything about your health condition (you don't have to be a doctor to study a little about your body on your own) and make an investment in your well-being when you find a professional who is suited to your expectations
The world just isn't ours because we're too intoxicated, being mutilated and treated like numbers or isolated organs. We deserve so much more.
Post 2
By @dra.lidiabolfe “We are led to believe that it is absolutely natural and even beneficial to use this MEDICINE FOR A LIFETIME
At the first cramp or abnormal bleeding, the teenager is given a pill to “regulate” her cycle. What cycle? Bleeding during breaks has nothing to do with a cycle
Those who use HORMONAL contraceptives are physiologically LESSPAUSE and replenishing hormones
It should be called induced menopause with hormone replacement And you're afraid of hormones during the menopause because they increase breast cancer, but you've been using them since you were 18...
ANY type of hormonal contraception blocks your hormones: pill, patch, vaginal ring, injection... even mirena can do it (I'll explain later)
But I take a very weak one
So weak that it blocks 100%, the hormonal basis of the most primordial function of the human being (procreation).
With your ovaries inhibited, you're left with only the hormones in the medicine, which aren't even the same as the ones you'd produce - they're not the same and don't have the same effect - it's like opening a lock with the wrong key, hence the giant side-effects leaflet
To make matters worse, the protein that binds to sex hormones (SHBG) increases a lot in an attempt to get rid of these aliens, but it binds much more to testosterone and blocks its action instead of blocking the aliens
It's a good thing women don't need testosterone, right?
So I ask: how can it be healthy to block female hormone production for years, replace it with alien hormones and even nullify the action of testosterone?
What about offering men this wonderful method that reduces libido, increases weight, blood pressure, the risk of cancer and blood clots that can lead to death. With so much damage, I doubt they would accept it. Women do this without even understanding the risk or analyzing whether they are losing something essential to their bodies
Details: zero testosterone in women means degenerative diseases, risk of osteoporosis, low libido, flaccidity, cellulite, localized fat that won't come off, years of training without gaining an ounce of muscle
FIFTH: Video by Dr. Paula Leal, Endocrinologist, on contraceptives:
SIXTH: Charles Phillipe De Lucena Alves, a Physical Education undergraduate at UNI - RN, shared with me his thoughts on PCOS and physical exercise:
* Improved ovulation/reproductive function: In a study by Huber-Buchholz MM, Carey DG, Norman RJ, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, an improvement in the ovulatory profile was observed after six months of exercise and diet, with two patients becoming pregnant during this period. - REF: Huber-Buchholz MM, Carey DG, Norman RJ. Restoration of reproductive potential by lifestyle modification in obese polycystic ovary syndrome: role of insulin sensitivity and luteinizing hormone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999;84(4):1470-4.
* Hoeger et al. observed a clinical trend towards a higher frequency of regular ovulations, documented by urinary excretion of pregnanediol, in the experimental groups (diet and exercise, metformin and a combination of the three) compared to the control group, despite the lack of statistical significance in this comparison. A more detailed analysis of this study revealed that the group of women who lost 3% or more of body mass were nine times more likely to ovulate regularly, compared to the group who did not achieve this minimum relative loss of body mass (OR=8.9; CI95%=1.2-64.6). When this approach is combined with the use of metformin, this rate increases to 16 times (OR=16.1; IC95%=4.3-64.2). REF: Hoeger KM, Kochman L, Wixom N, Craig K, Miller RK, Guzick DS. A randomized, 48-week, placebo-controlled trial of intensive lifestyle modification and/or metformin therapy in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot study. Fertil Steril. 2004;82(2):421-9.
* The study by Palomba et al. investigated more specifically the effects of a physical exercise program on the reproductive parameters of women with PCOS, also analyzing these data in a group treated only with diet. The results indicated an increase in menstrual cyclicity in both groups, with no significant difference. However, menstrual frequency, i.e. the ratio of observed menstrual flows to the number of expected menstrual flows, was significantly higher in the exercise group (26.2% versus 15.3%). Furthermore, after 24 weeks, both the ovulation rate (number of ovulatory cycles/number of observed cycles) and the cumulative ovulation rate (ovulatory patients/number of patients) were higher in the exercise group compared to the diet-only group. REF: Palomba S, Giallauria F, Falbo A, Russo T, Oppedisano R, Tolino A, et al. Structured exercise training program versus hypocaloric hyperproteic diet in obese polycystic ovary syndrome patients with anovulatory infertility: a 24-week pilot study. Hum Reprod. 2008;23(3):642-50.
* Another study by Vigorito C et al. in 2007, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, showed that in women with PCOS, the combination of insulin resistance and a sedentary phenotype generates an even more unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile. This combination tends to increase BMI, decrease cardiopulmonary capacity, reduce physical fitness and increase the chronic pro-inflammatory state. It is therefore important to understand the role of exercise in modulating these aspects. REF: Vigorito C, Giallauria F, Palomba S, Cascella T, Manguso F, Lucci R, et al. Beneficial effects of a three-month structured exercise training program on cardiopulmonary functional capacity in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(4):1379-84.
Finally, I might add that knowledge is still in its infancy regarding the dose-response relationship for obtaining these benefits, as well as the type, intensity, duration, frequency and progression of the exercises. What seems to be a consolidated fact is the widespread use of aerobic exercise as the basis for prescribing training programs for women with PCOS. However, it is already a great scientific advance to know that physical exercise is beneficial in various situations.
So? Do you still believe that contraceptives are really necessary after analyzing their cost-benefit through so much evidence?
The reflection is now up to you. Have a good week!
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