Time to Ditch the Pill!

Whaaaat? Thats right, I am finally free from that itty bitty pill that ruins our lives. You know, the one that toys with your moods, causes weight gain and decides exactly when you will get your period.

About a year ago I became extremely interested in my overall health and wellbeing. I did a complete 360 and changed my entire lifestyle; I stopped partying, began working out and eating clean. I suddenly started to question those little pills I was taking everyday for the past 7 years. If I am so concerned about what I am feeding my body, I should be concerned about what medication I am choosing to take as well.

It simply didn’t make sense to me that I was choosing to take hormones to control something that my body wants to do naturally. Of course I am not looking to get pregnant at this present time but what doctors don’t tell you is that there are other options that are non hormonal!

So I did my research, called my doctor to explain what I wanted (a non-hormonal copper IUD) and then I waited. I sat on a 6 month waiting list before I could even talk to a doctor about it (gee thanks Canada for your awesome ‘free’ health care system). Six months of regrettably taking this pill everyday as I felt stuck because of that same dilemma of not wanting the risk of having a child and not really knowing what exactly this pill is doing to me each day!

Finally, I had my consultation with the gynecologist and let me tell you, that did not go well. I explained everything, how I am in school for nutrition and I did not want to be taking this pill because it was not natural and I did not believe it was right to mess with mother nature just because someone decided I should go on this pill for bad cramps back in high school! She basically sat there trying to fill me with fear and suggested I just stay on the pill. Was she not hearing me? No, instead she went on to tell me ‘that there is no real research that shows the pill having a negative effect on our bodies’ Really? So the long list of side effect like  on the package is just there for fun? Absolutely not. Here are just a few of the side effects:

“Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: lumps in the breast, mental/mood changes (such as new/worsening depression), severe stomach/abdominal pain,  unusual changes in vaginal bleeding (such as continuous spotting, sudden heavy bleeding, missed periods), dark urine, yellowing eyes/skin.

This medication may rarely cause serious (sometimes fatal) problems from blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, stroke). Get medical help right away if any of these side effects occur: chest/jaw/left arm pain, confusion, sudden dizziness/fainting, pain/swelling/warmth in the groin/calf, slurred speech, sudden shortness of breath/rapid breathing, unusual headaches (including headaches with vision changes/lack of coordination, worsening of migraines, sudden/very severe headaches), unusual sweating, weakness on one side of the body, vision problems/changes (such as double vision, partial/complete blindness).” 

Of course there are risks with everything and I understand the IUD comes with risks as well but I chose this route after a ton or research to decide what would work best for my body.

I tried to be respectful as I know us health coaches have totally different views than conventional medicine doctors (We concentrate on preventative health care and the underlying issues causing your symptoms, while western medicine concentrates on masking the problem you already have by using drugs and surgery to treat your symptoms) but heres the thing, at the end of the day it’s MY BODY, therefore my choice.

After feeling like I just made the biggest mistake and being told I will regret going off the pill I walked away feeling so discouraged, yet I felt so confident and excited walking into my appointment. I spoke to a few friends in my classes who told me they went through the same sort of situations with their doctors. It is so unfortunate that we are made to feel this way while trying to better our health. Isn’t that what the healthcare system is for, to help us get healthier? Well it sure doesn’t seem that way now does it!

This led me to my decision to document my transition of going off the pill! I plan to pay close attention to all the changes in my body – physically, mentally, and emotionally so I can get clarity on just how much this pill has been affecting my life for the past 8 years. Stay tuned for my findings!

xo

Side effects listed were found: here