Birth Control Pill - effect on libido and mental health
(Originally written and complied by PPC)
Sorry in advance this is so long. Thought most of it too important to leave out. I don’t mean to write this as a big scare tactic but I think it is better to be informed. Hard decisions are better made that way.
First things first, despite what doctors may tell us, the pill does not provide our bodies with all the hormones we need. Bio identical hormone specialist Dr Steven Hotze says… “Birth control pills are not hormones, they are drugs that mimic hormones. Hormones exist in nature and in our human bodies. Those are the only true things that are homones.”
The pill shuts down production of estrogen and progesterone and replaces them with synthetics. Originally the synthetic estrogen in the pill was notorious for causing blood clots. The modern day pill is much lower in estrogen to try to significantly reduce this side effect, although it can still be a problem for smokers and others with cardio risk factors. Unfortunately this low level of estrogen in the pill is often not as much as many women would naturally make on their own.
Estrogen is our ‘happy hormone,’. Without enough of it, our brain cannot work sharply and we get pms- ish and gloomy. Think of how you feel right before your period, this is when your E levels are lowest – not pretty. Doctors like gynecologist Uzzi Reiss, are concerned over these new ‘low dose pills’ as they are now observing cognitive decline eg brain fog in women on these contraceptives.
Although big pharmaceuticals have been quiet on this topic, studies now back up the fact that taking the pill increases a woman’s likelihood of depression. A 2005 study from Australia’s Monash University found that the pill increased average depression ratings to 17.6 compared to 9.8 in women not on the pill. None of the women studied had a history of depression before use.
Sounds exactly like what happened to me. Several years ago, I was prescribed the pill for the first time to try to regulate heavy bleeding. I had always been a confident, happy person. After I started the pill, I became depressed and started to loathe myself. I also lost my healthy libido.
Like most women, I was simply offered an antidepressant when I mentioned my mood changes to my doctor. I could not see the logic to this. I knew whatever anti depressant they offered me would have it’s own list of side effects. So the choice became quit the pill or drive my husband crazy with my irritability. When I quit taking it 9 months later I was so happy to have ‘me’ back,’ though I had a long road ahead of me trying to find the solution to my bleeding problems.
Lack of natural estrogen is not the only way the pill leads to depression. The progestin in the pill shuts down ovary function and this eliminates around 70% of Testosterone . . Tesotosterone is essential to females. The small amount we make gives us our sex drive, our vitality, our muscle tone, our confidence and emotional strength, our healthy memory and brain function, our clitoral and nipple sensitivity, our orgasmic response and feelings of happiness. If that weren’t bad enough, oral BC raises SHBG levels to the point where that last 30% of T is unable to be of much effect.
The last important hormone oral birth control messes with is progesterone. Our natural progesterone is vital to our well being, crucial for protecting us against breast and uterine cancer. A study by John Hopkins in 1981 showed that real progesterone fights against cancer and a progesterone deficiency dramatically increases the risk of breast cancer.
Dr Steven Hotze emphasizes that the progestins in birth control cut off natural progesterone, essentially leaving a woman in a state of ‘estrogen’ without protection.. He believes this propogates cancer.
It’s important to look at the differences between bio identical hormones, like the ones our body makes (the same ones that are used in bio identical hormone therapy) compared to the counterfeit hormones in the pill and those used in conventional HRT. The following is just a brief glimpse at some of the important differences. This subject is covered in much greater depth in Uzzi Reiss’s books, which I highly recommend. He cites references, forgive me for not taking the time to do that here.
*Counterfeit progesterone promotes diabetes and bone loss. Bio identical progesterone helps to build bones and in the right balance, natural progesterone does not raise insulin resistance.
*Counterfeit progesterone destroys sleep quality. Bio identical progesterone is the perfect sleep aid by raising Gaba in the brain, a calming, restful neruro transmitter.
*Counterfeit progesterone is harmful to the brain. Bio-identical progesterone once again has the opposite effect. It has been shown in studies to generate new brain cell growth. It critically protects neurological function.
*Counterfeit progesterone promotes anxiety and depression. Bio-identical progesterone naturally soothes and calms.
*Counterfeit progesterone like provera is proven to promote breast cancer. Bio-identical progesterone protects the breasts from too much estradiol. Remember there are many progesterone receptors in the breast but no receptors for mimics of this hormone.
*Counterfeit estrogens increase inflammation. Bio identical estrogen decreases it and decreases C-reactive protein (CRP) which is a general marker for inflammation. Doctors who switch their menopausal women over from synthetic estrogens to bio-identical often find women report a reduction in joint pain which is a good indicator of inflammation. Natural estrogen naturally reduces pain levels in women by raising serotonin.
*Counterfeit estrogens increase body fat and decrease lean body mass. In contrast, bio-identical estrogen decreases body fat and allows for muscle growth.
*Counterfeit estrogens raise cardiovascular risk and venous thrombosis (deep vein clots.) Bio-identical estrogen protects against heart disease and does not pose a risk for blood clots. Dr Uzzi Reiss has treated more than 20 000 women with bio identical estrogen and has not observed a single cardio vascular event associated with estradiol treatment in transdermal form.
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