The Truth About The Birth Control Pill

If you don't know all of the side effects from the oral birth control pill you are taking, it may be because your doctor DOESN'T KNOW. Elizabeth Akincilar from PHRC is here to discuss the side effects you may have heard of, and some you might not have.

About Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center:
PHRC is the leading physical therapy center for patients experiencing pelvic pain. At PHRC our advanced pelvic floor training allows us to integrate pelvic floor and pelvic girdle physiology to help the person function better as a whole. The benefit of our focus is that it has allowed us to establish a deep well of experience that we are able to draw from when treating this complex part of the body.

About Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT
Elizabeth received her master’s in physical therapy at the University of Miami Medical School. Liz is a Pennsylvania native, but spent most of her professional career in San Francisco. Now leading The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center's recent expansion to the Boston area, she is happy to be back on the east coast.

[matelko]

I have really painful periods and recently told myself that I really had enough. I was thinking about finally asking my gynecologist for a birth control pill but then I stopped myself. To make it short, I have a terrible experience with being prescribed something to help me with my skin condition which actually just made it worse after using it. Now this doesnt mean that I dont trust doctors, but I think doing some research on my own is necessary. So I have been thinking about asking my doctor (different one of course) for a birth control pill because my period can be terribly painful (and makes me pretty dysphoric). However I decided to look up these videos of people talking about the negative side of the birth control pill and I think I rather find a different solution. Messing with hormones doesnt seem like the best solution to get a lighter period to me (but of course I respect anyone who disagress with me). Thank you so much for this video! It really made me rethink few things and look for a idfferent answer.

[MarianaAnaya-rdro]

It's my 4th day being off the bc conbination pill and I'm beginning to feel like myself again. After being on it for six years, I finally had enough and stopped taking it due to migraines

[lisa__rcs]

Omg. I came upon this video by accident. I’ve watched your content before but never this one. I’ve been on bc pills for 13 years and have started to seriously suspect I have vestibulodynia in the last year or so. I’ve seen two gynos and one pelvic floor PT and NO ONE has told about the connection to the pill. I was also told vulvodynia is a “diagnosis of exclusion” so I basically have to try all other courses of action to see if they work and if they don’t, THEN and only then we can agree I have vulvodynia. I’m flabbergasted.

[nessarochelle]

Now it makes sense, when I took bc I ended up with vulvodynia or vestibuledynia ughhh

[nikitajames]

I'm starting the pill now and all the Youtube videos are making me scared. Is it really as bad as it sounds

[bettymakofane]

Having lower back pains and back pains before and after stopping birth control pills

[rebeccamarilyn]

How do you feel about the pill being prescribed to persons with essential thrombocytosis? This is my situation.

[justavideodiary]

I have started taking a pill a couple of weeks ago in hope to reduce the pain. However, since then I have been continuously bleeding, having headaches, cramps, pain etc Has anyone experienced the same but continued with the pill and the symptoms went away? Ppl always say it takes time for a pill to adjust but does it really? How long does it take?

[nikkalenne]

I will stop taking my birth control pills, i started because every month i’m bleeding for 7 days plus not wanting to be pregnant. since i started using pills i feel more anxiety plus i was thinking about depression and felt very sad and without my previous joy of life. Seems that it was caused by these pills. I’m not saying i was happy 100 before, but it didn’t take me long to feel joy again.
Now i just don’t see the purpose of life, i feel miserable.

[christylewis]

Thank you for the video😊

I have been taking the pop for many years and gained 15 lbs within a couple of months that I could never shake.
I also got adult acne and facial hair growth which I've never had previously.
I've spent thousands on electrolysis.
I was put on the pill to treat my severe PMDD.
It stopped my period altogether and without the ebb and flow of hormones, my PMDD vanished, but not without upsetting side effects.

The past 2 yrs I've gained a lot more weight, my acne has gotten worse as has my hair growth.
Now I'm experiencing irregular pelvic spasms too.
I had them years ago when I was on a different POP, along with some endometrial bleeding.
It was at that point that I was put on a different POP, which is the one I'm currently still taking.
I'm in my late 40's and would like to come off these synthetics altogether, but very scared about the return of my PMDD, which nearly lost me my marriage.
Its not just the weight gain, hair and acne.
My stomach is massive and very distended. I feel pregnant or like I'm always carrying around a bowling ball.
I'm also lacking energy.
I'm also wondering if I could have PCS.

My question now is : Is it possible to take a half dose of my mini pill as a way to ween back from it?
Is it safe?
I really need to see what my body is like without, or with less, synthetic hormones.

I'm not sexually active and have no use for the pill as birth control. I'm only taking it to treat my severe PMDD.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

[jenniferwalters]

Why is the pill still on the market? Vestibulynia is debilitating

[loveabundance]

I have Estrogen dominance and low progesterone caused by stress which in turn made me have very heavy periods and lost a lots of my iron, mr Ferritin is 4
My Dr advised of taking birth control pill but I’m not confortable taking it due to the long run side effects it may cause…
Is there another alternative to the BC that will help lower my estrogen and increase my progesterone?
I changed my diet where I’m
Taking food that lowers estrogen and the food that helps increase progesterone but I’m still having irregular bleeding 🤷‍♀️😔

[Official-Lucy]

Hello at first I was using Deposit the three months injection and i was blessing Everytime then I changed to My choice pills that is taken everyday I've used it for four yers now kindly help me because someone told me that I won't be able to have a child because if that is it true

[sandyteye]

Anytime I use the pill I experience pains in my abdomen which I don't get it

[stephaniebeffanie]

I was on the pill from ten years.

Pros: no bleeding, less cramps, my boobs were bigger

Cons: decreased sex drive

I don’t want to have kids but I know several women who believe being on the pill made it hard for them to get pregnant later on.

[eufeniaarexander]

So the pills doesn't help with ovarian cysts?

[gracev]

Hi! Thanks for this video. It's very informative for us who are just beginners. However, May I ask if it is normal to have on-off cramps while i dont have a period? Im just on 2 weeks using the pill and this makes me feel uncomfortable. Thanks in advance!

[yovita]

i use "birth control" to manage my endometriosis + adeno.

but the side effect hit me really hard, i dont even enjoy when i making love w/ hubby.

so i cut it off, besides it was sooo pricey 😭😭😭😭

[ellen]

Is there any way to help get your libido back after quitting the combination pill? I don't lubricate as much as before the pill and I'm not as easily aroused, I only took the pill for 4 months and quit 7 months ago. I'm 28.

[Evelyn-weuq]

I’ve been on the birth control pill since I was 17 and I am about to turn 21. I have been wanting to get off due to some of these reasons! I don’t feel like myself anymore, but want to know if there is a right way to get off the pill?