"The Pill" is Medication!
It wasn’t until a few months ago that I realised how important it is to answer comprehensively when you’re asked what medications you’re on. The optometrist/dentist/gynaecologist etc isn’t being weird when they ask you, they’re asking so they can keep you safe and give you the best care. They’re not going to judge you because you’re on the pill (and if they do you should find yourself a new provider), and if you are on it, you should be including it in the list of medications you’re on along with your over the counter hay fever tablets and the aspirin you take a few times a week.
I realised how widely the pill can affect your body when I discussed contacts with my optometrist recently. We talked about my dry eyes and how they get irritated really easily when I wear contacts, and that liquid tears don’t seem to help. He asked if I was on the pill and it all made sense when he said that being on the pill can cause dry eye symptoms. A medication that affects your body so much it thinks it’s pregnant when it’s not it is bound to affect other areas of your body. It’s something us ladies taking oral contraceptives need to be aware of.
Don’t be ashamed.
A myth about “the pill”
You do not need to take a break from it. The biggest myth about the pill is that it’s unhealthy for you to be on it for long periods of time, and that it can cause infertility. That’s a pile of crap, you are able to get pregnant immediately after you stop taking the pill. That includes times where you don’t ingest it properly due to illness. Women that have trouble getting pregnant after coming off the pill would have had trouble getting pregnant anyway, especially if they’re now in their late thirties and prime child bearing age has passed.
In fact, the only reason there is a 7 day sugar pill section in every 28 day pack is because it was thought women would adjust to it easier if they still got their period. If you are on a pill with steady dosage you can quite easily take 2-3 packs in a row and get your period 4-6 times a year instead of 12. That’s what I do.
17 Responses to “"The Pill" is Medication!”
Awesome reminder!!
At the risk of getting a little too personal, I really would like to mention how important it is to take the pill at the same time every day, too. I am living proof of how important this is for the pill’s effectiveness; I took it every day, but was really lax about when – sometimes I would take it at 10 in the morning, sometimes 10 at night and thought it didn’t matter, & BAM – conception. SO if you do miss a pill even by a couple of hours, please please please use backup like condoms or something.
Good point! I’m one of those people who always worries about reactions, so I mention that I’m on the pill, take allergy medicine, and even little things like my metal allergy whenever questions are asked. I didn’t know it could cause dry eyes – I’ve been having problems since we moved to Austin with that, but I thought it was probably just allergies. It might still be, but it’s something to bring up next time I go to the eye doctor!
In fact, you never have to have a period at all. Your body remetabolizes the cells and, as long as you continually take the hormone pills, you won’t have a period.
And it’s definitely important to make sure you take your pill around the same time every day, too. However, it’s important to note that every woman’s biology is different and not everyone is going to have the experience that Kylie had. As long as you take your pill around the same HOUR every day, you should be golden – just try not to vary the time too badly. And make sure that if you miss a day, you double up the next day. If you miss two, call your doctor.
Oh goodness yes! Taking the pill is more like something to be proud of, taking some control and responsibility.
I do find that I have to take the sugar pills about once every 3-4 months, because it helps my skin settle down. It is almost completely unnecessary though.
Too true. A lot of people don’t realise you can skip the sugar pills – it’s made my life so much easier, and incidental saved me a bit of money on products!
Wow! I always take my pill just before bed but bedtime varies a lot. I’ve been thinking about getting depo porvera instead but it sounds like there are a lot more side effects.
It’s also a lot more important to take it at the same time depending on the type of pill you’re on.
The only reason I do get my period is because I’d read that all the medical tests that have been done involve women who did take that break every month. There was some concern about not knowing what happens when theres a full year worth of hormones instead of only 3/4 of a years worth.
After looking around a bit people still seem unsure. But my doctor said I’m free to get it just every 3 months so I’ll stick to that until I talk to him again. :]
Oh I know wayyyyy too many women who got pregnant within months, weeks or even days of getting off of the pill! Definitely shouldn’t affect it.
Makes me want to get on it just so I can get off it and finally end up preggers :)
Have you been trying with no luck? That sucks.
Being on the pill isn’t going to make you more fertile though, just like it wont make you less fertile. :]
There are issues about taking the pill for a long amount of time, but “long amount of time” is classified as thirty years, no break in between and it’s mainly an issue if you’re a chain smoker.
As for the pill halting your chances of getting pregnant, I agree, what bullocks! My mum was actually prescribed the pill to get pregnant as it somehow regulates your levels of estrogen and progesterone.
Ms. Constantine, I recommend Implanon. I’ve done it twice and both times didn’t get my period for a year. Better yet, it’s a lower dosage of artificial hormones than the pill so you get less side-effects. And it’s 99.9% effective. Woot.
For the first time in eight years I’m detoxing from any contraception hormones and I must admit, I feel great. The only sucky thing is my cramps are a lot worse but I know that this break is temporary.
Gah. Trust me to dabble in bold and then forget to close the . Ha ha.
Thank you for the suggestion! I wish I’d written about this a couple of days ago as I just went to my doctor. I’m sure it’ll be worth going again though.
And yes there are definitely concerns if you’re a smoker on the pill. Even 15 years is heading into dangerous territory. But smoking is dangerous in itself. :]
I fixed it up for you. :]
I got pregnant within the first week of being off the pill after almost 8 years of being on it non-stop. Luckily it was planned :)
I don’t feel right if I skip my period (when on the pill). I feel bloated and a bit on edge, so I’m happy to have a ‘normal’ cycle every month, unless I’m on holiday.
its so importantant to remember the pill as a medication, there is so much it can affect: even the effectiveness of your basic painkiller!!!
Fabulous post, ma’am! I love taking the pill, maybe that sounds weird. It makes me feel mature and in control of my reproductive health.
Other medication affects birth control too. Like antibiotics. I’ve read some antibiotics make the pill less effective.
I’ve never missed a period though because of my birth control (I’m sure if I did miss a period, I’d panic). It’s like clockwork. It always starts on a Saturday and always between 10AM-12PM. Sorry if that was too much information. I think that’s kind of fascinating though.
My 28 day pack only has 4 sugar pills. I wonder if their is an advantage to four days of sugar pills vs. seven days. I suppose I ought to look into that.
The advantage to 4 sugar pills is that if you forget to take one either side of the 4 day sugar pill time you should still be ok. If you do that on a 7 day sugar pill pack then you basically start again. You have to use other means of protection and will probably have to go through the usual symptoms you get the first few months of being on the pill.
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