QUESTION: Maybe I am just over cautious, but I would like more information about the safety of birth control pills.
I am starting to take them again after a second child, but remember there were many articles about their dangers some years ago.
Do you consider them safe, and are they very effective? Our family is just the right size now.
ANSWER: In the early days of oral contraceptives, there were many reports of unwanted and undesirable side effects.
These were related to the dosage of hormones contained in those preparations.
However, as time progressed a whole array of new, low-dose formulations became available to physicians, the number and intensity of side effects diminished and the safety factor increased. These new low-dose varieties have demonstrated a high degree of effectiveness, and are now considered the most effective reversible method of birth control (other than injectable progestin).
Since there are so many combinations available, a physician can prescribe the dosage form that best suits the needs of a patient, and certainly the one with the least side effects.
There still are some commonly occurring side effects, nausea, headache and weight gain, but they frequently pass after a short time, or can be alleviated by switching to another combination of medications or to one with a different dose of hormones.
The often expressed concern of death from these prescriptions is not born out in fact, as this event is extremely rare.
In a nonsmoking patient, death from an auto accident is ten times more likely than from birth control pills.
Though there are a number of situations in which birth control pills should not be prescribed, history of stroke, clots in the veins, coronary artery disease, known or suspected cancer of the breast, or impaired liver function among others, there are also many benefits beside birth control that result from these medications.
They include lower incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cancer, fibrocystic disease, premenstrual tension syndrome and others.
In addition there are fewer menstrual cramps, less intense flow and more predictable menses.
You may have some concerns answered by asking your doctor about the specific type of medication prescribed for you, and requesting literature about your medication.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
