FitSugar

Myths on the Pill Debunked

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:30:00 PDT

Do you take "the pill?" If so, you're not alone. However, despite the overwhelming number of women on the pill right now, there are still some serious myths floating around out there, giving the pill a very bad rep.

Health.com has taken note and talked to the professionals to finally debunk the most common myths on the pill:

It’s risky to stop your period: Studies show it’s safe to suppress your period using various methods: Seasonale, a pill that limits you to four periods a year; Seasonique, a similar pill that may help fight PMS; or others like Depo-Provera injections that may eliminate your period. “The hormones keep the lining of your uterus thin, so nothing builds up,” says Rebecca Gould, MD, an OB-GYN at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Side effects that usually go away include breakthrough bleeding. Menstrual suppression is great for women with particularly heavy flows, painful cramps, and menstrual migraines.

Does the pill make you fat or give you cancer? To find out,

The Pill ups your cancer risks: Actually, the risk of endometrial and ovarian can-cers goes down the longer you’re on the Pill. After one year, endometrial-cancer risk decreases by 50 per-cent, and after just three to six months, ovarian-cancer risk decreases by 40 percent. After 10 years, the risks are 80 percent lower than normal. “The longer you keep the endometrium thin and the ovaries inactive, you are reducing the chance of the inappropriate cell divi-sion that characterizes cancer,” explains Katharine O’Connell, MD, assistant clinical professor of OB-GYN at Columbia University.
The Pill may also lower the risk of colon cancer: What about breast cancer? The research is inconclusive. A recent review of previous studies, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, suggests a tiny elevation in risk among current users, which disappears when you quit. (There’s no debate for women who have-or have had-breast cancer: They should steer clear because the hormones can stimulate some cancerous cells.)
The Pill makes you fat (and frigid): Wrong. Most women link the Pill to weight gain, but only breakthrough bleeding is a proven side effect. (Women often put on pounds after getting the Depo-Provera injection.) As for libido, while some studies show a decreased sex drive, others show an increase-a lower chance of pregnancy can be quite an aphrodisiac.
An IUD ruins your fertility: The Dalkon Shield, pulled from the market in the 1970s, may have contributed to infections that led to infertility. It was also linked to 17 deaths. But not the new and safe IUDs, such as ParaGard and Mirena. Plus, they’re more effective and cheaper than the Pill.
The Sponge is as good as the Pill: Nope. The Sponge, which blocks the cervix and contains a spermicide, leaves much to chance. Its failure rate is 32 percent for women who have delivered a child vaginally (because the cervix is larger after childbirth); for those who haven’t, the failure rate is 16 percent. For better protection, pair it with condoms.
Long-term use of the Pill is a no-no: You may risk getting pregnant if you take a break. “This is how my brother was conceived,” Gould says. There’s no medical reason to stop. It’s possible to get pregnant right away after quitting. Half of women get pregnant within three months-a good reason not to take that break!
Pill side effects last forever: Not at all. The first three months of any new hormonal birth control method brings side effects that eventually go away, Gould says. It’s past month three, and your doctor’s telling you to “gut it out”? Time for a second opinion.
Taking the Pill past age 40 is risky: Not if you’re healthy. You can take it till menopause. But if you’re over 35 and you smoke, or have uncontrolled high blood pressure or long-term or uncontrolled diabetes, your heart disease and stroke risks are elevated, and the Pill raises them. Anyone who fits this profile is fine on a progestin-only “mini-pill” (or Depo-Provera).
It’s OK to take any medicine with the Pill: Wrong. St. John’s Wort, a popular sup-plement used for depression, cuts the Pill’s effectiveness. Researchers think the herb makes your body speed up the metabolization of the Pill, preventing the hormones from doing their job. On the flip side, the Pill may exaggerate antidepressant effects.
The Pill makes migraines worse: The Pill doesn’t aid or aggravate migraine symptoms. But birth control pills may increase stroke risk in women who suffer from migraines with aura (added symptoms like numbness, weakness, hallucinations, or blurred vision). For them, the mini-pill and other estrogen-free hormonal methods are OK.

To read the full article and other fabulous information, visit Health.com.

Pill Woes: Women Are Getting Pregnant to Avoid Getting Fat

Tara Sharp — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:50:28 PDT

According to a new report, concern about weight gain is one of the biggest reasons women quit taking the pill. Then some of these women are getting pregnant, which is a bit counterproductive if you're trying to not pack on the pounds. But the myth that the pill causes weight gain is just that, a myth, fueled by horror stories and false information, says the lead author of the paper. Studies show that oral contraception doesn't make you gain weight, and it may even cause you to lose weight.

While the warning labels on the pill's box may list weight gain as a side effect, these lists aren't always trustworthy. They list side effects anyone taking the medication in a trial believed they had, and the reasons for weight gain are difficult to pinpoint. In controlled studies there wasn't a big difference between the side effects women who took the pill had compared to those who took a placebo - spotting and bleeding in between periods are the most common.

Scientists say that a major factor in women believing they'll get fat on the pill is the "nocebo effect," aka the power of suggestion. If we think we might gain weight on the pill, we will. What has your personal experience been with the pill? And has a fear of gaining weight ever prevented you from taking the contraceptive?

DrSugar Schools Us on High Blood Pressure

DrSugar — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:26:30 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's schooling us on hypertension.

A recent study from the University of North Carolina found that about one in five young adults, between the ages 24 and 32, has high blood pressure, referred to as hypertension in medical terminology. The concerning part about this rise is that many of those at risk are unaware of this health issue, making this statistic extremely scary since hypertension is a medical condition that can have serious consequences. To learn more about hypertension and its medical consequences and how you can prevent hypertension, keep reading!

Bloated? These Foods May Be the Culprit

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:07 PST

The gift of a bloated belly isn't only reserved for women during that time of the month. Sometimes it's the foods we eat that can cause that full, gassy feeling. Here's a list of foods that may be contributing to your balloon-like belly, so you may want to think about limiting or avoiding them.

Dairy products: Lactose intolerance can range from mild to severe, but either way, gas is usually a symptom. Try limiting the amount of milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream you eat and see if that helps. If it does, you don't have to ditch dairy altogether. Drink lactose-free milk, or take Lactaid pills to help your body digest milk products.
Apples and pears: These fruits contain about four grams of fiber per serving, so they're an excellent source of soluble fiber, but they can also wreak havoc on sensitive tummies. Don't avoid them entirely though. Eating half or a quarter of these fruits along with other foods will allow you to enjoy their flavor without paying the price.
Beans: This magical fruit contains oligosaccharide, a type of sugar which is not normally digestible by our bodies. When this sugar reaches your large intestine, the bacteria go to town eating it up, and the gas you produce is an unfortunate byproduct.

To see what other foods may be causing your bloated tummy