Posts by Douglas Green31

To be honest, I haven't been through this myself, but if I were in your shoes, I’d be looking at private clinics too.
I’d be terrified of using a state hospital. From everything I hear, they treat you like you're just a piece of meat when you're giving birth, let alone when you're dealing with a miscarriage.

Check with a counterpart; you can probably find a number online, or if not, just call an information line.
They have top-tier equipment and handle everything from deliveries to C-sections—which are major surgeries—so I assume they handle miscarriages as well.

Word is it’s pretty pricey, so expect to pay a few thousand dollars.
Your best bet is to call and ask directly.

That’s exactly what I would do.

Jamie Johnson6 said:If PCOS meant you couldn't get pregnant, the world would be a much smaller place. It feels like every third woman I know has been diagnosed, yet half of them conceive without any issues. A diagnosis doesn't automatically equal infertility.

I'm trying to figure out exactly what's going on with me, because my OB-GYN didn't bother giving me a detailed explanation.
Actually, maybe so. But I was such a wreck during that appointment that I probably missed half of what was even being said.

Up until now, my cycles have been regular, lasting about 30 days—and that’s without any birth control involved. But according to her, I'm actually having anovulatory cycles.
So, periods were regular, but there was no ovulation.
Now my hormones have completely gone haywire, and my period has missed entirely.

Look, this is completely off-topic.

Back to the main point—Logest is what she prescribed. I told her I tried them a few years back and didn't experience any side effects at all.
She suggested Yasmin to me, but she insisted that Diane are the best.

I have a question—I know Diane is used for PCOS, but does it actually matter which specific pill I take, as long as it stops ovulation and regulates my ovaries?
Does Diane have some sort of superior impact on the ovaries compared to Logest, or any other pill for that matter?

Is it simply because they’re officially classified as medication for that specific purpose? That would explain why they're prescribed via prescription.

Chris Lopez59 said:We should look up some actual statistics, though that doesn't mean the risk level is identical for women who never used birth control versus those who did.

I know. I've heard about the increased risk too.
On top of everything else mentioned, I have to go in for breast ultrasounds every six months because I felt a lump two months ago.
Then came this whole issue with my ovaries, so believe me, I am completely fed up with doctors.

The issue is that with PCOS, you can't really rely on natural methods because your hormones are all over the place.
You can never accurately predict ovulation, and even those LH strips aren't reliable when your hormone levels are this erratic.

Plus, women who don't ovulate generally face a higher risk of breast cancer, regardless of whether they're on birth control (I read that somewhere, though I can't recall exactly where).

Chris Lopez59 said:Yeah, right. What would that even accomplish? You have almost zero chance of clearing out existing cysts. In my opinion, at best, you might prevent new ones from forming, which could potentially eliminate symptoms without needing pills. That’s about as realistic as it gets.

True, that's a possibility.

However, I'd be on birth control regardless because I have no intention of getting pregnant.
I used to take breaks from the pill every now and then, mostly just to give my liver a rest.

But I can't do that now. If I stop, there's a high probability this whole situation will just repeat itself.

By the way, my period started the day before yesterday.

Chris Lopez59 said:Carol Brooks41, I really trust the protocol; I use a therapeutic device myself. The biggest issue is time. Since the device is multi-purpose, you could technically address three or four issues at once, but you don't have the time—you can't even treat your own back while dealing with everything else. A single session takes at least half an hour, so you end up doing them one by one.

But since we live in a country where people would rather drop money $1333 on designer clothes than on their actual health, there’s no point in recommending such expensive gear. I took a gamble when I bought mine. Knock on wood, I haven't regretted spending a dime yet.

It's not that I'm against alternative approaches, but I don't believe in any "miracle cure" or gadget that fixes every health issue regardless of what it is.

Allergies and headaches are one thing; those can actually be triggered by things that such devices might help with.
But a headache caused by a brain tumor isn't the same thing as a headache caused by sleeping in a bad position.

A friend of mine uses it, and it actually helps her with spinal issues and allergies.
However, I don't think it can fix my ovaries, because there is a concrete physical issue causing the problem.

I also knew a man who claimed he cured his lung cancer using alternative methods.
A month later, he woke up severely swollen and deformed, only for doctors to find he had a few months left to live. It hadn't cured him; it had just metastasized to his brain.

I know that's not quite the same comparison as my situation, and I don't know how your device works, but honestly—if it were a headache or an allergy, I'd give it a shot. It might work for those cases. But how is it going to fix PCOS? That's something that can't even be resolved with surgery without removing the ovaries entirely.

That would all be fine, but most alternative methods require you to stop taking your medication, and frankly, that feels like gambling with my life.

Besides, I'll be staying on birth control regardless of the PCOS.

You mentioned yourself that the device is pretty pricey, and I'm not downplaying its usefulness—I'm just curious about the mechanics. Some health problems simply cannot be solved through simple soothing effects.

For instance, I know a girl with PCOS who stopped taking pills because she managed to regulate things somewhat through her diet.
Still, her ovaries are still polycystic; she just masked the symptoms. And that raises the question of how long that will last.

Jamie Johnson6 said:Of course you feel that way. Honestly, it would be weirder if you felt fine given how much your hormones are haywire right now. I'm in the same boat—it's all about the pituitary, ovaries, and feedback loops.

That’s my point. I’d rather take birth control than deal with this constant terror; this is worse than any migraine.
Ideally, nobody should have to take anything since everything carries risks, but whatever.
Birth control exists for a reason, and the risks aren't high enough for me to walk away from them.
Right now, I just want my period to start so I can get on Logest and finally find some stability.
My blood work is perfect, so objectively, I have no reason to worry about clotting or vascular issues.

I just hope it actually shows up. Today was my last dose of Utrogestal, so it should arrive in a few days.
If it doesn't, I'll have to start over and deal with both progesterone and estrogen.

Are you taking anything for hyperthyroidism?
I tend toward hyperthyroidism myself—my hormone levels are technically within the normal range, but they’re hovering right at the upper limit.

If you've only been on the medication for a month, what you're feeling is likely just side effects.

Birth control hits my libido hard too.

Look, everything nowadays is just choosing the lesser of two evils; nothing is ever truly healthy.
I can't stand these pills because the side effects are unbearable, but what choice do I have?
If you take them, it’s bad; if you don't, it's also bad.

The only alternatives are having as many kids as Bog allows or using condoms, which aren't exactly practical when you're in a long-term relationship or marriage.
On top of that, now I'm dealing with PCOS. What am I supposed to do?
Things are definitely much worse without the pills.
I don't know about other women, but I feel incredibly on edge and can't focus on anything. I don't have specific physical symptoms, but missing my period for two months straight is definitely taking a toll on my mental state.

Personally, I'm against taking any kind of medication and I avoid it unless it's an absolute necessity.
I deal with headaches quite often, but I've never wanted to rely on pills for them.

By the way, I think you mentioned somewhere that your wife is on Logest.
How is she handling them? Any side effects?
I realize it might not mean much—she could react totally differently than I would—but I’m curious.
I'm supposed to start taking them at the beginning of my next cycle, but I haven't even seen a period for over a month now.

Chris Lopez59 said:you're way too confident about everything😉

I used corticosteroids back in middle school. I wouldn't touch them today for anything. They caused me enough secondary issues as it is.

I believe you, but they aren't causing you problems now since you haven't taken them in years.
That's my point.
If you take birth control for, say, 10 years and then stop, I don't think you'll face any consequences 10 years after quitting.
These aren't substances that build up in your system and remain a risk a decade later.

Chris Lopez59 said:Look... those kinds of issues catch up with you once you hit your fifties or sixties...

I don't think that applies to birth control pills, since we're talking about hormones here.
As soon as you stop taking them, your hormone levels return to "normal"—essentially back to your natural state—pretty quickly, as if you never even touched them.
They work, including all their side effects, only while you're actually on them.
Meaning, if there's a risk of blood clots, that risk exists while you're using the pills.
Once you quit, you aren't suddenly going to have problems twenty years down the line.

Besides, birth control is just the most common way people take synthetic hormones, but plenty of people use hormone replacement therapy for various health reasons beyond contraception.

Take people dealing with thyroid issues or those who've had a thyroid removal, for example.

Angela Wright said:Fruit development can degenerate during early stages if hormone doses are excessively high.

Sure, but most pills on the market today use very low dosages.
Besides, if someone is taking high concentrations for specific medical reasons, doctors already know exactly when to watch for potential malformations.

Basically, I'm saying there's no reason to assume the child won't be healthy.
The instructions on my birth control pills explicitly state that if you get pregnant while taking them, there's no reason for an abortion.

Chris Lopez59 said:Don't mess around..
Where is this research coming from? And why Logest specifically? What makes it act that way? Is it bad hormones, a deficiency, or an extra ingredient?
And wasn't there something about the negative impact of birth control pills on blood vessels themselves (not just clots, but the vessels)?

Look, I'm not a doctor, so I don't know those technicalities.
But this isn't the time to panic.
I’m just reporting what my OB-GYN told me—Logest is actually a great pill, but you need to check your coagulation levels first (just like with any contraceptive), because Logest carries a slightly higher risk.
If your blood work comes back clean, there's nothing to worry about.

Besides, you know how doctors are.
She ran a pregnancy test on me, even though I told her straight up that we used condoms and nothing failed or slipped.
They just want to cover every single base, and sometimes that makes things sound much scarier than they actually are.

I know dozens of women who have been on various birth control pills for years without ever having issues with blood vessels, clots, or strokes.
We're talking about tiny percentages here; it's just that doctors are wired to leave absolutely nothing to chance.

quietangler89 said:So she just had the baby despite being on the pill?
A healthy baby, no issues at all?

I don't believe birth control causes fetal disorders.
It's just standard hormones already present in the body; I fail to see how they would cause defects.

Angela Wright said:A friend of mine actually got pregnant while on Cilest because of hyperthyroidism. Basically, if there’s a major hormonal imbalance—like thyroid issues—and she isn't strictly following the schedule, there's a chance.

I know this is off-topic, but did she happen to have any hyperthyroid symptoms?

Angela Wright said:It isn't actually about effectiveness; it's about the supposed breast cancer risk. There used to be hypotheses suggesting they were harmful, but according to all the gynecologists I've consulted—four of them, to be exact—those claims have been debunked. I've even been told you can use them without issue right up until menopause. Regardless, I plan on getting an IUD after I give birth for several reasons. My endometriosis is a major factor, and since the hormones are released gradually over three years, it eventually stops my period entirely. Then there's the cost; you can get the IUD covered by Medicare, so you don't have to stress about the expense for the next three years.

No, that's not it. I've heard those same "hypotheses" regarding breast cancer too.

I remember reading something about oral contraceptives losing their efficacy, but honestly, I can't recall where or what the specific details were.

I have an enlarged thyroid. There haven't been any signs of hyperthyroidism yet and my hormone levels have stayed normal, but I'm definitely going to start monitoring them more regularly from now on.

quietangler89 said:How many women end up pregnant just from pulling out? 😕 I can give you endless examples from my own circle. (And again—how much of a "pull out" was it really, and when exactly did it happen?)

Yes, what you said is spot on regarding how the pills work. But what if there’s an underlying digestive issue (not counting diarrhea or vomiting) that doesn't show obvious symptoms, causing the pills to not absorb properly into the bloodstream as they should?
My question has several angles; it's hard to have a digestive issue without symptoms, but you never know.

On another note, a friend told me something she supposedly learned in nursing school, though it sounds unrealistic to me: that you can actually get "used to" birth control pills, and they eventually stop protecting you effectively.🤷 It's like how the body adapts to certain medications over time until they no longer help with a specific condition.
Personally, I think that theory is nonsense. These aren't antibiotics; there are no microorganisms involved. You're just taking a daily dose of synthetic hormones to mimic pregnancy.

True, but most of them end up pregnant because things just didn't go perfectly.
Whether we're talking about pulling out or the pill, I'm referring to cases where everything is done correctly—meaning the pill was taken on time without health issues, and the withdrawal was timed perfectly.
Obviously, once you factor in human error, all those theories fall apart.

That idea about getting used to the pills might be true, though I don't know if it's actual "habituation" or something else—but it seems to apply after age 35 or even later.
In those older age groups, doctors recommend different contraceptive methods precisely because the pills might lose their effectiveness.
I just don't know the exact reason why.

It’s not like we're facing a massive risk where 50% of women are suddenly going to have a stroke or something; those percentages are incredibly low.

My OB-GYN told me the same thing about Logest, though she did mention that if my blood work looks good, they're actually excellent pills.

Man, how many people actually manage to avoid pregnancy for years just by using withdrawal?
I’m concluding there’s clearly an underlying factor beyond just the numbers. I know couples where that method worked flawlessly for years without a single accidental pregnancy, yet others get pregnant after only six months.
My take is that some men release sperm in their pre-ejaculate while others don't.
So, in my opinion, the statistics here are questionable.

With birth control pills, pregnancies usually happen when someone misses a dose or deals with something like vomiting or diarrhea.
There is almost always a rational explanation.

From what I understand, birth control pills work by preventing ovulation and stopping a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
Essentially, you’d need ovulation, fertilization, and then implantation to all fail simultaneously—so many things have to go wrong for a pregnancy to occur if they are taken correctly.
Logic tells me the chances are astronomically low.