LONG-TERM USE OF HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL

We closed our Oaxaca trip in an awesome beach house. A reason I chose this house was that it had multiple kitchens: one for the chef, one in the main house (used rarely) and two outdoor setups that had traditional Mexican barbecues.

On our first night, we loaded up on all sorts of things to cook over the fire. My friend Jane went into the main house's kitchen to get oven mitts. When she slipped her hands into them she found this secret stash of birth control pills (BCP)!

In 1954, the first-in-human trial of the pill was conducted, and continued on to play a crucial role in the Women's Liberation Movement by giving them control of contraception. They have since become one of the top prescribed pharmaceuticals, used as a treatment for many conditions, including acne, endometriosis, and hot flashes.

The BCP is a combination of estrogen and progesterone that overrides the body's natural hormonal cycle, inhibiting pregnancy. Side effects of the BCP are typically discussed, but the impact of its long-term use rarely is.

The body has a tendency to maintain a constant internal environment, which is called homeostasis. This includes regulating the hormones (ie: estrogen) that control women's fertility and menstrual cycle through connections between the brain and the reproductive system, also known as the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis.

Long-term exposure to external sources of hormones overrides these balancing mechanisms, resulting in hormonal imbalances which can remain even long after the pill has been discontinued. This can present as symptoms including irregular periods, PMS, hot flashes, and infertility, and increase risk of the development of hormone sensitive cancers.

These effects can be mitigated by enhancing detoxification of excess hormones and promoting the body's balancing mechanisms with herbal medicine, lifestyle modifications, and supplementation.

It's also important to be mindful of other external sources of hormones, as well as the impact that the BCP has on our environment. More in my next posts!

If you have questions about your health and hormonal imbalances, please feel free to reach out, book in for a consult with me if you’re located in Toronto, or see your local naturopath.

Dr. Cristina Allen ND
Naturopathic Doctor