Choice of KB pills for PCOS that is safe and effective & bull; hello healthy

Hormonal contraceptives are widely used by women with PCOS to help reduce and manage PCOS symptoms. One of the most popular hormonal contraceptives used to control PCOS symptoms is the birth control pill. Check out the different options for birth control pills for PCOS in this article.

Choice of birth control pills for PCOS

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that causes women to experience irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, and obesity. If not treated promptly, PCOS can lead to more serious conditions, such as difficulty conceiving and a risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Besides it is not clear what causes it, PCOS also cannot be cured. Even so, the symptoms can be controlled, one of which is using oral hormonal contraceptives or birth control pills. The use of birth control pills for PCOS overcomes hormonal imbalances by increasing estrogen levels and reducing the amount of testosterone the body produces.

There are two types of birth control pills, namely the combination estrogen and progestin pills (synthesized from progesterone), or progestin-only pills. Both types of birth control pills are equally effective in treating PCOS symptoms.

Combined birth control pills for PCOS

Some combination birth control pill options for PCOS include:

• Alesse
• April
• Aranelle
• Aviane
• Enpresse
• Estrostep
• Lessina
• Levlen
• Levlite
• Levora
• Loestrin
• Mircette
• Natazia
• Nordette
• Lo / Orval
• Ortho-Novum
• Ortho Tri-Cyclen
• Jasmine
• Yaz

Some combination birth control pills, such as Loestrin, have lower estrogen levels. This low level of estrogen can reduce the severity of some of the side effects of PCOS, but it is also less effective against some of the other symptoms of PCOS.

That is why, women who have PCOS must first consult a gynecologist so that they can get the right treatment according to your needs.

Progestin birth control pills

Even though it is classified as safe, unfortunately not everyone can take combination birth control pills. This is because some women develop negative side effects when taking combination birth control pills. If this happens, you may want to switch to progestin-only birth control pills.

For some women, progestin-only birth control pills may be a better option to help manage this condition. This is because progestin-based birth control pills are less likely to cause many side effects than combination birth control pills. However, if in fact these progestin-based birth control pills cause side effects for you, these side effects are not much different from the side effects of using the combined birth control pills.

In many cases, doctors may advise PCOS patients to try progestin-only birth control pills first. If progestin birth control pills do not work effectively, then patients are advised to use combination birth control pills. That is why it is important for you to always consult your doctor regarding the various treatments you will be doing.

How birth control pills work to treat PCOS symptoms

According to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism You can use birth control pills to treat PCOS symptoms by protecting your uterus by making sure your body is ovulating regularly. This means that you will experience regular menstrual cycles.

The reason is, if you cannot ovulate naturally, you have the potential to experience a buildup of tissue in the uterus called endometrial hyperplasia, which is a disorder characterized by a thickening of the lining of the uterus. If this condition is allowed to continue, your risk of developing uterine cancer will increase.

When you use combination birth control pills to treat any of these PCOS symptoms, the progestin hormone works against estrogen to prevent hyperplasia.

In addition, the use of birth control pills for PCOS is to help reduce the levels of male hormones in the blood, especially the hormone testosterone. Usually, these pills work to reduce some of the other symptoms of PCOS, including the onset of acne, baldness (androgenic alopecia), and the growth of body and facial hair.

Another function of using birth control pills to treat PCOS is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, especially in women who have irregular cycles.

Not all women with PCOS can use birth control pills

Although birth control pills can be used to treat PCOS symptoms, it does not mean that all women with this condition can use them. The reason is, there is the potential for contraindications between the use of birth control pills with the following conditions:

• diabetes.
• female smokers over 35 years of age.
• hypertension or high blood pressure.
• history of heart disease.
• history stroke.

If you experience either of these conditions, it is not recommended that you use birth control pills to relieve PCOS symptoms. Instead, consult your doctor for other alternative treatments for PCOS.

Choice of contraceptives other than birth control pills for PCOS

Not all women can use birth control pills to treat PCOS. However, if you still need or feel you have to use contraception to reduce PCOS symptoms, there are several alternatives you can try. Here are some other contraceptive options that can also be used to treat this syndrome besides birth control pills:

Injectable birth control

If you think you can't use birth control pills to treat PCOS, you can use injectable birth control as an alternative. To use it, you have to do birth control injections regularly every three months.

These injectable birth control will release the progestin hormone in your body when it is used. This contraceptive has an effectiveness level of up to 94% in preventing pregnancy.

KB patch (patch)

Apart from birth control pills and injectable birth control, you can also use birth control patches to treat PCOS symptoms. Either type of contraception can release the hormones estrogen and progestin into the bloodstream.

If used regularly, this contraceptive can prevent pregnancy by up to 91 percent. However, in women who weigh more than 45 kilograms, this contraceptive may not work more effectively.

Vaginal ring (birth control ring)

This contraceptive is usually used in the vagina. For those of you who have PCOS, you can use this contraceptive as an alternative to birth control pills. As the name implies, the vaginal ring is used inside the vagina and releases the hormones progestin and estrogen into the body.

This contraceptive is 91% effective for use in preventing pregnancy.

Implant birth control

Implanted contraceptives can also be an alternative to birth control pills if you have PCOS. KB implant is a small rod inserted by the doctor into the skin tissue. These rods release synthetic progestin hormones and can only function to prevent pregnancy for up to three years.

If used according to the rules, this birth control can be effective at preventing pregnancy by up to 99 percent.

Apart from some of the contraceptive options above, there are also other alternatives such as:

Progesterone therapy

You can do this therapy for 10-14 days every one to two months. These treatments don't prevent pregnancy or improve androgen levels, but they can help reduce your PCOS symptoms.

Metformin

This medication for type 2 diabetes can lower insulin, androgen levels and increase your insulin resistance. Typically, women who have PCOS develop insulin resistance. Well, the drug metformin can be used to treat this. It's a good idea to consult your doctor first before taking this drug.

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