Diabetes and Birth Control

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sara on February 25, 2008 at 8:52am

When I was first diagnosed I was using the birth control patch, and I have never used the pill. The patch worked out fine for me, but it got to the point where it was just one more thing I had to deal with. So, I went back to my doc and had an IUD inserted. Many women in the US freak out when they hear that I have an IUD, mostly because there was a problem with them back in the 70s. However, it is the most commonly used form of birth control worldwide, and I love it to pieces. I chose a copper IUD, which has no hormones in it, but hormone options are also available. It lasts for 8 years after insertion, and it has a very very low rate of accidental pregnancy associated with it (less than the pill). If you're not in the mood for something that will last at least 5 years, you might consider condoms, or the hormone ring, or a diaphragm (which has always sounded like a huge pain in the tush to me).

Also, don't worry about not having "normal" periods. If they are consistently irregular, then that is regular for you! Don't let the patriarchal medical establishment try and push you into their 28-day mold. :-)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Beatriz D. on February 25, 2008 at 9:10am

Yes, my doctor told me about the IUD, but I really don't want to get it. I have no problems taking another pill, I just want to make sure it won't make things worse. Thank you for the input! :-)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cody Turner on February 25, 2008 at 11:08am

I use the nuvaring. Insert a ring once a month, take it out and insert a new one. Works well for me. My periods aren't regular, but they are lighter using the ring.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jenny on February 25, 2008 at 12:07pm

Keep a close eye on your blood sugars and mood.

Hormones make a huge difference in mine.

When I tried loestrin in my late 40s (my doctor prescribed it for peri-menopause) i started bleeding very heavily three days after I started it which continued until I stopped about a week after the bleeding started (not a period!). I also was throwing up and weeping. Horrible! Everything got better when I stopped. I'm very sensitive to progesterone, which is the main hormone in the pills.

I used an IUD very happily for years, but it isn't a good idea if you haven't already had a child.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sara on February 25, 2008 at 12:35pm

It's a little more painful to insert if you haven't already had a child, but there are no extra complications. I don't have any children (at least not that I know of) and I haven't had any problems with mine.

Both my endo and CDE recommended hormonal birth control at one point because they said it would stabilize my sugars around the time of my period. Since I stopped using hormones I do notice a little bit of a spike about a day before my period starts, but it's not anything that isn't managable. In fact, it sometimes reminds me that my period is about to start (I never keep track of those things).

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jenny on February 25, 2008 at 12:51pm

Sara,

My daughter was told that because there was a risk of infection that could leave you infertile with the IUD, it shouldn't be given to women who hadn't had kids.

Maybe this is something doctors have different policies about. I had to sign some fearsome paperwork listing all kinds of potential problems before they would give me mine.

.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Leslieann Dudek on February 26, 2008 at 6:01am

I've taken the Loestrin on and off probably since it first came out without any problems. The main reason my OB/Gyn suggested the Loestrin was because it had a lower hormone content than other birth control on the market at that time. It's one of those YMMV things as Jenny pointed out that the Loestrin didn't work very well for her.

You might want to consider checking bgs more often right now to see if the Loestrin makes them rise or not. Also pay attention to mood swings or anything else unusual happening that isn't normal for you.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Katie I. on February 26, 2008 at 10:42am

I used the Pill and the patch after I got married, and I didn't like either of them. I gained weight and both of them elevated my blood pressure, which, even though it was at the high end of "normal," my endo and I were still concerned because elevated BP with T1 is not a good combination.
So, I quit taking the Pill and had a non-hormonal IUD inserted. Like Sara, I loved it! You don't think twice about it, and it totally works!! I lost the extra pounds, was not as tired, and my BP came down. It was, however, painful going in. I didn't find out until later that I was supposed to take Tylenol or some other pain reliever before going to get it inserted (the nurse never told me that when I scheduled the appointment! Ugh.) I had "vagal response" (sp?) when my doc inserted it, which made my BP drop and my heart race, and I got very nauseated and almost passed out. My doc said that it was painful because I'd never had kids. Removing it, though, wasn't nearly as painful.
My OB-GYN said that he didn't know why IUDs weren't more popular in the U.S. (probably because of the bad publicity they got in the 70s), but that they are the most popular type of birth control in other countries, because they work so well.
Good luck to you,
Katie

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jenny on February 26, 2008 at 11:06am

Katie,

Trust me, the IUD was a lot less painful going in than a baby is coming out!

I had one of the notorious Dalkon Shields back in the 1970s and ended up with a fulminating infection that took a month of antibiotics to cure. It was a miracle that I ended up able to have kids.

But the copper 7 gave me no trouble at all, and I would certainly recommend it. I'd stay away from the ones with the progestins if you are sensitive to hormones as I am. Progestins of all sorts make me incredibly sick. I often wonder if my hypersensitivity to sex hormones has anything to do with my hypersensitivity to insulin.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Beatriz D. on February 26, 2008 at 11:10am

Thank you all for the replies. I don't think I can get the IUD; I simply can't stomach anything going in, especially if it's painful. I'm on day 2 with the Loestrin, and so far so good. I will keep close record of my BG's and talk to the doctor if I feel weird or anything like that.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Judith on February 26, 2008 at 12:26pm

Well, Sweetie, as Jenny and others have suggested, just keep a close eye and a record on your calendar of how you feel when. The pill essentially turns you into a hormonal stewpot and to get the type and dosage right for your needs, you need to be able to track what's happening. I was on the pill way back in Ye Olden Days and it made me appear to be hypothroid to the point where I was on meds for it. Years later when I couldn't afford the meds but was now off the pill, voila no hypothyroidism. Hah!

I had a Lippi's Loop IUD for almost 20 years and loved it. After about 6 months of heavy periods as my body adjusted, I never had any trouble......Good Luck!.....Judith in Portland

P.S. Try to weave together the tracking of the pill and your diabetes care so you can figure out relational issues.....

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sara on February 26, 2008 at 2:13pm

The IUD, as with any form of birth control, is a very personal decision. Unlike poor Katie (so sorry for your unhelpful nurse!), I took some advil the day I went in, and I made my mom drive me home. I had some bad cramps later in the day, but everything has been ok since then. As for the insertion itself, it felt weird, but not necessarily painful for most of the procedure. It was really close to the sensation of getting a pap smear, which is nobody's favorite thing to do but I don't find them painful, per se. The one part that was slightly painful (why am I sharing this on the Internet?) was when they had to lift part of my cervix. This is mainly a problem for women who haven't had children yet.

By the way, for any pregnant women out there reading this forum (or not reading it, since it's not on your mind right now, hehe), you can have an IUD inserted at the same time you give birth, which makes it super easy and I think relatively painless.

Sorry that your thread has turned into an IUD discussion board, Beatriz. :-) I agree with others that you should just watch how your body reacts to the hormones. And don't be afraid to ask for lower doses or a different type of pill!

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last