posted
Need good info. about "the PILL", and it's effect on hormonal regulation, in a teenage girl with lyme.
Teen has periods every 2 - 3 weeks, for two years.
She has major hormonal dis regulation problems, sleep problems and severe cystic acne. She was given birth control pills by a girlfirend (to help this?) without my knowledge, and consent.
She says... many friends use "the pill" for their periods or acne. She believes this is ok to do...we disagree.
I do not believe she is sexually active...just very frustrated with her irregular cycle and acne.
The law says she is now old enough to make her own decisions, but she is unwise in many of her choices, and my hope is that she does no more harm to her already compromised body.
She needs facts, not just words from her mom that she ignores.
I am trying to educate her.
I could use some facts, personal experience and advice.
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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I wish, in high school, that I could have taken the pill. My life would have been FAR less torture from cramps that stole 1/4 of my life for years.
Finally, after nearly flunking out of college due to such severe problems from my periods, my first year of working, nearly loosing my job - FINALLY a doctor put me on the pill. I did not need it for birth control at that time at all but it was a miracle in how much it helped control my periods and the pain.
Just a miracle. It was a shame that I had basically been help prisoner and tortured for 1/4 of my life from age 12 until 22.
And . . . on the flip side . . . fast forward a couple decades and I was off the pill again as it was just not working to control the cramps and I did not think my body was handling those kind of hormones.
I went to a wonderful ND (naturopathic doctor) who, while not knowing nearly as much about lyme as he said, knew a lot about herbs and supplements so that, with supplements and a custom-made herbal formula, all menstrual problems and severe cramps DISAPPEARED - just in time for menopause. Ahhh. And I had zero trouble with that.
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For now, the birth control pills may help your daughter. However, they may also play havoc with her mood and, she should know that antibiotics can make them fail if used for birth control.
Another concern is that the hormones in the pill could be very bad for a lyme patient. If fact, a LLMD may say "no" and rather work on solving the underlying dysfunction that lyme creates.
Is your daughter taking magnesium supplements, fish oil and adrenal support? That would be good. Cutting out caffeine (and of course all artificial sweeteners) is vital. Stevia is from a plant and can be used to sweeten decaf or herb teas, etc.
Is there a way she can get to a LLMD? If the lyme could be better addressed, these other problems may subside.
AND - can you find a LL naturopathic doctor? You might try contacting the doctor at this site and see if she has suggestions for someone near you:
She is an ILADS member and a ND (naturopathic physician), so she has knowledge of the unique nature of the spirochete and what is required but also knows all about supportive techniques.
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And, although you say you don't think she is sexually active, she still needs all the education around that, including that regarding understanding emotions.
Oprah recently had a a couple of wonderful programs about how to talk with kids about sex.
[ 05-18-2009, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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posted
The Pill just masks the hormonal imbalances. She does not cycle on the Pill. The Pill attempts to stop ovulation. In the even that that does not happen, the hormones thicken cervical mucus (to prevent sperm from migrating). In the event that that doesn't happen, its hormones prevent a conceived fetus from implanting.
So, the whole concept of the Pill is to mess up your normal hormones, NOT regulate them.
All this is in the insert that comes with the Pill. Like most medicines, it masks the problem but does not fix the problem. It does not get to the root of the problem.
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Yes, with more thought about this . . . I really hope your daughter can see a good LLMD or LL ND who can address the root cause.
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Still, she is at that age where information and an open dialogue about sex is very important. Here are some links that may help.
None of these are about problems with periods, however, this is just basic sex ed:
Not sure how to start "the talk" with your children? Use Dr. Laura Berman's handbook for advice on talking to your kids at every age. Plus, visual aids to help the conversation along.
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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After thinking about how education and discussion are vital to learning about sex and being empowered enough to make good decisions . . .
I hope you can take your daughter only to doctors who are properly educated in lyme and TBD and able to treat her.
That will also teach her a different kind of empowerment of walking away from those who are not up to speed and then seeking out the true experts and learning more so as to get to the root of a problem. She may even become more interested in science - or in nutrition.
If she does not listen to you, are there some in your local lyme support group who may offer some guidance?
Best of luck in all aspects of this.
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[ 05-18-2009, 02:01 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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While I would suggest contacting the Dancing Violets author (linked above) as she is a LL ND, here is a book that may also be of help (although not at all about lyme):
You can look inside of this book and read a few customer review here:
posted
I was put on the pill at age 13. I got Lymed at 16. My periods we ALWAYS bad. Couldn't swim because I couldn't wear tampons. I could make plans on the days I knew I would get my period.
It was every 2 weeks FOR 2 weeks.
You know its bad when at age 13 your dad is making runs to the store for Midol and getting you the heating pad.
Are you catholic? Is that the reason for your concerns?
I am catholic but knew I had to be on the pill for medical reasons.
I have Endometriosis which was the cause for my bad periods. Thanks God my mom saw the symptoms in me and took me to the GYN even though I was so young.
Going on the pill saved my fertility and now I have 2 boys and 31 years old. I had a laparoscopy at age 18 for proper diagnosis.
My periods are fine now. However, I will not go on the pill because now I am scared to death of blood clots, being over 30.
Keebler, I will look over all those links tonight.
I want to know how many lymies were helped with their period/hormonal symptoms with the pill, versus the negetive side effects that many have later in life.
I am into natural protocols for just about everything now, but do not have a handle on it for hormonal issues, to suggest an alternative for her. She is in desperate need of some relief. It's been too long.
I just have a sense that the pill does more harm than good, especially for lymies but want others to tell me I am wrong before I would ever give her my approval of this for her periods.
Her LLMD days it will regulate with lyme protocols. I was hoping she would use the bionic 880, but we were unable to go for treatment. Other natural protocols for lyme have seemed to agrivate her period symptoms.
sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Has she been checked for endometriosis as Jen mentioned?
For someone who is Catholic, if she is not sexually active and is on it for medical reasons, there is no problem. If she were sexually active, then there are grey areas.
Imbalances in vitamins/minerals can also cause cycle irregularity. With Lyme it's complicated. The Bionic is supposed to help with hormone regulation.
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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After all I've done, I really think her best hope is to see a LL ND. The LLMDs don't have the enormous knowledge of herbs and the NDs really understand how liver dysfunction affects a young woman's menstrual health.
There are several LL NDs - some are ILADS members so they really get it. Some work with LLMDs, too. So you could see the LL ND for the support in this area while still having the primary lyme care with the LLMD.
There was no MD who could ever have achieved as successful menstrual resolution for me. They just don't have that kind of training. And, the herbal/nutritional support will be very helpful to her body regarding getting stronger against the lyme.
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www.dancingviolets.com should be able to connect you with a good LL ND. (A ND who is not LL will not be able to understand all that your daughter deals with.)
I did have a great talk with my daughter last night, and the pills were given to her by a friend that she would not reveal to me. Not a Dr. as I suspected. I had found them by accident in her room, and I wanted her to know I wasn't spying on her, that I do trust her.
Just want open communication with all she is putting in her body, and her choices that can effect her more than her healthy friends. She does love me and trusts my opinions. She is trying to do things on her own, and to pull away to be her own woman.
She will be in college in Sept, and can do whatever she wants without me knowing a thing. I told her I just want her to be educated about lyme, treatment choices, and sexuality, so she can make her own informed decisions, know where to go for good help to trust, and to know that she now is responsible for her own health and must deal with the consequences of her decisions.
We have talked many times since puberty about all this, but at the time, it wasn't a real topic that had relevance to her. I have had her to the dermatologist for the acne, and even had her on antibiotics before lyme, for the acne, that did not help much.
I did not realize how regularly I needed to be bring this all up. It just popped out unexpectedly.
She did reinforce that she is not sexually active, but that many of her friends use the pill for hormonal balance. But one things leads to another. And we had a great talk about how she will experience the desire for sex in a strong way, and she needs to know what she expects out of herself before that time and moment comes.
I do feel that those teens on the pill for hormone issues, can get very lax and not worry as much with a sexual encounter in college. They loose the idea of having any self control and have an easy excuse for promiscuity. That it is the norm...and I do believe the majority of her college friends will be involved in this. Or desire this.
Also, they can forget that the pill does not keep them from sexually transmitted diseases, including possibly getting or transmitting lyme.
Lots of thought and discussion needs to go into this for her.
I do have issues with the ethical implications of the pill, not because the church says it is wrong, but because I am truly opposed in my own conscience, that it is one of the worst inventions ever against women and life..., that is marketed as a help for women is deceiving, and this is a very deep topic for me, that would be hard to express here to make sense to anyone now.
I have researched this topic at a very in depth level from the spiritual perspective when I was single. I also have supported a multitude of friends through infertility and other problems related to the pills use many years ago, unrelated to lyme.
I am not opposed to others in good conscience taking the pill for medical reasons, nor do I judge others at all for their actions or opinions.
I know we are all unique in our experience and level of conscience and personal responsibility. I just feel personally convicted of my knowledge and intuition about this for me and the family I have been given to support. I do not feel in a delemna about this. It is just hard when your daughter is struggling and watching her grow in her own convictions. I accept and love her whatever her choices. She knows that.
But who wants their mom to find out what they are doing in private...that's hard.
She did say it ending up eing a good thing that I found them. Tha we could discuss it all.
She does get it, but is looking for a magic, quick cure of her symptoms. Who isn't?
I am very open to talk to her, but sometimes, she holds things inside and is afraid to reveal all she is going through to me, as she sees I have much to handle as a caregiver to several elderly family members and other in the family along with myself with chronic illness.
She feels guilty with all the things I have had to handle for her over this past year. There is much more going on emotionally with her this year than I can reveal here. It complicates things.
She feel kind of like you that have lost their teenage years...it is so sad to watch. She is also a competitive swimmer, so the physical issue of tampons, and bleeding, and pain is sometimes overwhelming to her.
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