Hormone-based birth control pill always comes with negative effects that range from slight to serious. These effects may occur with early signs and symptoms, but they also leave you with long-term health problems and condition in further future.  In this article on VKool site in the line of Sexual Health, we will discuss on top 6 side effects of birth control pills in first month. If you are taking these pills, read to find out the truths about them.

Top 6 Side Effects Of Birth Control Pills In First Month

I. An Overview About Birth Control Pills

1. What Is Birth Control Pills?

Before having a full understanding about side effects of birth control pill, let’s have an overview about birth control pills.

Birth control pills or oral contraceptives are hormone-based drugs that are prescribed for preventing pregnancy in women. When taken, oral contraceptive fail in approximately 1/200 users in the 1^st year of use.

Besides, oral contraceptives can be prescribed to relieve mid-cycle pain that some women suffer from ovulation. Though birth control pills are used with the main purpose of pregnancy prevention, they are also beneficial in regulating women’s menstrual cycle, reduce, heavy bleeding, menstrual cramps. Moreover, thanks to the good effects of birth control pills for reduced bleeding, they can help prevent anemia in some women.

Therefore, birth control pills are also prescribed for various conditions, which are characterized by painful menses or excessive bleeding.

Some doctors prescribe a high dose of oral contraceptives as a morning after pill for being taken within 72 hours after an unprotected intercourse that is to prevent pregnancy.

Read on: How to prevent birth defects during pregnancy after 35

2. Dosing

Many oral contraceptives come in easy-to-use instructions in which the user just need to see a consecutive number (1- 2 – 3,etc) or the day of the week instructed on the dispenser with numbers or corresponding tablets for the days.

For instance, the Ortho-Novum oral contraceptives are labeled Sunday, next to the 1^st tablet. So, the 1^st tablet must to be taken on the 1^st Sunday after the menstruation begins. In other words, the 1^st Sunday to take the first tablet follow the 1^st day of your period. If your period cycle begins on Sunday, you have to take the 1^st tablet on that day.

For oral contraceptives using consecutive numbers, the 1^st tablet (#1) must be taken on the 1^st day of your menstrual period and the second tablet must be taken on the next day of your period and so on.

Some other packages birth control pills instruct you to start on the fifth day of your period cycle. For these products, you have to count from the first day of your menstrual cycle. On the 5^th day, you have to take the first tablet. Also, remember for all oral contraceptives, tablets then must be taken daily regularly.

Many birth control pills are prescribed to follow within 21 days or 28 days. For 21-day unit packages, birth control tablets must be taken regularly for 21 days. This must be followed by a 7-day menstrual period through which you don’t have to take any birth control pills. Then your period cycle repeats.

For the 28-day packages, birth control tablets are prescribed to take during 21 consecutive days. This must be followed by a 7-day period through which no-medication tablets are taken.

Modern formulations of 24-day hormone pills and just 4 days of placebo pills are available, as are extended-cycle or continuous regimens of birth control pills, in which just active hormone oral contraceptives are taken. The extended-cycle preparation includes the 7-day unit of placebo pills that must be taken every three months.

Women starting to take oral contraceptives should take additional contraception for the 1^st 7 days of use as pregnancy can occur during the period.

If you forget taking birth control pills, pregnancy may result. In case, just a single pill is forgotten, you should take it as soon as realized. If you forget more than 1 tablet, the instructions is that you should meet a pharmacist or a physician. Don’t forget to take the package of birth control pill you are using and give it to the consultant.

Read on: How to prevent preterm labor naturally at home

3. Drug Interactions

Estrogens may inhibit metabolism of the cyclosporine that results in increased the cyclosporine blood levels. Then, such the increased blood levels may result in liver damage. If the combination can’t be avoided, a cyclosporine concentration may be monitored while the cyclosporine dose can be adjusted. This is to make sure that the blood levels don’t become elevated.

Estrogens also increase the ability of liver to cause clotting factors. Accordingly, patients receiving Coumadin (warfarin) should be monitored for the loss of blood thinning (anticoagulant) effects if their estrogen levels are begun.

A wide range of medications, such as some antiseizure medications and antibiotics can decrease blood levels of your oral contraceptive hormones, yet an actual decrease in the oral contraceptive effectiveness hasn’t been proven convincingly. Nonetheless, due to this theoretical possibility, it is recommended backuping contraceptive methods during the use of antibiotics. Below are some examples of medications increasing the elimination of estrogens:

• Phenobarbital
• Carbamazepine(Tegretol)
• Phenytoin(Dilantin)
• Rifampin(Rifadin)
• Primidone(Mysoline)
• Ritonavir(Norvir)
• Rifabutin(Mycobutin)

Oral contraceptive with high concentrations of the estrogen hormone or any alternative form of contraception can be necessary for women using these medications.

Read on: 19 natural ways to balance hormones in females that work

4. Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception (also known as postcoital contraception) is a form of birth control pills that are used by females who haven’t used any birth control method or used one that failed.

Emergency contraception like Plan B One-Step works to prevent pregnancy by blocking eggs from getting released, by keeping the fertilized eggs from being implanted in a woman’s uterus or by stopping the fertilization.

Emergency contraception is often designed in 1 dose with 1 pill. The effectiveness of emergency contraception depends on the time you take it. The medication must be taken ASAP about 72 hrs of an unprotected intercourse. When emergency contraception is taken, it helps reduce a chance of getting pregnancy by nearly 90%.

While Plan B One-Step can help you control your unexpected pregnancy within 72 hrs, Ella can work about 120 hours after having sex. Like Plan B One-Step, Ella is designed in 1 tablet in 1 dose.

II. Common Side Effects Of Birth Control Pills

1. Birth Control Pills Affect Libido

Birth control pills can slash testosterone in 2 ways. First, the pills quiet the ovaries and halt the production of the testosterone hormone. Next, the pills work to make liver pumps out the sex hormone-binding globulin that gloms onto sexual hormones like bargain shoppers on the Black Friday sale. But while birth control pill lowers testosterone in women, they may lower libido just in some. And even the pills don’t affect your mojo, other factors like anxiety about being pregnant may affect it. If you have obesity problems, ask a doctor about using other medications.

Read on: 18 best foods for sex power and stamina for men and women

2. Birth Control Pills Cause Blood Clots

Next to side effects of birth control pills, they may cause blood clots in women. According to the reported number, there are about 7/10,000 women experience the blood clot condition each year. In fact, birth control pills triple chances of blood clots while childbirth raises chances from 5 to 10 fold. So, as long as you do not have any problem with cardiovascular conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure levels, you should not get worried about the increasing risk. However, if you notice any sign of blood clots such as swollen legs or chest congestion, stop taking birth control pills immediately. Then, meet your doctor to check your condition for and evaluation.

3. Birth Control Pills & Breakthrough Bleeding

Among common side effects of birth control pills, this is breakthrough bleeding. Spotting is not fun, but you should not worry too much as – it is not serious, either. Most cases commonly occur with low doses of birth control pills. It’s said that breakthrough bleeding is caused by female hormones that make women’s endometrial lining thinner, more susceptible to wear, and more fragile and falling out. Scientific studies have indicated that the longer women take the birth control pills, the less they experience breakthrough bleeding.

4. Birth Control Pills May Affect Mood

Depending on different women, birth control pills can affect their mood when it comes to side effects of birth control pills. For some, they are mood-savers, but for others, they are mood-killers.

According to the Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Australia, birth control pill users may be twice as to be depressed like non-users. It is pretty unusual, but any emotional negative effects can be alleviated by taking different pills. So, don’t suffer, tell a doctor if you notice any signs of depression.

5. Birth Control Pills Cause Faux Premenstrual Symptoms

Next to side effects of birth control pills, they include faux premenstrual symptoms such as headaches, water retention, breast tenderness, nausea and mood swings. So, if you notice some of these symptoms while taking birth control pills, talk to your doctor and if possible, change another type of pill. While none of the faux premenstrual symptoms is a problem of health gone awry, some can make you feel miserable. If you feel hard to breath, ask your doctor about the pills with drosperinone – a progesterone containing fewer antiandrogenic agents.The switch may be what you need to feel like yourself – again.

6. Birth Control Pills Affect The Mother’s Milk Production

Last but not least among side effects of birth control pills in women, notice that these pills may reduce the mother’s milk production and quality. If you are breastfeeding, avoid taking pills containing estrogen. As you know, many pills including birth control pills contain estrogen. In fact, the estrogen levels can make the breast milk production decrease by 5%. Some such as Orthomicronor or Nor-Qd does not interfere with the lactation, yet it must be taken regularly at the same time through every day as they are less effective than most combination pills.

Bottom line:

Hope that after reading this article of side effects of birth control pills, you could have an overview of birth control pills and wise options to take them properly. For any comment on the writing about top 6 side effects of birth control pills in first month, leave it at the end of the post!

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