PCOS & Birth Control: Exploring Alternatives & Managing Symptoms

Question
I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2008, and started up again on birth control pills (which I had stopped for about a year). The doctor has since said my hormones are better with the pill. My complaint is that ever since I started birth control pills in 2000 when I got married, I have gained 50 lbs and have horrible acne and very large breasts. The one year that I stopped taking the pill in 2007, I lost 20 lbs even though my acne remained. That is actually why I went to the endocrinologist was for the acne. My hormones seem to have run amok ever since I started on birth control and I don't want to take it anymore! I even wonder if the PCOS was caused by birth control. As I type this question now, I am on Sprintec and very nauseous. Will I suffer horrible consequences with my PCOS if I stop the pill? By the way, I do not want to have a baby anytime soon. I am not worried about difficult pregnancies with PCOS. It is mostly the acne that I hate.

Answer
Hi Amy,

I don't recommend birth control pills, as you probably know if you have read any of my answers. I do agree with you about the side effects and risks. I am not a doctor so I can't tell you for sure about what will happen if you go off the pill. I did find this article online but I don't endorse this as I don't know anything about it.

http://www.womentowomen.com/insulinresistance/pcos.aspx?id=2&campaignno=pcos&adg...

I also found this page http://www.pcosupport.org/

Hope these will be helpful to you. I have an online friend that knows a lot about food diets and the body so I can ask her if she has any recommendations for you. Please email me at CHERYL51@aol.com and I will contact her.

Write soon.
Diane Cheryl