women's health Archives - Page 6 of 11

Hysterectomy or Not – Angela’s Endometriosis Update

Published on January 31, 2013

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Well the time has come and I will be undergoing my second surgery for Endometriosis and PID damage February 28^th – a hysterectomy.

My health has been alright, all things considering. My husband and I haven’t been intimate for a while as it’s extremely painful to have sex and the medication I am currently on (Cymbalta) has lowered my sex drive almost to nothing. If we do have sex it takes extremely long to orgasm and sometimes I just can’t at all. That is very frustrating.

I haven’t had too much pain lately in my pelvic area and that is making me nervous. It makes me think that I should hold off on the surgery. However my bladder and bowels are bad and I need that looked at for sure. I feel a lot of scar tissue up near my liver and diaphragm where the endometriosis was before, so I am pretty sure the scar tissue is just all over the place.

The surgeon is making me extremely nervous. Her last words to me were “I am going to take your tubes and your left ovary, if there are complications I will open you up and take it all out.” When she said that, I just sat there. I couldn’t get any words out. I have asked for a hysterectomy so many times before, but have been refused. Now I am not prepared if she does one. I am more confused than ever.

I have researched hysterectomies and endometriosis for five years. I told myself that when I turned 35, if my endometriosis and all of the other issues were still here, I would have a hysterectomy. Well, I am 36 in June and no matter how much I have researched having a hysterectomy, I am still on the fence. Should I have a hysterectomy or not? There are so many complications and I wonder if a majority of my endometriosis is on my bladder and bowels what good would the hysterectomy do?

I had high grade cells removed from my cervix last year. Were these endometriosis lesions? Has anyone ever heard of this? All in all, I want my uterus and cervix out. I am not planning on having another baby and at this point it is safe to say I am infertile due to the shape of my uterus and the damage done to my tubes from PID.

I get depressed thinking about how long it will be for me to go into menopause naturally and what if that doesn’t even help then? Yes, at 36 I want to go into menopause. I want the pain to stop.

This disease is terrible. I wonder what would have happened if they caught it when I first started to have symptoms. Would I have this many complications? Would I have the excessive damage of the deep infiltrating endometriosis that they removed with my last surgery? Would I have the nerve damage that I have now? Would my bowels and bladder be in better condition? There are so many questions, but I will never have the answers to them.

I think that if my bowel and bladder symptoms were not as bad, I wouldn’t be in so much pain. I wonder if the excision surgery removed all the endo and if the pain I have is from endometriosis or something else. I will soon find out. I think there is huge damage from the PID along with massive scar tissue that has obstructed or intertwined with my bowels, ureter and bladder. As for now, I can only sit and wait to see what happens. I go for my pre-op on February 20^th so I can ask more questions then.

What do you guys think? What would you do if you were in my shoes? Hysterectomy or not?

Gardasil and Thyroid Cancer: A Personal Account

by Danielle Nicosia

Published on January 17, 2013

7118 views

One reads about misdiagnoses in the medical world but no one truly talks of the frustration, relief and anger that follows after a patient finds out they have been misdiagnosed for years. I, for one, understand that feeling and everything that comes with it –this is my story.

I am 27 years old and have been sick for seven years. When I was 20 years-old I blamed my illness on the HPV Gardasil vaccine, which sent me to the hospital after two days of taking the shot. Following that incident, I was in and out of hospitals for years as they tried to find out what I had. The doctors were baffled and didn’t understand why I was having non-epileptic seizures; I experienced sensitivity to light, syncope, sudden loss of consciousness as many as 2 to 3 times an hour, followed by confusion, heart palpitations, extreme fatigue and pain and weakness in my legs. Although doctors did every test in the book, none of them knew what was wrong with me.

In 2008 I met with a neurologist at Winthrop University Hospital. He immediately admitted me for an MRI and CAT scan of my brain. After several weeks in the hospital the neurologist sent me to Long Island Jewish Hospital in New York, where I was admitted for two weeks for monitoring. After weeks spent in multiple hospitals, the doctors explained they couldn’t find the problem and had no concrete diagnosis. I was confused and frustrated; I knew there was something wrong.

The pain continued to increase; I felt pins and needles throughout my entire body and soon I couldn’t feel my feet or be able to stand. If I tried to stand for a few seconds, I would fall. I tried more doctors, but many of them didn’t feel comfortable treating me. Needless to say, I started to give up. I quickly went from walking perfectly fine, to needing a walker, and then being confined to a motorized wheelchair. In such a short amount of time for a young woman, this experience was horrifying. I couldn’t hold a job or go to college since the pain in my legs and feet was excruciating.

After more tests – EMG, CAT scans, MRI’s, and CTA’s – my lumbar puncture test showed I had fluid in my brain. How could this be I wondered.

In 2010 I went to a rheumatologist and he discovered that I had Fibromyalgia and Peripheral Neuropathy. To confirm the diagnosis several excruciating nerve tests were done. It turned out that this disease caused my immobility for many grueling months. The test results concluded I had nerve damage in my legs, which was preventing me to walk.

After years of tests, scans, blood work, and thousands of dollars in hospital bills, this rheumatologist finally understood my diagnosis. Unfortunately, the seizure-like symptoms were still occurring. My entire family and I were ready to give up in the summer of 2010, when I decided to go to Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York to do Hyperbaric treatment. The doctors gave me Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which was a life-changing therapy. The seizure activity lessened as the weeks passed and I finally returned to college. I was feeling better for the first time in many years.

In the summer of 2012 I began to have severe pain in my neck. At this time I didn’t have a regular physician so I found one and discussed my entire health history with him. The physician was extremely concerned so he sent me to see an oncologist right away. The oncologist reviewed my blood work and sent me to an endocrinologist because of the results. I waited several weeks to see the best chief endocrinologist in the area, when finally I felt some hope. I explained all my symptoms to the doctor including the pain in my neck, my weight gain, and my severe fatigue. He diagnosed me with Hypothyroidism. The doctor put me on a low dose of medication (Levothyroxine) and said, “see you in six months.” Hypothyroidism, I found out, is a thyroid disease in which your thyroid gland does not make enough of the thyroid hormone. Weeks later I found out not only did I have Hypothyroidism, I also have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis which is an autoimmune disease that attacks your thyroid.

Weeks after this diagnosis, I began to have more pain in my neck and was starting to have problems swallowing food and water. At first I thought it was a cold coming on, but as weeks went by it didn’t subside. I returned to the endocrinologist and expressed my concerns but I was told that nothing was wrong and that I was suffering from a cold. I knew that I didn’t have a cold because I had just seen my regular physician who claimed I was healthy. The endocrinologist wouldn’t issue me a sonogram for my neck, so I called my oncologist who wrote me a script that same day.

In July 2012, I had a complete sonogram done of my neck at the Woman’s Breast Imaging Center located in Garden City, New York. That day turned into a four hour appointment, which was uncomfortable to say the least, especially since following my sonogram I had to be issued a biopsy. Hearing biopsy for the first time in my life was yet another horrifying experience. I remember sitting up on the examination table, crying as my cousin and mother tried to calm me down.

Several days later I received a call from the doctor in the imaging center. I knew right then and there, something had to be wrong. The doctor said my name, then paused. My heart skipped a beat as I waited for the news. “Danielle, you have Thyroid Cancer,” he said. “You need to be seen immediately at a cancer center to treat the two tumors in your body.” Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t comprehend the words that were just said to me—I have cancer?

I realized then that the endocrinologist not only misdiagnosed me but didn’t pay attention to me when I was in pain. He brushed my symptoms and my concerns off as if I didn’t matter. Needless to say, I was livid.

Two days later I got a formal apology from the endocrinologist. I was shocked and impressed that he called. He apologized for misdiagnosing me and told me that if there was anything he could do to let him know. “I assume you do not want to come back to our office, but if you need anything I will be happy to help,” he said. I told him that the one thing he could learn from this is to listen to his patients. He took this advice with an embarrassed silence.

It took me four days to figure out where I should be treated. I was overwhelmed by the words, ‘you have cancer” and understood these three words would change my life completely. After thorough research, I decided to get treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center located in New York City. I had an amazing surgeon who did a total thyroidectomy and removed several lymph nodes that were cancerous. In December 2012, I started my treatment, which included Radioactive Iodine because of the spread. I had to be put in isolation for a few days because I was radioactive. While the experience was scary and unnerving, I owe a big thank you to my amazing surgeon and to my wonderful doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering for saving my life. It was a relief knowing that my doctors had my best interest in mind.

Knowing something was wrong with my body when the world kept telling me otherwise was a lonely and frustrating–especially for seven years. Although the time was tough, it also taught me that I had to become an advocate for myself. Not only did the diagnosis of Papillary Carcinoma Thyroid Cancer change my life, but the journey itself did as well. I learned to trust my instincts, and that I am stronger mentally, physically and psychologically than I ever thought possible.

PLEASE GET YOUR NECK CHECKED!!

Below are resources that help those suffering of Thyroid Cancer:

1. Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association- http://thyca.org

2. Light of Life Foundation – http://www.checkyourneck.com

3. Follow Danielle’s Journey: http://findinghopewiththyca.blogspot.com

Hormones Matter^TM is conducting research on the side effects and adverse events associated with Gardasil and its counterpart Cervarix. If you or your daughter has had either HPV vaccine, please take this important survey. The Gardasil Cervarix HPV Vaccine Survey.

Gardasil: The Controversy Continues

by Lisbeth Prifogle, MFA

Published on January 17, 2013

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You have an 11 year old son or daughter. You go to the doctor for a physical or broken bone and he/she recommends a shot for the human papillomavirus or HPV. The name alone sounds horrifying, but then they tell you that this virus causes genital warts and [gasp] cervical cancer. You immediately want to surrender to whatever it is that the doctor is suggesting in order to protect your child. While HPV is the virus that causes these two medical problems, they leave out the fact that there have been many serious side effects, including death, linked to the vaccine. Here are some more interesting facts that I previously reported in Gardasil, Miracle or Deadly Virus?:

Researchers have identified 100 different strands of the virus, the Gardasil vaccine only protects against 4.
Sexually active individuals have an 80-85% chance of being infected with one of the identified 100 strands of the virus in their lifetime.
A healthy body can fight off the infection 80% of the time.
With early detection, thanks to the annual pap smear test, cervical cancer can be detected and successfully treated. In 2008, the CDC reported that 12,410 women in the US were diagnosed with cervical cancer. Only 4,008 women in the US died from cervical cancer.

We all want the best for our children. Most parents here the words cancer, genital warts and immediately jump to the conclusion that this vaccine was approved so it must be safe. However, according to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) on the Center for Disease Control (CDC), where parents and patients can report adverse effects of any vaccine, “over 25 million doses of Gardasil and there was an average of 53.9 VAERS reports per 100,000 vaccine doses. Of these, 40 percent occurred on the day of vaccination, and 6.2 percent were serious, including 32 reports of death.” The ongoing controversy of how much of these reported side effects are mere coincidence or a direct correlation can’t be measured on the self-reporting site, but consider this:

As a parent or young adult does the risk of a 6.2 percent chance of a serious side effect to protect your child or yourself from 4 out of 100 strands of a virus that the body can fight 80 percent of the time worth it? What’s more, for the 20 percent of patients that will not be able to fight it off on their own, it is usually caught during an annual pap smear test and treated before causing any major threat to the individual’s health.

Why the controversy? Mainstream media touts that the benefits outweigh the good, while alternative news sites and blogs tell of the horrific side effects that ruined or took or ruined their daughters’ lives (and now it is recommended for boys as a preventative measure as they carry the virus). How do you decide what is best? The important thing to remember is that it is your decision. Look into all the research and decide the risk factors of both getting it and not getting it. Here are some important things to look into as you investigate.

Follow The Money

The US is one of the few countries that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise on television. The broadcasting company that is paid by advertising revenues is probably not going to disapprove of a product that one of their advertising clients is selling in between news segments. Furthermore, Merck paid doctors to promote the vaccine. Health Impact News Daily estimates that Merck legally paid approximately $2,313,942.81 to doctors to promote Gardasil. How can we trust the doctors on the news to be trustworthy and not one of Merck’s paid advertisers? Talk to doctors you trust and ask them if they were paid to promote the vaccine. Get a second opinion, or even a third.

Furthermore, the following medical associations that promote the vaccine also received funds from the vaccine makers according to the Journal of the American Medical Association:

The American College Health Association
The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology
The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists

Why Is It A Law?

Some states tried to mandate the vaccine as a law. Personally, I don’t believe any vaccines should be mandated by law, but especially one that is under as much scrutiny as Gardasil. Taking a closer look at the politicians who did, let’s again follow the money trail. Texas Governor Perry passed the law to mandate the HPV shot shortly after Merck contributed $6000 dollars to his campaign (amongst other ties to Merck); in California, Merck donated $39, 500 to legislators voting yea on AB 499 according to Cal Watch Dog. For more information on whether or not it is mandated in your state, please read Is Gardasil Mandated in Your State? for more information. You can get exemptions forms for mandated vaccines here.

The Billion Dollar Question – Does It Work?

In 2011, Dr. Diane Harper, lead developer of the Gardasil vaccine came out in a press release stating,

“The best way to prevent cervical cancer is with routine Pap screening starting at age 21 years. Vaccination cannot prevent as many cervical cancers as can Pap screening. Pap screening with vaccination does NOT lower your chances of cervical cancer – Pap screening and vaccination lowers your chances of an abnormal Pap test. Gardasil® is associated with GBS [Guillian-Barre Syndrome] that has resulted in deaths. Pap screening using a speculum and taking cells from the cervix is not a procedure that results in death. Gardasil® can be offered along with Cervarix® as an option to prevent abnormal Pap test results in those women who can make an informed decision about how much they value this benefit compared to the rare risk of GBS. If a woman has no access to Pap screening, receiving HPV vaccines may help reduce cervical cancer IF the vaccines last long enough. At this time, Gardasil® is proven to last for at least 5 years, and Cervarix® for at least 8.5 years. Health policy analyses show that there will be no reduction in cervical cancer unless the vaccine lasts at least 15 years.”

Not good press for either Merck or GlaxoKlineSmith, the maker of the HPV vaccine Cervarix. Currently, there are not booster shots of either vaccine, and the shot is highly recommended for children 9-12 because they are less likely to already have been exposed to the virus. Doing a little math, that means the vaccine will wear off around the ages of 14-20.5 (depending on which brand was administered) very likely prior to sexual activity! What’s worse is that prior to approval Merck informed the FDA that if a person has already been exposed to HPV 16 or 18 prior to injection, then Gardasil increases the risk of precancerous lesions, or worse, by 44.6 percent.

The War Wages On

Conventional media and Merck sponsored doctors continue to promote this vaccine, while individuals and alternative news sites continue to warn the public against it. For mothers like Tracy Andrews, the war will never end. Her daughter is one of the unfortunate victims of the Gardasil shot who is permanently disabled because of it. Tracy and her daughter, Alexis, passionately advocate to parents and young adults not to get this vaccine. Together, they also fight to have this vaccine banned. Their story was featured on Lucine and they will also be featured in the upcoming documentary “One More Girl.” This documentary by ThinkExist Productions, plays on Gardasil’s advertising slogan “One less.” The documentary title means “one more girl affected by Gardasil,” while the Gardasil campaign means “one less person affected by HPV.” The documentary is scheduled to be released in the spring 2013. A preview can be viewed here.

To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate, That Is The Question

In the end, you should discuss the pros and cons with your medical professional and decide for yourself and your family what is best. Arm yourself with as much information as you can so you won’t be intimidated by scary words like “cancer” and “genital warts” and can make an informed decision.

Hormones Matter is conducting research on the side effects and adverse events associated with Gardasil and its counterpart Cervarix. If you or your daughter has had either HPV vaccine, please take this important survey. The Gardasil Cervarix HPV Vaccine Survey.

By Jan Christian @ www.ambrotosphotography.com Gardasil_vaccine_and_box.jpg: Jan Christian @ www.ambrotosphotography.com derivative work: Photohound [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Flu and You: Thoughts on Prevention and Treatment

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on January 12, 2013

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Epidemic incidences of influenza are sweeping across the United States. This highly contagious respiratory disease—targeting all ages—is spreading with a vengeance. Forty-seven states have reported widespread “flu,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) current flu activity report. CDC officials estimate that the United States is only about halfway through a typical, 12-week flu season.

This season’s predominant strain of influenza is H3N2, a more potent type of influenza A virus that is statistically associated with more deaths and hospitalizations. What can you do to protect you and your family from this dreaded illness?

Is It Too Late to Prevent the Flu?

Proponents of the influenza vaccine are encouraging healthy people to get a flu shot, pronto. On the one hand, this season’s vaccine includes the H3N2 strain. On the other hand, anecdotal reporting suggests that some individuals who received the influenza vaccine have contracted the flu. However, it is too early in the season to understand the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Common Sense Approaches to Help Prevent the Flu

Frequently wash your hands. Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes.
Enjoy nightly sleep of at least seven or eight hours.
Routinely exercise and consume a healthy diet.
Avoid crowds, if possible, as well as people who exhibit flu-like symptoms.

An effective approach to thwart the flu is to maintain a healthy immune system. Benefits of a substance called “Beta 1,3D Glucan” include strengthening the immune system. High-quality, beta-glucan supplements are derived from the cell wall of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and available over-the-counter and online. Some healthcare practitioners exalt the effectiveness of taking a daily, beta-glucan capsule when your immunity may be threatened.

From a longer term standpoint, enjoying year-round, circulating vitamin D3 levels of at least 50ng/mL may be a proactive approach to fight influenza and other viruses. The direct correlation between influenza and winter seasons is no coincidence. Flu outbreaks typically occur during the season’s darkest days when little vitamin D is available from the sun’s rays. As a vitamin D advocate and writer, I emphasize the important role that vitamin D3 plays on the immune system. Activated vitamin D3 strengthens the immune system by producing peptides that combat viruses such as influenza. The more activated vitamin D3 in your body to bolster your immunity, the less likely you are to contract viruses such as the flu.

What Can You Do to Feel Better from the Flu?

Influenza strikes suddenly, usually without warning. According to the CDC, influenza symptoms include some or all of the following: fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue.

You may feel as if you have been run over by a bus. Here are some tips to help alleviate your symptoms:

Staying hydrated. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Avoid beverages that contain caffeine and alcohol. Try decaffeinated tea with honey.
Enjoy chicken soup—a centuries-old remedy.
Add natural garlic, ginger, and lemon to your diet.
Stay home and rest. Misery likes company but no one wants your misery.

Lucine’s First Woman, Chandler Marrs, PhD, CEO and president of Lucine Health Sciences, says her flu remedy is black elderberry plus a vitamin cocktail and plenty of rest.

What’s your “tried and true” flu remedy? Join our conversation as we share tips about dealing with the flu.

A Personal Review of Endometriosis Diets

by Angela Wice

Published on January 11, 2013

4365 views

For me, food has always seemed to control my life in some way or another, let it be my endometriosis, eating disorder, IBS-C or food intolerances. I have grown accustomed to obsessing over food.

As a child I had reflux and can only assume it was from the pablum or baby formula. When I was a teenager, I began having migraines. The doctors told me to stop eating nuts, cheese and chocolate.

For 15 years, I didn’t know that there were some foods I should or shouldn’t eat, because I didn’t know that I had endometriosis until I was 27.

When I was finally diagnosed, I was still struggling with bulimia but in recent years, I have learned to eat better.

Sometimes I sit back and think that I am too obsessive about food, but every time the endo pain strikes, I am brought back to reality. Food matters. Some foods make me feel better, others make me feel worse. Here is what I have learned so far.

The Zone Diet. I lost 5lbs and it really taught me the meaning of healthier foods and portion control. I wasn’t able to stay on it. As a single mom, my focus was on keeping sane while getting everything done by myself.

The Endometriosis Diet. There are many versions of this, but most suggest no red meat (unless it’s organic), no sugar, no wheat, no dairy and no processed foods. I struggle on and off with this diet to this day. I don’t really like meat at all, so avoiding meat is not a problem, but, I have a hard time digesting vegetables especially raw vegetables. In fact, unless the vegetables are juiced or in a soup, my stomach cannot handle eating vegetables; I get severe bowel pain, indigestion, and bloating.

The Brown Rice Diet. I tried the brown rice diet that was suggested by my dietician. It lasted all of one day because I just couldn’t stomach plain rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would gag at the sight of it.

Detox. I tried a lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup detox that was supposed to help heal and clear the bowels. It helped, but there are only so many days that someone can drink that concoction without feeling nauseated.

Yeast Busters. I was told by a naturopathic doctor that I candida, so I tried a yeast busters diet. It meant I couldn’t eat anything that contained yeast, sugar or gluten. Goodbye condiments and just about every other processed food. This diet was okay. I did feel it helped a bit but when the detox period of about 3 weeks was over. Then, I continued on with my life and same old pain returned.

Enemas. In 2010, I was at a crossroad. I just couldn’t handle the pain from my bowels any longer. I began using enemas weekly. After a year it turned into twice sometimes three times a week. I met a Naturopath that did some tests on me and said I had a wheat, dairy and spelt intolerance and that no nutrients were absorbing into my body. She said that was why I wasn’t feeling well. She prescribed about $300+ worth of supplements as well as some yeast herbs called Candicin. She said that I had candida in my large and small bowels. I was yeast and sugar free for one month along with gluten and dairy free for three months. I really felt a change for the better. The bowel pain was still there, so she suggested water enemas instead of what I was presently doing. The pain never left.

Paleo Diet. November 2012 I decided that I was going back on a gluten and dairy free diet because despite the pain in the stomach, my overall health was so much better. I did have a relapse over Christmas. It’s difficult for relatives and other people to understand that I just can’t eat the same foods they eat. Over the holidays, I gave in and ate what was served. I am now back on the diet and don’t plan to go off of it. A couple things I noticed. All that meat in the Paleo Diet was making me feel sick and the thought of eating anymore meat almost turned me off Paleo completely. However I did feel better with no stomach pain. In addition to removing gluten and dairy from my diet, I have also removed sugar, beans and grains. I found that not having beans and grains at all is what helped the most. Since there is no sugar allowed and I am prone to yeast infections, I can’t juice anymore which really upsets me as I really enjoy it.

After the first week, I the stomach pain stopped completely and I felt really good all over. I am not sure how many more diets

I have to try but I feel that I am getting closer to my optimum diet. I think that everyone reacts differently to different foods. My body just seems to not like anything other than soup and protein shakes.

What are some of your endometriosis diet wins and losses? Do certain foods trigger your pain?

Exercise, Ibuprofen and Your Gut

by Chandler Marrs, PhD

Published on January 9, 2013

2591 views

Ibuprofen and NSAIDs of other brands are used frequently by athletes around the world. Commonly referred to as Vitamin I, many athletes believe ibuprofen improves performance by extending the duration of pain free training or competition, despite evidence to the contrary.

A recent flurry of studies on male athletes indicates exercise induces a type of gut injury commonly seen in patients post surgery called splanchnic hypoperfusion or inadequate blood flow to the gut, kidney and liver. The abdominal distress common with intense training or competition, is really a state of reduced blood flow to the gut. The reduction in blood flow makes sense given the biological predilection to funnel energy away from digestion and metabolism during periods of fight or flight, even those that are self-induced.

GI hypoperfusion causes all sorts of mostly minor injuries, including general GI dysfunction, increased inflammation, increased permeability of endotoxins, but also, can cause more severe ischemic events – the complete cessation of blood flow to a particular abdominal region. Repeated periods of hypoperfusion may cause more damage.

To counter the pain associated with GI hypoperfusion and training in general, athletes often self-dose with ibuprofen. Research indicates that ibuprofen increases the GI damage and does not improve performance. In fact, ibuprofen users often experience more pain, abdominal and otherwise, and perform more poorly.

Consistently, the research on ibuprofen use by athletes is conducted with male athletes. What about about female athletes? More specifically, how does regular, though cyclical, often high dose ibuprofen use to relieve menstrual pain, affect GI function and athletic performance in female athletes? Are female athletes more susceptible to splanchnic hypoperfusion and the ensuing endotoxemia? Does the use of ibuprofen worsen the abdominal injury or perhaps even worsen the menstrual pain as time passes? Research on pain tolerance suggests that ibuprofen does not work at all for many women, despite the fact that women are the largest users of ibuprofen for a range of predominantly female conditions. Similarly, research on analgesic response across the menstrual cycle demonstrates clear cycle-related changes in analgesic effectiveness. Given the high usage rates of ibuprofen in women, especially athletic women, it would seem relevant to investigate gender differences in ibuprofen effectiveness and gut damage.

If you have research on these topics, please send them to us. We’d like to know and our readers would like to know.

Photo: by Dirk Hansen (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Over the Counter Birth Control Pills

by Chandler Marrs, PhD

Published on December 10, 2012

2957 views

Should birth control pills be available over the counter? In an unexpected and likely controversial position statement, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) announced its desire to see birth control pills sold over-the-counter (OTC). Stating that “oral contraceptives are very safe, and data show women can make these decisions for themselves.” Dr. Kavita Nanda who co-wrote ACOG’s paper, suggested that OTC birth control pills could reduce the rate unintended pregnancy significantly and save the nation $11 billion annually.

The bold move from prescription birth control pills to OTC is sure to remove barriers, provided the to-consumer pricing doesn’t skyrocket as is often the case when medications are sold OTC. Given the ongoing politicization of women’s reproductive health, returning the control of women’s health to women’s hands would be a laudable move and might even turn the volume down on current debates.

Imagine if birth control decisions were entirely personal and unhindered by political whims. Consider that greater access to birth control might be the key to reducing unintended or unwanted pregnancies. The availability of OTC birth control pills could be a very positive development for women’s health.

Are Oral Contraceptives Safe Enough to be OTC?

Unlike other over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen that represent a single compound to be used for specific ailments – pain and inflammation – there are dozens of different birth control pills. Birth control pills are prescribed for an ever-increasing list of female ailments beyond simply preventing pregnancy. The question of whether birth control pills are safe must take into consideration the specific compound, dosage and woman. Some oral contraceptives have better safety profiles than others and some are quite dangerous (See Here).

Within the current market, determining which pill works best for which women, even in the doctor’s office, is a trial-and-error process. Much of the medication safety information is provided through the marketing channels of the product manufactures and–as has been reported here–those data are frequently biased and sometimes fraudulent. In that light, letting women self-select the appropriate birth control pill may be no worse than the current sub-optimal process.

Over-the-Counter Birth Control in Other Countries

In other countries where for-prescription regulations are not enforced, oral contraceptives and other medications may be purchased over the counter already. Numerous studies suggest women are capable of self-screening for the contraindications or risk factors associated oral contraceptives. This supports the argument that women can manage their own oral contraceptive use, at least for its intended purpose of preventing pregnancy. Whether women would continue to utilize oral contraceptives for the myriad of other conditions for which these pills are currently prescribed, remains unclear.

Though no data exists for oral contraceptive usage, ease of access to non-prescription medication shows a direct relationship to the use and abuse of prescription medications and mortality by overdose. That is, countries with strictly enforced prescription drug laws (the US, Canada) have higher prescription use rates and higher mortality from overdose with no concomitant decrease in morbidity or mortality by disease or really any overall improvement in health. These data suggest that as prescription requirements loosen, use of more potent medications decreases. In the case of oral contraceptives, it is possible that OTC access could reduce the current trend of utilizing oral contraceptives as the magic pill that treats all reproductive disorders. This could be good thing for women, but it may not be a good thing for industry.

The Economics of Birth Control

Social and political benefits aside, women’s reproductive health is a market. Unlike other markets affected negatively by the economic downturn, the birth control market appears untouched, even bolstered. Sales of oral contraceptives are expected to reach $17.2 billion worldwide within the next few years. As one of the most commonly (over)prescribed medications in women’s health, oral contraceptives are used as a first line of treatment for a range of conditions unrelated to birth control. One has to wonder why the organization that controls access to this medication in the US would want to lose such a lucrative cash cow.

For millions of healthy women, the annual exam to renew one’s birth control prescription is the only reason to visit a physician. For the millions of other women with endometriosis, PCOS, PMS, and a host of other common conditions, oral contraceptives remain the first and sometimes only line of treatment. Selling oral contraceptives OTC would effectively remove those business segments from the gynecologist’s bottom line. When combined with other market segment encroachments on the business of obstetrics and gynecology (midwifery for healthy birth and maternal-fetal medicine for complicated birth), from a purely economic and albeit cynical standpoint, it is perplexing that that this organization would give away the largest remaining revenue stream of its members.

The economic drivers from the pharmaceutical industry’s perspective are no less perplexing. If priced correctly, over the counter oral contraceptives could increase sales–especially to lower income women who were previously locked out of the market by lack of insurance or access to healthcare providers. However, OTC access might also reduce the growing percentage of ‘off-label’ uses. For an industry unaccustomed to R&D in this sector, (why develop specialized therapeutics for the array of women’s health conditions, when birth control pills can be prescribed for all), the move to OTC could have serious financial ramifications.

There must an economic upside for these organizations, but for the life of me, I cannot figure it out.

Real Risk Study: Birth Control and Blood Clots

Lucine Health Sciences and Hormones Matter are conducting research to investigate the relationship between hormonal birth control and blood clots. If you or a loved one have suffered from a blood clot while using hormonal birth control, please consider participating. We are also looking for participants who have been using hormonal birth control for at least one year and have NOT had a blood clot, as well as women who have NEVER used hormonal birth control. For more information or to participate, click here.

Nevada Receives F in Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights

by Chandler Marrs, PhD

Published on December 4, 2012

1572 views

According to the Population Institute’s 2012 Report Card on Reproductive Health and Rights, Nevada, my current home state, received a failing grade. That’s right, the state that depends upon women for its thriving tourist industry does nothing to care for those women while they are here.

Nevada was only one of nine states receiving the F in women’s health.

The most striking statistic:Nevada spent only $44,000 on family planning clinics for low income women in 2010. That equals about $0.08 per woman. Way to go Nevada!

To learn how your state ranks: The Population Institute 2012 Report Card on Reproductive Health and Rights.

Hormones Matter

Where health, hormones, and a whole bunch of other stuff, make sense.

women's health - Page 6

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Exercise, Ibuprofen and Your Gut

Over the Counter Birth Control Pills

Are Oral Contraceptives Safe Enough to be OTC?

Over-the-Counter Birth Control in Other Countries

The Economics of Birth Control

Real Risk Study: Birth Control and Blood Clots

Nevada Receives F in Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights

women's health - Page 6

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