This is a great article about the side effects of the birth control pill http://kellybroganmd.com/snippet/oral-contraceptives/ and it is only the tip of the iceberg. My dissertation is filled with information correlating the use of the Pill and other hormonal contraceptives with IC and other chronic inflammatory disorders.
"Basic IC Syndromes
Syndromes involving direct change to GALT through its affect on mucosal tissue or microbiological balance:
1) Dietary factors are widely involved in adversely affecting the gastrointestinal system ranging from protein malnutrition (Berg, 1995) to the ingestion of chemicals. “In this age of widespread synthetic chemical production, our harmful environmental exposures are increasing at an alarming rate. Many of these toxic substances find their way into the intestinal tract through food, water and a variety of products that get into our mouths (e.g., toothpaste, mouth wash, dental amalgams, etc.). These substances damage the intestinal tract cells, thereby lowering host resistance to the microflora itself. A wide variety of pharmaceutical drugs such as steroids, birth control pills, NSAIDs, some chemotherapeutical agents, antacids, [H.sub.2] blockers, etc., can have profound effects on the balance of the gut microflora. Both of these factors can create an environment that favors changes in the ecological balance of the intestinal tract, thus setting the stage for the development of dysbiosis” (Saputo, 2006, p.6). Chemicals in foods that we ingest such as pesticides, sugar substitutes, preservatives have been implicated in contributing to disease and certainly food choices make a significant impact on the health of the gastrointestinal system. This author finds, as does researcher (Rona, 2006) that the combination between poor diet consisting of an overabundance of sugar and alcohol and....."
"Other researchers have noted the following regarding this issue: Gillespie (1986) indicates that researchers have correlated high incidence of IC in areas known for toxicity in ground water. “…certain pharmaceuticals are now attracting attention as a potentially new class of water pollutants. Such drugs as antibiotics, anti-depressants, birth control pills, seizure medication, cancer treatments, pain killers, tranquilizers and cholesterol-lowering compounds have been detected in varied water sources.” (Arizona Water Resource, 2000, Vol 9, No.1). "
"Stimulation of progesterone only birth control therapies are antagonistic to estrogen, leads to a drying of the tissues in the body overall (PDR, 2001). Estrogen is repairing and healing in nature. Without the abundance of estrogen, the tissues become more vulnerable to microbiological changes, tissue integrity, and infection (Razz & Stamm, 1993). Birth control pills may be correlated with changes in cervical erosion and secretion (PDR, 2001). Once this chemistry change has occurred, the balance will be altered. The bacteria and yeast, which are present in lesser quantities in the vagina, will become overabundant and take advantage of the then-compromised tissues. Most importantly, birth control pills are correlated with having the propensity to cause both vaginal candidiasis and “cystitis-like syndrome” (PDR, 2001, p. 2377) and are the result of the dynamic of disruptions in estrogen to progesterone balance."
"The term “organ systems” is used because each organ is related to more than what we understand the organ to be from a Western medicine point of view. For example, one of the physiological functions related to the Kidneys from Chinese medicine’s viewpoint is hormonal activity. (The Kidneys are also related to many other functions, but hormonal activity is one of the main systems.) If the Kidneys are not healthy, an imbalance will occur in each system to which it is related. The Urinary Bladder is anatomically connected to the Kidneys. With this physical connection in mind, it is not a far stretch to associate anything happening to the Kidneys as affecting the Urinary Bladder. Even in Western terms, Kidneys may be affected, with birth control pills linked to impaired renal function and even hemolytic uremic syndrome (PDR, p.2377).
As the pill or Depo-Provera shot is introduced into the body, it falsely regulates the hormone production, thereby, altering the body’s own, real production of hormones, (PDR, 2001, p.2596-8). However, the implications of the body’s own hormone production being manipulated is larger when looked at from the perspective of Chinese medicine. As mentioned above, the hormonal system correlates to the Kidneys, which, in turn, correlate to numerous other body systems. Manipulation of the hormones affects not only the hormone production, but also, everything that falls under the system of the Kidneys."
These are just a few snippets from my dissertation regarding this subject. Very sad that OBs are continuing to give out chemical birth control every day to unsuspecting young women and placing them at risk for so many chronic illnesses and perhaps even worse. When I was writing my disertation I looked in the PDR (physician's desk reference) and every single prescription of chemical birth control I could think of at the top and each one had chronic cystitis listed a s a side effect. But, nothing is said to these women in advance. So, yes, the article I listed above (thank you to the person who sent it in!) is so icredibly important, but the rest of the story---it's the stuff IC is made of!
Dr.M
