Our lovely team member and Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Lauren Curtain shares her experience with the contraceptive pill as well as some facts that you should consider before taking the pill…

Like many women, I started taking the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) as a teenager. At the time, I thought it was a godsend but, fast forward 4 years, and my opinion completely changed. I was now studying Chinese Medicine and learning about the menstrual cycle and the impact the pill can have on a woman’s body.

When I made the decision to stop taking the pill, I was nervous, because I had no idea how my body would react. I worried my cycle would become completely irregular and my period catch me off guard at the most inconvenient moment (cue carrying pads/tampons with me at absolutely all times – cute).

I was worried my clear skin would break out as my hormones scrambled to find a homeostasis (equilibrium) and I would have to endure a second adolescence in my 20’s. It was even possible my period may not even return. A common condition known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which typically presents with irregular or absent periods, can be masked by the pill’s forced monthly bleeds. So it is not uncommon for women to discover they have PCOS after coming off the pill.

However, with what I was learning in Chinese Medicine and my desire to live a healthier lifestyle, it didn’t sit well with me to be taking synthetic hormones on a daily basis. So the pros outweighed the cons and I stopped the pill and luckily my period did return.

Unfortunately my skin ‘gods’ were not smiling upon me and I developed horrible, red, angry, cystic acne that appeared around 3 months later. As a teenager I had the normal occasional breakout but this new attack was on another level entirely. Many times I even considered going back on the pill, just to have a break from the constant pimples, but I knew I would eventually have to stop again and ultimately deal with it.

I soldiered on for a while hoping that my skin would just sort-itself-out (love my optimism) but it got to the stage where it just wasn’t getting better and my self-confidence was being effected. So I started a course of acupuncture and herbs, and made some dietary adjustments and, before I knew it, my skin was CLEARING.

I was excited and once again amazed by what Chinese Medicine can do.

In the clinic we see many women who after having stopped taking the pill developed some or all of the following symptoms:

• irregular menstrual cycle
• outbreaks of acne
• mood swings
• painful or heavy periods.

When taking the pill, your pituitary gland stops secreting the hormones involved in regulating your menstrual cycle. Your body no longer experiences its natural hormonal variation but instead is over-ridden by the consistent hormone level supplied by the pill. The hormones released trick the body into thinking it is pregnant and therefore does not need to release an egg each month.

The ‘period’ women get when taking the week of sugar pills each month is really just a withdrawal bleed from the hormones. The constant level and dose of hormones can also be why some women report feeling emotionally flat all the time, as they are not experiencing the natural flow of a healthy menstrual cycle.

One way the pill prevents you from falling pregnant is by thinning the endometrial lining of your uterus. The thickness needs to be within a specific range in order for it to be receptive to embryo implantation. Many women are unaware that when you stop taking the pill, your lining will likely be quite thin and it may take some time to regrow. For those hoping to fall pregnant quickly after they stop taking the pill, this can be a major concern.

We frequently see this condition in the clinic. Through the use of acupuncture, herbs, diet and lifestyle tweaks, we can increase blood supply to the uterus helping it to thicken and making it a more a hospitable environment for implantation.

It is important to realise that taking the pill is giving your body a regular, controlled dose of synthetic hormones, and that it can mask symptoms arising from a hormonal imbalance.

The pill is commonly prescribed for other reasons than contraception. In the clinic we frequently see women who have been put on the pill to make their cycle regular, ease PMS or clear up acne-prone skin. We find it is empowering for women to understand that taking the pill is not their only option when facing these issues. In Chinese Medicine, whenever a symptom arises, this can be an indication there is an imbalance in the body, and this is especially true when it comes to the menstrual cycle.

Over the years it has become ingrained in women that having pain or extreme mood changes around your period is normal, when in fact it is not. It is a sign from your body there is an imbalance that needs to be addressed. According to Chinese Medicine, the period should just come and go with ease. By taking the pill, you are changing your true menstrual cycle and not addressing the root cause of your symptoms.

At Angea, women’s health is our passion. Helping women make that sometimes daunting decision to come off the pill is something we love to assist with. Our Chinese Medicine treatments can help to regulate your hormones and your menstrual cycle.

Want to know more? Book an appointment and let us guide you to hormonal balance.