Hormonal Birth Control is not a treatment for PCOS
Hormonal birth control (HBC) is a bandaid for symptoms associated with PCOS. This is because HBC is not a treatment for PCOS, it just masks the symptoms.
If you’re on HBC to manage your PCOS symptoms, this is not an indictment! But it is important to know what’s actually happening and how it works.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a term that is used to describe a group of symptoms – it is not a disease or a *reason* for symptoms. It is the NAME of the symptoms.
PCOS symtoms can look like:
🚩 Menstrual irregularities
🚩 Absent flow
🚩 Heavy flow
🚩 Hair loss
🚩 Estrogen dominance
🚩 Anovulation
🚩 Acne
🚩 Weight irregularities
But finding out I have PCOS is like taking my car to the shop because it won’t start and the mechanic telling me it won’t turn on – Like duh? But WHY??
What causes PCOS?
PCOS can have a few different root causes. What this means is that symptoms of PCOS are a result of the issue at hand.
There are 4 different types of PCOS…
- Insulin-resistant PCOS
- Post-pill PCOS
- Inflammatory PCOS
- Adrenal PCOS
Insulin-resistant PCOS:
This is the most common type of PCOS and it means that insulin levels in the body are too high. The best way to test for it is with a fasting insulin test
Post-pill PCOS:
This occurs when there’s a surge in androgens after getting off of certain types of hormonal birth control. Before considering post-pill PCOS, it is important to rule out insulin-resistant PCOS first and also consider when you got off of HBC and what your hormones were like prior to that.
Inflammatory PCOS:
Chronic inflammation can stimulate an overproduction of testosterone. We’re looking for both symptoms of PCOS and inflammation. can test for levels of inflammation in the body through labs and before considering inflammatory PCOS, we want to rule out insulin-resistant PCOS and post-pill PCOS.
Adrenal PCOS:
Elevated DHEAS can be a sign of Adrenal PCOS. We also want to make sure we’ve ruled out insulin resistance, post-pill PCOS, and inflammatory PCOS prior to considering Adrenal PCOS.
How can we address and eliminate symptoms of PCOS?
Hormonal birth control is a common treatment option for PCOS – but I’m actually not a fan of it.
Hormonal birth control may give us a withdrawal bleed or manage acne, but it does NOT solve the actual issues that are generally rooted in inflammation, and/ or blood sugar.
My take is that when addressing symptoms of PCOS, we are still doing all the things we would normally do to support and nourish hormones and we’re doing them consistently:
- Eating enough well-balanced meals
- Sleeping 8 hours regularly
- Exercising
- Managing stress
- Getting essential vitamins and minerals
There may be a few tweaks and/ or specifics depending on the root cause, such as post-pill PCOS may want to follow an HBC detox protocol – but the meat and potatoes are still the same.
If you have PCOS & are ready to ditch HBC, here’s your reminder that there are effective alternative treatment options for PCOS!
PCOS symptoms are something that clients have addressed naturally in Hormone Bootcamp!
Hormone Bootcamp gives the tools needed to help eliminate symptoms of PCOS in a way that feels easy and sustainable! Enroll now >> Hormone Bootcamp!
🥰For more support, ask inside my Facebook community, DM me on Instagram, listen to the Get Cliterate podcast, read my blog, Or all of the above?! Hehe 💛
LET’S HAVE HEALTHY, HAPPY HORMONES! 👑🔥💫💖
Free resources:
- Join our *SECRET* Facebook Community
- Are My Hormones Imbalanced? Masterclass Learn how to identify hormone imbalances, where to start, + how to take charge of your symptoms!
- What Is Non-Hormonal BC? Masterclass Learn more about non-hormonal birth control options, effectiveness, & how to get started!
- Hormone Happy Grocery List: Your quick guide to hormone happy grocery shopping!
- Follow @caleeshea and @getcliterate on Instagram
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