Hey -- you off birth control?

[Tweet2007]

It's driving me nuts that so many people (women) have these nodules and thyroid issues that disrupt their daily activity and I haven't read anything giving reasons. I was just wondering how many of us have recently gone of the birth control pill.

I may be reaching... but I'm curious.

[Justin1967]

Is there any connection between birth control pill and nodules? Yeah I'm searching for reasons too..

[Mytwinskk]

Birth control pills can affect a thyroid problem," says Mario Skugor, MD, an endocrinologist with the Cleveland Clini, because birth control pills affect the liver, which produces thyroid-binding proteins that attach to thyroid hormones circulating in the blood. The liver produces more of those proteins when birth control pills and other hormonal medications containing estrogen are introduced to the body, and this will affect how much thyroid hormone you need to stay healthy and symptom-free.

[NoFanofBC]

I've been on birth control twice in my life and both times I've mysteriously developed hypothyroidism. Within 3 months of getting off the pill, my thryoid levels were back to normal.  Is there a link between thyroid disease and bc?  I strongly believe there is!  It bothers me that doctors don't listen to you when you tell them there's something wrong with your body and that YOU believe it's due to bc.  In 30 years, I'd never had a UTI.  Within a month of being on the ring, I had two severe UTIs.  When I told the doctor I thought it was the ring, she said no.  The minute I got off the ring, I never saw another UTI.  YOU KNOW YOUR BODY!  Listen to it. Much love <3

[Willow008]

i was on Brenda 35 (Diane 35) Pill for 6 years and then stopped, and again for 4-5 years and then stopped. Both times I crashed with Grave's Disease (hyperthyroidism) within 4 months of stopping the Pill. Surely there is a link? I questioned doctors/specialists and read up heaps. Other than Naturopaths and doctors working in Repro believing it's all connected but not sure how, I can't find much confirmation out there. The first time I crashed, I went back on the PIll and it helped me recover quite quickly. The second crash, I was advised against it. It's been 2 years and i still suffer from Chronic Fatigue from nearly dying from the thyroid storm (and resultant heart condition). I now take TCM herbal meds to try to jumpstart my body into producing its own hormones but it's a long process. I also have now developed SLE, so I am terrified about putting anymore chemicals into my body. Is there a link??? I would like to know.

[lindsey915]

I am asking my endo on the 15th about this.  I was on Depo for 7 years until they told me they couldn't give me the shot at my visit since you can only be on it for 2 years now.  Then I was on Yasmin 28 for 2 years and switched to Loestrin24FE for 2 months.....Then I started having all my crazy symptoms.  My loving husband decided to have a vasectomy, instead of me taking anything!  I kept asking my doctor to run any hormone test possible because I thought all my problems were from the b/c.

[nikkidiva77]

u know what? i have never had any kind of thyroid issue (weight gain, depression etc.) until being on the ring for about 18 months. today, i got a call from my dr that i have nodules on the thyroid. clearly there is a connection. the thyroid regulates hormones. it directly controls metabolism which is why so many women's weight fluctuates on bc...

[Tweet2007]

Well... I was just curious because they always ask you what medications you are on....  even the medical history... it never asks, "What medications HAVE you been on."  - they only ask you what you currently take...    I've been off birth control for about 6 months...  and I thought birth control pills were some sort of a hormone...???   and you take a hormone away that you've been on for a long time... and it messes you up????   don't know... like I said...just curious.

[imedicmommy]

I've been on and off various kind of birth control from the pill to the depo shot and the patch (Got pregnant on that one!) for the past 12 years. I had goiter since teenager but it the increase in size that made them take it out didn't happen until after the birth of my son who is turning 2 in september. Giving birth causes the biggest physiological change in the human body except for death. It's no wonder that some things get screwed up sometimes. Pregnancies can also cause cardiomyopathy and strokes while post partum. I'm not yet to the finding out why point. I just want this dealt with.

[hawkfan]

I was on birth control for many years and 8 months after my second daughters birth I was diagnosed with thyroid ca.  

Wierd.  I had always heard of people finding thyroid issues after pregnancies.

[ChitChatNine]

I was on birth control pills from 1984-1990  ,, ?? two benign nodules and one suspected benign found in 2007.  Also two small pap cancer tumors found upon final biopsy after partial in 2007.

C~

[tatgirl67]

I'm 40  (today!), and still on birth control. I've been on birht control for 20 years, and neither my endo or oncologist has mentioned any link. My bloodwork actually shows me entering menopause, so I'll probably go off b/c soon. As for the heredity part, I'm the first in the family to have any thyroid issues. After I was diagnosed with ThyCa, my mother, several aunts and cousins were tested, and all came back quite normal. I'm not sure what to make of any of this!!

[Nicki1433]

I was off birth control for over 2.5 years prior to finding my nodule.  I was actually on the depo provera shot not the pill though.

[SuzieQTT]

I am 45 years old and to be honest I was only on a Birth Control pill for 5 years out of my entire life.  I went off of them in 1996.  I was told that a virus or heredity is probably the cause for my thyroid problem.  but I am curious why no study has been done...you know...what type of thyroid problems, what area of the country or world even...what kind of environment we live in...plants, factories and the like.  I would be very interested in that.

[NoTSH]

I haven't read any significant studies regarding the link between thyroid issues and contraceptive pills, but I considering that we are manipulating a feedback system that is housed in the anterior pituitary gland (which also releases TSH), it is not that much of a reach. I have non-detectable TSH and low normal FT4 and have never been on any form of birth control, oral or injectable (it makes me extremely nauseous), but I don't have nodules either, just a palpable thyroid.

[kipland]

I haven't been on birth control for over 15 years.  I'd never given it much thought, but had heard of people that had thyroid issues.  Since I've been going through all this, I can't believe how many people either have a problem or know someone that does!!  Amazing.  And yes, it drives me crazy too!