Oral Contraceptive Pill

Any form of synthetic hormone such as Oestrogen when introduced to the body will create a shift in the hormonal balance. This happens because you are supplying the body with a hormone which then results in a decline in the bodies natural production of the hormone. Consequently this creates a scrambling of messages and a change in the regulation of the hormonal control in the brain. The control mechanisms in the brain work with the organs of the Endocrine system via feedback communication. Because the OCP contains “hormones” it switches off the bodies innate production of hormones and creates imbalance of other hormones also.

Side effects of the Oral Contraceptive pill

• Nausea, vomiting
• Fluid retention, weight gain, thrush and bloating
• Headaches, migraines and breast tenderness
• Acne, greasy hair or oily skin
• Decreased sexual desire
• Irritability, depressed mood, anxiety and fatigue
• Vaginal discharge
• Depleted nutrients – Zinc, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium

One other factor that is not commonly spoken off with the OCP is the long term effects on the menstrual cycle. If you interfere with a normal bodily process, by stopping a natural cycle, the implications in the health of the body in the long term are drastically altered. Many women will take the OCP for up to 20 years, ceasing the natural female rhythms of the body and then when they reach the age of wanting to fall pregnant wonder why their fertility levels are so poor. The message that the OCP sends to the body is one of mixed messages. Stopping these female cycles in the body is unnatural and it can take some women 2-3 years to realign their menstrual cycle after using the OCP.