I was started on birth control a month ago due to period complication and I've noticed that my blood sugar is on a constant roller coaster. More highs than lows though. It's helped with my periods a lot, but it's annoying to have it cause my numbers to go all over the place!
I was just wondering if others have had problems like this? And if it regulates once your body is used to being on the pill for a few months?
I can relate period wise. I have had cyst on my ovaries since i was in 5th grade and i started when i was in the 4th grade. So i have been pon birth control since then when i got diagnosed i was on a certain ckind and my sugars sky rocketed! then i had to go to a obgyn and get checked out he said that he had to change my birth control so it will stop my cyst and have one day period and it also doesnt make ur sugars high.
Oh wow! I know that I don't have a cyst... I guess that if it doesn't regulate itself soon then I'm going to call my obgyn and see what's up. My sugars just seem to be super sensitive and sky rocket so extremely easy since I started taking it. I usually get higher the few days before I start my period and I'll have some ketones, but this seems a little extreme!
I used the pill between the births of my 2nd and 3rd children and I gained 60 pounds!!! I had to have c-sections with my last 3 births! I want to suggest to learn all that you can about other methods of birth control. The one I use is the Sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness.
I've tried different birth control pills over the years and they always affected my blood sugar. It wasn't worth it. Many of them use progesterone, which inhibit insulin effectiveness.
IUD works for me, but it's only a good option if you're done having kids.
Yeah, an IUD wouldn't be ideal for me personally, but I've heard good things about it! I've been paying more attention and being even more exact than usual the past few days to my numbers and it's helping a little. I've also adjusted my basal rate on my omnipod a few times which is a trial and error kind of situation. Usually diabetes is not so bad, but in situations like this it's just so frustrating!
I'm on Lo LoEstrin FE, and it's been working really well for me. Only problem is that there's no generic version, so it's pretty expensive. I went through the same thing with my generic birth control (Gildess). When I was on Gildess, I had to check my blood sugars about ever hour-hour and a half.
I have never used birth control pills for this reason. I heard that it was common for people to have higher glucose readings while taking it.
I took the pill for 17 years. I didn’t realise it caused my BGLs to be higher but I certainly noticed that when I took the placebo pills (and my ‘period’) came, I was always running low and hypo. I therefore conclude that the pill makes BGLs higher (and I had just adapted and increased my pump basal rate to deal with it). I then learnt to run a ‘period basal rate’ for that time, which was about 30% lower than regular days.
I now have a Mirena IUD and love it, no periods anymore and no crazy BGLs.
I am extremely hesitant about taking my birth control since I was diagnosed with diabetes. I am not sexually active but being a college student, I wouldn’t mind being ready if the mood struck. This is basically the one thing that has made me frustrated about having diabetes.
I’ve only been diagnosed for two months, so after my next A1C check, I plan on seeing how the pill affects my sugar. I sure hope I get lucky and find a pill that doesn’t throw off my levels.
It’s all about comfort level for me. I was on the pill before I was diagnosed. But after diagnosis couldn’t remember to take my blood sugar regularly AND take the pill regularly. So for two years I stopped taking birth control all together for the next two years. Then I started having complications and changed to the Nuva Ring which was great for another 2 years. Insurance changed and the Nuva Ring became too expensive. Tomorrow I’m getting the Mirena IUD. I’ve been thinking of getting this IUD for 3 years and have talked to all my doctors about it. The only concern is that the insertion itself might be slightly more painful since I have not had a child, but beyond that, there are no concerns or risks or major differences between the Mirena IUD and other birth controls. We’ll see how this affects my blood sugars!
Gina me too never used birth control pills for this reason, but my doctor said that this does not dangerous
I started the pill almost two years ago and it has caused me problems too. At first I was a little high, so I raised my basal insulin amount a bit and that fixed it. My biggest issue has been that the birth control has raised my cholesterol significantly. Been trying to find a way to stay on it while getting it down, but it is tough. I went on a lower estrogen pill and have adjusted my diet some, but I am fairly thin and the doctors told me that this side effect of the pill happens to people in general sometimes, but because I am a T1, it poses a bigger risk (obviously). I am of child-bearing age as well, so right now they don’t want to put me on a statin either! It’s tough but just have been working on finding a balance!
I cannot take anything with estrogen has always made my sugars high it is known to do that. I have an iud so my periods aren’t so heavy going through menopause now.
I have had similar problems with birth control pills: some caused increasingly high BG (and anxiety) regardless of increased insulin, with others it was a roller coaster. I also had a couple ob/gyn’s tell me that the pill in no way would cause such a disturbance; they were very dismissive and condescending. I --and my endo-- disagreed. My downloaded pump info showed a clear cause-and-effect relationship between when I started the pill and my high BG levels.
If you have had this happen to you, my advice would be to 1. Drop your ob/gyn and find a new one, and 2. go with your gut and consult your endo. You deserve to have all of your health care providers seriously consider your valid concerns
Also, if you have problem periods like I do (cramps, mood swings, fickle sugars), you might want to consider another form of birth control, like NuvaRing. I have only just started it, so I cannot say either way what the pros and cons are just yet. However, my current gyne explained to me that it is constant and metabolized differently than pills, so it shouldn’t have such a pulsatile effect on sugars as birth control pills. With the pill, each pill lasts for only 24 hours, with greater strength after it’s first ingested and waning near the end of the 24 hour period. The pill is also delivered through the blood. By contrast, birth control like NuvaRing, since it’s inserted vaginally, is always in you for the 3 weeks after you insert it (unless you decide to take it out beforehand), constantly delivering a steady dose of hormones. Also, insertion and removal is entirely dependent on the user, you don’t have to see a doctor for either.