does birth control lower your estrogen levels?
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The birth control pill prevents ovulation by maintaining more consistent hormone levels. Without a peak in estrogen, the ovary doesn't get the signal to release an egg, which eliminates the possibility of fertilization and pregnancy.
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However, the estrogen in birth control pills can raise blood glucose levels, which increase a diabetic's resistance to insulin and may require an adjustment in the insulin she receives. Because of the effects of estrogen, some physicians do not prescribe hormone-based birth control for some diabetic women.
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In fact, a 2006 study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women who have taken the birth control pill may have a low sex drive not only while taking the pill, but even after stopping. This effect could be due to the pill's impact on testosterone levels and its potential to permanently suppress sex drive.
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How does hormonal birth control affect the progesterone in my body? Progesterone levels while taking hormonal birth control will depend on whether your method inhibits ovulation. If you are not ovulating, then your progesterone levels will be low and flat (no peak).
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Birth control pills can affect your cholesterol levels. How much of an effect depends on the type of pill you're taking and what concentration of estrogen or progestin it contains. Birth control pills with more estrogen can have a slightly beneficial overall effect on your blood lipid levels.
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An increase in estrogen and progesterone levels after starting hormonal birth control can cause breast changes. Your breasts may become fuller (you may even have to go up a bra size) and/or feel tender, says Masterson.
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Change your birth control pills All birth control pills are different, so it's possible your doctor can find one that has a lower dose of estrogen and doesn't affect your appetite or your weight.
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Studies show the hormones in these kinds of birth control can affect your heart in many ways. They may raise your blood pressure, for instance.
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A review of 54 studies in 1996 found that women have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer while they're taking birth control pills that contain both estrogen and progestin and during the 10 years after they stop taking the pills. Progestin-only pills also increased risk, but not as much.
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Some forms of birth control can cause weight gain and also an increase in breast size. Stopping the pill or other forms of hormonal birth control that caused these side effects can lead to weight loss and also a decrease in breast size. Also, it is possible for women who stop taking the pill to lose or gain hair.
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Naturally occurring estrogen and progesterone stimulate the development and growth of some cancers (e.g., cancers that express receptors for these hormones, such as breast cancer). Because birth control pills contain synthetic versions of these female hormones, they could potentially also increase cancer risk.
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Decreased libido First, most hormonal birth control methods work by shutting down your ovaries. This means you don't ovulate and therefore can't get pregnant. It also means you produce less testosterone overall—involved in your libido—and don't get that mid-cycle spike that makes you really horny.
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Hormonal birth control pills alter the body's natural hormone levels. Although many people use hormonal contraceptives to shorten or regulate their periods, they can sometimes result in heavier or prolonged periods. Abnormal periods are common during the first few months of taking a new hormonal medication.
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Birth control: “Some women experience breast enlargement with birth control pills or other methods of contraception that contain estrogen.
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Although hormonal contraception can lower androgen levels, the hormones in birth control also sometimes act as androgens in the body. Some progestins—the synthetic version of the body's natural progesterone hormone—have androgenic action (act like androgens) in the body, while others have anti-androgenic action (19).
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You might feel friskier. A small number of women find that the pill drives their libido down, especially if they take some very low-dose pills. So a few women, about 15% in one study, may find themselves in the mood more often after they stop their birth control.
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These pills are low on the androgen index, and they can actually stimulate hair growth by keeping your hair in the anagen phase longer. Low-androgen birth control pills include: desogestrel-ethinyl estradiol (Desogen, Reclipsen)