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BIRTH CONTROL PILLS
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​Serious Side Effects

Even though birth control pills are very safe, using the combination pill can slightly increase your risk of health problems. Complications are rare, but they can be serious. These include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and liver tumors. In very rare cases, they can lead to death. For the most part, progestin-only pills (aka POPs or mini-pills) don’t have these risks.

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Side Effects You May Not Know About

Minor side effects associated with the pill are bloating, breast tenderness, headache, water retention, weight gain, weird spotting or bleeding during the month, poor driving skills, inability to load a dishwasher, and missing the hamper by three feet. But here are some not so evident effects you may not know about…

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  • Low energy levels and fatigue

  • Depression, anxiety

  • Low libido

  • Vaginal dryness and painful intercourse

  • Vitamin and mineral depletion

  • Missing periods, light periods, irregular bleeding

  • Headaches and migraines

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What’s the Post Birth Control Syndrome (PBCS)?

PBCS describes a combination of symptoms that some women may experience once they stop using OCPs. The pill basically cuts off communication between the ovaries and the brain. Once you stop taking the pill and this block is released, things may not go back to normal. In fact, whatever was going wrong before you started the pill, will likely continue to go wrong or might even be worse since the reasons for having these issues were never addressed.

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PBCA symptoms include:

  • Lack of period altogether (amenorrhea)

  • Adult acne

  • Infertility

  • Under-active thyroid

  • Gut issues

  • Persistently low libido

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