When I was 14 I went through puberty. Over the next 4 years I suffered intense cramping, heaving bleeding, irregular periods, huge weight gain, and anemia. I was brushed off by my Dr. as things being ok until I passed out from being so anemic. Any doctor I saw had only one solution and that was to put me on birth control. I have been on multiple forms of BC; pills, shots, iud, and implants. Somewhere during 20 years of birth control I was also diagnosed with Von Willebrand disease which cause large clotting during my periods. From the ages of 14-34 I jumped from BC to BC trying to find something to help. Nothing helped, if one problem improved another became worse. I was 34 before I found a Dr. that was willing to test my hormones. Which offended my gynecologist to the point that she offered to do a full hysterectomy on me to end the "discomfort." That is 20 years of regular doctor visits where no doctor was willing to look at my issues fully and causing me unnecessary misery!!
All of my issues where substantially reduced once I started a compounded hormone cream. I honestly believe that BC caused me more harm than good, since going off of BC I feel like a completely different person. Pharmaceutical companies, the FDA, and the medical community needs to reevaluate the way patients' health is approached. It makes me sick to realize that I suffered unnecessarily for 20 years and in those 20 years medical approaches haven't changed at all. We are now causing unnecessary suffering with a whole new generation.