Looking for Advice on Taking Seasonique, the Pill Where You Get 4 Periods a Year

I don't know this for a fact, but I think that Seasonique used to go by the name Seasonale... It was about 5 years ago, and I tried Seasonale... Instead of having one period every quarter, I ended up having my period for almost a whole month! It was terrible!! Might want to do some more research on this one, if it is indeed formerly known as Seasonale.

I'm sorry that this will sidetrack things a bit, but I just can't keep my mouth shut when I read responses like those of Toni L. This is not meant to attack her personally, but I must strongly caution anyone who reads her advice and takes it to heart.

I'm not sure where she gets her information, but her view of the body and how it responds to medications/chemicals is greatly oversimplified and, in many cases, flawed. I know that there are many people who share her views and use catch-phrases like "natural products", "herbs", and "toxins" to make us feel like we're poisoning ourselves every time we put something in our mouths. This simply isn't true.

Again, sorry to make an example of Toni's posting, but it's really prompted me to want to speak up... I'll address many of her points:

1. The claim that all drugs are "acidic" is not only untrue, but also silly. The classification of medications as "acids" doesn't make them have an "acidic effect". Being an "acid" is related to the chemical structure of the medication and not how it alters your body's acid-base status.

2. And if you follow Toni's argument, I'm not sure why alkaline substances would be any better than acidic ones. We exist in a neutral state (pH of 7.4), so if you think about it really simply and logically, we would need input from both alkaline and acidic sources (along with our body's basic buffering mechanisms) to cancel eachother out to get neutrality!

Here's an example: Zantac (ranitidine) and Prevacid (lansoprazole) are two different types of medications that people take for gastroesophageal reflux disease (when stomach acid comes up the esophagus and burns it, leaving a nasty burning sensation in the chest and increasing your chance of cancer of the esophagus)... clearly, these medications wouldn't ADD acidity to your body... they are actually DECREASING your body's acid production in the stomach.

And as far as ingesting NATURAL things:
Ever heard of orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar? These are all natural ACIDIC substances that we ingest without thinking twice.
How about BLEACH or LYE? ... both ALKALINE substances that we consider very dangerous poisons.

My ingestion example may seem extreme, but my point is that not all things acidic are poisons and not all things alkaline are "soothing", as Toni states.

3. To broaden this, I must address the "herbal" argument. Again, it is flawed to assume that all things natural and herbal are good for you. Before you add an "herb protocol", consider this: Hemlock, foxglove, and curare are all naturally occuring substances... and POISONS! Ok, again, extreme examples. But even more commonly ingested "herbal substances" like ginseng, ginger, and ginko all have their own TOXICITIES! All three can lead to bleeding complications after someone has surgery. Kava Kava and Black Cohash can lead to liver failure in some people. Ma Huang (a.k.a. ephedra) can lead to serious cardiovascular toxicity. Of course, it depends on the dose... which is why you have to be even MORE careful... Unlike FDA-approved medications, herbal substances are not scrutinized in the same way by the government, so you really don't know what you're getting when you take them! (I do realize that the FDA isn't perfect, but at least it's SOME attempt at testing, regulation, and standardization.)

4. Yes, all drugs have side effects, many of which are the whole reason for using them. For example, if someone's brain doesn't make enough serotonin and the result is depression, they may need a medication to help raise the level of serotonin in the brain to NORMAL levels. Yes, these medications may have side effects, but it is not all black and white... you can't simply call it "toxic" or "not toxic"... I'm not saying everyone needs medications, but those who do are usually taking them because the GOOD effects of their medication outweigh the BAD effects.

5. The claim about "most pills" being animal by-products... I don't even know where to start. Maybe some are. I'm not sure. Some medications are plant by-products. Some are totally synthetic.

6. To address the specific class of drugs you mentioned (e.g. Seasonique), they are estrogen-progesterone combinations for birth control. As an aside, John Lee MD (the website she referred you to) did most of his work on Hormone Replacement Therapy for postmenopausal women - it uses much higher doses than those used for birth control pills.

More importantly, I must refute this statement:

"YOUR RISK OF CANCER IS GREATLY INCREASED" - NOT EXACTLY TRUE!

To summarize, breast cancer risk may/may not increase with use of the pill. Endometrial (uterine) and ovarian cancers are GREATLY DECREASED when you take the pill. There are other small risks. This link has more info:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/oral-co...

Anyway, K., I'm sorry to use your request for info to go on my personal rant about the ignorance that's out there about medical topics. If you've read this far, thank you for listening.

I just hope everyone out there takes some of the things they read with a large chunk of salt (which, interestingly, is defined as the product formed from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases!)

K.,
I agree whole heartedly with Toni about checking out the toxic effects of any meds. (And Dr. Mercola's website is the best in the land!) For moodiness I would look into a possible B vitamin deficiency. A good supplement of B complex would be a safe, easy and cheap way to ward off PMS! Please look into natural solutions. You can't fool Mother Nature!!

K.-You can do this all naturally. ALL drugs have toxicity and are acidic to some degree. Most of these pills if not all are made with the by-products of other animals--yuck and your risk of cancer is greatly increased!! The body can not assimilate it and the body will react to it like a poison because it is. All herbs are soothing and alkaline. Your body is also estrogen dominant. Check out www.johnleemd.com for more information. Another wonderful website is www.mercola.com.

You can cleanse and detox your body which will help greatly and after doing this, you can add a herb protocol if you feel that you need it. Much of this you can get directly online at discount health foods websites, trader joes or whole foods.

If you want more information on how to do this let me know.

T.

Before you do anything, please read the book "What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Premenopause" by Dr. Lee. You should be able to get it at your local library. It will help you understand what is going on with you and help you fix it. I went through the same thing for 3 years before I found help through his book. There is a section in the book talking about the "Pill" that you should read about - you know how HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) drugs were in recent years found out to be more harmful than good - well, the birth control pill is the same kind of drug, only about 10 times worse. Hope this helps!

I tried taking it and it made me feel horrible! I took it for about 3 weeks and had to stop. I had horrible headaches and just felt very worn down like my body was fighting something. One day after I stopped I was fine. Maybe try it, knowing since your tubes are tied, you can stop at any time.
Oh...my insurance covered it but it was still VERY expensive because it is so many months at a time!
Good Luck.
J.

Hi K.,
I'm not sure if this will help but I'm on Yaz and only have my period for 4 days. I have been reading that doctors are saying that there is no medical necesissity to having a monthly period. If it will help the PMS and irritability and only come 4 times a year, I probably will consider if after I have my last baby. I also just read that being on the pill after 35 years old will reduce your chances of getting certain cancers. Talk more do your doctor. Good luck.

R.

I would not advise this. This goes completely against our natural cycle. There are alot of natural product that can help you.

I tried Seasonique for over a year and I loved it the first 6 weeks of pills and then have breakthrough bleeding continuously until my period arrived at the 90 day mark. I asked my ob/gyn and he said that was a very common body response to that pill. When your body wants to have a period, the bleeding starts. Some bodies go longer than others without breakthrough bleeding, so you may have a better experience. I was only on that medication to try to regulate my irregular bleeding, so I stopped when the cure was as bad as the problem. Also, I had migraines during the period week due to a drop in hormone levels. I cannot recommend this medication.

Hello K.,

No I havenever used it, but I heard it was so,so. I have received different responses from it. But I did have a problem after my tubes were tied as well. I don't know what is going on with that. After my tubes were done, I had the worst cramps, extremely heavy bleeding.

Nothing helped me.But, my ob did a procedure on me called an abulation. Which they took the lining of my uterius with hot solution. I feel so much better and I dont even have periods any more.

Good Luck

I know many people who have dealt with your symptoms by taking a nutritional approach. I have been doing blood testing yearly through a company called "Your Future Health" for 4 years. Not only do you get your traditional blood tests, but they can help pinpoint nutritional deficiences and help you improve your blood scores. You do have to pay out of your own pocket. They also tell you what you should be and should not be eating for your blood type. I have a co-worker who suffered from severe hormonal issues around the same age as you are. The medical recommendation was the pill. She worked in the medical field and looked for the answers there. Since she had a serious family history of cancer, she didn't like the drug solution. She reluctantly met with someone using Shaklee's products who was recommended by a medical person. She only took the products recommended by the woman, because there was a 100% guarantee. She didn't believe it would work, but it's been working for 13 years. I can connect you with her. Getting the right balance of vitamins, minerals and protein in your daily diet does wonders for hormonal balance.

I had my tubes tied after my second c-section, and I'm also experiencing absolutely horrible PMS symptoms. There are many websites documenting the side-effects of tubal ligations, but every doctor I've spoken to denies them. So of course no insurance agency is willing to pay for a tubal-reversal surgery to get our bodies back to normal. If I knew there were so many horrible side-effects I would have never had my tubes tied. My doctor made it seem like a smart solution since he was in me doing the c-section anyway. He also made a lot more money off of the c-section since he added on the 5-minute procedure. I wonder how many other doctors are scaring women to have their tubes tied after their second or third c-section, since c-sections are becoming more common. Women are scared enough about the c-section coming up that they are willing to sign anything not to have to go through another.
Anyway, thanks for asking about the pill. I'm looking forward to reading replies. My new OB suggested this option or a hysterectomy, which seems crazy for an otherwise healthy 32-year old.

Hi-
I'm not on Seasonique, but I've been on Seasonale for a couple of years, and I love it. It is wonderful only getting my period 4 times a year, and I can (and have played around with changing "when" I get it, since all of the pills in the pack are the same dosage. I haven't had any PMS with this medication, and just a little cramping and bloating.

My daughter is taking this medicine for endometriosis and it is going well for her. At the beginning she learned that she needs to be very consistent with taking her medicine. If you skip pills, you will have extra periods because this is a very low dosage of hormones to block your period.

I can address several options based from personal experience. Seasonale works great for PMS (breakthrough bleeding may be a problem for 3-6 months though). Numerous friends have commented that Loestrin Fe works well for PMS and periods last only 3-4 days and are light. In terms of non-prescription but still pharmaceutical quality products, vitamin E in the morning and calcium at night may help too after 30 days. Combining that with minimizing caffeine intake, exercising 5 days a week, and getting enough sleep can improve PMS too.

Pills don't solve problems, people do.

Hi K....I took a pill like Seasonique for a year and half and emotionally, it worked well...it seemed my PMS was more under control (I don't need it for pregnancy issues, since hubby got snipped, just medical reasons.) My problem and the reason I stopped was because my periods were NOT under control and I spotted almost daily and had pain and cramps all the time. So, for you, it may be something worth trying. Just read all the research on side effects and what to look for...I've heard good and bad about taking the pill, so know all the facts (a good person to ask is a pharmacist! They went to school specifically for drug knowledge!) Best of luck and I hope you are feeling more like yourself again soon!

K., sorry tht this is not exactly on topic, or an answer for your situation, but in light of these issues with tube ligations, I had to respond. My husband volunteered to get a vascectomy after a friend of his did. While I do not want to make light of what my husband did for us.... Ladies, the procedure - not a surgery, done by a doctor in Chicago (also has Tinley Park office) sounded more fun than my yearly PAP! He got a valium, a chenille blanket and felt some pressure while listening to soft classical music (for about 20 min). He slept the rest of the afternoon, had some discomfort for a couple days, and the first ejaculation was "wierd" (his words). No moodiness, no irritibility (well, none out of the ordinary), no hormone therepy. We could not be happier.
This was a different procedure than traditional surgery. I can get the Dr.'s website from my hubby if anyone is interested. Just thought I'd give someone looking for permenent birth control - and leery of the consequences - another option.
Good Luck, K..