My doctor wants to put my daughter on birth control pills to regulate her periods, can progesterone help her?
Most oral contraceptives are a combination of synthetic estrogen and progestins (e.g. the “combined pill”). The Pill does its job by suspending the normal menstrual cycle. The bleeding which occurs each month is actually “withdrawal bleeding”, caused by stopping the pill for seven days of the cycle. The known problems associated with the pill are an increased risk of coronary artery disease, breast cancer and high blood pressure. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting, headaches, breast tenderness, weight increases, changes in sex drive, depression, blood clots and increased incidence of vaginitis. Women with epilepsy, migraine, asthma or heart disease are warned that they could have a worsening of their condition. Nancy Beckman in her book Menopause: A Positive Approach Using Natural Therapies points out that “Women on the Pill have a greater tendency to liver dysfunction and allergies.” The Pill is often prescribed to regulate a woman’s cycle. But if it suspends a woman’s normal c
