Alright, I know there's a lot of hate directed at the contraceptive pill, especially in the vegan/health movement, because it involves putting hormones into your body. Plus, a lot of versions of the pill contain lactose. So, it isn't exactly vegan friendly. Not to mention the increased risk of blood clots, and other undesirable side-effects such as weight gain.
That being said, as a type 1 diabetic, going on the pill has been one of the best decisions I have ever made for my health. As I became more conscientious of my blood glucose levels and gained better control of my levels through changing my diet, I realized that almost every week was different in terms of my blood sugar levels. One week, I'd have nearly perfect levels. The next, I'd constantly be low. The week after, I'd be high. The week of my period was the worst. The amount of insulin my body required would nearly double.
So, I came up with this hypothesis that taking the contraceptive pill might eliminate these fluctuations. Since the pill prevents you from getting pregnant by stablizing your hormones and hormones affect insulin requirements.
I went on the mini-pill and everything was hunky-dory. I stopped having the weekly changes in insulin requirements, and I didn't have any side effects. Since my blood sugar didn't randomly change, I was able to pretty much perfect my basal and bolus insulin. It seemed like I'd found the holy grail of diabetes management. For awhile...after a few months, I ended up with really bad spotting. So, I went off the pill. I didn't immediately go back to my GP and get a new prescription, because I wasn't so keen on the increased risk for blood clots and whatnot. I figured I'd just try going without it for awhile. I thought it might have been all in my head, and the pill wasn't making a difference.
Well, that wasn't the case. When I went off the pill, the glucose level fluctuations came back and they were even more noticeable than before. I don't think they were more severe, but I had gotten so used to the consistency. So, I was much more aware of the changes. It was so frustrating, going from having the best control I've ever had in my life to feeling completely powerless, constantly changing my basals. As soon as I figured out the right amount of insulin to take, my levels would change again.
So, I went back to my GP and got a prescription for the combination pill. I struggled a lot more when I first started taking the combination pill than when I took the mini-pill. When you google diabetes and the contraceptive pill, you'll find that diabetics will generally require more insulin when they're taking the pill. I didn't experience this when I was on the mini-pill, but I did have to significantly increase my insulin dosages when I went on the combination pill. It took awhile to figure out what the right levels were, but once I did, I was glad I stuck with it. Once again, the weekly fluctuations were eliminated, and I wasn't constantly trying to change basals. I also found that even though I significantly increased the amount of insulin I was taking, after a few weeks I was able to slowly start decreasing it until it was nearly back to what it was before I went on the combination pill.
This has nothing to do with sex. This has nothing to do with contraception. If I didn't have diabetes, I wouldn't take the pill for contraceptive reasons. I would, personally, just use condoms and chart my cycle. I don't look too favorably on the increased risk of blood clots and other side effects. But when it comes to type 1 diabetes, it's a bit of a dialectic. I can take the pill and have an increased risk of blood clots and put hormones into my body, or I can struggle to keep my glucose levels under control and be put at an increased risk for nerve damage, blindness, kidney failure, and constantly be nauseated/dizzy/eating junk food to bring up my blood sugar/repeatedly checking my blood sugar and changing insulin levels. Obviously, everyone's priorities, values, struggles with side effects from the pill, struggles with the effect of their cycle on their glucose levels is going to be different. But I wish that I had been exposed to stories/information about this sooner, rather than having to figure it out myself. So, I just wanted to put my experience out there in the hopes that if people with diabetes or other diseases share their stories and experiences, eventually there will be more information on different methods of management available.
No comments:
Post a Comment