April 18, 2007

Can hormones from birth control cause hair loss?

Filed under: alopecia,androgen,birth control pills,estrogen,hair growth,hair loss,hormone replacement therapy,hormones,male pattern balding,testosterone,Uncategorized — Ashlynn @ 8:38 am

Yes. Both birth control pills and hormone replacements contain estrogen which stimulates hair growth and prolongs the anagen growth phase. Most women say that their hair becomes thicker when first starting birth control or hormone replacement therapy. Some women describe an increased rate of hair sloughing or loss several months after starting the hormonal medications. This is not a reason to stop the hormones; the hair loss will go away with no change in the amount of hair.

Women who start the Pill may not notice the increased hair growth and thickness as much as an older, menopausal woman who has thinner hair to start with, but the gobs of hair in the hair brush several months after starting birth control pills will not go unnoticed. This loss of hair following estrogen stimulation by birth control pills, HRT or even pregnancy is called telogen effluvium. This is not a reason to stop taking your birth control. Both the use of Depo-Provera and Norplant contraceptive implants have about a 10% incidence of increased hair loss.

What can I do to decrease hair loss caused by birth control or hormone replacement?

It is best to continue taking the hormonal medications rather than stopping them. The new growth, resting and sloughing phases eventually come to a stop and your hair growth will start it’s normal course of action. Stopping your birth control or HRT may just prolong the hair loss.

One thing women should look for when hair loss is due to hormone therapy is to make sure that they are not receiving hormones that have too much testosterone-like activity. Some women who are genetically sensitive may develop a male pattern hair loss (balding on the side of the head) if their total androgen hormone level is too high. If this is the case, there should also be excess hair growth on the face, chest and lower abdomen in addition to the balding. The androgen hormone effect may come from the type of progestin in the birth control pills or it may come from a combination of estrogen and testosterone in the menopausal hormone replacement. If there is any suspicion that the hair loss follows a male pattern balding, then any androgenic compounds must be eliminated.

BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.

For more information on types of birth control call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.

Birth Control Buzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, types of birth control(prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase pharmaceuticals on-line. For more information, call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.

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March 22, 2007

Femcon Fe chewable birth control pill

Filed under: birth control,birth control pills,birth control prices,birth control types,breast cancer,estrogen,femcon fe,hormones,pregnancy,pregnant,progestin,Uncategorized — Ashlynn @ 8:27 am

Femcon Fe is a spearmint-flavored birth control pill that can be swallowed or chewed. It combines 2 different hormones – progestin and estrogen. Together, these 2 hormones suppress ovulation and other related changes your body goes through. That means an egg is not released from your ovary and therefore cannot be fertilized by sperm. Birth control pills also thicken your cervical mucus (making it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus) and change the lining of your uterus (making it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant itself in the uterine wall).

Using Femcon Fe, or other oral contraceptives, is one of the most effective methods of birth control available. If taken correctly on a daily basis, birth control pills are as much as 99% effective in preventing pregnancy, meaning there is still a 1% chance that you could get pregnant.

What are some advantages to using Femcon Fe?

Chewability – Femcon Fe is the only oral contraceptive to offer chewability. Perfect for women who have difficulty swallowing even the tiniest pill.
Cycle control – There is low incidence of spotting or bleeding between periods.
Low-dose – Most available birth control pills contain the same type of estrogen as Femcon Fe but in different amounts. Femcon Fe is considered a low-dose pill because it contains 35 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen.
Menstrual relief – Femcon Fe can help reduce menstrual cramps, regulate irregular periods, and lighten menstrual flow.

Does Femcon Fe offer any health benefits?

Your menstrual cycles may become more regular.
Blood flow during your period may be lighter and less iron may be lost.
Pain or other symptoms, like menstrual cramps, may decrease.
Lesser chance of ovarian cysts occuring.
Ectopic pregnancy may occur less frequently.
Noncancerous cysts or lumps in the breast may occur less often.
Lesser chance of acute pelvic inflammatory disease occuring.
Using birth control pills may provide some protection against developing two forms of cancer: cancer of the ovaries and cancer of the lining of the uterus.

Does Femcon Fe have any side effects?

Birth control pill side effects are generally not serious. The most common side effects include breast tenderness, nausea, vomiting, and spotting or bleeding between periods. These side effects often go away within the first 3 months. While more serious side effects occur infrequently, some medical conditions have been associated with Pill use, including:

Blood clots, blockage of blood vessels
Gallbladder disease
Liver tumors (extremely rare)
High blood pressure, which returns to normal when you stop taking the Pill

Is there anything else I should know about Femcon Fe?

Cigarette smoking while using the Pill increases the risk of serious adverse effects on the heart and blood vessels. This risk increases if you are a heavy smoker (15 or more cigarettes a day) and with age (especially if you are over 35). Women who use birth control should not smoke.

You should not take the Pill if you have or have had blood clots, certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, or are pregnant.

Femcon Fe does not protect against HIV/AIDS or sexually transmitted diseases. Always use a nonhormonal backup contraceptive like a condom for extra protection.

Missing a pill or taking a pill a few hours later than normal can decrease the effectiveness. Certain medications like antibiotics are also known to increase the chance of your birth control pill failing.

For more information call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.

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March 3, 2007

What are monophasic, biphasic and triphasic birth control pills?

Filed under: biphasic pills,birth control pills,birth control prices,birth control types,estrogen,hormones,monophasic pills,pregnancy,pregnant,progestin,triphasic pills,Uncategorized — Ashlynn @ 12:46 pm

The early forms of birth control pills had a good deal of estrogen in them. Today’s birth control pills have a lot less hormone in them than even 10 years ago. That’s because we have learned that they work at much lower doses than we originally thought.

Most birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen and progestin. They are categorized as monophasic, biphasic, or triphasic pills depending on whether the level of hormones stays the same during the first three weeks of the menstrual cycle or changes. Pills for the fourth week, when included, are usually “reminder” pills. They contain no active drug and are there to keep you on a daily schedule.

Monophasic pills contain the same amount of estrogen and progestin in all of the active pills in a pack. Examples of monophasic pills include Brevicon, Loestrin, Alesse, and Ortho-Cept. Because of the uniform hormone level in all the pills, monophasics are least likely to cause side effects, such as mood changes, that can result from fluctuating hormone levels in the body.

Biphasic and triphasic pills contain different dosages of progestin or estrogen throughout the pill pack. Compared with monophasics, these pills reduce the total hormone dosage a woman receives and are thought to better match the body’s natural menstrual cycle. Biphasic pills change the level of hormones once during the menstrual cycle. Examples of biphasic pills include Ortho-Novum 10/11, Mircette and Necon 10/11.

Triphasic pills contain three different doses of hormones in the active pills (changing every seven days during the first three weeks of pills). Triphasic pills include Ortho-Novum 7/7/7, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Triphasil, Tri-Levlen, and Tri-Norinyl.

When taken regularly and according to the directions, birth control pills are 98% to 99% effective in preventing pregnancy, depending on how much estrogen they contain. The most common reason for pregnancy in a woman taking birth control pills is a failure to take them as directed. You should be familiar with the instructions that come with the dispenser for what to do if you miss a dose. It is a good idea to use a second method such as a condom or diaphragm for the rest of the month, even if you miss only one dose.

Despite the differences, no single pill or pill type rates as the “best” one. Experts consider all combination pills equally effective in preventing pregnancy, provided the pills are used appropriately. Your doctor can help you choose a birth control pill based on your age, medical history, and lifestyle, and cost.

BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.

For more information call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.

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