Birth Control Pill - effect on libido and mental health

[BengalWoman]

Hi.

Actually I am on the 2nd to lowest BC.

I just got 'The Natural Superwoman' by Reiss and have high hopes for all the knowledge he can pass on. He says that the tenderness is actually due to low Estrogen.

My doctor says in a month she'll run blood tests Estrogen, Progesterine & T. I guess there is no point to adding anything until I can get them done. I'll ask for DHEA too.

Thanks for your input!

[PPC]

Hi.

Actually I am on the 2nd to lowest BC.

I just got 'The Natural Superwoman' by Reiss and have high hopes for all the knowledge he can pass on. He says that the tenderness is actually due to low Estrogen.

My doctor says in a month she'll run blood tests Estrogen, Progesterine & T. I guess there is no point to adding anything until I can get them done. I'll ask for DHEA too.

Thanks for your input!

If you do get dhea tested. Test for dhea -s.


In a month, you will be testing while on BC or off?

[BengalWoman]

I'll be off BC for 30 days when I do the blood work.

It'll be really interesting how my body reacts in the coming weeks with no BC.

[PPC]

I'll be off BC for 30 days when I do the blood work.

It'll be really interesting how my body reacts in the coming weeks with no BC.

It will be interesting for sure. I hope the best for you but it may be a little rocky at first.

Keep us updated please. That little waving guy seems to be the only friendly one there. He seems to be popular with us females lol.

[BengalWoman]

Update time.

I've been off BC for over a month. I just got back my blood test and I was hoping for some input from other members.

LH 5.6
T 14
DHEA 79.1
Estradiol 83.1

Thank you!

[SlimmerMe]

Update time.

I've been off BC for over a month. I just got back my blood test and I was hoping for some input from other members.

LH 5.6
T 14
DHEA 79.1
Estradiol 83.1

Thank you!

T....is 14? what "type" of testosterone BW was this? I have looked and looked over my test BW and do not see anything that resemble this number---so---would love to know what 14 represents....thanks

[Vettester]

T....is 14? what "type" of testosterone BW was this? I have looked and looked over my test BW and do not see anything that resemble this number---so---would love to know what 14 represents....thanks

Total testosterone serum - Not positive, but I think their ref. range at Kaiser is something like 6-to-80. So again, it's like one of us guys having a 300 score and the doctor tells us everything is "normal", within range. I know women need a healthy amount (not elevated) of testosterone just like men do. I would presume even somewhere in the middle, call it 40 or 50 would be beneficial for for a female, but this is a completely different department then what I'm used to dealing with.

Does your lab work show Total Test Serum? If so, curious what your score is. -Thanks

[PPC]

Update time.

I've been off BC for over a month. I just got back my blood test and I was hoping for some input from other members.

LH 5.6
T 14
DHEA 79.1
Estradiol 83.1

Thank you!

First thing I'm seeing is your T. Pressing forward in life with a total that low will be difficult. But we don't want to get away with ourselves because you had only been off birth control for one month at the time of the testing.

It may be hard to tell what these levels mean....have you had a period since the pill? If so, do you know what day of your cycle these tests were taken? That will help clue us in.

While E (estrogen) at 83 may be okay during your period....at any other time it is too low. Most premenopausal women stay above 100, sometimes well over 2-300 and then dip just below 100 for their period. Think back to how you feel at your period. Most of us have low mood due to low E levels causing lack of seritonin. We have more aches and pains. Most of us feel our worst at that time. You don't want to be in that state constantly.

Dr Elizabeth Vilet offers the following numbers as a good guage for E levels for premenopausal women. You'll notice we have 2 estrogen peaks. Most women try to test on day 18-21 to catch their second peak. If you are only 83 during that time...you are likely missing out on better well being and health.


menstrual phase (days 1-4) 80-90
follicular phase (days 4-14) average 200
follicular phase peak 350-500
follicular phase average (days 14-26) 200
luteal phase peak 200-300
premenstrual phase (day 26-28) E2 drops sharply (she does not give numbers for this drop)

Your T level: If a premenopausal woman is a natural low T type - not much natural muscle tone or body hair, then she may be in the 20-30 total T area. A healthy range is 40-60 but many athletic women are naturally quite a bit higher than that. Some labs have the top of the level at 100. My mom just got her total T levels back while on T cream and they were 87. Her doc was pleased and her libido is real high.

Your level is similar to what many untreated menopausal women have. Maybe it will take a few more months off BC, your ovaries will wake up a little more and your numbers will come up. This current T level may be even higher than what you were on BC. If nothing changes in the next little while, then I think your life will really improve by adding these hormones that are on the very low side.

I don't see a progesterone level...did your doc test that? It will be important.

Your dhea level is low. Optimum is close to 200 for a woman. Are you supplementing with any dhea right now?

Most importantly, how do you feel? Are you doing okay?

[BengalWoman]

First thing I'm seeing is your T. Pressing forward in life with a total that low will be difficult. But we don't want to get away with ourselves because you had only been off birth control for one month at the time of the testing.

It may be hard to tell what these levels mean....have you had a period since the pill? If so, do you know what day of your cycle these tests were taken? That will help clue us in.

While E (estrogen) at 83 may be okay during your period....at any other time it is too low. Most premenopausal women stay above 100, sometimes well over 2-300 and then dip just below 100 for their period. Think back to how you feel at your period. Most of us have low mood due to low E levels causing lack of seritonin. We have more aches and pains. Most of us feel our worst at that time. You don't want to be in that state constantly.

Dr Elizabeth Vilet offers the following numbers as a good guage for E levels for premenopausal women. You'll notice we have 2 estrogen peaks. Most women try to test on day 18-21 to catch their second peak. If you are only 83 during that time...you are likely missing out on better well being and health.


menstrual phase (days 1-4) 80-90
follicular phase (days 4-14) average 200
follicular phase peak 350-500
follicular phase average (days 14-26) 200
luteal phase peak 200-300
premenstrual phase (day 26-28) E2 drops sharply (she does not give numbers for this drop)

Your T level: If a premenopausal woman is a natural low T type - not much natural muscle tone or body hair, then she may be in the 20-30 total T area. A healthy range is 40-60 but many athletic women are naturally quite a bit higher than that. Some labs have the top of the level at 100. My mom just got her total T levels back while on T cream and they were 87. Her doc was pleased and her libido is real high.

Your level is similar to what many untreated menopausal women have. Maybe it will take a few more months off BC, your ovaries will wake up a little more and your numbers will come up. This current T level may be even higher than what you were on BC. If nothing changes in the next little while, then I think your life will really improve by adding these hormones that are on the very low side.

I don't see a progesterone level...did your doc test that? It will be important.

Your dhea level is low. Optimum is close to 200 for a woman. Are you supplementing with any dhea right now?

Most importantly, how do you feel? Are you doing okay?

PPC - Thanks for your help! I'll try and answer all of your questions.

The blood test were done 6 days after the start of my cycle. (Done for 3 days).

The doctor did not test progesterone. I asked her but no response yet.

I am not supplementing DHEA at this time. But can do easily.

I do not feel like me! Libido sucks and life wears on me. And these damn doctors that are suppose to be helping everyone just put up road blocks.

Do you take pregnanolone? That too I can do easily.

Again thanks for all of your input.