How many of us took Birth Control Pills?
Comments
-
Musiclover, I feel the same way. I'm 47 and have never used BC pills for the exact same reason, "they increase your risk of developing breast cancer." So I always said nope to BC pills! Had my tubes tied at the age of 26 after my second child was born. It didn't do me any good though, cause here I am.
0 -
It sucks. The medical field can make all the recommendations they like but they don't know the cause and I feel bad for those who blame themselves for this because they did this, that or the other thing. I see so many women on BCO who feel guilty about one thing or another. For me, my most troublesome part of this is not so much what caused it but I would like to know how many women find a lump in the breast tissue near the breast but not in the breast. I had a tumor in my breast also but I just feel so damn unlucky with this whole thing. I keep saying how did I have a chance? It's just ridiculously difficult to let it go when I know I am going to die from this. Best wishes to you.
0 -
I took birth control pills from age 22-34. Age 36-37, I was on and off clomid and injectables. I was diagnosed with BC right after my 38th birthday. Noone can say if the pill or fertility treatments definitively cause BC, but I'm fairly certain it helped it along.
0 -
I am Cari
I was DX 3 weeks before my 32nd birthday, July 9th.I always had a Non hormonal IUD. I never wanted children, and had an unwated pregnancy at 18 for which I had an abortion, so I wanted the BEST and most effective BC around. My OBGYN, who was trained in Europe and married a US solider, said that IUD's in other countries were readily given to women without children. So I have never used hormonal BC. I also eat a grassfed meat/chicken diet, mostly organic, etc. I would be considered highly healthy, with ZERO risk factors.
IDK what caused my breast cancer, other than crappy luck.
0 -
I took low dose Birth Control pills from age 16 - 36. Supposedly, I was led to understand that taking the Pill would LOWER my risk for BC. I went off it at age 36 because hubby went to the vet. I had my first diagnoses in a routine mammogram at age 54 - yes, history of BC in the family - both my mom's sisters had BC in their 50's - not mom though - it waited a generation. Never got tested for the gene, my surgeon said that I was 'too old' for that to be a factor (???). This first BC was ER+ and I took Arimidex for 3 years, Aromasin for 2 years - about to go off it in January.
I have often wondered if taking the Pill for 20 years had any bearing in my BC. Interesting that others that had been on the Pill for so long are questioning this as well...
0 -
I took the lowest dose birth control pill from approximately age 22 to age 40 with time off to have and breast feed two children. Had my kids at 29 and 36. Was on the pill to treat endometriosis, so stayed on the pill even after DH had a vasectomy. My gynecologist wanted me to stay on the pill until menopause, but I went off at Age 40 because of the increased risk of stroke and heart attacks. Diagnosed with breast cancers ( different type in each breast) month before turning 57. No family history of breast cancer. Do have a immune system disorders so When the cancer came calling, my immune system was otherwise occupied. While it is interesting to play "Why I got breast cancer " the fact is we have it. Don't feel we should blame ourselves for doing this or that. There are people who do everything wrong and have every risk factor, and don't develop breast cancer.
We need to be good to ourselves. Hugs to all. 🐈
0 -
I agree with you, Ms. queen. I took BCpills from age 25 until age 50, with time off for two kids. My OBGYN kept me on them because of irregular periods and heavy flow. I had no problems until 56, when I was dx with IDC, early stage. I really didn't dwell on the Pill issue until my mother kept reminding me. (Which made things worse).I also know lots of people who never took anything hormonal and they have Breast cancer.it's time for the blaming ourselves to end! Supporting each other is the way to address this..everyone wins!
0 -
add me to the list. I took lo ovral (spelling?) for at least 8 years, now have IDC at 54. My mother also had breast cancer and took BC pills for years to control bleeding of fibroids. I was/am estrogen dominant too.
0 -
Only took Birth control pills for less than 18 months in my mid 20's......THATS IT ...no familiy history of BC ...still diagnosed with IDC at age 46.........so I wouldn't be quick to blame the Birth control Pills.0 -
I guess it's natural to wonder why, and I too question my birth control use. Started at age fifteen, and with a break for two kids, I was on it until I began to hear about a possible health risks around eighteen years later. Later went on HRT when menopause started. No other bc risk.
I would like to know the latest research thinking on a link.
0 -
I took birth control pills from age 18-35. I stopped taking them earlier this year. I was diagnosed 12/1.
0 -
Birth contol pills have been shown to be a very minimal risk factor.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/...
0 -
I was on BC from age 26 thru 35 . Taken off for severe high BP. No more pill. I did go on hormonal replacement however when I went into early menopause at age 45. I was on them until age 58 when diagnosed with ER pos BC. I blame these as I had no family history was super thin non smoker or drinker. Still my MO would not blame them. I wish I had sued the drug company and alas the Statute of Limitations ran out in Florida. Had return of disease last year after 7 years.
0 -
me too - for period pain starting at 14 or 15, ended at 29. I also did 2 IUIs then 1 IVF. Did progesterone for a few months to help 'keep' the pregnancy.
0 -
I took BC pills in my early 20s for a few years to control my acne, it was a low dose BC pills. I must have taken them for maybe 2 years. My cancer was highly hormonal.
I don't if the BC pills contributed to it or was the fact that my period started very early (11-12) or just my luck. My grandma (from father's side) died because of breast cancer at age of 55 but my cancer was negative for BRAC 1/2.
0 -
I didn't took birth control
0 -
I took birth control in my 20's and early 30's. Also, after menopause hit, I used the estrogen patch for a number of years. My doctor seemed to think the benefits to my heart and bones were worth the risks. Helped tremendously with hot flashes and mood swings, too. Don't know if it contributed to my diagnosis.0 -
I took bc pill from 18 - 32 yrs and then just went back on them oct 2014 at age 40. Was dx with bc in may 2014. Surgeons first words were "stop taking the pill immediately". I asked my MO how long my cancer had been there & she said "A few mos". Also read a study a while back that said the pill was linked to triple negative bc, which is what I had. Coincidence? Who knows?
0 -
I did take birth control pills for over 10 years, throughout my 20s. At 31 I had my first child and a second at 34. With both I breastfed for a full year, but went back on the pill afterwards. I do have endometriosis, so this is the chosen method for treatment in between surgery. Endometriosis is caused by high levels of estrogen, as my tumor is ER+ and PR+. I am wondering if the pill or hormones in foods have caused it. I was diagnosed at 43, a month before my 44th birthday.
0 -
Hi Annie:
Don't beat yourself up. I used to do it a lot. The truth is that having hormone receptors are not the same as having hormones. So the cause for this wasn't probably under our control. We might not be braca positive but there's probably a lot of genes that had not been discovered, especially when we get this stuff so young.
0 -
Hi Ladies, I took them for maybe 8 to 10 years total starting at 18 and ended around 30. I find it interesting that if you never get pregnant it is a red flag for BC. Nobody ever said a word even though all of my Doctors knew I couldn't get pregnant. I have zero history of BC or any cancer in my family ever. Nice history but I have BC. And triple negative to boot. So I have few treatment options to begin with. I cannot take any more Adriamycin ever because I have permanent heart damage from the first 4 dense dose I had. I cannot take Taxol, it regrew the tumor in 6 weeks, so surgery was moved up 2 weeks after chemo. Then I have neuropathy in both feet, thank you chemo! I don't feel guilty, very unlucky maybe! If they could tell me why I have it, or where it came from I would think about it. So far the best answer I got, we don't know. So far it cost me a lot to be unlucky!
0 -
I took birth control pills, and when I went into menopause at 41, HRT for 10 years until the day I was diagnosed. Totally blame them (and myself) for this bc. http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20080311
0 -
hi,
I was diagnosed in November with only 33. I am the first one in the families to suffer any kind of cancer. I have very healthy habits: never smoked, no alcohol, no gluten, no sweets,regular sport!
but guess what? I used the pill since I was 18, no break..only changed to nuvarig about 4 years ago.
my cancer is strongly hormone receptor.
on top of this I was for about 2 years suffering of all symptoms of very high estrogen levels: I was going regularly to doctor to get my nuvaring prescription and I always complained about my symptoms but he never ordered blood test to check hormones. He said everything was ok because I was getting my periods.
funny when I was diagnosed they said to remove immediately nuvaring.
it makes me really sad....why do they give us such a thing if doctors know it could cause some hormone disorders that could later cause breast cancer? Or why do doctors never tell us the real risk? Or why do doctors not check more carefully the hormone levels of patients taking the pill? Or did I make a wrong decision when choosing my doctor?
i just wonder..
0 -
I took the pill for about 3-4 years about 25 years ago. Still got BC ER+ and PR+.
0 -
I used Loestrin FE birth control from the age of 39 to 48 when I was diagnosed. I used it sporadically before that between my 2nd and 3rd pregnancy in my late 20s. My DCIS is grade 3 and was found to be very highly ER and PR+.
I have zero other risk factors. Not saying the BC caused the cancer to show up, but it may have made the conditions more amenable to its growth.
0 -
I took the pill in various forms for a few years here and there, in 3 different countries. I also had the shots for a while, and tried the patch for a month. I had my tubes tied at 32 after the birth of my second child and was diagnosed last November at 40.
0 -
I took birth control pills for less than a year back in the mid 1970's, and then again for about a year in the 1980's to give my system a break from really bad cramps. No other hormones taken.
0 -
After the birth of my third child at 42, I went on the mini-pill for one year. I was very reluctant to do so, but my midwife wouldn't hear of my desire to have my tubes tied by the gyn in her office. She said "it's only the smallest amount of progestin. I take it." Since my mother developed bc in her early fifties after HRT, I never wanted hormones in my body. And yet; I trusted my midwife. I stopped the pill when I was 43, as I was sinking into a depression, and I wondered if the pill had something to do with it, the depression lifted when I stopped. That year I went for my annual exam with my midwife. She herself had developed BC and was out receiving treatment. Remember those ads in the 1950s that showed your doctor smoking cigarettes? I felt the same way when I was diagnosed a year later. My dx was ER 100% PR 98%.
0 -
My nurse practitioner told me birth control doesn't cause cancer but the hormones may cause breast cancer to grow faster.
I took lo-ovral for two months this year and got a large breast cyst and immediately stopped taking them. I got an ultrasound and mammogram and they said it appeared to be normal, but I still feel a little something there. My right breast, the denser one, is the one that got the cyst.
0 -
Hi, All,
Although from 2014, you may find this article helpful: http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/study-questions-birth-control-and-risk
0
