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Are there bioidentical hormone options for birth control? In the past I have used a lot of the synthetic brands along a span of many years and I am coming off my third pregnancy and would like to go another route this time. I conceive very easily so the option of no birth control is not high on my list.
Thanks in advance Dr. Mariano.If you do not want to have more kids and regulate hormones naturally. Your husband can snipped so you do not have to worry about increasing your chances of cancer. To my knowledge there are no natural alternatives other then rhythm method which is highly successful
@Mommyof3 695 wrote:
Are there bioidentical hormone options for birth control? In the past I have used a lot of the synthetic brands along a span of many years and I am coming off my third pregnancy and would like to go another route this time. I conceive very easily so the option of no birth control is not high on my list.
Thanks in advance Dr. Mariano.What stops ovulation is progesterone. This is why progestins – artificial versions of progesterone were developed for use in birth control pills.
Progesterone can be used in high enough dose to prevent ovulation. This dose may need to be as high as 1200 mg a day depending on the patient. The problem is that this can be very sedating. Up to 90 percent of the progesterone becomes converted in the liver to Allopregnenolone, which acts similarly to a benzodiazepine on GABA receptors. Progesterone can also metabolize into estrogen or testosterone or other downstream signals, which if excessive can cause problems.
There is a literature for using high dose melatonin for birth control. As I recall, the doses were around 75 mg a day. I do not recall how effective it is compared to using regular birth control pills. The studies were done in Northern Europe. You would have to look up the studies. Apparently, Melatonin was not sedating at this dose.
Here is one study I found on medline for the use of melatonin as a contraceptive: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8365512?
Regarding regular birth control pills, much of the problem occurs from the use of a very high strength estrogen – ethinyl estradiol. This contributes to weight gain, mood changes. The progestin, itself, blocks natural progesterone.
In some patients who experience the estrogen side effects of birth control pills, a consideration is the mini-pill – a progestin only pill. This has to be taken every day without missing a dose – unlike the estrogen-containing birth control pills were missing a dose often doesn’t cause problems. The effectiveness may be improved and the side effects reduced by adding additional natural progesterone to help reduce the progesterone blocking effects of the progestin-only birth control pill. So far, in the few patients I have tried this with, it has worked well with much fewer side effects than regular birth control pills. The dose of added progesterone doesn’t have to be high in this case. It augments the progestin, while also reducing the progestin’s side effects.
Dear hardasnails,
My husband and I are still considering another child, so we aren’t currently open to the option you suggested. But thank you for your idea, down the road we will keep it in mind.Dear Dr. Mariano,
Thank you for your indepth response. After each of my pregnancies I have been placed on the mini-pill for the first year while I nurse my children, so I am familiar with using that form of birth control. But as soon as I am done nursing, the OB/GYN always suggests I switch back to the “standard synthetic birth control.” Back then, I was not as enlightened as I am now regarding the effect that synthetic hormones have on my body so I always switched to whatever the doctor suggested. I am due to deliver my third child any day now and my OB said that after my first 6 weeks past delivery that I need to have a plan for birth control. Although I imagine I will be sleep deprived, and desperetly wanting sleep, the option of the high dose progestrone which can be sedating is not feasible for me while raising three little ones. I read some studies on the use of melatonin and they all suggested to stay clear of using it while nursing. From the options given and the research I’ve seen, I feel the mini-pill would be the best and safest option of birth control for the next year. Do you suggest adding the dose of natural progesterone in addition to the mini-pill while nursing or wait and add it after weaning?
Thank you again for your time Dr. Mariano.@Mommyof3 711 wrote:
Do you suggest adding the dose of natural progesterone in addition to the mini-pill while nursing or wait and add it after weaning?
I am not advising anything. One always has to consult one’s health care provider on such issues.
Nursing, itself, helps prevent ovulation. Thus perhaps, in general, adding progesterone would not be as necessary.
My thought is that an augmented level of progesterone would not only augment the birth control effectiveness of a progestin only pill, but also reduce the progestin’s adverse effects. For example, Progestins increase the risk of blood clots because they block progesterone’s actions. The higher level of progesterone would be better able to compete for progesterone receptors against the progestin. This may make a progestin treatment safer.
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