# Does the birth control pill cause gas?



## LisaL (Nov 14, 2000)

I wondered if this is at all possible. I hope there isn't a correlation between my IBS going away when I stopped it for 3 months, and starting again when I went back on the pill.I thought the Atkin's diet I am on took it away, but I have had gas again for the last two days and wondered if it was the pill.Can anyone help?Lisa


----------



## Guest (May 29, 2003)

Lisa... your avatar suggests that you are a nurse?I didn't check your profile.In general, hormones can affect just about anything in our bodies, the G.I. tract included. To be more accurate, hormones make us who we are.I personally have found that when estrogen was running high that I would have more IBS problems. In fact, too much estrogen has caused me countless problems.I am in a perimenopausal state at the moment and my hormones are in flux, which means they vascillate back and forth dynamically... and yes, this does cause more IBS issues.... especially gas. It also at times causes me behavioral health distress, as in depression.I have learned that relaxation therapies such as hypnotherapy provide the best IBS treatment. THOUGHTS = EMOTIONS = BIOLOGYIt's pretty simple, really. Evie


----------



## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

The pill itself cannot generate gas itself, of course. But it could influence gut motility in a way that moves (and thus expels) gas already present in a way that makes you think there is more.


----------



## Auroraheart (Aug 8, 2000)

Maybe it would be what you are taking with the pill? (like juice etc)btw...I e-mailed you awhile back


----------



## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

im on the yasmin birth control pill. i do get gas around my period time but i dont know if thats anything to do with the pill


----------



## LisaL (Nov 14, 2000)

Flux, can you please expand on what you mean when you say it could affect gas motility.Aurora, my dear, how are you? I would have written you back - if I didn't, your email got lost in cyberspace.







Lisa


----------



## Serenity (Feb 6, 2002)

Lisa,In addition to IBS, I have endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). I've tried a few birth control pills over the last few months. Overall, taking the birth control pill seems to have helped my IBS. I didn't notice any significant bloating and flatulence while taking Loestrin, a combined estrogen-progestin pill; however, I did experience much more of both while taking Micronor, a progestin only pill. Not sure what that means exactly, but it seems different formulations can have different effects on IBS. Maybe you just have to find the right one for you. Good luck!BTW, I used to live in Ajax.


----------



## LisaL (Nov 14, 2000)

Thanks Serenity!I'm in Pickering now.....will have to change my profile!Lisa


----------



## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quote:can you please expand on what you mean when you say it could affect gas motility.


Female hormones can have dramatic effects on the motility of the gut. Why gut responds to them, I don't know, but it does.


----------



## megsy33 (Feb 24, 2003)

Birth control pills do absolutely cause bloating, some more than others. Sometimes it's listed as a side-effect right on the package. If you have IBS and already have bloating and gas, the last thing you need is something on top of that causing MORE bloating. I had the same problem. I was on them for 5 years and stopped. My IBS is better without the bcp's.


----------



## LisaL (Nov 14, 2000)

Damn! I hate condoms, and will not use them. What other good altenatives are there???Lisa


----------



## Lubner (Feb 20, 2001)

There is the new contraceptive patch. It works with the same hormones as the oral pills, but bypasses the first pass in the liver by being absorbed through the skin. Lots of women really like not having to remember a pill every day too.


----------



## LisaL (Nov 14, 2000)

Tell me more Lubner! I wonder if it's in Canada yet....Lisa


----------



## Lubner (Feb 20, 2001)

You put the patch on the skin (shoulder, abdomen, buttocks) once a week starting the Sunday after your period starts. It is reapplied once a week for three weeks and then left off for a week, during which you get your period. The brand name is Ortho Evra.


----------



## LisaL (Nov 14, 2000)

Thank-you, thank-you. Is it as effective as the pill? Can I shower with it on?


----------



## Lubner (Feb 20, 2001)

Yes, it stays on during showers and baths, exercise, swimming, etc. Go on-line to www.orthoevra.com and it will give you lots of information. I don't know if it's available in Canada yet.


----------

