# The pill and ibs



## Loopy (Feb 20, 2005)

Does anyone know if the pill and ibs could be linked? I was shocked to realise the othr day that I have been on it seven years! And I'm only 19! The dcotor just stuck me on it for cramps, and I'm scared to come off it now as couldn't handle it if they came back along with my ibs. I also realised about seven years ago was when my ibs began. Has anyone heard about a possible link? Thanks, Loopy.


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## kateandtink (Sep 1, 2004)

well chick i dont like to freak you... i wa son the pill since i was almost 16 as i had heavy periods, then a few years later i had ibs, of course with the time difference i never even thought about it. until my boyfirned and i decided it was serious and then i was like: the pill doesnt work with ibs D so i decided to try the injection depo... strangley since the injection my D is a lot calmer the pill was triggering my D!?!?!?! if i eat things that are wrong for my ibs i still get attacks but i can get up some morning now and nothing happens, whereas before me and the toilet m,ade friends most of the morning lol


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't know that there is any way that the pill could cause IBS to occur.But GI symptoms can be affected by female hormones. However, this works both ways, some people's IBS gets much better on the pill, but some people find they get worse.K.


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## Loopy (Feb 20, 2005)

Madness! I've heard lots of people have problems on the pill, and now I kind of need to be on it for other reasons if you know what I mean. I would like to give my body a break, but then I would rather do it when I'm single! Aaaaa!


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## pinupgirl1948 (Aug 6, 2003)

I had IBS way before i was on the pill.Since hormones do have an effect on the bowel during my periods,the pill probably does effect IBS for better or worse.I agree with what Kath M. said.I guess it's possible that it could cause bowel problems for some people?


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## Loopy (Feb 20, 2005)

Thing is my ibs gets so much worse when period pain is bad, so the pill cuts the period pain so does help the ibs at that time. I really don't know.....


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## kateandtink (Sep 1, 2004)

the pill can affect some of us. those who are affected by hormones with the intake of them into the blood stream, others are just affected by the lactose in the tablets, like i am and for rest the two combined have a synergistic affect... one of those weird occurences


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## 16633 (Mar 29, 2005)

Dear Loopy,I'm glad you asked 'the pill question', as I was wondering about it myself.I started the pill at the age of 14. My IBS-D started at the same time in my life. I suspect the pill was the trigger.The worse is: I stopped the pill at the age of 20, and IBS is still here (I'm now 27). I never tried to link IBS and cycles, but I certainly will try to keep a diary of this from now on, as it seems hormones play a big role in all of this. Besides, I learnt on this site that 70% of sufferers are women, and I am amazed at the number of them in these forums who say their IBS started with pregnancy. Is there anything those bloody hormones of ours can be any good for?!? I'm thinking that if I can identify times in my cycle when IBS is more frequent, then I could adapt my diet more around these dates. Has anyone tried this approach yet? Does it work?KC


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## miranda (Apr 16, 2004)

at first i was on alesse and i had no problems with ibs or my gut. it kept me on a constant rate of hormones, it's one of those pills where each one is the same.i went off it for about 6 months and my ibs d flared up unbeleivably. my doctor said it probably had nothing to do with the pill but i think it did... now i'm on a tri cyclic pill (for acne reasons) where each week is a different dose of hormones.i can definately see its effect on my ibs each week, the first week of pills cause more problems and they generally get better the closer i get to my period. often the last few days of my period when i'm off the pill are great, no problems, wonderful bathroom experiences... ahhh..


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## 22688 (Apr 4, 2005)

Interesting. My ibs flared about four years ago and I went on the pill shortly after that. Doesn't seem to be related, but everyone is different. Re going off the pill and cramps... I recently went off it after three years. I used to have moderate cramps but they haven't come back! The acne, however, kinda did (though not as bad as being a teenager)


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## kateandtink (Sep 1, 2004)

yeah injection is good but this is the 3rd time adn its given me acne so im giving up on it adn going to try to find a pill that doesnt make my ibs too bad! lol just when you find something that works soemthing else goes wrong....i can tellmy hormones levels and that from my IBS too...


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## lxdreamerxl (Mar 8, 2005)

I was actually put on the pill partly for irregularity and partly because my doctor thought it might settle my hormones and help my IBS, because my IBS started before I was on the pill.My IBS-D always gets worse around that time because I still get cramps and they just make things worse, but taking the pill at least caused this to only happen once a month, which I guess helped a a little.Anyways, I agree with what most people are saying on here...I think it could cause a positive or negative effect on your IBS but I don't see that it would cause IBS itself.


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## 18944 (Sep 15, 2005)

Hello,This is my first post at ibsgroup, though I've been suffering from IBS for about a year.I started taking birth control pills to help my acne at the beginning of August 2004. Towards the end of my first round of it (it may have even been on my last pill day - I'd have to check my old calendar) that I had my first IBS-D attack. A few days later and I was fine, until the end of my next cycle. I was convinced that it was my pills causing it, but I was forced to remain on them to see if anything else worked first. By the time I suggested a relation again, I was assured that there was no way the BC was the cause.I went through the millions of tests associated with IBS, was on one medication, switched to another, and am about to switch to yet another medication. Recently, I became interested in the link between BC and IBS again, and am considering going off my pills (though I won't be doing so yet because I want to make sure it's my new medication that's working and not being off the BC).I just wanted to know if anyone had similar timing with their first attack and their first BC round.


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## Loz88 (Sep 6, 2005)

I just noticed a change a few weeks ago, i had my week break to come on my period as usual. As soon as i came on my period (where i didn't take the pill) my D stopped completely!!! I only realised this when my boyfriend pointed this out. I have now come off the pill and i have to say, my D has eased a lot.


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## 14252 (Nov 30, 2005)

isnt it funny how you are thinking something in your head and then someone asks a question on here and you are amazed how many people were thinking the same thing.ive had ibs d for 6 years but started on the pill injection depo 9 months ago and things got alot lot worse,i have been off it now for nearly 3 months just to see if things got better but they havent,dont know wether its because its still in my system,or wether it was nothing to do with the pill injection as i was also on 3 lots of strong antibiotics around the time i started the deposo im still very much undecided on the whole pill-ibs link.but its interesting to hear how it affects other people.


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