Wow, it’s been a long time since I wrote anything here. I cannot sleep so I thought I may as well get something done.
First of all, my sensitivities are nowhere near what they used to be and the only reason I can think of is that I went off my birth control. No, I’m not trying to get pregnant. I was suffering from chronic bladder infections for well over a year. After a painful procedure in December 2007 didn’t help, I followed the advice of someone who had the same procedure that wasn’t effective and went off my birth control to see if it could help me like it did with her. And ta-da! No more bladder infections! I was on Depo-Provera for 9 years.
From day one, I had horribly painful and emotional periods. Over the years, I missed many days of school and work because of my period. Then I started to get them more frequently like every 3 weeks. Back in 1999 when I asked my doctor for a hysterectomy, she told me that even though I said that I don’t want kids, I was too young and no doctor would perform the surgery on me. She then told me of a great birth control where you don’t have to take a pill and in most people, you eventually don’t get your period. Well, that was it; I was convinced that was the birth control for me. My last period before I went on Depo was in May 1999 and I never had another one until June 2008.
Depo saved my life back then; I was suffering terribly with my period and was just miserable. Once I got rid of my period, things were so much better. Not to mention all the money I saved not having to buy feminine hygiene products!
Skip ahead to October 2006. I got my first bladder infection that caused me so much pain, I had to stay home. Then I got another one 6 months later and when I mentioned it to my GP, she said we should keep an eye on them. Had I known what was to come, I would have asked for a referral to a Urologist right away but I didn’t know that it takes so long to see a specialist (it took 4 months). I was in the hospital several times over the next year with infections that seemed to be resistant to antibiotics and I’m sensitive to sulfa, a common antibiotic for urinary tract infections so that limited the options for treatment. I was given a tentative diagnosis of interstitial cystitis from my Urologist in December 2007 and I was peeing all day and all night, in so much pain and crying all the time. I was given a drug to help me stop peeing as frequently as I didn’t always have an infection when I was constantly peeing.
My last shot of Depo was in December 2007 and I didn’t get the next one that was due in March 2008. My last bladder infection was in March; that was 10 months ago! I still take cranberry pills as a preventative measure. I recently saw one of the girls who works at a clinic I went to at least every other week for almost a year and she was so pleased to see that I was no longer suffering. Who knew that my birth control was the culprit?!
But that’s not all it was causing. I no longer have acid reflux and my MCS is minor now. My MCS started to get better last summer and has gradually improved since then. I’m wondering if anyone else who suffers from MCS has it because of their birth control? Yet another chemical in your body that doesn’t belong.
I’m still using natural beauty, cleaning and laundry products because I learned how dangerous the chemical-laden ones are. Plus, now with the green revolution, everyone is making them; it’s so much easier to find natural products these days compared to 10 years ago.
And since I use natural products, I use Natracare feminine hygiene products. I keep my eye on when there are sales as they are more expensive than regular feminine products.
No Artificial Scents Please 