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Forums Forums Magic, Witchcraft and Healing I learned about a birth control method today that makes me angry…

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    Let me start by saying that I’m turning 50 in a few days, so, short of a National Inquirer-style medical miracle, I probably don’t need birth control to not become pregnant. However, I do have this pesky condition called Adenomyosis that has caused me to bleed heavily for months at a time – it’s similar to endometriosis, but is confined to the uterus. Quick and dirty version — due to the effects of estrogen, the uterine lining grows out of control into the surrounding muscle, and it’s not a good time for anybody.

    In my research about my condition, someone (on Reddit, I believe) mentioned that women were having a lot of success treating it with the once-a-week non-hormonal Indian birth control pill. Brand name: Saheli. Uhhhh… what? There’s a once-a-week birth control pill? Yeah, right. We would know about it. No, there is is. And it’s non-hormonal. We just don’t have prescription access to it in the US.

    Apparently this pill is so well-received in India (where it’s now been used for 30 years), the government makes it available for free for any woman who wants it under a differed name, Chhaya (gee, can you imagine that, in our current political climate? Free birth control?) I was floored. I’d never heard of this. The pill itself (generic name: Centchroman) is an estrogen blocker to the uterus only — does not affect other areas of the body (edit: yes, it does) – but it is not, in itself, a hormone. It’s taken twice a week for the first 3 months, then once a week there after. The only reported side effects are delayed or absent periods (but there may be others). It also works as a (very effective) morning after pill.

    Wow. Why don’t my daughters have this option? Why don’t any of us? Would FDA-approval be SO hard in the US for a drug that has been used safely in another country for 30 years? Apparently so. I guess there’s simply not enough money in it, or women’s health isn’t very important to the powers that be in this country. Or more likely, it’s too much power in the hands of women — power over our bodies that they don’t want us to have. I feel so… angry and frustrated. I never tolerated the estrogen/progesterone pill well during my younger years and would have loved to have this as an option.

    Anyway, sorry for the book. I am not a medical professional of any kind, and do not have the authority to recommend this pill to anyone. I do, however, encourage you to research on your own about it. The netflix series Sex Explained (episode title: Birth Control) mentions Saheli and the mechanism by which it works. It is NOT FDA approved in the United States, however, it is available through some sources as a “supplement” – again, not recommending, but knowledge is power. I’m certainly going to share this info with my daughters, and want as many women as possible to know every option we have, despite the powers trying so hard to limit them.

    ​

    Edit: While Saheli (Ormeloxifene) is described in several places online as having “no side effects” – there is definite potential for there to be some side effects (both good and bad), just different ones from the estrogen/progesterone combination pill. Thank you to all who have shared your thoughts and experiences, I will definitely be sharing mine with this treatment. I’ve discovered there is subreddit about this drug (not created by me) — but here it is for more info/experiences: [https://www.reddit.com/r/SaheliBirthControl/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SaheliBirthControl/)

    ​

    Thanks for the Reddit Gold, kind stranger!

  • I learned about a birth control method today that makes me angry…

  • Sherd_nerd_17

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Omg, all of the options that other countries get! This sounds incredible!

    Yep, I lived in Scotland for seven years- and when I remarked that my long-awaited 3-day vacation would fall exactly on my monthly time, my coworkers laughed and asked, “why don’t you just go to the doctor, and get it delayed?”

    Yep. In the Uk it’s entirely normal to get a prescription for bc for just a few days, to delay your period so that you can… enjoy life.

    The number of times that this would have saved me. Not just for vacations- what about that conference talk in a foreign city; that first super scary job interview; that first week lecturing all new classes at a new school… Nope. When I moved back to the US, this miracle option was never even heard of.

  • Flimsy-Field-8321

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    I had terrible pain from adenomyosis and finally got to have a hysterectomy. Best thing ever! My surgeon was so convinced that adenomyomas don’t cause the level of pain I had that he told me the surgery wouldn’t solve my pain. Guess what – it did!!

  • So_I_read_a_thing

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Is it available in Mexico, or Canada?

  • CranWitch

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    This pill could be so helpful to me as someone with endometriosis. I just had an iud inserted to prevent the buildup of my uterine lining which could develop into cancer. The iud already comes with side effects. This pill sounds like it would cut out at least some of those, even if I still may experience my regular pain from the condition. I also cannot use most hormonal birth control methods as it puts me at risk for stroke. The US needs to care about our lives and our bodies more than this. It’s frustrating to hear there maybe is an option for me but that I may not be able to get a doctor on board with even advising me about getting a hold of it.

    I don’t want to go off on my own and just remove my iud and switch over. But I’m struggling over here. I’m not happy with what feels like my only option. This could be a light in the dark for so many women like me.

    I’m in the process of finding a new doctor since I’ve just moved. Guess I have a new topic for discussion when I go in.

  • GraceisOasis

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Adenomyosis survivor here too- plus a couple fibroids and a chocolate tumor wherein my ovary flipped upside down and attached itself to my fundus. I really wish there had been a medication that I could have tried- my only options were deal with it, ablation or hysterectomy.

    I saw you were considering an ablation? If you try that, please know it may do the opposite- I had no cycle for one month and then it was so bad I needed blood transfusions. I was literally bleeding out. 2nd obgyn said it effectively removed anything holding back the flow- essentially I was one open wound until I got my hysterectomy at 35. I literally had a tan square on my lap from my constant heating pad wearing from the level of pain!

    When I yeeted the ute, it was the size of a pineapple, and had we waited, Doc said my tumor would have burst soon and that woulda just not been good. I kept an ovary, lost my craving for chewing ice, my hgb went back up to 12 (from 6, where I needed transfusions) and earned some stress incontinence from pelvic floor trauma. Oh the joys of menstruation 🙄.

    Anyway, just sharing for solidarity and support. ❤️❤️.

  • SouthyrnGypsy67

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    I had a total hysterectomy, ovaries too, about 30 years ago due to adenomyosis, endometriosis, and fibroids. The only problem i have encountered is that initially they put me on estrogen replacement therapy. Over the next couple of years, i began to have depression, weight gain and loss of libido as well as losing the ability to experience an orgasm. I talked to my doctor at the time and he stated me on a combination estrogen/methyltestosterone pill daily and the problem resolved within 2 weeks. I haven’t had any problems since. For me, it was one of the best decisions i ever made.

  • m155a5h

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    I used it forever and LOVED IT. You can purchase it without a prescription from AllDayChemist online. I just got rid of a bunch too!

  • PNWGLINDA8

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    I had an ablation many years ago. It was initially wonderful. It was a very new procedure at that time so when I ended up in the ER with severe abdominal pain no one thought twice about my uterus, not even me. It wasn’t until my 3rd visit that I started bleeding and I told the ER doctor that I shouldn’t be. My uterus had developed scar tissue and when it was hormonally time for me to have my period my uterus would try to shed that lining. OMG the cramping was insane! I ended up having a hysterectomy which was totally fine. I’m very curious about the once a week bc pill as I have plenty of granddaughters.
    There’s also a cool website called
    http://www.sisterzeus.com it’s all about women’s Healthcare.

  • FoolishSamurai-Wario

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Sounds like a similar story to trans care and cyproterone acetate.

    This is notably worse though, but,god.

    I’m sorry and understand 😞

  • Ebola_Cat

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Omg. Thank you for sharing this.

  • MyFaceSaysItsSugar

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Oh it gets worse. Estrogen birth control increases the risk of breast cancer. Centchroman appears to *reduce* the risk of breast and other cancers and it doesn’t cause blood clots. WTF big pharma? For US women, our options are the health risks of estrogen-based birth control, the potential mental health effects of progesterone-based birth control, or getting an non-anesthetized procedure with an IUD.

    We need government funding to push non-profitable meds through FDA approval. The pro-big pharma argument is that if there’s no profit with medication then there’s no incentive to innovate new meds. But putting the burden of FDA approval in the drug companies hands means that non-profitable meds don’t have an advocate to get FDA approval.

    Here’s the cancer science: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030721/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030721/)

  • Steelsentry1332

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Learning this has also pissed me off, and I never owned a uterus or the “monthly subscription to misery”, as one of my coworkers called it.

    Capitalism sucks, and so do the corporate scum who “regulate” (proper term should be “monopolize”) how my family here control their own bodies.

    Fuck the patriarchy, these old ballsack-necked politicians, and the useless government who has done jack-shit but argue, while getting absolutely nothing done. Useless professional liars, the entire lot of them.

  • extragoto10line

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    I argued with doctors for years to let me get a hysterectomy. Finally at 32 I found a doctor who would hear me out. Two painful biopsies and an uncomfortable ultrasound that the insurance demanded and then wouldn’t pay for I finally got my surgery. It was tough the first few months but the best decision I have ever made.

  • whutevernevermind

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    I was diagnosed with Adenomyosis as well. It took years to get access to the specialist and the only thing that I’ve been able to do to help so far is the Mirena IUD. It’s not perfect but I’m not ready to go through with a hysterectomy and I’m poor so there’s only so many options for me in my current Healthcare system.

  • Evilbadscary

    Guest
    May 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Adenomyosis is one of those things they never seem to tell women about. I mean, it can’t definitively be diagnosed until the uterus is removed, but I’ve had “suspected adenomyosis” for years and it explains SO MUCH.

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