Can birth control pills cause lupus??

[Mimi_m98]

I started taking the pill a year ago and about 5 months later I noticed changes in my body and health. I was completely healthy and suffered no diseases prior to taking the pill. The changes were leg pain like a cramping pain, and the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis which I mentioned in my last post. I searched on the internet if there could be a link between the pill and autoimmune diseases such as lupus and found some studies concluded that the hormonal changes that occur in the body due to taking the pill can raise the risk of developing lupus. So should I go off the pill and see what happens??

[AgedCrone]

Why don't you speak to your doctors? The Pill has been around for 60 year& I have never read anything about it being associated with RA, but then I'm not a doctor& don't follow the literature on this subject.

If you are uncomfortable taking it & you think it might be connected to your RA ...talk to you rheumatologist.....or if you have not been diagnosed with RD the doctor who prescribes the pill for you.

Dr Google throws up some very strange answers, & we amateurs can very often jump to the wrong conclusion.?

Check with the professionals.

[Mimi_m98 in reply to AgedCrone]

I am planning to discuss this issue with my rheumatologist but getting an appointment takes time since the waitlist is long. Thank you.

[AgedCrone in reply to Mimi_m98]

Please call your rheumatology nurse helpline...don't muck about with the Pill....it can cause some nasty side effects. If you can't get an answer from them, speak to your GP....but do something now ...don't hang about waiting for a rheumy appointment.

[Stina232323]

I have had lupus since I was 23. For me, the pill didn’t cause lupus, it was already there. The hormones in the pill just brought on a huge flare up. I went off the pill, and I was much, much better. I do not take any medications with any type of hormones because I know it will cause a large flare. There will be many things that you may come into contact with that will cause a flare of your lupus. It doesn’t mean that they are causing the disease. I found out completely by dumb luck that if I did not eat gluten/wheat, I felt remarkably better. I had been religiously following the Atkins diet prior to my cousins wedding. The wedding was only a week away, my dress was all fitted and I was happy with how I looked so I said “screw it! I’m having a beer!” Well I had about half the bottle before I had to run to the bathroom and throw up. As I started eating more and more wheat/gluten, the worse I felt. So now I avoid it at all costs. If I eat any wheat/gluten, I will throw up about 5-10 mins after, depending on the amount contained in the food.

It’s hard to find any reliable sources that will give you all of the issues you may encounter with lupus. You just have to listen to your body and figure out what you may have eaten or come into contact with that has given you unpleasant symptoms. But that is par for the course with lupus as there is still so much we don’t know about it.

I hope that my explanations made sense to you and I wish you all the best

[Mimi_m98 in reply to Stina232323]

Thank you! I read that being on a gluten free diet helps a lot, I will try that and also go off the pill and hope for the best. Take care!

[rafeeasr]

Hello, like you, I did some research on the subject because I had a similar suspicion. I came across the same studies which indicated that there could be a link. In august last year i was diagnosed with ITP and started a course of prednisolone. My platelets were at 2. One of the first things my doctor did was take me off the birth control pill and recommended that i use non-hormonal options. Since then, and after having a relapse while on the prednisolone, my diagnosis has been undifferentiated connective tissue disease which my haematologist and immunologist both agree will develop into lupus. I still have strict orders from both that I cannot return to taking the pill. I was taking lindynette. If I may make a humble suggestion, please talk to your doctor's and get their advice. The pill may not be the root cause but it could initiative a flare of a previously dormant condition. Hope this helps!! Best of luck to you! --Rafeea

[rafeeasr in reply to rafeeasr]

*initiate

[Mimi_m98 in reply to rafeeasr]

I will speak to my Rheumatologist about this it just takes time to get an appointment as the waitlist is quite long. Thank you and take care!

[rafeeasr in reply to Mimi_m98]

You're most welcome! I totally understand. Took me one month to get an appointment. Other healthy practices may help while you wait for example add things which reduce inflammation in the body like omega-3, exercise and juicing. And also think about reducing things which contribute to inflammatory activity like sugar and gluten.

[Mimi_m98 in reply to rafeeasr]

Thanks! I will definitely keep that in mind!

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK]

Hi Mimi_m98,

Have you discussed your concerns that the contraceptive pill could be linked to your symptoms with your doctor? Did you ask whether stopping or changing the pill could be trialled to see if it helps alleviate your symptoms? I would recommend discussing it with them rather than just stopping it yourself.

It seems that there is no evidence to currently confirm whether the contraceptive pill may play a role in the development of lupus or not. We do believe that the female hormone oestrogen can play a role in triggering lupus in some people because the majority of people with lupus are female, it often develops during times of hormonal change (puberty, pregnancy and menopause) and the combined contraceptive pill can trigger flares and blood clots in people with lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome. Women with lupus are generally advised to use the progesterone-only pill to help prevent these effects.

Lupus and other autoimmune diseases develop due to a combination of a genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. Hormonal changes may be one possible trigger, but it isn’t possible to prove conclusively for any individual what may have caused their disease

[Mimi_m98 in reply to Chanpreet_Walia]

Hi Chanpreet_Walia,

I am planning to discuss this with my GP, my parents insist that I go off the pill as they are very worried. But I do agree with u that I should try to change the brand and see what happens before I stop taking them completely. Thank you.