After the birth of my second child in November 2008 I decided that I wanted to talk to my Gynecologist about starting on a low hormone birth control pill. I had never used an oral contraceptive before, my husband and I always used condoms in the past, and I have never gotten pregnant when we have been actively trying to prevent it. After experiencing a postpartum hemorrhage after the birth of our daughter however, my doctor recommended we take a few extra precautions. A pregnancy before my daughter turns two years of age would also be extremely high risk given the trauma my body experience during the hemorrhage.
After being examined at my six week postpartum check-up my doctor decided to start me on a birth control pill called Loestrin 24 Fe. He chose this particular pill because my iron levels were low. Loestrin Fe reduces the length and quantity of menstruation and iron pills are included in the pack for days when a woman has her period. He told me to wait until the first Sunday after my first postpartum period (I had not yet resumed menstruation after the birth of my daughter) and start my first pack of pills.
A couple of weeks later I got my period and the Sunday after I started taking Loestrin 24 Fe. The first day I did not notice myself feeling any differently than I had previously. The second day however I noticed that I had a slight headache and was a bit lightheaded. I was sleep deprived as my daughter was not sleeping through the night and I did not attribute my symptoms to the birth control. That night I woke up and felt like my left arm had fallen asleep. This was unusual but I thought I had just been laying on it wrong and brushed it off.
My third day taking Loestrin 24 Fe I knew I had a problem. I noticed that I had decreased sensation in the left side of my face. I also started experiencing chest pains. I was very frightened and called my doctor who told me to come in right away. I called a babysitter for the kids and I called my husband who came home from work as I was not in good condition to be driving.
When we arrived to the doctors office he did a neurological exam and ran some tests. He immediately took me off of Loestrin 24 Fe. He told us that some women’s bodies cannot handle the added hormones that are in oral contraceptives. Given my reaction to Loestrin 24 Fe he was very afraid I would have a stroke if he kept me on it or put me on any other type of hormonal contraceptive.
Oral contraceptives are a wonderful form of birth control for most women. Some women like myself however are not able to handle the hormones of birth control pills. It is important that any woman who is on an oral contraceptive pay close attention to any unusual symptoms she is having. If a woman is experiencing numbness, chest pain, or pain in her legs while on the pill she should talk to her doctor right away.
