Pill Problems

She skipped a few pills during the first week of her birth control usage. Ever since, she has been experiencing heavy brown discharge. What is this stuff, and how can she get it to go away?

Case #: 1457

Concern：

I have done some reading on birth control pills and the damage it can do to the female body. I have found out that things can get really bad if you skip a pill or two. Well, the first week I started using The Pill I missed 2 pills and I have been suffering from it. Ever since, if I miss a pill or not, I experience heavy brown discharge. I never experienced any of this before the start of birth control. What is this and can I get rid of it?

Discussion：

Birth control pills have a concomitant effect on the body, meaning that symptoms build over time. The reason you’re not supposed to skip pills, especially in the first week, is because of the relative amount of hormones they contain. Most hormonal birth control starts with a high dosage of hormones in the beginning of the month, and tapers off towards the end, just like your normal menstrual cycle.

When you skip pills, the hormone levels get patchy and uneven, and the effects (not becoming pregnant) can no longer be guaranteed. Plus, as a new birth control user, you’ll probably also experience nausea if you either miss too many days in a row, or try to make it up by taking more than one pill in a day.

Why Is This Happening To Me?

That lecture aside, your missing pills are not the reason why you’re having brown discharge. Your brown discharge is the result of your body’s interaction with the synthetic hormones in birth control, estrogen and progesterone

Your body naturally makes progesterone and estrogen, and these hormones control your menstrual cycle. Estrogen tells the uterus to build a thick layer of nutrient-rich tissue, called the epithelium, and also stimulates ovulation. Progesterone’s normal role is to tell the body when it has not become pregnant, and to begin flushing out the unused epithelium.

The progesterone and estrogen in birth control cause your body to function a bit differently. In fact, it’s now mostly progesterone that’s calling the shots. More progesterone means that your body creates more cervical mucus, to keep out more sperm. It also means that your body has less estrogen present (they function antithetically), so you have a thinner epithelium. Unfortunately, progesterone often has a third, unwanted effect based on these two mechanisms—brown discharge.

The excess cervical mucus equates to excess discharge generally. However, the decrease in estrogen means that your menstrual cycle isn’t as stable, and encourages the release of small amounts of the epithelium throughout the month, eg. spotting. These small amounts of blood become mixed into your cervical mucus, oxidize, and are released as brown discharge. Gross but interesting, huh?

Fixing the Flood

What you can do about this problem is to increase the levels of estrogen in your body whilst on birth control, and to help your body remove the overly high levels of progesterone that are causing this issue. I recommend an herbal remedy featuring herbs with high levels of phytoestrogens. These plant chemicals function as estrogen within the body, but do not affect the body as strongly as true estrogen, and cannot be stored by the body—removing the potential for a reverse situation.

The solution I have in mind contains such herbs, namely Mexican Wild Yam and Fenugreek, as well as specific herbs for detoxification and healing throughout the female reproductive system. (TRY: Natural Herbal Formula for Vaginal Detox & Infection Relief) I’m sure that by beginning this formula, you will soon see an end to your annoying problem. Best of luck!

What to do

Vaginal Infection Relief & Detoxification Formula

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