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[Dorothy]

Have been under huge emotional stress this week and after the first day or so, my peri symptoms have gone through the roof.  Really painful joints and muscles, headache, cramps, hot flushes, night sweats.  I'm on BCP, running 3 packs together so haven't had a break for weeks, but at the moment, I feel as though I'm not taking anything.  Does stress affect your ability to absorb the hormones?  Because I really feel like I'm not getting the benefit of them at the moment.

[dazned]

I dont see that stress would effect how you absorb the hormones,however I would suggest that stress comes with large quantities of the hormone cortisol which is a powerful hormone that probably is overriding your bcp. A bit like how when you take ABS that too can knock your hrt out . Just a thought.

[Dancinggirl]

dazned makes a very good point.  Stress can induce all sorts of nasty physical things - I suggest you try some meditation??? DG x

[GypsyRoseLee]

I don't think the stress will have stopped you absorbing the BCP. It's probably that you have been so stressed that the BCP just can't help enough right now.

Having said that though, many years ago I was under huge stress at one point whilst on the BCP and didn't have a withdrawal bleed one month.

[Dorothy]

Thanks for the replies ladies.  I was wondering what on earth was going on, but your explanations make a lot of sense.  Maybe I would be feeling even worse without the pill, though that's hard to imagine at the moment.  Hopefully things will go back to normal soon.

[Hurdity]

Yes it can - in fact  I read this somewhere. If stress acts on your gut - which it does, then it will affect any medication that you take. If it means faster transit than usual then you could absrob less. This is why oral meds can give a more variable result - certainly this is the case with HRT.

Just had a look at the paper I have on this.

This is from the section about pharmacokinetics of oestrogen ( ie what happens to it in the body after it's taken in):

Owing to the large individual differences in the resorption and metabolism, there are considerable interindividual variations in the course and height of the serum concentrations of sex steroids in women treated with the same preparation. The coefficients of variation are usually in the range between 30 and 60%. The interindividual variations are mainly due to genetic or acquired differences in the intestinal and hepatic metabolism, while the intraindividual variations from day to day may be caused by external factors like diet, alcohol or drug consumption, smoking, physical activity, stress, etc., which may cause rapid and transitory changes in peripheral or splanchnic blood flow, absorption or metabolism

The paper is "Pharmacology of estrogens and progestogens: influence of different routes of administration" Kuhl 2005

Hurdity x

[Dorothy]

Resorption?  Splanchnic?? Coefficients of variation??? 

I think I've got the general idea though 

[BrightLight]

Yes, I also think it does, for similar reasons to Hurdity explaining. I don't think it is just HRT - we all metabolise differently and stress can have a big effect on that.  The liver and gut have a lot of work to do with hormones and also help eliminate excess estrogen, so it can work the other way too. Hope you feel better soon.

[orchid]

Dorothy...bless you! You're depressed Hun, get to your dr for AD's, I take Dosulepin they're mild and not like the SSRI's Prozac etc. Get on Oestrogel its bio identical HRT and more natural. I know exactly how you feel. Read some self help books, practice mindfulness (living in the present moment) MOST important, KEEP going drag yourself into the shower, go for a walk. BELIEVE me you won't want to I KNOW, but it's very IMPORTANT in your getting out of this. There are some good helplines if you need to talk to people MIND are always there to listen. Big hugs, you will get better! X

[orchid]

SO SORRY DOROTHY! that was meant for Clovie!! My apologies x

[Dorothy]

No worries orchid! 

[Hurdity]

Resorption?  Splanchnic?? Coefficients of variation??? 

I think I've got the general idea though 

I have no idea what splanchnic means either and I haven't bothered to look it up - it is a scientific paper after all - as you say what is being said is very clear despite some of the terms used! I make no apology for quoting from papers though - when I have the time I try to remember to reference some of the stuff I talk about otherwise it could sound as if I'm making it up as a lot is in my head from what I've read - and we are supposed to provide refs for information!!

OK I couldn't resist - it's Sunday morning after all! There you go.....

Splanchnic (Greek: σπλαγχνικός splanchnikos; from σπλάγχνον splanchnon, mostly found in its pl. form σπλάγχνα splanchna, "inward parts,[1][2] organs[3]") is usually used to describe organs in the abdominal cavity (visceral organs).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splanchnic

This term was not used in my Biol degree but maybe a medical term?

Wikipedia - the fount of all knowledge!!!

Hurdity

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

Just noticed his thread and was reminded of  a Ted Talk where the scientist explained that many pharmaceutical companies drug test on men only because women's hormonal cycles would interfere with their results. Her complaint was that these drugs are then prescribed to women without considering their different physiological needs.

Ho hum, guess it's still a man's world!

Take care everyone.

K.

[Dorothy]

Can't wait to be able to use Splanchnic in a scrabble game...assuming I remember how to spell it!  It's interesting how much variation there can be in the effectiveness of the treatment - would explain why, even though BCP is supposed to completely override your own hormones, there are times when it doesn't seem to be doing that!

Kathleen, it's interesting what you say about the hormonal cycle interfering with drugs.  Yes, it's still very much a man's world!