Stopping the contraception pill and gaining better controll

[K.P]

Hello

Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them!

I’ve been on the mini pill Cerazette since I was 16 years old no breaks in it so taken it every day and now I am 30.

I’ve been really trying to get my sugars have got better in the last year or and I’ve started using the libre sensor I’ve also been on the insulin pump for about 8 years but I had become super insulin resistant so meaning I was injecting so much insulin and it not really having any effect on my levels until now!

I’ve stopped my pill about 1 week ago and it seems to have changed my diabetes completely.

My insulin sensitivity has come back and my average sugar level is 6.3mmol where as for months before it’s always been around 8mmol and the only thing I have changed is stopping my contraception pill! (Doctors have said stopping the pill was fine)

Can anyone explain how or why this could have changed my diabetes soo much. Doctors never mentioned the pill may have been the reason I’ve been struggling to control levels but I’m interested to see if anyone else has had the same issue.

Thanks in advance

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @K.p. There is an intrinsic link between hormones and insulin so it's no wonder you have seen a difference in stopping the pill, many woman also suffer around the time of the month due to the drop in progesterone levels, GP's don't seem to understand this link with type 1 very well, I remember a while after being diagnosed trying to convince a GP that my insulin needs changed greatly around the time and being told there was no link between the 2, however if you talk to an endocrinologist or even a diabetes nurse then they will have a better understanding of this, I tried the Mirena coil for a year and came off it for a number of reasons, discomfort, low mood and increased insulin resistance, the effect of coming off it was an instant relief in all of these areas and so I wouldn't try pill or coil ever again now.

 

[K.P]

Thank you so much for your reply. Glad I’m not the only one I just thought I’ve been trying for soooooooo long to get sugars under control but they never had any pattern to them and it’s like a magic wand has been waved over the last week its completely changed!! And the only difference is I’ve stopped taking my pill which I had been on for 14 years!!! But not once have I ever had it mentioned to me that the struggle might be being made worse by the pill! I’ve heard about periods changing the need for insulin and sugar levels but I’ve not had a period since I was 16 as I used to take the mini pill every single day! It’s crazy!!

Fingers crossed the good levels will continue

Thank you again

Hello @K.p. There is an intrinsic link between hormones and insulin so it's no wonder you have seen a difference in stopping the pill, many woman also suffer around the time of the month due to the drop in progesterone levels, GP's don't seem to understand this link with type 1 very well, I remember a while after being diagnosed trying to convince a GP that my insulin needs changed greatly around the time and being told there was no link between the 2, however if you talk to an endocrinologist or even a diabetes nurse then they will have a better understanding of this, I tried the Mirena coil for a year and came off it for a number of reasons, discomfort, low mood and increased insulin resistance, the effect of coming off it was an instant relief in all of these areas and so I wouldn't try pill or coil ever again now.

 

[Juicyj]

I have to admit I was also frustrated by the lack of information around periods/contraception and blood glucose control, that's why I had to trust my instincts when I challenged my GP over it, at the end of the day we live inside these bodies so can see the effect of what happens better than anyone viewing us externally, knowing what I know now of course I would avoid anything like this, but I have heard other type 1 women have few issues with contraception, so I do think it's luck of the draw.

 

[K.P]

Yep as they say everyone is different and what works for 1diabetic doesn’t mean to say it will work for another but it’s nice to know your not on your own when finding these issues! And yes there’s pretty much no information on it at all I’ve messaged my diabetic nurse to see what she thinks but who knows it’s the whole trial and error thing which is pretty much what you spend your life doing being a diabetic

I have to admit I was also frustrated by the lack of information around periods/contraception and blood glucose control, that's why I had to trust my instincts when I challenged my GP over it, at the end of the day we live inside these bodies so can see the effect of what happens better than anyone viewing us externally, knowing what I know now of course I would avoid anything like this, but I have heard other type 1 women have few issues with contraception, so I do think it's luck of the draw.

 

[BeccyB]

If anyone is looking for contraception that doesn't mess with hormone levels there is an alternative coil which doesn't use any. Obviously some women don't get on well with coils but it's a good option for those that can

 

[gemma_T1]

Hello

Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them!

I’ve been on the mini pill Cerazette since I was 16 years old no breaks in it so taken it every day and now I am 30.

I’ve been really trying to get my sugars have got better in the last year or and I’ve started using the libre sensor I’ve also been on the insulin pump for about 8 years but I had become super insulin resistant so meaning I was injecting so much insulin and it not really having any effect on my levels until now!

I’ve stopped my pill about 1 week ago and it seems to have changed my diabetes completely.

My insulin sensitivity has come back and my average sugar level is 6.3mmol where as for months before it’s always been around 8mmol and the only thing I have changed is stopping my contraception pill! (Doctors have said stopping the pill was fine)

Can anyone explain how or why this could have changed my diabetes soo much. Doctors never mentioned the pill may have been the reason I’ve been struggling to control levels but I’m interested to see if anyone else has had the same issue.

Thanks in advance

Hi!
I was never able to take the contraceptive pill ... the few times I tried my blood sugars hit 500!!!
Hormones have had a huge influence on my diabetes. My blood sugars are always higher the week before my period in fact i have a different nasal on my pump for that week.
Glad you are having success with lower levels and more control
I have to say I am shocked that no medical professional has ever mentioned this to you, whether a gynecologist, diabetes specialist or diabetes nurse. There seems to be so much superficiality in diabetes care all over the world, we really have to be our own physicians.
Thank goodness for this forum and all the diabetes blogs that are available.
If we didn’t have the internet to enable us to inform ourselves we would still be in the dark ages and that is really criminal.
No-one is diabetic by choice.