Why Are Recommendations Around Blood Pressure And Birth Control Being Updated
When US blood pressure guidelines changed in 2017, many more people were diagnosed with high blood pressure. That happened because the new guidelines tightened standards, as follows:
- normal blood pressure is less than 120 /80 mm Hg
- elevated blood pressure is between 120 and 129 mm Hg and less than 80 mm Hg
- high blood pressure is 130 mm Hg and 80 mm Hg or higher.
With these updated definitions, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. Black women are at particularly high risk: more than half of Black women over the age of 19 are diagnosed with high blood pressure.
If a woman has high blood pressure, the JAMA update recommends weighing three factors before starting an estrogen-containing birth control: a womans age, control of blood pressure, and any other risks for heart disease.
The JAMA update reviewed evidence based on an older definition of high blood pressure in the context of birth control use. Further research is needed to better understand how different ranges of blood pressure might affect women using birth control that contains estrogen. However, its unlikely that these recommendations would change further based on the newer definition of high blood pressure.
The Pill Blood Clots And Smoking
The pill can cause blood clots to form in your blood vessels. When a blood clot blocks a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain, it can cause a stroke.;;
When a blood clot blocks blood flow through a coronary artery, it can cause a heart attack.;
Cigarette smoking boosts your risk of serious health problems from birth control pill use, especially blood clots. If youre over 35, your risk is even higher.;
The good news? You can lesson your blood clot risk as soon as you go off birth control pills.;
Experts advise caution when considering if birth control pills are right for you, especially if you have other health conditions that increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
What Are The Best Birth Control Options For High Blood Pressure
There are other birth control options which are safer to use if you have high blood pressure.
You might be able to use progestogen-only prescribed birth control methods which include the mini pill, the contraceptive implant, the depo provera, or the mirena intrauterine device .
Your doctor could prescribe you a hormone-free IUD or diaphragm.
You can also choose to use over-the-counter birth control methods like male or female condoms, spermicides, or the sponge. If you dont want any more children, you could opt for permanent birth control methods like having your tubes tied .
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Women Taking Concomitant Medications
Serum progestin levels in women using progestin-only oral contraceptives and implants are lower than those in women using combination oral contraceptives. Accordingly, low-dose progestin-only contraceptives should not be used in women taking concomitant liver enzyme inducers. The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system remains effective when anticonvulsants and other liver enzymeinducing medications are taken. The effectiveness of DMPA in women taking liver enzyme inducers has not been studied.
How To Get Birth Control Pills
In the U.S., a person will need a prescription for birth control pills. Family planning clinics can provide prescriptions.
During an appointment, a healthcare provider will ask about the persons medical history and physical health to help them work out the most appropriate pill to prescribe.
In some states, a person can get a prescription online or directly from a pharmacist.
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Is It Safe To Take The Pill While Breastfeeding
Combination pills ;may reduce the amount and quality of your breast milk in the first 3 weeks of breastfeeding. If youre nursing, wait at least 3 weeks after giving birth to start using combination pills. Your breast milk will contain traces of the pill’s hormones, but its not likely that these hormones will have any effect on your baby. Talk with your nurse or doctor if you have any concerns about breastfeeding while using the pill.
Progestin-only pills are fine to use while you’re breastfeeding. In fact, using the mini pill and breastfeeding shouldnt have any effect on how much milk you produce, and won’t affect your baby.
The Varicose Vein Connection
Prevention of varicose veins and spider veins may be enough to make you reconsider using birth control pills. While they usually dont cause health problems, swollen and twisted varicose veins can be unsightly and sometimes uncomfortable.;;
The estrogen hormone in birth control pills can weaken your vein valves. When these valves weaken and dont properly close, it can prevent blood from flowing back to your heart. Blood can then leak back into the lower part of your vein. Over time, more blood gets stuck in the vein, building pressure that weakens the vein wall, causing your vein to grow larger.;
Birth control pills can change how your body works on many levels. If youre taking the pill or are considering doing so, follow these guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:;
- Dont mix smoking and birth control pills. If youre unable to quit smoking, choose a different form of birth control.;
- Pay attention to your diabetes. If you have a diabetes or have a close relative who does, get regular blood sugar tests.;;
- Watch your blood pressure. If your blood pressure rises while taking birth control pills, ask your doctor about changing pills or switching to another form of birth control.;;
- Talk with your doctor. If you have heart disease or another heart problem, or if youve suffered a stroke, ask your doctor about birth control options other than the pill.;;
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Can I Use Birth Control Pills If I Have High Blood Pressure
Medically reviewed by Dr. Nancy Shannon, MD, PhD on January 13, 2020
You can take birth control pills if you have high blood pressure, but you may be limited on your options. Some types of birth control pills have been known to raise blood pressure in women. This can be especially true in women who are overweight, have struggled with high blood pressure during a previous pregnancy, or have a family history of kidney disease or high blood pressure. Smoking can also significantly increase your risks of developing or exacerbating high blood pressure when taking birth control pills.
The primary concern with birth control pills and blood pressure occurs with combination pills. Estrogen is the hormone that can lead to increased blood pressure and should be avoided if you currently have high blood pressure. Luckily, there are birth control pills on the market that contain progestin-only, often referred to as the mini-pill. The mini-pill is safe to take when you have high blood pressure, but requires taking it at a more consistent time of day to provide the maximum effectiveness. If you have high blood pressure and prefer birth control pills for your method of contraception, talk to your local medical provider about your options. When using birth control with high blood pressure, you should have your blood pressure checked at least every six months.
Heart Disease & Birth Control At A Glance
- The estrogen in birth control pills and in hormone patches, implants, vaginal rings and injections can cause an increase in blood clotting, which could result in a heart attack. However, birth control pills are relatively safe for most women, particularly women younger than 35.
- Women who have any form of heart disease should not take hormone-based birth control methods without consulting their physician.
- Women who are at greater risk for heart attack due to age, obesity, smoking or other contributing factors should also consult their doctor about using hormone-based birth control.
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Real Risk Study: Birth Control And Blood Clots
Lucine Health Sciences;and;Hormones Matter;are conducting research to investigate the relationship between hormonal birth control and blood clots.;If you or a loved one have suffered from a blood clot while using hormonal birth control, please consider participating. We are also looking for participants who have been using hormonal birth control for at least one year and have NOT had a blood clot, as well as women who have NEVER used hormonal birth control. For more information or to participate,;
How Should I Take Provera
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
Provera is usually given for only a few days in a row each month.
Have regular physical exams and self-examine your breasts for lumps on a monthly basis while using Provera.
If you need major surgery or will be on long-term bed rest, you may need to stop using Provera for a short time. Any doctor or surgeon who treats you should know that you are using Provera.
This medicine can affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using Provera.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
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Can Birth Control Pills Raise Blood Pressure
by Sunshine · April 16, 2019
Hypertension is one of the most common medical conditions in both men and women, and the incidence increases with age. Many women develop high blood pressure after menopause, but even young women can have elevated blood pressure readings. Since younger women at high risk for hypertension may also take birth control pills, you might wonder how these pills affect blood pressure readings and whether its safe to take them if youve had high blood pressure readings in the past. You might also wonder whether birth control pills elevate blood pressure in women without a history of hypertension. Lets look at what science shows about oral contraceptives and their impact on blood pressure.
First How Do You Determine The Cause Of Swelling
Gradual swelling in your legs and feet might not be obvious. But if you have imprints from your socks,;puffy legs, or whats known as pitting edema , those are all signs that you have some extra fluid in your limbs.
Causes of leg swelling besides medication usually occur on one leg and could be caused by:;
- Deep vein thrombosis , where a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your leg, so fluid begins to pool
- Disease in the veins or lymph vessels
- Heart failure;
- Sitting or standing for long periods of time
One clue that your medication could be the cause is if you have swelling on both your right and left legs . If youre experiencing this symptom, look at this list and make sure you arent taking one of these 7 medications.
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It’s Easy To Get The Care You Need
See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.
They seem harmless enough. Quite possibly, most of the adult females in your life have taken them at one time or another. Birth control pills, or oral contraceptives known as the pill, have been around since the 1960s. Like most seemingly good things, however, theres a downside.;;
Studies have shown high-dose birth control pills to increase your risk for heart attack and stroke. While most pills today use lower hormone doses, the risks of using even low-dose pills are not fully known.;;
Experts advise caution when considering if birth control pills are right for you, especially if you have other health conditions that increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
How To Prevent Headaches
Taking your birth control pill at the same time every day may help reduce side effects. This is because your hormone levels remain steady. If you take a pill early one morning and then take one again in the afternoon the next day, it creates a gap between doses. This can cause a shift in your hormone levels and may prompt a headache. It can also lower effectiveness and increase your risk of pregnancy.
Taking over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers before menstruation begins may also help prevent symptoms before they occur.
Treatments that may help reduce headaches once they occur include:
- OTC painkillers, such as naproxen or ibuprofen
- prescription pain relievers
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How Birth Control Pills Affect Blood Pressure
In the past, oral contraceptives contained higher levels of estrogen than those commonly prescribed today. Studies show a link between birth control pills that contain high-dose estrogen and blood pressure increases. On average, blood pressure elevations while taking these pills was 3 to 6 mmHg for the systolic reading and 2 to 5 mmHg for the diastolic . Around 1 in 20 women who used oral contraceptive pills with higher doses of estrogen developed hypertension after taking them.
Since estrogen levels in oral contraceptives have dropped, the risk of hypertension while using them has too. In one study of 68,000 women, the relative risk of developing hypertension was 1.5 times greater in those using low dose estrogen contraceptives relative to those not using them. Even a history of using oral contraceptives in the past is linked with a slightly elevated risk. In most cases, the rise in blood pressure with the newer formulations is mild, although there are cases of women developing a significant rise in blood pressure, to the point of requiring emergency care.
It is not clear exactly how oral contraceptives increase the risk of hypertension in some women. One theory is that these medications activate a system in the kidneys called the renin-angiotensin system. This system controls fluid balance and how tightly blood vessels called arteries are constricted. When the renin-angiotensin system is overactivated, arteries tighten up and blood pressure rises.
Can You Take Birth Control Pills If You Have High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure and you want to start taking birth control pills, you should first see your doctor.
To make sure you take the right birth control for you, your doctor will first ask questions about your personal and family health to find out if you have other risk factors for heart disease.
Your doctor will also want to measure your blood pressure to know how high it is. A blood pressure reading of over 140/90 mmHg is in the high threshold and taking birth control pills with this reading isnt recommended.
You might still be able to use birth control pills, depending on if you have other risk factors These might be: the results of your blood pressure checks, and how well controlled your blood pressure is. Your doctor may agree you can use birth control pills as long your blood pressure is checked regularly, or they may suggest you use another birth control method instead.
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Temporary Pcos Explaining Pill
Guestpost by Dr. Shawna Darou, ND
A very common time for women to be diagnosed with PCOS is after coming off the birth control pill. The pill suppresses the communication between the brain and your ovaries which stops ovulation. When most women stop the pill, this communication will come back right away along with regular ovulation and regular periods. Some women however, will experience ovulation suppression for months or even years after the pill, meaning they wont have a period at all. In these cases, we need an accurate diagnosis in order to treat each case appropriately.
For women with absent periods after the pill, there are three more likely diagnoses:
Chart to diagnose the cause of absent menstruation after stopping oral contraceptives:
| ; |
Lab testing:
Treatment of Pill-Induced PCOS
Additional factors to consider:
High Blood Pressure And Women
A;common misconception is that high blood pressure rarely affects women. However, nearly half of all adults with high blood pressure are women. In fact, women that are just 20 pounds or more overweight, have a family history of HBP or have reached menopause are known to increase a womans risk.
While high blood pressure isn’t directly related to gender, throughout a womans life, health issues like pregnancy, pregnancy prevention and menopause can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Women represent almost 52% of deaths from high blood pressure.
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Heart Disease High Blood Pressure And Menopause
While you may have had normal blood pressure most of your life, your chances of developing high blood pressure increase considerably after menopause.
Heart disease risk rises for everyone as they age, but for women symptoms can become more evident after the onset of menopause.
How Common Are Contraception
Estimates of the prevalence of blood clots caused by birth control vary. This is because, over time, studies have researched different types of birth control using different methods.
It is clear that the hormones in a particular contraception can play a role, as well as a persons individual risk factors.
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