query about hormonal birth control

[flea]

I have acne that is very strongly tied to my menstrual cycle. It has vanished both times I have been pregnant and nursing, only returning when my period comes back.

I've never used any kind of hormonal birth control. Do you think it might have the same effect? I seem to recall the hormones used in the pill and Mirena IUD fake the body into thinking you are already pregnant. Is that right? And if so, would they fake my body into not making pimples? Because that would be nice.

Has anyone had similar hormone symptoms while on the pill and pregnant/nursing? Is it worth talking to my ObGyn about?

Comments

[mightyurchin.livejournal.com]

Can't speak to the acne question, but my caution would be that if you are considering getting pregnant again, you might want to wait before starting the pill. One of the potential side effects (which I experienced) is depression (and there are others), and they suggest you ride it out for 3 months, because typically the side effects subside after that amount of time (and they did for me). So it's not necessarily something you want to be going on and off. That said, I haven't gone back on it yet so I don't know for sure that you'd experience the same side effects the second time. However, when I explained my reason for not wanting to go back on it right away to my OB/GYN, she didn't contradict me.