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

[amy37.livejournal.com]

I think there are a few BC pills routinely prescribed for just that purpose -- and some of them even mention it in the advertising.

I was the opposite -- my skin was HORRIBLE while I was pregnant, and I generally break out at least once when my period hits. But if your body operates the other way around, the pill would probably help. Plus, you're a good candidate. Healthy, you don't smoke, etc.

[jarsy.livejournal.com]

Yup, my pill (Dianette over here, probably something else where you are) is prescribed to clear up skin (and my skin had some clearing up to be done, let me tell you). Luckily for me, it also stops me getting pregnant.

[serrana.livejournal.com]

Yeah, hormonal birth control pills will usually help with acne. Which was certainly nice when I was younger. The IUDs are a lot lower-dose, so I'm not sure they'd do the same thing.

I spent some years on the pill, because it's therapeutic for endometriosis...and honestly, even on a low-dose pill, I really ended up hating it a lot, because it was, erm, counterproductive (it's not really constructive when your birth control method makes your libido fall through the floor). But not everyone has that reaction.

[the-girl-sleuth.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how much acne you have, but I know that for me, when I started getting hormonal acne in my 30s, salmon oil pills did the trick. I suppose if you were really hard core, you could take cod liver oil, but the salmon oil worked for me, getting rid of all the cystic acne on my chin.

[mearagrrl.livejournal.com]

Not sure about the IUD, but yes, one of the reasons I am on the pill (since it sure ain't about preventing pregnancy) is because my skin is much better on it.

[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.