Hi all--
I have a small dilemma that has quickly developed into a fascination of mine; perhaps my interest will shed light on some information that will help women in similar situations. In late April, I chose to take "Plan B," an emergency contraceptive which consists of 1.5 mg levonorgestrel, a synthetic progesterone. I have never been on ANY hormones nor have I ever wanted to, so I was very upset at having to do this, but it was the responsible choice (following an irresponsible one.)
After taking it, my breasts got very hard and sore-- my nipples were rock hard for weeks and ached to the touch. About 2 weeks later, I noticed that my breasts had shrunk an entire cup size and were very saggy looking-- similar to women's descriptions of post-pregnancy/post-breastfeeding breasts (technical term is "breast involution," I guess.) I also have vaginal dryness and no libido. Using my knowledge of alt. medicine, I assume I've developed an estrogen deficiency in response to the high levels of synthetic progestin I exposed myself to
, or, if not a severe deficiency that demands treatment, a very irritating drop in estrogen levels.
Has anyone gone through this? I'm luckily menstruating fine and don't have any other side effects, but this medication is relatively new (within last 15 yrs), so I'm skeptical of the "FDA approved" side effects that are listed on the box or that a basic google search yields.
On the other hand, I do think its good this medication is available to girls who need it and aren't able to access herbs etc. for women's health (i use herbs to maintain/regulate my cycle etc; wild yam etc)
So I guess, to those women who've used this medication before, what were your side effects if any? The breasts are especially irritating to me-- they sag and don't fit my bras anymore. :yuck: Could be worse, though; at least I'm otherwise happy and healthy
THANKS ALL!
I have a small dilemma that has quickly developed into a fascination of mine; perhaps my interest will shed light on some information that will help women in similar situations. In late April, I chose to take "Plan B," an emergency contraceptive which consists of 1.5 mg levonorgestrel, a synthetic progesterone. I have never been on ANY hormones nor have I ever wanted to, so I was very upset at having to do this, but it was the responsible choice (following an irresponsible one.)
After taking it, my breasts got very hard and sore-- my nipples were rock hard for weeks and ached to the touch. About 2 weeks later, I noticed that my breasts had shrunk an entire cup size and were very saggy looking-- similar to women's descriptions of post-pregnancy/post-breastfeeding breasts (technical term is "breast involution," I guess.) I also have vaginal dryness and no libido. Using my knowledge of alt. medicine, I assume I've developed an estrogen deficiency in response to the high levels of synthetic progestin I exposed myself to
, or, if not a severe deficiency that demands treatment, a very irritating drop in estrogen levels. Has anyone gone through this? I'm luckily menstruating fine and don't have any other side effects, but this medication is relatively new (within last 15 yrs), so I'm skeptical of the "FDA approved" side effects that are listed on the box or that a basic google search yields.
On the other hand, I do think its good this medication is available to girls who need it and aren't able to access herbs etc. for women's health (i use herbs to maintain/regulate my cycle etc; wild yam etc)
So I guess, to those women who've used this medication before, what were your side effects if any? The breasts are especially irritating to me-- they sag and don't fit my bras anymore. :yuck: Could be worse, though; at least I'm otherwise happy and healthy
THANKS ALL!
