Hi Kelsey,

I have been getting massive ovarian cysts since I had UC. I have a pouch, pouchitis and now qa Crohn's diagnosis.

Anyways, I have the Mirena IUD because I was also told that BC may not be fully absorbed. It works great for me.

Hope this helps.
~Tammy

I think it is fairly individual how BCPs are absorbed, and it is not a given. There is no real reason why you would not absorb them since they are absorbed in the small intestine, unless you have a very rapid transit time or are taking antibiotics.
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5...control-digest_.html
Also, if you have small bowel Crohn's disease, that could impact absorption.

I think that the real problem is that they really do not know how well you are absorbing them unless you get pregnant (pretty lousy test in my opinion).

If it is a big concern, how about the patch? Or does that not work so great for PCOS either?

Jan

Good Ideas everyone, thank you!
Now, have you ever heard of this:
My doctor (psychiatrist) found out that I was sexually active. I never hid it from her, in fact I told her I live with my boyfriend, does she think we sit there and hold hands? I was fifteen minutes late, but there was an accident in the tunnel--that was not my fault. I called to say I'd be late. But she acted like a teenager and had her nurse take me and then talked to me for ten minutes about how I should have told her I was sexually active and she wants to pull me off all my anti-depressant medication because I COULD get pregnant. Then as I left she said, "Sorry we had to do it this way, I had another client who was right on time so I had to see her first." WELL if that's not passive aggressive I don't know what is.

So on that note, anyone know where to look for good psychiatrists in Minneapolis?!

Passive aggressive indeed! I think her major story is that she is mad at herself because she never asked you about whether or not you were sexually active, and she was afraid of the litigation that could ensue if you became pregnant because of a drug interaction. Stupid of her to make assumptions, especially when you don't live in a convent. It is her job to know what is pertinent and what is not.

Stuff like that tends to bring out the true colors...

Jan

After a week the pain is not going away. Is it excessive to go to the ER more than once for re-hydration and pain relief? I've had loose stools the last three days despite my use of immodium and percocet. That in itself has me worried enough to get it checked out, but I know the ER isn't always the best place to go.

I usually find (especially during flu season) that ER is not the best place to go unless we are dying...they just don't get it and you end up spending 5 hrs waiting and wish you hadn't...can your do not give you a hormone patch? or a gel? Here they have these tubes of hormone gel, you put a drop on your forearm and rub it in every morning...no absorbtion problems...
Sharon

Well Sharon I wish I had seen that post sooner! I have effectively wasted two days (because who goes to school when they're flaring--someone much stronger than I, that's who) going to that ER yesterday AFTERNOON. I just got home. Definitely reminded me why the ER is not always in and out pain relief.
Between the cysts and the UC flare I'm in a lot of pain (I know technically it's 'CUFFITIS' but I can't bare explaining to people that after four surgeries I still have 2cm of ulcers in my rectum so I just call it a colitis flare). I get the same stomach pain and dehydration/diarrhea I did with UC flares. Then I have a cyst despite being on a birth control (Depo) that is supposed to stop me from ovulating, haven't had that pain in months so I'd grown used to being without that particular pain. Anyway, where does a girl get some non-narcotic pain relief? Or effective pain-relief, narcotic or otherwise?!
My belly is so distended I feel like I've put on twenty pounds during this flare. Also the whole hormones-out-of-whack thing affects me physically and emotionally.
Thanks for reading!

Kelsey,
I am wondering if the cyst is not throwing your hormones out of wack anyway, inspite of the pill (especially if it is a timed mini hormone that can sometimes not be strong enough or run right through us)and that is exacerbating the cuffitis...they are often related...our hormones effect our digestive system something awful (diareaha during pms and periods, double cramping etc)...When they had me on progesterone for my cysts they gave me this tube of hormone gel to 'add' to the mix if I felt like I was cycling anyway, getting breakthrough bleeding of felt like they cysts were out of control...I didn't really need to use it other than during the flu season when I felt that the pill had excaped out of my pouch without dissolving...
Heating pads and hot water bottles were a great help to me and so were hot baths (I lived in tub when I could)...eating light helped too because with less in my pouch I felt like there was less pressure down there.
Hope that this helps kid, and no, I wouldn't be going to classes either if I were you (although I went all of last week and this inspite of the flu...I am the teacher, no choice!)
Sharon