What About Lybrel ?

I have an opinion about that dastardly drug and I'm pleased to share it. I use the word, "opinion", but I think my conclusion draws most heavily on fact and logic.

I might be able to better understand a woman's interest in fewer periods - if I was actually a woman. As it is I think there is a certain amount of wishfulness and foolishness in any attempt to thwart Mother Nature. But, there are many business that play on those kinds of wistful fantasies; "if only I had larger breasts", "if I was taller", "if my complexion was clearer", "if I had a larger penis", "if I had more money", "if I was thinner", and so on.

 

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Of course you know that I oppose the use of chemicals, particularly the ones used to prevent pregnancy. I understand the desire to avoid unwanted pregnancies, but I conclude that there are far safer methods. Our social structure insists that humans are just thinking animals and are prone to being overcome with desires and can't stop themselves from having sex when the risk of conception is high. There are numerous systems that don't accept that ideology and suggest t strongly that both women AND men have the ability to say NO. We are not beasts driven by passion. We're rational, spiritual creatures, who have the power to resist. It isn't easy, but it is possible.

In response for the "need" to be sexually active whenever we want, science has devised dangerous drugs that prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. That's the primary method by which birth control pills work. The drugs make the uterine lining inhospitable to implantation. Eventually the drop in progesterone, coupled with discontinuing the PILL allows the lining to be removed - we call that a period.

There is nothing new about Lybrel. It works exactly the same as its predecessors. The only real difference is that the woman does not stop using it. That means the uterus remains in a chemically induced state until the drug is stopped. Then, with luck, a period will start. It is likely that some women will stop their cycles for good when they interfere chemically for a long stretch of time. Evidence will take years to accumulate. I've seen it happen with "regular" PILLS.

Here's a little metaphor I refer to as "The Cork". Suppose a person decided that the need to use the bathroom was a bother. She wanted to spend her time doing something other than sitting on the throne. As a solution to that "problem" she inserts a cork to stop the process of elimination, so to speak. Just imagine the agony after just a day or two. The cork might interfere with a process that takes place daily, while that new PILL is impeding a process that takes several weeks to develop each month. I think the idea behind the metaphor has "traction". There are also drugs available that can STOP the motility of the GI tract, effectively stopping the progress of materials from the stomach to the exit. That would be a chemical alternative to the cork. It still boils down to "messing with "Mother Nature".

I conclude that Lybrel is an abomination and should not be allowed. However, I'm probably in the smallest of minorities on the issue. In support of my conclusion I have posted the "official" information about Lybrel that is published on the Wyeth site for Lybrel,

It contains 90 mcg lenonorgestrel (a synthetic progestin)
        20 mcg ethinyl estradiol

Some of the "official" warnings

• The Pill does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.
• Unscheduled bleeding or spotting is likely to occur while you are taking LYBREL. The convenience of having no regular menstrual periods should be weighed against the inconvenience of unscheduled or unplanned breakthrough bleeding and spotting.
• Some women should not use the Pill, including women who have blood clots; breast, uterine, or liver cancers; a history of heart attack, stroke, or breast cancer; as well as those who are or may be pregnant.
• Serious risks associated with the Pill which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks and are increased if you smoke cigarettes.
• Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious adverse effects on the heart and blood vessels from oral contraceptive use, especially if you are over 35. Women who use the Pill are strongly advised not to smoke.
• LYBREL provides women with more hormonal exposure on a yearly basis (13 additional weeks of hormone intake per year) than conventional cyclic oral contraceptives containing the same strength of synthetic estrogens and similar strength of progestins.
• Because regular monthly bleeding does not occur on LYBREL, it may be difficult to recognize if you get pregnant. If you suspect that you may be pregnant, or if you have symptoms of pregnancy such as nausea/vomiting or unusual breast tenderness, you should have a pregnancy test and you should contact your health care professional.
• The most common side effects reported with LYBREL in a clinical trial were headache, menstrual cramps, upper respiratory infection, vaginal bleeding, and nausea.

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The most common side effects reported with LYBREL^® in a clinical trial were:

• Headache
• Menstrual cramps
• Upper respiratory infection
• Vaginal bleeding
• Nausea

As with all oral contraceptives, women may experience weight gain or weight loss.

If any of the following side effects occur while you are taking an oral contraceptive like LYBREL, call your health care professional immediately:

• Sharp chest pain, coughing of blood, or sudden shortness of breath (indicating a possible clot in the lung)
• Pain in the calf (indicating a possible clot in the leg)
• Crushing chest pain or heaviness in the chest (indicating a possible heart attack)
• Sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, disturbances of vision or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arm or leg (indicating a possible stroke)
• Sudden partial or complete loss of vision (indicating a possible clot in the eye)
• Breast lumps (indicating possible breast cancer or fibrocystic disease of the breast; ask your health care professional to show you how to examine your breasts)
• Severe pain or tenderness in the stomach area (indicating a possibly ruptured liver tumor)
• Difficulty in sleeping, weakness, lack of energy, fatigue, or change in mood (possibly indicating severe depression)
• Jaundice or a yellowing of the skin or eyeballs, accompanied frequently by fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, dark-colored urine, or light-colored bowel movements (indicating possible liver problems