Anyone else on The Pill?

[whatagem]

Not the only reason I wanted to quit smoking--but I do know smoking while on birth control can raise the risk for blood clots.

So my question is this:
Is it smoking cigarettes
or the taking in of nicotine?

If I'm no longer smoking but chain-vaping do I still have the same risk for blood clots?

What if were to need surgery? I know most recommend to quit cigarettes before & after any type of surgery. What about vaping?

[Valkerie]

While these questions should be addressed to your doctor, I recently had surgery. Everyone (doctors, nurses and technicians) knew I'd switched to electronic cigarettes, no one asked me to quit e-cigs before the surgery.

However, 12 hour before surgery - I was on lock-down for food, water and smoking/vaping, per doctors instructions.

Talk to your doctors.

[Mary Kay]

I agree with Val, about asking a medical person.
I was told not to smoke before surgery..which of course I ignored. I always heal at lightning speed..but I could have done damage. The Dr. said it was the nic that inhibited clotting after surgery. The cigarettes also cause breathing problems, since you are flat on your back after surgury, you run the risk of pnumonia.
As for just vaping, I don't know. We really don't get a lot of nic doing this. But who knows how much is too much when having surgery.
I don't need the pill or anything else since my Hysterectomy, so I can't answer about that. It does sound like you took a great step in quitting smoking while on them though. As soon as you find the answer to the clotting question..will you please post it here?
Congrats on losing the cigs!

[whatagem]

Being on the pill while vaping is more of a concern than surgery--that only came to mind because a friend's brother just had surgery & doctor's urged him to quit before the surgery (for an ulcer) Friend mentioned this to me & I always knew smoking was bad for healing pricess & constricts the blood vessles but it suddenly occured to me that it might be the nicotine alone.

I don't have another yearly gyno appt till mid summer. I might post something to the WebMD forums when i get home from work so at least I'll know if I need to get off the nictotine asap or ride it out till I'm comfy to quit.

[whatagem]

posted a question to WebMD forums 24 hrs ago & still no reply. Any time I've done that in the past researching birth control, it always took a while. If anyone here goes to their gyn anytime soon--let me know. I'm real curious about all this. I'll post any answers I find

[MacArthurBug]

keep us updated!

I don't need the b.c. but have considered going on the pill to help with heavy monthlys+cramps+acne (I'm over 30! I don't deserve pimples) so updated info would be great. I don't need to see a doc for awile- but if I somehow manage to get to one before you get your info I'll ask. though with the sorts of docs I get through tricare it's hit or miss on if they'll have a good answer.

[whatagem]

Obviously, I'm not too shy when it comes to this stuff. I've always had monster periods since age 11. We're talking 9 days straight as a teenager & got worse as I grew up. All the women in my family have this issue & most end up having a hysterectomy before the age of 45.

I went on BC in early twenties & period went from horrible to "normal". Last year my doc put me on the lowest hormone BC pill my insurance covered (the generic name is Aviane) and I have 4 day periods now.

I hate to be on hormones but only thing that controls periods & I haven't even had kids yet--never been preggers. I have always had moderate acne & whatever pill I've ever been on hasn't helped. Benzoil Peroxide & Salicylic acid control it. Been trying to eat better to see if that will help (probably will) I also take fish oil 2x daily but haven't noticed any changes with skin. I also use an oil free moisterizer with SPF 30 Aveeno Radiance. Have REALLY OILY/also REALLY DRY skin--but moisturizer helps with that & reduces the flaking of dying zits.



No response to my message on WebMD forum....I don't know who else to ask since I don't go to doc till late summer. I'm afraid of the hokey I might come across doing a random internet search

[MacArthurBug]

gem: Yup my next "Scheduled" doc visit isn't until late summer/early fall before our move to Germany.

[Madame Psychosis]

hi all!

This might help:
The Pill, Smoking, & Nicotine Replacement

As far as nicotine gum -- or the nicotine patch, for that matter -- is concerned, the risks do not seem to be as great as with smoking cigarettes. In properly selected women it may be appropriate to use a low-dose oral contraceptive along with nicotine gum or patches. If the woman has high blood pressure, is significantly overweight or has diabetes, however, the pill probably should not be used along with the gum or patch. This is a decision that can be made only by your own personal physician.

According to this abstract, "Women who smoke and take oral contraceptives (OCs) have significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but the exact mechanisms for the increased risk are not known."
So it's unclear how much of that oral contraception/smoking interaction risk is due to nicotine vs. other parts of smoking.

Nicotine constricts blood vessels (which can raise the risks of hypertension/clots/stroke/infarction), but there are other components of tobacco smoke that contribute a lot to the cardiovascular risks of smoking, and almost certainly to the cardiovascular risks of smoking+the Pill.
So it makes sense that vaping reduces that combined risk.

Sorry this isn't a definitive answer -- it's just that long-term intake of nicotine alone hasn't been studied a lot. There's no big bank of epidemiological studies out there like we have for smoking.

It's definitely worth asking your doctor about it if you're still concerned, especially if you have other conditions that make the interaction more dangerous (like the ones listed above). You might also be able to switch to a lower-dose pill.
For those women who are using the Pill solely for contraception, there are nonhormonal alternatives like the copper IUD (I'm quite happy with it).

[whatagem]

MacArthur--Germany?! My husband was born there!

Madame--very helpful info. I looked into the IUD but am concerned with movement and/or puncturing since this is less rare in women who've never been pregmant. Most gynos won't do it if you haven't had a kid yet it seems. That option's out for me.