BCPs can make women slightly more prone to form blood clots. A blood clot can occur in a vein or artery and can have different symptoms depending on where it forms. Clots can occur in the legs, abdomen, heart, lungs, eye, or brain. In the brain, a clot could manifest as a stroke. The risk of these events occurring is very low, but increases in women over 35, in smokers, and in those with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, clotting tendency, or a family history of clotting abnormalities. The warning signs of a blood clot spell out the word ACHES:
Abdominal pain
Chest pain (also shortness of breath)
Headaches (especially those that are new, severe, or associated with persistent dizziness, difficulty speaking, fainting,numbness or weakness in extremities
Eye problems (blurred vision or loss of vision)
Severe leg pain (and/or redness and swelling in the calf or thigh)

http://kidshealth.or g/teen/s exual_health/contraception/con trace ption_bir

Answered by Uttam , an ibibo Master, at 1:52 PM on August 29, 2008

women who take the Pill have none to very few side effects. The side effects that some women have while on the Pill include:

* irregular menstrual bleeding
* nausea, weight gain, headaches, dizziness, and breast tenderness
* mood changes
* blood clots (rare in women under 35 who do not smoke)

Some of these side effects improve over the first 3 months on the Pill. When a girl has side effects, a doctor will sometimes prescribe a different brand of the Pill.

The Pill also has some side effects that most girls are happy about. It usually makes periods much lighter, reduces cramps, and is often prescribed for women who have menstrual problems. Taking the Pill often improves acne, and some doctors prescribe it for this purpose. Birth control pills have also been found to protect against some forms of breast disease, anemia,

Answered by Santosh Kuma , an ibibo Master, at 9:15 AM on August 29, 2008

hi Sana,

The way the pill works is that it enters your bloodstream, travels through your body and affects your tissues and organs, just as natural estrogens and progesterone do. The hormones in the pill, however, are synthetic and can have exaggerated side effects on some women. Some of the more common effects are the two you noted, breakthrough bleeding and decreased appetite. As far as the breakthrough bleeding, it usually happens during the first or second pill cycle and often clears up after that, as your uterus gets used to the new levels of hormones in your body. If breakthrough bleeding doesn't stop after a few months, see a practitioner to find out whether you need to try a different brand or whether you may have another problem. Breakthrough bleeding does not mean that the pill isn't working as a contraceptive.

Nausea is a common early negative effect of the pill, as the estrogen in the pill may irritate the stomach lining. Nausea usually goes away after three months; antacid tablets or taking the pill with dinner usually gives relief. Again, if this symptom persists, seeing a practitioner and switching to a pill with twenty micrograms of estrogen might offer relief from the nausea and decreased appetite.

Other common side effects of the pill are headaches, depression, change in intensity of sexual desire and response, vaginitis and vaginal discharge, urinary tract infection, changes in menstrual flow, breast changes, skin problems, gum inflammation, it can aggravate asthma, and increase your incidence of contracting viral illnesses. All of these are common side effects, which means not to be alarmed, but to discuss them with your practitioner to see what changes can be made to reduce the discomfort.

Any problem lasting more than two or three cycles should be reported to a health practitioner. The following are symptoms of serious problems: severe pain or swelling in the legs (thigh or calf), bad headache, dizziness, weakness, numbness, blurred vision (or loss of sight), speech problems, chest pain or shortness of breath, abdominal pain. Report these immediately; they mean you should stop taking the pill.

Source : http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/ 0179.html

Answered by Priyanka C , an ibibo Master, at 4:46 PM on August 20, 2008

hi there

The birth control pill is a safe and effective method of birth control. Most young women who take the Pill have none to very few side effects. The side effects that some women have while on the Pill include:

* irregular menstrual bleeding
* nausea, weight gain, headaches, dizziness, and breast tenderness
* mood changes
* blood clots (rare in women under 35 who do not smoke)

Some of these side effects improve over the first 3 months on the Pill. When a girl has side effects, a doctor will sometimes prescribe a different brand of the Pill.

The Pill also has some side effects that most girls are happy about. It usually makes periods much lighter, reduces cramps, and is often prescribed for women who have menstrual problems. Taking the Pill often improves acne, and some doctors prescribe it for this purpose. Birth control pills have also been found to protect against some forms of breast disease, anemia, ovarian cysts, and ovarian and endometrial cancers.

Source :

http://kidshealth.org/teen/sex ual_health/contraception/contracept ion_birth.html

Answered by Reeta K , an ibibo Master, at 6:06 PM on August 19, 2008

well sana Although over 85% of women have mild to no side effects to the pill, it is important to know the serious side effects so that appropriate measures can be taken in time:

Mild side effects:Nausea, weight gain (about 2 kgs), fluid retention, breast tenderness, spotting between periods. These side effects usually subside in the first three months
Moderately serious side effects:Breast pain, discharge or engorgement; rash, itching or jaundice; reduced tolerance to contact lenses; headaches or migraines; nervousness or depression. If you experience any of these side effects, you should inform your doctor. The doctor may be able to prescribe another brand of the birth control pill that may be more suitable for you. He may also ask you to stop the pills completely and resort to a different form of contraception.
Serious side effects:Blood clots are a serious side effect of the pill. Blood clots will exhibit different symptoms depending on the part of the body where they form. Some of these symptoms are leg tenderness or swelling; sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, partial or complete loss of vision or blackouts; numbness in any part of the body. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should immediately stop the pill and consult your doctor.

For whom is the birth control pill not advisable

The pill is also not advisable for the following women:

Women over 35 who smoke;
Women with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of heart disease;
Women with past or present breast, uterus or liver cancer;
If a pregnancy is suspected
There are also other reasons when a pill is not advisable. Your gynaecologist would be in the best position to make this decision since she would know your and your family's medical history.
for more inf check http://www.indiaparenting.com/wheal th/data/wh02_04.shtml

Answered by sanjay , an ibibo Guru, at 12:37 PM on August 13, 2008

Most women have no side effects when taking the birth control pill, but some women do experience some side effects. Each type of birth control pill can affect each woman differently.

Some women have some nausea, but this can go away if the pill is taken with a meal or a snack at bedtime. Sometimes a pill with less estrogen is prescribed if the nausea doesn't go away.

Sometimes, women may experience headaches when they start taking birth control pills. Usually headaches occur because of stress or other reasons, but if your health care provider thinks they are related to the pill, he/she may prescribe a birth control pill with a lower dose of estrogen or prescribe progestin-only birth control pills. If the headaches still continue, your health care provider may take you off the birth control pill and suggest that you use another type of contraception.

Mood changes can occur while taking the birth control pill. Exercise and a healthy diet may help, but if they don't, you may need to get a change in the type of pill you are taking.

Usually the pill helps cure acne, but a few women feel they get acne from the birth control pill. Your breasts may become tender or may get larger. Your appetite may increase, and a few teens feel bloated.

Some teens gain weight, some lose weight, but most teens stay exactly the same when they are taking the birth control pill. Many times a young woman thinks she has gained 5-10 pounds, but when weight is actually measured, there is no change. If you think you may have gained weight due to the Pill, you should see your health care provider and get your weight measured. If you do gain weight, or you want to prevent gaining weight, you should make sure that you eat a healthy diet. You should eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and avoid fast foods. Also, get enough exercise! If these ideas don't help, talk to your health care provider.

Spotting between periods may occur while taking the first three weeks of hormone pills, but this is not serious. This usually occurs during the first two or three cycles. You should call your health care provider if the bleeding is heavier than a light flow or lasts more than a few days.

SOURCE SITE :http://www.youngwomenshealth. org/femalehormone1.html

Answered by Sanya Tahir , an ibibo Master, at 10:55 PM on August 11, 2008

hello sana
Like all medicines, BCPs have side effects that you need to be aware of. For BCPs, there are rare but serious side effects and minor side effects.

Rare but serious side effects:

Blood clots
BCPs can make women slightly more prone to form blood clots. A blood clot can occur in a vein or artery and can have different symptoms depending on where it forms. Clots can occur in the legs, abdomen, heart, lungs, eye, or brain. In the brain, a clot could manifest as a stroke. The risk of these events occurring is very low, but increases in women over 35, in smokers, and in those with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, clotting tendency, or a family history of clotting abnormalities. The warning signs of a blood clot spell out the word ACHES:
Abdominal pain
Chest pain (also shortness of breath)
Headaches (especially those that are new, severe, or associated with persistent dizziness, difficulty speaking, fainting,numbness or weakness in extremities
Eye problems (blurred vision or loss of vision)
Severe leg pain (and/or redness and swelling in the calf or thigh)

for more detail refer
http://kidshealth.org/teen/s exual_health/contraception/contrace ption_bir

Answered by Saq , an ibibo Master, at 8:23 PM on August 10, 2008

well sana,The birth control pill is a safe and effective method of birth control. Most young women who take the Pill have none to very few side effects. The side effects that some women have while on the Pill include:

* irregular menstrual bleeding
* nausea, weight gain, headaches, dizziness, and breast tenderness
* mood changes
* blood clots (rare in women under 35 who do not smoke)

Some of these side effects improve over the first 3 months on the Pill. When a girl has side effects, a doctor will sometimes prescribe a different brand of the Pill.

The Pill also has some side effects that most girls are happy about. It usually makes periods much lighter, reduces cramps, and is often prescribed for women who have menstrual problems. Taking the Pill often improves acne, and some doctors prescribe it for this purpose. Birth control pills have also been found to protect against some forms of breast disease, anemia, ovarian cysts, and ovarian and endometrial cancers.
kidshealth.org/teen/ sexual_health/contraception/co ntraception_birth.html

Answered by Debashis , an ibibo Master, at 8:36 PM on August 08, 2008

Although over 85% of women have mild to no side effects to the pill, it is important to know the serious side effects so that appropriate measures can be taken in time:

Mild side effects:Nausea, weight gain (about 2 kgs), fluid retention, breast tenderness, spotting between periods. These side effects usually subside in the first three months
Moderately serious side effects:Breast pain, discharge or engorgement; rash, itching or jaundice; reduced tolerance to contact lenses; headaches or migraines; nervousness or depression. If you experience any of these side effects, you should inform your doctor. The doctor may be able to prescribe another brand of the birth control pill that may be more suitable for you. He may also ask you to stop the pills completely and resort to a different form of contraception.
Serious side effects:Blood clots are a serious side effect of the pill. Blood clots will exhibit different symptoms depending on the part of the body where they form. Some of these symptoms are leg tenderness or swelling; sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, partial or complete loss of vision or blackouts; numbness in any part of the body. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should immediately stop the pill and consult your doctor.

The pill is also not advisable for the following women:

Women over 35 who smoke;
Women with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of heart disease;
Women with past or present breast, uterus or liver cancer;
If a pregnancy is suspected
visit /www.indiaparenting.com

Answered by Jyothi , an ibibo Master, at 7:15 PM on August 08, 2008

The following are side effects of birth control pills: severe pain or swelling in the legs (thigh or calf), bad headache, dizziness, weakness, numbness, blurred vision (or loss of sight), speech problems, chest pain or shortness of breath, abdominal pain.
Report these immediately; they mean you should stop taking the pill.

Answered by alok , an ibibo Master, at 4:01 PM on August 08, 2008