Birth Control and BC

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katherella70
katherella70 Member Posts: 38
edited June 2019 in Singles With Breast Cancer

Greetings from San Francisco.

 I was diagnosed with IDC  last week and am having a lumpectomy/SNR in the coming weeks.  The Doc asked if i was on meds and I told him birth control.  He did not respond with any warnings about it so I assumed I could pick up my rx for next month.  Have been doing soooo much internet research and upon looking at nuva ring's site, saw that I must not use it.  Are IUDs okay to use during treatment?  

 Thank you for your time. 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2009

    You should really ask your oncologist, but I'm guessing that an IUD would be fine. It's the hormones in the pills that you need to avoid, assuming that your cancer is estrogen positive. And since it sounds like you're not expecting to need chemo, so you don't have to worry about the risk of infection that a foreign body might pose (though it's probably a way low risk anyway).

    ~Marin

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  • katherella70
    katherella70 Member Posts: 38
    edited June 2009

    Thank you, Marin.  I had a genetic counseling appointment today and found out that IUD is okay, provided that it is the copper one and not Mirena, which has progestin.  :)

    My Best,

    Kat 

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  • friends1
    friends1 Member Posts: 14
    edited March 2015

    I was wondering what birth control options were there for us with hormone positive breast cancer. Im in a relationship and don't always want to use condoms with my boyfriend.

    What does everyone like to use and what is comfortable and easy to use? I asked my Dr last week and she said diaphragm, iv never used that before so a little scared to try it.

    Let me know, thanks.



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  • amygil81
    amygil81 Member Posts: 165
    edited April 2015

    Friends1, I'm sorry you had to join us, but welcome here. I always used the pill until I was dx with bc at age 33, then my gyn wouldn't let me take it any more. I tried a diaphragm for a while, but it was a little tricky to get in right, and then I had to clean it and take care of it. I switched to the Today sponge, back on the market now after years off. It's convenient and easy. I would often have my bf put it in me as we showered together. We used it for a few years, then stopped using it to try for a baby. Unfortunately we weren't successful. Then I had a chest wall recurrence on my mastectomy side, and the chemo put me into menopause, and that was the end of our birth control with breast cancer. Hope this helps.

    Amy

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  • Kareba
    Kareba Member Posts: 3
    edited June 2019

    I am so sorry, Amy. I had a Lilletta IUD and estrogen and progesterone positive cancer. MO said it increased odds of recurrence by 1 in 7000, but wanted me to talk with gun about other options. I started Tamoxifen in March. My cycles became to frequent and too long and the gyno said it was likely the IUD and Tamoxifen battling (hopefully, if not I’ll probably need another procedure). She said the only non-hormonal birth control would be the copper IUD or having my tubes tied. I wasn’t using the hormone BC to balance period symptoms so that’s just over

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  • Salamandra
    Salamandra Member Posts: 1,444
    edited June 2019

    I got my second hormonal IUD (after a couple of years break) the same day my gynecologist found my lump.

    As soon as the cancer diagnosis came back, everyone wanted to get it out of me.

    I did my own research. I asked the MO for more evidence. Basically I found what Kareba found. There is like 1 study showing a tiny increase in risk of recurrence (about half of the tiny decrease in risk of ovarian cancer), and it's not a perfect study either. The actual evidence about hormonal birth control being bad are all about systemic estrogen, none about local progestin. I know that my conservative MO would never suggest me to go on to a supplement or med with such lack of evidence. So against medical advice, I decided to keep it.

    (I didn't have periods on it before I started the tamoxifen, and with the tamoxifen I still don't have periods on it. I understand it might also help against the uterine thickening side effect of tamoxifen. My decision was also influenced by the fact that I had tried the copper IUD for a couple of years, and it made my periods incredibly frequent and long, and no way did I want to go back to it. But I understand that for some women, it doesn't change their periods at all, and for a small group of women, it actually decreases their periods (usually after a period of adjustment with a heavier bleeding). It's a fantastic form of birth control, and I would absolutely recommend anybody to try it).

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