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Contraceptive pill for teenager with T1DM?

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CharlotteScr

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
My T1 17YO daughter would like to try the pill to help regulate her periods which have been pretty heavy and painful for a while. I'm supportive of that. However i'm a bit worried about the potential effect on her BG control as she already tends to go very high during her period. Does anyone have experience of the pill with a T1 teenager? any recommendations for types to try? Would she be ok to string the packets together without a break? I have googled around online but not found very much that is helpful tbh. thanks in advance!
 
Hi Charlotte thank you for reaching out.

All of the different contraceptive methods are safe to use when you have Type 1 Diabetes. There are different types of contraceptive pill and other methods of contraception. To find out what would work for her, go to Family Planning Association (https://www.fpa.org.uk/) or NHS contraception choices (https://bit.ly/3tpIOZZ).

We would also advise speaking to her healthcare team, who should be able to assist you both in this matter.
 
Poor girl. Last thing she needs. If her sugars are high during her monthly visits, maybe steer clear of the progesterone only pills? Just a thought with absolutely nothing to back it up 🙂
 
I found the Pill put my sugars up. I wasn’t a teenager when I took it, I was a young adult. Before I had children, I’d have awful period pain. I used something called Feminax if I remember correctly.

Is she on a pump or injections?
 
No experience with the pill and the only contraception I've used since becoming Type 1 is the injections which have stopped my periods (I too suffered heavy periods as a teenager and went on the contraceptive injection before becoming Type 1) xx
 
It’s fine to use any contraceptive method and yes taking the combi pill back to back is probably a good way to regulate the ups and downs and hopefully also stop her period. The GP can prescribe the combined pill at different doses and will likely start on a lowish dose but it can be increased if needed. If that doesn’t smooth things out then there are progesterone only pills that can be tried. It’s likely that even if her periods don’t stop the hormones in the combi pill will even out all the emotional ups and downs but everyone is different. The best thing is for her to have a chat with her GP and see what options she wants to try. If her BG is affected it will be consistent rather than ups and downs so easier to manage with changing the basal. It’s worth her having a chat with the GP anyway as painful heavy periods can be a sign of issues that are treatable.
 
I was 17 when I started taking the pill (via the Brook Advisory Centre since one wasn't allowed to go to the Family Planning Assoc until one was married) and it would have been the combined pill as they all were. I had terribly painful heavy periods from when I started aged 11 and when I finally dispensed with the whole kit and caboodle because of huge fibroids when I was 40 something - good ole BUPA - it turned out I had endometriosis - so how long had those patches been there?

Pill was brilliant - because I knew when my periods would be that meant i could plan things - like shopping for supplied, arranging holidays - and my wedding!!

Thank goodness neither pre marital sex nor period problems generally are not treated with such scant attention these days!
 
Just replying back on this- my daughter has been taking the combined pill since Feb and is getting on well. We haven't had any BG fluctuations beyond the usual- the GP took a careful approach, gradually increasing the strength as she was still spotting on the lower doses. But now fine and very relieved not to have to deal with monthly BG chaos and cramps.
 
CharlotteScr said:
Just replying back on this- my daughter has been taking the combined pill since Feb and is getting on well. We haven't had any BG fluctuations beyond the usual- the GP took a careful approach, gradually increasing the strength as she was still spotting on the lower doses. But now fine and very relieved not to have to deal with monthly BG chaos and cramps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update @CharlotteScr

Glad it’s working well for her - must be such a relief!
 
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