Liver tumor from BCP - What to use now?
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Liver tumor from BCP - What to use now?
| Sun, 08-22-2004 - 12:14pm |
I was diagnosed w/ liver tumors (one rather large (9 cm) and two pretty small (1 - 2 cm)) in July of 2003. For quite some time we tried to figure out what they were, cancerous or noncancerous, which type if noncancerous, etc. The best prognosis seemed to be noncancerous, possibly caused or spurred by BCP. There's been some linkage between liver lesions and bcp for some time now, but it is rare. Anyway, as none of my doctor's warned me against getting pregnant, I did. I found out later, on the internet, that this was totally contraindicated. However, that was water under the bridge at that point. Luckily for me, my husband, and now baby Evan, I had no problems during the pregnancy and gave birth in July to a healthy baby boy. My question now, though, is what do I use for birth control? My liver doc says no hormonal types, period, and recommends barrier methods. I hate condoms. There's no spontaneity. Plus, my husband doesn't trust them. I've never used any methods such as a diapragm or a cervical cap. But I don't necessarily want to go permanent. (Even though, at 37, I should give up on the idea of more kids, I guess.) As my husband doesn't particularly want to have any more kids, but especially not another one within the year, it's really cramping our sex life. Any advice on possible other methods?

If you decide not to have more children, then what about a copper IUD? The ParaGard http://www.paragard.com/ is very effective, low maintenance and long term, 8-10 years. Or, if you can take progestin then there is the Mirena IUD http://www.mirena-us.com/ that continually releases a tiny bit of progestin. Mirena is effective for 5 years and it will often lighten and shorten your periods. If your doctor recommends a barrier then a Diaphragm might work well for you or perhaps even a cervical cap if the shape and condition of your cervix will permit it. I use a cervical cap between my periods and a diaphragm for flow control and contraception during my menses. I have been using a cervical cap and diaphragm for more than 2 years and I'm very pleased with how well the combination has worked for me. Take a look at the information about the IUD, diaphragm and cap in the FAQs at the top of the board. If you have more questions, please ask. I hope you find an effective method that works well for you.
Good luck,
Jill