Misconceptions of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

We at Synergy Rehabilitation and Wellness Center,  of Scottsdale, AZ  believe that there are many wellness habits that contribute to you feeling better. However, many women are prescribed birth control to manage their symptoms, but could potentially create more problems if ever deciding to discontinue birth control. 

Here are a couple of misconceptions to keep in mind when introducing synthetic hormones to your body.

1. Birth control pills make a female ovulate. They actually do the exact opposite. It may look like you are ovulating because you are shedding your uterine lining during menses or your period, but actually it is the pill’s hormones that are thickening the uterine lining, then it is shedding. If you ever want to discontinue using the pill to become pregnant, it may take about 6 months to 1 year to start normally ovulating again. Furthermore, it has been shown that women may no longer ovulate or menstruate ever again after coming off birth control.   
2. Birth control pills cure PCOS. While it is true that the pill decreases symptoms, it is not actually a cure.  Also, if someone wants to get off the pill for any particular reason, PCOS symptoms may actually return with a vengeance, worse than they were before. The pill can also increase chronic inflammation and cause nutrient deficiencies, specifically B6, B12 and folate which can worsen PCOS symptoms. 

These are something to keep in mind if you are thinking of adding birth control pills to control PCOS symptoms. 

To further your wellness and decrease PCOS symptoms, it will be really important to get to the heart of the issue, meaning lifestyle changes.  Quality sleep, sun exposure, whole food, exercise, supplements and cutting EMF exposures (sleeping with cell phones next to your bed, talking with phone away from ear). 

For further tips to manage PCOS symptoms, Synergy Rehabilitation and Wellness Center is here for you!  Contact Courtney (skvarla@synergyrehabaz.com) for more information. 

Author

Courtney Skvarla, PharmD; Wellness Coach Courtney is a self-motivated Certified Nutrition Coaching Specialist and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) that strives to educate individuals who seek results that will provide them with a better quality of life. Not only is she well-versed in the pharmaceutical field, but because of her own personal health journey, Courtney has learned that nutrition is some of the best medicine out there! Courtney is the founder of Fresh Farmacist Nutrition Coaching, LLC and has been operating since 2017. Courtney creates individual goals and macronutrient prescription plans for each one of her clients. Not only is Courtney able to recommend appropriate supplements to her clients, but due to her Pharm. D. background, she is able to suggest pharmaceutical-grade supplements from reliable sources! Courtney is in our office Mondays and Thursdays from 8:30am – 4:30pm, and your first mini-consult with her is free! We can’t wait for you all to meet Courtney and take advantage of the opportunity to experience a better quality of life!