The Dreaded Side Effect of Birth Control: Brown Vaginal Discharge

Two weeks after starting birth control, she has brown vaginal discharge. This is the first she’s experienced the symptom and, based on what she’s already read, attributes it to her oral contraceptive. This woman is right, showing she knows her body better than she thinks.
Case #:1455
Concern：
I have had constant vaginal discharge that is brown in color for the past four or five days. I recently went on the birth control pill Levonorgestrel about two weeks ago. I read on one of the case studies the discharge was because of changes to hormones. I want to know if this is the reason behind my discharge.
Discussion：
The pill is heralded for changing women’s lives because it separates sex from motherhood and allows women to control when and if they have children. In other words, it affords the freedom to choose without compromising sexuality. The result is women who feel more liberated, more confident and more in control.
Those ladies who pop the pill each and every day probably give it little thought. After all, this medication is more than 50 years old and offers alleged health benefits that seem even more attractive than its contraceptive ability. But before you go thinking the pill is a superhero, consider this: it changes your mind and body in inexplicable ways.
Preventing Pregnancy
You’ve probably heard before the pill “tricks” your body – that is, it alters chemical levels so your body thinks it’s already ovulated. This is necessary so the ovaries don’t release an egg to be fertilized by sperm. Hence, pregnancy is prevented.
Not only does the pill prevent ovulation, but it also thins the endometrium lining where a fertilized embryo would normally implant. This reduces the survival likelihood of a pregnancy if it did occur. In addition, oral contraceptives thicken vaginal mucus to discourage sperm from reaching a potentially-released egg.
These processes sound deceptively simple. In your body are hormones that perform multiple functions to facilitate pregnancy. By its very nature, the pill interferes with these hormones and functions – it would not be effective if it didn’t.
Brown Discharge
It’s rare for a person to think about the ingredients of a medication before swallowing it. Many women are therefore not fully aware of the chemicals used to formulate oral birth control. It is blended with artificial hormones that mimic progesterone and estrogen – two hormones naturally produced in the body. Together, they largely control the reproductive process.
Estrogen prompts the ovaries to release a monthly egg, while progesterone helps create a thick endometrium lining rich with nutrients. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, both hormones decrease in quantity so bleeding occurs. The body’s menstruation cycle then renews itself.
Hormonal birth control upsets estrogen and progesterone levels. The body responds by changing its production of these chemicals, and in turn menstruation becomes lighter and shorter. As already explained, the endometrium lining is thinner for women on birth control to further discourage pregnancy. However, the lining can become so thin that it doesn’t remain in place until menstruation. It instead sheds at various times in the menstruation cycle and causes the brown discharge you see. Behind that discharge is a hormonal imbalance.
What about the Liver?
A little-known fact of birth control is its impediment to liver function. In order to metabolize hormonal contraceptives, the liver needs extra nutrients. Vitamins B and C are especially important. Taking nutrients from the body can quickly cause deficiencies and contribute to health problems like weight gain, depression and heart disease.
Birth control places a tremendous strain on the liver. All medications, foods and beverages pass through this vital organ. It also metabolizes hormones, and those produced naturally by the body in conjunction with synthetic blends introduced by birth control can cause organ overload. This reduces the liver’s functions and contributes to hormonal imbalances.
Find Natural Relief
In addition to exploring alternative contraceptive measures – such as female condoms, the diaphragm and cervical cap - you need to undo the changes wrought to your body by birth control. Your best option is an herbal detox formula designed to treat unseemly discharge and improve liver function. (TRY: Natural Formula for Vaginal Detox & Infection Relief) The formula can also help to balance hormones and enhance your overall health.

What to do

Vaginal Infection Relief & Detoxification Formula

Antibiotics and birth control pills can alter the balance of the ‘friendly’ micro flora that subsists in the vagina. Pathogens from these drugs can result in yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis, with symptoms ranging from abnormal discharge,...