Thromboembolism is a Rare but Dangerous Side Effect of Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills though very effective in spacing out the pregnancies, have a rare but dangerous side effect of thromboembolism. The contraceptive pills increase the liver’s ability to produce clotting factors. The resultant blood clots may travel through the blood stream and obstruct the lumen of some other blood vessel. This process is called as thromboembolism. The clot may obstruct the coronary blood vessels supplying the heart or may block the supply to some part of the brain resulting in stroke. When a clot blocks an artery supplying the lungs, the patient may develop severe respiratory distress. So it is essential to be aware of this potentially dangerous side effect of birth control pills and be alert of the warning symptoms which precede these life threatening conditions.

Thromboembolism is more common with birth control pills containing estrogen. Women who are overweight, travel frequently in cramped situations, have a sedentary life style or are bedridden because of some leg injury, those who smoke or those who have a family history of blood clots are more prone to develop this condition. These women are said to have a hypercoagulable blood which clots easily.

Early signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which may lead to thromboembolism include:

• Tenderness or swelling on either leg
• Undue redness on the leg
• Increased temperature of one leg because of the presence of a clot
• Tightness around the chest
• Difficulty in breathing

Before starting the contraceptive pills, you can assess your chances of developing this complication by analyzing the presence of any risk factor and discussing it with your physician.

Birth Control Pills can lead to Breast and Uterine Cancers

Birth control pills have also been associated with an increased risk of developing breast and uterine cancers.

The Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer collected worldwide epidemiologic data in 1996 and analyzed it. It was found that the birth control pills increased the risk of developing breast cancer , especially in women who started using these pills as a teenager. However, the risk is negated once the pills are stopped.

Birth control pills are also believed to promote cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), a condition which may ultimately lead to uterine cancer. CIN is an abnormal mutation of the cells on the surface of the cervix. This side effect is more commonly seen with pills containing estrogen. It is frequently seen in daughters born to women who had taken Diethylstilbestrol (DES) for contraception. According to a study, DES daughters are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop CIN as compared to unexposed women. The risk of developing CIN due to pills is in addition to the other risk factors for CIN like multiple sexual partners and exposure to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). According to a recently published study, the risk of cervical cancer is doubled in women taking birth control pills containing estrogen for more than five years.  

The importance of birth control pills as a contraceptive method cannot be negated. The sole purpose of highlighting the side effects caused by pills is to make the women aware of them. You can discuss the pros and cons of using a particular contraceptive pill with your doctor and then take an informed decision so that you can enjoy the benefits of birth control pills without suffering from any deleterious effects.