I received a phone call from my surgeon's office today informing that a week prior to surgery, I must stop taking birth control and I can't get back on it until 4 wks after surgery. Does anyone know why this is? Is there an added risk for surgery? Does it just not get absorbed during the first month? Either way I'm following the drs orders, I'm just curious. And after that month is up, is it definitely going to work like in a normal person? I do not want anymore babies for a few years!

Birth control increases your risk of clots

Yep, I had to stop a month before and will have to stay off for a month after (my surgery is Thursday!) Apparently the extra estrogen can cause blood clots so its just for extra caution! Better safe than sorry! Though going off the pills really sucked!

I was never told by my surgeon nor his nurses to stop BC. I was on none anyways. Still, shows how different requirements are.

I also was not told not to get on any BC immediately after surgery.

Not intentional but I got my Nexplanon 1+ month after surgery. Dumb luck, I guess.

Ohhh! duh, I should have remembered that lol

So it is still absorbed when you do go back on it?

I read on every forum I am on, that pill form meds do not get absorbed properly or at all anymore. That's why, personally, I chose the implant.

Pills get absorbed - I asked my RN and the only pill they worry about is time release. You can chew it or break it up if you are concerned.

It's kind of scary that different drs say different things about this.

Mine didn't tell me to stop or anything really about the pill. Have been on it for years. It's mostly for my PCOS though. Haven't been sexually active in more than a year so not worried about pregnancy right now.

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I can tell you from personal experience that hormone based BC (like the pills or patch) do not get absorbed fully and therefore are not nearly as effective. I did get pregnant w/in a year of surgery while being on the pill. It all makes sense because we will never absorb anything (food or medicine) the same. A non hormonal BC is best. Please don't crush or break BC pills. That makes them 100% ineffective in anyone. You can't crush pills like that or most mess at all.

I can tell you from personal experience that hormone based BC (like the pills or patch) do not get absorbed fully and therefore are not nearly as effective. I did get pregnant w/in a year of surgery while being on the pill. It all makes sense because we will never absorb anything (food or medicine) the same. A non hormonal BC is best. Please don't crush or break BC pills. That makes them 100% ineffective in anyone. You can't crush pills like that or most mess at all.

Omg scary! I do not want any more babies for a while so I'm going to talk with my Dr about this more

I have the same question a a nurse and a patient I asked my surgeon should I stop taking my birth control pills my surgeon told me that I should not stop taking the birth control pills just because of the clot risk. He said that there is more risk of getting pregnant within the first year which can be life threatening. So I listened to him for about 2 second I may not be a fixture but IM a nurse o made a personal decision to stop taking them and will resume them our some

or some other form of bc after surgery blood clots are deadly and something I don't want

I may not be a doctor but I'm a nurse

I just asked my doctor About taking BC pills this week and they said it is fine. That they will absorb I am ten months out I know other docs say different but I will go with my doc and if. Baby happens I will be fine