I have done extensive research on PM and I think you ladies should know that you CAN take PM while on BCP but you are NOT to take it while MENSTRATING!!!! A couple reviews I found explicitly said to only take PM in a 14 day cycle! I hear about many women on these forums using it and messing up their period and hormones because they don't research it enough and take it for A WHOLE MONTH at a time!!! Please....heed these words.
Start taking PM 7 days after the last day of your cycle and STOP AT 14 DAYS OR AS SOON AS YOU START YOUR PERIOD! You can mess up your body and hormones if you take these herbs without researching them first.
~Also a helpful fact.....when/if you get growth from PM, you will probably need to take a maintenance dosees. It is recommended that you maintenance the dosage at 100mg a day, which I'm sure afterwards you taper off or even revisit the maintenance dosage if you ever droop or sag again.
I've heard that PM was only supposed to be taken during the folicular phase and it makes sense so I agree. It was a bit of a downside for me to have to quit BCP so this is good news. Do you know why exactly it shouldn't be taken during your period tho? Then that sums up to taking it only for 1 week a moonth!
I'm pretty sure that it just throws off your bodies natural cycle. Because of the drop in estrogen around the time of your period, all of the phytostrogens (and there's a lot) from PM flooding your body...it just throws it off balance. The cycle/ebb and flow ( lol...no pun intended!) of a woman's body regulates (or ties to regulate) her hormones. Now, from all the herbs and things I've researched...there are a lot of pills we take that contain phytoestrogens in them andwe take THEM on our periods. The articles I've read say PM is no joke with phyto-estrogenic quantity and contains lots of isoflavins too...because it is also from the soybean family (that's probably where it get's it's outstanding boobie-growing-qualities). Every site that I come upon says only to take it 14-23 days. The link below has TONS of info, history, etc. on PM and they did tests and extensive research that shows their subjects only took it for 15 days out of the month. On my B2UP bottles it states not to take it during menstration. I'm still looking for the website I found that said take it 7 days after...etc. I will post it as soon as I find it again. but heres the other website:
http://www.puerariamirifica.com/pueraria-mirifica/history-pueraria-mirifica.htm
Just go through the lists
Oh...and in Beth's program....she did mention that when she took her BCP, it wasn't at the same time as the PM...she steered clear of taking them together (I'm guessing for more hormonal reasons).
Hope this helped even a little. I will give you more info soon.
I found it...there were more explicit directions for PM pills on Bella's Beauti-Full Bust caps. But, like I said...every website I go to states to avoid the period and PM.
Here's an excerpt from B2UP gum (pm gum):
"Can Pueraria Mirifica products be taken with other medication or birth control pills?
Do not take any Pueraria Mirifica products if you are currently taking cancer or hormone-based medicines. Pueraria Mirifica products can be taken with low-dose birth control pills. However, once they have been broken down in the body, birth control pills have some chemical similarities to the phytoestrogens in Pueraria Mirifica, so they may interfere with the effects of Body Make Gum (i.e., Body Make Gum may not be as effective and thus you will not see optimal breast enlargement). If you are in doubt, always ask your doctor before you start taking any herbal supplement and always consult your doctor before you stop taking your birth control pills. If you do decide to stop taking your birth control pills, be sure to use other means of contraception."
This sit says PM root is actually used in some cases to make BCP! It's for Sher breast cream:
"The plant was identified as Pueraria mirifica. The estrogenic substance was isolated and tested on mice. Its effects were confirmed and it was named Miroestrol. Since then, were hundreds of researches done on application on humans and animals. On humans, it is used as a tonic and ingredient for cosmetics. New applications of Pueraria mirifica have been introduced recently. With modern extraction technology, the dried roots are extracted and standardized into powder extract and solution extract, using in swine industry as growth promoter and as a birth control."
Although, I have read from a bunch of sites that you shouldn't take BCP and PM together just because they both have similar qualities and can cancel the benefits of PM out. I have read many excerpts from females on here that take them together and have shown that they still grow.
If you are still wary about wasting the PM either go to a low dosage BCP or don't take them, but yes, there are people who grow on both.
Thanks for the info Natalie! I never quite understod why exactly BCP shouldn't be taken with PM. I mean, then it shouldn't be taken with any other herbs either. Theoretically I don't see a reason - there are a lot more receptors in the body than there are hormones so there are enoguh receptors for both BCP estrgens and PM (or any other herb's) phytoestrogens to bind.
Aside from that, quiting BCP often throws hormones out of balance big time and that interferes with NBE too.
Definately! Yes, I've read and seen from women that it can take anwhere from 1 month to 1 YEAR for hormones to level out again after getting off birth control (It took me a year when I got off the depo shot...that stuff really messes up your body!). Any research I can do to help you ladies is good for me...I've also read a lot of info in these forums that have helped a lot too! This is probably the best forum I've found and I love hearing all the advice and stories the women here have to tell.
Glad I could help!
This is great! so do you think it matters which kind of pm you take (brand)? Also, I am on Yasmin, would this be ok to take with pm? Im so glad you posted this!!!
I'm gonna put this up in a formal post but I wanted to show you this first in response to your question about birth control. Here's my Philosophy on birth control and PM:
I'm thinking that the higher the dose of chemical "estrogen" from the BCP's....the more it interacts with PM. My first conclusion is that it would be optimum to take progestin only BCP's because there is no synthetic estrogen 'getting in the way' of the PM's heavy quantity phytoestrogens. If the switch cannot be made, then a lower dosage of chemical 'estrogen' BCP should probably be taken so as not to overpower the PM. I have listed below from an oral contraceptive site factual information about all BCP's and each estrogenic content that was found (I found a very extensive website that has ALL the pill listed out and what they contain). Again, I will post this on a new page for everyone to get their info on their specific BCP. But your pill specifically has 30mcg of ethinyl estradiol (chemical estrogen) and 3000mcg of drospirenone (chemical progestin....like progesterone). It has the third lowest dosage of chemical estrogen, which ranges from 20mcg-50mcg. People using BCP's that have 50mcg's probably wouldn't get much benefit from th PM....but everyone's different. Now, Yasmin has the HIGHEST synthetic pregestin I've seen out of any pill! I'm not sure how that will affect you, but I do think Beth was on Yasmin (or switched to it) and still saw growth. Like I said before....the progestin shouldn't affect it, just the estrogen. And I don't think it should matter what brand you use, just go by potency and mg-dosage.
Hope that helped! here is the other info if you want it: key-(µg=mcg)
~~~[edit] Progestogen only pills~~~
Progestogen only pills (POPs) use progestogen alone with doses taken continuously and no gap between packs taken. Women may experience irregular light bleeds on POPs, and whilst irregular in the first few months of taking, usually settles to a regular pattern in time.
Thanks so much Natalie! Im due for my period in 7 days and I have a bottle of St. Herb so I guess I will be starting the pm in 14 days. I will kepp you guys posted =)
The information for newcomers link on the main page has a lot of great info.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/522223/
If you scroll to the bottom of the first page you will find a thread titled 'acronyms'. It contains most of the ones in use, but there may be some that came about since that was posted.