The Birth Control Pill Can Be Deadly

As I write this I am dreading another doctor appointment. Needles never used to bother me before. Of course, before now, I never had a reason to get a weekly blood test. But for the next 6 months, it is part of my routine. My arms are covered in bruises, a side-effect from Coumadin, a blood-thinner which will prevent another blood clot from forming in my lungs. I never thought this could happen to me. I am only 22 years old.




It all started a couple months ago, when I decided to go on “the pill.” I paid little attention to the warning pamphlet that accompanied my birth control pills. Besides, those rare side effects (including strokes, blood clots, heart attacks) only pertain to woman who smoke or are over the age of 35. That’s what I used to think.




Day one of the pill was fine. I experienced no side effects. The next day was horrible, but I did not attribute it to the pill. It was my first day back at college. I was in the middle of ballet class when suddenly I felt very dizzy and hot. I started to see black dots. I collapsed. When I woke up I wondered, “what the hell are all these people doing in my bedroom?” I was extremely disoriented. One of my classmates brought me some water, which I drank and promptly threw up. 

The ambulance came. A man with a lizard tattoo on his neck carried me to the ambulance. My EKG was okay, so I was allowed to return home that same day. My fainting was thought to be caused by dehydration. Nobody even asked if I was taking a birth control pill. 

During the next few weeks I developed a cough. I felt an enormous pressure near my heart. I felt like I was being tightly squeezed. The pain was constant but still bearable. I have a very high tolerance for pain. I did not see a Doctor about this until I began to cough up blood. 

My Doctor said my chest was probably sore from coughing, and that a sinus infection had moved to my chest wall. He prescribed antibiotics and rest for the next few days. I rarely listen when a Dr tell me to take it easy, but the pain in my chest had gotten so bad that I started skipping my dance classes.