A few years ago, I suffered from irritable bowel syndrome. It was embarrassing to not be able to go anywhere unless I knew that there was a bathroom near by in case disaster struck. One time, I was half way to work and had to turn around and rush home because I knew if I didn’t, I would be in trouble.

My symptoms started out of no where and I didn’t understand why I had such horrible gastrointestinal problems. I thought maybe coffee was the culprit since it can be a laxative if you drink too much of it. However, when I stopped drinking it, my symptoms didn’t go away. Finally, I had to find out if there was a medical issue that was causing me so much gastrointestinal grief, so I contacted my doctor.

I went through almost every test imaginable and they could not find one thing wrong with me. The doctors gave me all sorts of different medications including Imodium,which I had to take every single day. That wouldn’t even work some days. I was miserable…until the day I decided to stop taking my birth control.

A week or so after I stopped taking my birth control, Yasmin, my irritable bowel syndrome vanished. I remember sitting back in my office chair, reflecting on how great I had been feeling lately. I thought it was just a moment of calm before the storm, but I never did experience it again. Finally, I found the cause to my gastrointestinal problem IBS…my birth control. Now, when I meet someone who is suffering from it and doesn’t know why, I tell her to consider everything she puts in her body, such as her birth control. If only I had known sooner, I wouldn’t have gone through so much pain and embarrassment!