Posi HEY, it’s good news for women who take birth control pills: a recent long-term study per- formed on 46,000 British women shows that there are no long- lasting ill effects from taking the pill. This news conics as wel- come relief for the over 100 million women who are cur- rently taking the pill, and another 300 million women who have, at some point in their lives used the pill. For years the pill, if raken properly, has offered an almost 100% cifective form of birth contro] to women. Bur there have been concerns about it causing cancer and circulatory problems over the long term. Thank goodness those fears have now been put to rest, because today’s low dose birth control pills are about the eas- iest and most effective form of . birth conirol around. But most of you know this already. What you might not know about the pill is that ir can be a very effective treat- ment for casing the nasty symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Considering the raging hormone cases } encounter daily, I wonder that doctors don’t prescribe it more often for PMS, PMS affeets different women in different ways. General symptoms include bloating, tenderness in the breasts, depression, diarrhea, irritability, fatigue, mood swings, food cravings, and acne, to mention just a few. Sounds pleasant, doesn’t it? Some women experience most of these symptoms, while others only a few. As women get closer to menopause PMS symptoms generally get stronger, since more estrogen is required to stimulate aging ovaries to release their eggs. Even middle aged women who never experienced PMS in their younger years com- plain that they feel fat, irrita- ble, fat, crabby, fat, and overly emotional just betore they get their periods. But by and large, the most common complaint you'll hear from women who sufter from PMS relates to mood swings and irritability. Most of us get pretty cranky just prior to menstruation, and some of us get dow aright ugly. It’s. a big fat drag, J can tell you that, both for the pre-menstrual woman and anyone who has to deal with her. In extreme cases, the pre- menstrual woman can be a danger to herself and society Downloading council Dear Editor: It was a good laugh to read the hypocrisy spouted by North Vancouver District council over the latest round of provincial government downloading. This is the same council thar has in the last five vears spent $2,500,000 to enact and enforce the Environmental itive news about Pi in general. She is out there, driving her car around town in an heightened state of road rage roadiness, white knuckled hands clutching the wheel in anticipation of seme fool who might cui her off or a police girl who wants to clock her for speeding. She may only be 57 tall and weigh 100 pounds, but if she jumps out of her car to rant at you, lock your doors and roll up all the windows, PMS- fuelled road rage makes regu- lar road rage look like a parade wave. Ifyou happen to run into 4 Pre-menstrual woman in the grocery store, change aisles immediately. Those dents in her shopping cart are from banging into other shoppers who get in her way. And under no circum- stances should you make eve contact with her. The pre- menstrual woman will assume you are staring, at the zit on her chin, and cither break down erving or hurl a string of abuses at you while she bangs vour shopping cart out of the way in her rush for the bakery section. Pre-menstrual women are prone to fits of fury, and the Protection Bylaw. Protection of the environment has tradi- tionally been the demain of thé provincial and federal gov- ernments. Se let’s shout from the rooftops to our present council: “Offload environ- mental protection.” Let the senior governments do their own enforcement. Nor that they will listen, middle-aged pre-menstrual wonn in particular will the anyone. You'll sce her pushing, otier moms around at her Kids” hockey games and spit- ting venom at ride cell phone users, She has uncontratlable hunger pangs that she satiates with junk foad, only to cal- lapse ia tearful despair because she feels far. Ac home she is Mother Theresa one minute, and Cruella deVille the nest. In some homes even the family dogs fear her, especially if they have chewed up the brand new box of golf balls she just bought for tomorrow's round. But back to the birth con- trol pill. By levelling out the amount of estrogen in your monthly cyele, the pill can reduce pre-menstrual symp- toms. Not only that, certain kinds of birth control pills clear up acne. And we no longer have to worry about long-term ill effects. For the middle-aged woman who is looking forward to menopause and in the mean- time has severe PME, che pill can be a godsend. One woman I know went on a low dose birth control hypocrisy but think about it: this one simple act could reduce our tax increase to 0%. OF course district lawyers would be a lit- tle put out as $1,000,000 or so of that moncy has been used to drag non-compliant district. taxpayers through Supreme Court. Brock Davidson kbrock@direct.ca Working Towards Financial Independence © EaRty REMIREMENT = *¢ RETIREMENT OPTIONS © INHERITANCES * CONTROLLING DEBT Friday, January 15, 1999 - North Shore News — 7 6 rhe n° the pil these sumptoms are not cont mon, My advice to women who suffer from severe PMS is this: ask your doctor about birth control pills and you too mav be able to Marvellon into Menopause. —— Inmpers@be.svmpaticoca pill called Marvellon (great age huh?) for three vears in ber mid-+0s to battle PALS, She fels wonderful, but wor- nied about poysible fong- term side effects and so decided to try going off the pill for avhile, Within nwo moaths Aer husband and children were begging her to go back on the pill. For some women, the sftcets of the pill ere shat dra- matic. In fact, there are only a few disadvantages to raking the pill. 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