Older Women Are Sharing The “Normal” Body Changes That They Were “Wildly Unprepared” For

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“Blood clots from birth control pills and hormone therapy are more common than women are often told. Please be aware: I am NOT trying to discourage anyone from taking needed birth control or hormones! But I have to be on blood thinners until I die, because I have a hereditary clotting disorder, about which I didn’t know when I first started taking the pill at 19. Now I’m basically one big blood clot from the waist down. And while I’m happy to be alive, the leg swelling, distended veins, and pain is not exactly a walk in the park. If you are taking the birth control pill or hormone therapy and have fainting or greying out spells, pain in your legs, swelling and inflammation, skin that is hot to the touch, severe exhaustion, or difficulty breathing and talking, get to a doctor immediately and say you’re worried about a blood clot or DVT (deep vein thrombosis)! It took over six months to diagnose, so it was too late for me.”

“If you catch it in time, blood thinners can help.”

Even today, many primary care physicians don’t think about blood clots, especially not in young women. It’s so sad that we women in 2026 still have to actively advocate for ourselves medically, especially in terms of gynecological stuff, but here we are.”

—jaimecw