174: Dr. Jolene Brighten on Post Birth Control Syndrome, Ditching the Pill, and Changing Women’s Medicine

Dr. Jolene Brighten is a Functional Medicine Naturopathic Medical Doctor and the founder of Rubus Health, a women’s medicine clinic that specializes in women's hormones. She is recognized as a leading expert in Post-Birth Control Syndrome and the long-term side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives. Dr. Brighten is a best-selling author, speaker and regular contributor to several online publications including MindBodyGreen. She is a medical advisor for one of the first data-driven apps to offer women personalized birth control recommendations. Her most recent release, Beyond the Pill, is the first book of its kind addressing the effects of oral contraceptives on women's health.

In this episode, Dr. Jolene Brighten shares more about how she became interested in functional medicine and decided to specialize in women's hormones. She discusses what the birth control pill is doing to women's bodies, how the pill works in the body and affects the body's many systems, and what Post Birth Control Syndrome is. She also discusses the connection between the pill and autoimmunity, how the pill is linked with cancer, and natural ways to address endometriosis and PCOS. Dr. Brighten shares why you shouldn't get pregnant right after coming off the pill, why doctors don't believe in PBCS, how to support your body when quitting the pill, other birth control options, and more.

You can find more from Dr. Brighten at drbrighten.com, on Instagram (@drjolenebrighten), and in her new book, Beyond the Pill.

For more from Christina, head to her website, christinaricewellness.com, to find her services, blog, programs, and ebooks. If there's a question you'd like answered or a topic you'd like discussed on the podcast, send it in to podcast@christinaricewellness.com! Don’t forget to join the Facebook group, Wellness Realness Podcast Tribe, to meet other podcast listeners!

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