About 10 yrs ago during peri menopause my doctor put me on a patch of BC pills to help low hormone symptoms and the IBS I already had got soo bad. Everything I ate or drank, and I mean EVERYTHING, EVEN WATER, gave me gurgling and gas and pains. I asked if it could be the hormones and he kept saying no so I stayed on it for a few months. After numerous tests he finally said to stop the patch and see what happens. The very day after stopping I got better. I was better for a week and then as an experiment I put the patch back on and immediately got bad again. Took it off and the next day better. My doctor still says it has nothing to do with it - but pain speaks for itself and I KNOW IT DID. Not to say it would do that for everybody but it's worth a try. Of course I didn't need it for birth control so be careful !