Going Off Birth Control Pill

themosthappy91

So I'm going off hormonal birth control for the first time since I became sexually active seven years ago, and I'm wondering what to expect! I know everyone is different, but do any of y'all have experience with this to share? I'm particularly concerned about nausea (I had it really bad getting ON the pill so I'm wondering if the same applies to getting off) or other debilitating side effects... but whatever you've got, share it!

doeydo

I've been off of it since around the end of February, and I had been taking BC for almost ten years (I have switched brands a few times before, though).  I hadn't noticed anything other than my skin getting a tad more pimple-y, but I am not sure if it is from that or just from being more sweatier with the warmer weather.

WinstonsGirl

I had nothing.  No changes, other than my period now running every 22-23 days instead of 28.  

AprilH81

I'm going to preface this by saying that I have been diagnosed with PCOS since coming off the pill so my experience may be different.

1)  My face went NUTSO with lots of breakouts (more than normal for me) including cystic acne at times.

2) I noticed a lot more discharge than normal.

My PCOS caused the super bad breakouts but the changing hormone levels would have caused some of it.  I don't remember any other side effects, no nausea, headaches or changes in appetite.

southernbelle0915

I had zero changes when I went off the pill. I also didn't have a ton of changes when I had my IUD taken out. If anything, I felt more healthy for some reason....no idea why and its very likely that was not an actual physical side effect but rather an emotional thing.

luckya23

I had constant headaches, breakouts on my face and chest and back, and an extra day of bleeding mid-month. 

No thanks!!  I went off in January and got back on mid-April.

themosthappy91

AprilH81 said:

I'm going to preface this by saying that I have been diagnosed with PCOS since coming off the pill so my experience may be different.

1)  My face went NUTSO with lots of breakouts (more than normal for me) including cystic acne at times.

2) I noticed a lot more discharge than normal.

My PCOS caused the super bad breakouts but the changing hormone levels would have caused some of it.  I don't remember any other side effects, no nausea, headaches or changes in appetite.

April, what exactly is PCOS? I keep seeing this abbreviation everywhere and can't figure it out...

AprilH81

themosthappy91 said:

AprilH81 said:

I'm going to preface this by saying that I have been diagnosed with PCOS since coming off the pill so my experience may be different.

1)  My face went NUTSO with lots of breakouts (more than normal for me) including cystic acne at times.

2) I noticed a lot more discharge than normal.

My PCOS caused the super bad breakouts but the changing hormone levels would have caused some of it.  I don't remember any other side effects, no nausea, headaches or changes in appetite.

April, what exactly is PCOS? I keep seeing this abbreviation everywhere and can't figure it out...

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome 

In some ways it is a catch all diagnosis, but typically doctors will require a patient to have 2/3 of the major symptoms before diagnosing. 

Cysts, irregular cycles and unusual hormone levels are usually the big symptoms that a doctor looks for. PCOS is diagnosed via blood work and an internal ultrasound to check for cysts. It is possible to have PCOS without having cysts.

Symptoms: Irregular menstrual cycles Irregular periods also called Oligomenorrhea Weight gain, Overweight (difficulty losing weight) Difficulty losing weight Excess hair growth on face and body- called Hirsutism Darkened patches of skin Skin tags Infertility Thinning hair Insulin resistance Type 2 Diabetes High cholesterol and high triglycerides High blood pressure Cysts on the ovaries (multiple) Pelvic pain Depression Anxiety Sleep apnea (when breathing stops for a short period of time while asleep) Decreased sex drive Increase in stress levels

ETA:  PCOS Info (click)

themosthappy91

AprilH81 said:

themosthappy91 said:

AprilH81 said:

I'm going to preface this by saying that I have been diagnosed with PCOS since coming off the pill so my experience may be different.

1)  My face went NUTSO with lots of breakouts (more than normal for me) including cystic acne at times.

2) I noticed a lot more discharge than normal.

My PCOS caused the super bad breakouts but the changing hormone levels would have caused some of it.  I don't remember any other side effects, no nausea, headaches or changes in appetite.

April, what exactly is PCOS? I keep seeing this abbreviation everywhere and can't figure it out...

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome 

In some ways it is a catch all diagnosis, but typically doctors will require a patient to have 2/3 of the major symptoms before diagnosing. 

Cysts, irregular cycles and unusual hormone levels are usually the big symptoms that a doctor looks for. PCOS is diagnosed via blood work and an internal ultrasound to check for cysts. It is possible to have PCOS without having cysts.

Symptoms: Irregular menstrual cycles Irregular periods also called Oligomenorrhea Weight gain, Overweight (difficulty losing weight) Difficulty losing weight Excess hair growth on face and body- called Hirsutism Darkened patches of skin Skin tags Infertility Thinning hair Insulin resistance Type 2 Diabetes High cholesterol and high triglycerides High blood pressure Cysts on the ovaries (multiple) Pelvic pain Depression Anxiety Sleep apnea (when breathing stops for a short period of time while asleep) Decreased sex drive Increase in stress levels

ETA:  PCOS Info (click)

That's super helpful, thanks!

particuliersylphe

I did after last year after being on for 10 years. I break out more now, but I have noticed that my overall mood has vastly improved. I have nothing else to add.

MJKlover

I also have PCOS so I just about have to take BC. But the biggest difference I can tell when I'm not taking one is my sex drive goes through the roof. But that has more to do with the imbalance of testosterone from having PCOS. I do tend to be in a better mood, but with more acne when I am not taking BC.

TacoBelle2

I went off it about six months ago, and I'm so happy I did. My sex drive came back (I hadn't realized it was gone), I stopped getting headaches every other day, I lost about 20 pounds, and generally am less moody. The negatives were heavier periods with worse cramping, and my boobs lost a cup size, but I honestly felt like a fog was lifted, so coming off was worth it.  

onefootinthebayou

I just went off it 4 weeks ago, one week before our wedding . I've noticed absolutely no changes but I'm not the best at being tuned into my body.

It's early still but no weight gain or loss, mood changes, or skin issues. I'm a bit older though (late 30s) so I have no idea if that has any impact. I went off of it for a couple of years about 7 years ago & didn't notice a thing.

Again, I'm probably not the greatest person to give advice on subtle changes to one's body. I once did a triathlon with a broken rib & thought it was a bad cramp.

NavyBlue143

Also have PCOS (damn there's a lot of us) but I was a raging hosebeast for a good month because of hormone withdrawals. bad acne, tired, nauseous, no energy. I'm pretty sure it was mostly because I had better balanced hormones and then suddenly didn't. BC didn't affect my sex drive or mood or weight much, so no issues there. 

wandajune6

I went off of it almost a year ago after being on it for 15 years. I noticed a few things that others have mentioned:

-22/23 day cycle instead of 28
-slightly more breakouts

But the big change was moodiness. I was never a PMS-y person: no cravings, unusual bitchiness, etc. It took DH and I 2-3 months to realize that I got moody. I'd cry a lot more than usual and get unreasonably angry at DH for small things. It was odd. It's tapered off now but I still find myself overreacting at times during my cycle. I track my cycle pretty carefully and keep notes on my moods. It helps me keep my head straight when I'm upset--- I sometimes check my notes so I can tell if it's hormones or if DH is the most horrible man alive. It's helpful on days like last week when I couldn't stop sobbing when DH came home from errands with only coffee for himself (I don't drink coffee).

banana468

I was on it and getting off it was one of the best choices I ever made. I also have PCOS but the RE who examined me said that I don't have a lot of the main symptoms.

PCOS can also hinder your ability to achieve ans sustain a pregnancy but it was not an issue for me.

Since being off it, I love that I'm not feeling oddly emotional, I want sex more, I don't experience the odd and random infections (yeast, uti) and just feel better in general. I also found out about the health risks of the pill and those along with my faith are reasons I'll never go back on it.

RosieC18

I recently switched from the ring to a hormonal IUD with a much lower dose and a different cocktail and I have been losing a lot of hair. It seems like it could either be the IUD or withdrawing from the old one. Apparently a lot of women lose hair after stopping BC, much like after childbirth. It's been kind of scary tbh.

kvruns

I just went off it at the end of May after about 9 years on it (couple different brands).  So far the only thing for me was my period coming sooner than I thought and it being heavier than I've ever had on BCP. I was concerned about cramps and headaches since I am prone to migraines on the days I take the nonactive pill but month 1 went ok

sarahufl

wandajune6 said:

I went off of it almost a year ago after being on it for 15 years. I noticed a few things that others have mentioned: -22/23 day cycle instead of 28 -slightly more breakouts But the big change was moodiness. I was never a PMS-y person: no cravings, unusual bitchiness, etc. It took DH and I 2-3 months to realize that I got moody. I'd cry a lot more than usual and get unreasonably angry at DH for small things. It was odd. It's tapered off now but I still find myself overreacting at times during my cycle. I track my cycle pretty carefully and keep notes on my moods. It helps me keep my head straight when I'm upset--- I sometimes check my notes so I can tell if it's hormones or if DH is the most horrible man alive. It's helpful on days like last week when I couldn't stop sobbing when DH came home from errands with only coffee for himself (I don't drink coffee).

lol. You sound like me.....

I stopped taking HBC about 6 years ago and haven't looked back. I have a history of blood clots in my family and took HBC for about 8 years. Then I went to a new gyno and she was like "um, who prescribed you this stuff given your family history?!" and advised me to get off it immediately. Believe it or not, she was the first doctor to sit down and talk to me about this stuff (which is part of why I like her so much).

Before I went on the pill, I had HORRIBLE cramps, vomiting, etc which were curbed by the pill. So when I went off, I was afraid they would come back. But thankfully, they didn't. For years, I was like clockwork- I could tell to the hour when my period was coming and it was never terrible. Perfect, 28 day cycles.

Until I had an Ectopic Pregnancy. Now my body feels out of whack. My left tube was removed, so when I ovulate, I get horrible cramps on that side. It's only been a few months, so I hope that goes away soon.

H snapped at me this morning about something dumb (we were running late for the train and he got mad because I kept apologizing) so I cried all the way to work. Like @wandajune6 said, I checked my notes and I am (supposedly) about 5 days out from my period. Sigh.

Also, idk if you got off the pill to get pregnant or not, but if Fertility Friend hasn't been recommended to you yet, download it and use it. Even if you aren't trying to get pregnant, it is a helpful way to pay better attention to your body. I've been using it for about a year and I like it!

kvruns

sarahufl said:

wandajune6 said:

I went off of it almost a year ago after being on it for 15 years. I noticed a few things that others have mentioned: -22/23 day cycle instead of 28 -slightly more breakouts But the big change was moodiness. I was never a PMS-y person: no cravings, unusual bitchiness, etc. It took DH and I 2-3 months to realize that I got moody. I'd cry a lot more than usual and get unreasonably angry at DH for small things. It was odd. It's tapered off now but I still find myself overreacting at times during my cycle. I track my cycle pretty carefully and keep notes on my moods. It helps me keep my head straight when I'm upset--- I sometimes check my notes so I can tell if it's hormones or if DH is the most horrible man alive. It's helpful on days like last week when I couldn't stop sobbing when DH came home from errands with only coffee for himself (I don't drink coffee).

lol. You sound like me.....

I stopped taking HBC about 6 years ago and haven't looked back. I have a history of blood clots in my family and took HBC for about 8 years. Then I went to a new gyno and she was like "um, who prescribed you this stuff given your family history?!" and advised me to get off it immediately. Believe it or not, she was the first doctor to sit down and talk to me about this stuff (which is part of why I like her so much).

Before I went on the pill, I had HORRIBLE cramps, vomiting, etc which were curbed by the pill. So when I went off, I was afraid they would come back. But thankfully, they didn't. For years, I was like clockwork- I could tell to the hour when my period was coming and it was never terrible. Perfect, 28 day cycles.

Until I had an Ectopic Pregnancy. Now my body feels out of whack. My left tube was removed, so when I ovulate, I get horrible cramps on that side. It's only been a few months, so I hope that goes away soon.

H snapped at me this morning about something dumb (we were running late for the train and he got mad because I kept apologizing) so I cried all the way to work. Like @wandajune6 said, I checked my notes and I am (supposedly) about 5 days out from my period. Sigh.

Also, idk if you got off the pill to get pregnant or not, but if Fertility Friend hasn't been recommended to you yet, download it and use it. Even if you aren't trying to get pregnant, it is a helpful way to pay better attention to your body. I've been using it for about a year and I like it!

I downloaded the app after hearing about it on here and another site I'm on.  I figured it would be a good way to track given I don't know if my period would be unpredictable and I liked it better than just a calendar.  I haven't gotten too much into it to see what other useful info it provides but I think it will be nice to use 

sarahufl

kvruns said:

sarahufl said:

wandajune6 said:

I went off of it almost a year ago after being on it for 15 years. I noticed a few things that others have mentioned: -22/23 day cycle instead of 28 -slightly more breakouts But the big change was moodiness. I was never a PMS-y person: no cravings, unusual bitchiness, etc. It took DH and I 2-3 months to realize that I got moody. I'd cry a lot more than usual and get unreasonably angry at DH for small things. It was odd. It's tapered off now but I still find myself overreacting at times during my cycle. I track my cycle pretty carefully and keep notes on my moods. It helps me keep my head straight when I'm upset--- I sometimes check my notes so I can tell if it's hormones or if DH is the most horrible man alive. It's helpful on days like last week when I couldn't stop sobbing when DH came home from errands with only coffee for himself (I don't drink coffee).

lol. You sound like me.....

I stopped taking HBC about 6 years ago and haven't looked back. I have a history of blood clots in my family and took HBC for about 8 years. Then I went to a new gyno and she was like "um, who prescribed you this stuff given your family history?!" and advised me to get off it immediately. Believe it or not, she was the first doctor to sit down and talk to me about this stuff (which is part of why I like her so much).

Before I went on the pill, I had HORRIBLE cramps, vomiting, etc which were curbed by the pill. So when I went off, I was afraid they would come back. But thankfully, they didn't. For years, I was like clockwork- I could tell to the hour when my period was coming and it was never terrible. Perfect, 28 day cycles.

Until I had an Ectopic Pregnancy. Now my body feels out of whack. My left tube was removed, so when I ovulate, I get horrible cramps on that side. It's only been a few months, so I hope that goes away soon.

H snapped at me this morning about something dumb (we were running late for the train and he got mad because I kept apologizing) so I cried all the way to work. Like @wandajune6 said, I checked my notes and I am (supposedly) about 5 days out from my period. Sigh.

Also, idk if you got off the pill to get pregnant or not, but if Fertility Friend hasn't been recommended to you yet, download it and use it. Even if you aren't trying to get pregnant, it is a helpful way to pay better attention to your body. I've been using it for about a year and I like it!

I downloaded the app after hearing about it on here and another site I'm on.  I figured it would be a good way to track given I don't know if my period would be unpredictable and I liked it better than just a calendar.  I haven't gotten too much into it to see what other useful info it provides but I think it will be nice to use 

Yeah, for awhile I just kept track of my periods and nothing else. When we started TTC, I started using the other functions.

emmaaa

I have been off HBC for about 6 years. I was only on it for a little less than a year. I hated it. Going off HBC was a decision  that I made and DH supported. 

The only problem is my periods are heavy and my cramps are awful for about two days. I have learned to live with it. I have also noticed that the more regularly I exercise, the better my cramps are. 

labro

I went off the pill last summer and it was definitely the best decision ever! My boobs had started acting all whacky (like gaining a cup size in a matter of two weeks) and my sex drive was practically gone. I felt like an emotional zombie. I switched it out for the Paragard (copper) IUD and it's been wonderful. My cycles have gone from 28 days to being around 35 days on average, I have noticed slight PMS symptoms, but I never had bad ones before the pill, so it's nothing major. Just some moodiness prior to my period and the occasional pimple around that time as well. I didn't try the MFP app. I've been using P Tracker just to track my periods and it's been pretty good so far. Since we aren't TTC or anything like that I just wasn't interested in anything more sophisticated. I never had any crazy emotional swings or anything after getting off the pill. My cycles gradually got longer (they averaged around 29 days for the first 4 or 5 months before extending to 35 days now), and everything seems to have leveled out to normal.

Bubblegum5586

I went off about 4 month ago after 12 years on HBC. Cramping became worse (but ibuprofen takes away almost all the pain as long as I take it the second I feel it starting). Less discharge but slightly heavier and longer periods.

The part I hate the most... is now I can't skip periods when I want to! I will have my period over 4th July weekend which is pool parties all weekend. Not the end of the world but I did enjoy having that control!

wandajune6

sarahufl said:

wandajune6 said:

I went off of it almost a year ago after being on it for 15 years. I noticed a few things that others have mentioned:

-22/23 day cycle instead of 28
-slightly more breakouts

But the big change was moodiness. I was never a PMS-y person: no cravings, unusual bitchiness, etc. It took DH and I 2-3 months to realize that I got moody. I'd cry a lot more than usual and get unreasonably angry at DH for small things. It was odd. It's tapered off now but I still find myself overreacting at times during my cycle. I track my cycle pretty carefully and keep notes on my moods. It helps me keep my head straight when I'm upset--- I sometimes check my notes so I can tell if it's hormones or if DH is the most horrible man alive. It's helpful on days like last week when I couldn't stop sobbing when DH came home from errands with only coffee for himself (I don't drink coffee).

lol. You sound like me.....

I stopped taking HBC about 6 years ago and haven't looked back. I have a history of blood clots in my family and took HBC for about 8 years. Then I went to a new gyno and she was like "um, who prescribed you this stuff given your family history?!" and advised me to get off it immediately. Believe it or not, she was the first doctor to sit down and talk to me about this stuff (which is part of why I like her so much).

Before I went on the pill, I had HORRIBLE cramps, vomiting, etc which were curbed by the pill. So when I went off, I was afraid they would come back. But thankfully, they didn't. For years, I was like clockwork- I could tell to the hour when my period was coming and it was never terrible. Perfect, 28 day cycles.

Until I had an Ectopic Pregnancy. Now my body feels out of whack. My left tube was removed, so when I ovulate, I get horrible cramps on that side. It's only been a few months, so I hope that goes away soon.

H snapped at me this morning about something dumb (we were running late for the train and he got mad because I kept apologizing) so I cried all the way to work. Like @wandajune6 said, I checked my notes and I am (supposedly) about 5 days out from my period. Sigh.

Also, idk if you got off the pill to get pregnant or not, but if Fertility Friend hasn't been recommended to you yet, download it and use it. Even if you aren't trying to get pregnant, it is a helpful way to pay better attention to your body. I've been using it for about a year and I like it!


I'm sorry about your ectopic. My mom had one years ago while she had an old-school IUD. I know it took her a while to feel better. It was a pretty ugly situation that kept her in the hospital for over a month. The doctor suggested that she'd have problems getting pregnant but she ended up pregnant a year or two later- and ended up having twins (my sister and me) with no problems.

It will get better.

thisismynickname2

I never much liked being on HCB, but I felt safer on it. I always used condoms too, with partners, to protect from STDs. So it was nice when DH and I realized that we'd be marrying each other, that I could go off it and not worry so much if we had an oops with the condoms. I could tell that when I was on it too long that I didn't "feel like myself" and DH is fine using condoms on the regular. 

That said, my cramps are worse, my sex drive is back to normal, and my appetite is back to normal (so I've lost a few pounds). Even with the cramps, I'm so glad to be off the stuff! 

mrscomposer

So for all of you who have gone off HCB, what was your next step?  We're 99% sure we don't want kids, but we're going to wait for J to get a vasectomy for another few years, just in case things change.  I'm getting a bit tired of having my emotions at low static, having no sex drive, and being 20lbs overweight without being able to get rid of it.

Condoms aren't ideal, I'm not a fan of IUDs... are any of you charting/temping to PREVENT pregnancy?

ShesSoCold

I recently went off HBC and got the non-hormone IUD. My periods are heavier but that's the only negative side effect. But I still have little to no cramping or issues like that. I actually have a sex drive now, which is nice for both of us. 

It's only been two months but I swear I eat like a cow 2-3 days before my period. I'm out of control. 

sarahufl

mrscomposer said:

So for all of you who have gone off HCB, what was your next step?  We're 99% sure we don't want kids, but we're going to wait for J to get a vasectomy for another few years, just in case things change.  I'm getting a bit tired of having my emotions at low static, having no sex drive, and being 20lbs overweight without being able to get rid of it.

Condoms aren't ideal, I'm not a fan of IUDs... are any of you charting/temping to PREVENT pregnancy?

We used charting/temping to avoid for about 8 months. Once you start doing it, it is surprisingly easy to do. Provided you are regular and pretty strict about monitoring, you will probably find that it is not that hard.

That said, if you are firmly against kids, you may want to have a back-up.

banana468

mrscomposer said:

So for all of you who have gone off HCB, what was your next step?  We're 99% sure we don't want kids, but we're going to wait for J to get a vasectomy for another few years, just in case things change.  I'm getting a bit tired of having my emotions at low static, having no sex drive, and being 20lbs overweight without being able to get rid of it.

Condoms aren't ideal, I'm not a fan of IUDs... are any of you charting/temping to PREVENT pregnancy?

I'm going to do more charting / temping once I'm able to get consistent reads and consistent sleep patterns.   That's not a smart thing for me at this point given the sleep habits of my child.

But there are other NFP methods that you can use to avoid pregnancy.   For me, I also find that my sex drive is much lower now in my 30s anyway so while I love being intimate with DH, half of that intimacy is lounging with him on the couch in the quiet time after the kids are in bed. 

themosthappy91

mrscomposer said:

So for all of you who have gone off HCB, what was your next step?  We're 99% sure we don't want kids, but we're going to wait for J to get a vasectomy for another few years, just in case things change.  I'm getting a bit tired of having my emotions at low static, having no sex drive, and being 20lbs overweight without being able to get rid of it.

Condoms aren't ideal, I'm not a fan of IUDs... are any of you charting/temping to PREVENT pregnancy?

This is actually our plan! I'm going off in favor of using temping and charting to determine when it's safe to have unprotected sex, and using condoms when it's not (also planning on using condoms all the time for the next six months at least while I gain confidence in my temping and charting abilities).

I really can't say enough about how excited I am about this decision- and also how pissed I am that more women don't know it's an option/feel like they could handle it because it's been presented to them as being extremely complicated and "risky". 

Everyone should read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, especially if you are curious about using charting and temping to prevent (or achieve) pregnancy. Even if you're 100% happy with your current form of birth control, it gives you so much insight into your body that it's worth the read anyway.