Birth Control Question - Coming Off

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I was cruising the web and came across a website which REALLY made me want to get off my BC but made me REALLY afraid to do so; any personal experiences from coming off BC? Weight gain? Acne? etc. I'm on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen

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  • acasey0123
    acasey0123 Posts: 640 Member
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    i was on it and then came home it and really didnt expereince any issues except that weight has been coming off easier now
  • rosalee87
    rosalee87 Posts: 221 Member
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    i was on it and then came home it and really didnt expereince any issues except that weight has been coming off easier now

    I read another forum on a health website and some women were having major problems like...irregular periods, weight gain, acne, depression, etc - I've only been on it for 8 - 9 months :\
  • Littlered9
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    I actually found that weight comes off easier...however the acne is terrible during "that time of month". I was on that same pill for years! Made me feel awful & bloated. Kind of a nice chance to be clear of it.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    i was on it and then came home it and really didnt expereince any issues except that weight has been coming off easier now

    I read another forum on a health website and some women were having major problems like...irregular periods, weight gain, acne, depression, etc - I've only been on it for 8 - 9 months :\

    I've actually had no issues coming off of ortho-tri-cyclen. I finished the full cycle though. I know you can run into issues if you stop mid-cycle.

    I had horrible problems coming off of seasonique though. I was irregular on my periods for 8 months afterwards.
  • emkay26
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    I actually gained weight when I went off it, but everyone has a different experience based on her own individual body. Personally, my hormones went nuts from the change-- my face broke out, my hair was gross, and I gained about 5 pounds. I was also extremely tired and foggy-headed. Not a fun time. :)
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    I was on a BC for about a year to help regulate my cycle a few years ago. Didn't experience any issues coming off it. I'd think any issues you have coming off would be short-lived, at most.
  • 2stepz
    2stepz Posts: 814 Member
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    I'm off right now... and my cycles are somewhat irregular. However - they have always been that way. My cycle is, on average, 35 days long. Being on hormones tried to regulate it to a 28 day cycle, and that felt really really awkward to me. My body didn't like it. Coming off was one of the best decisions of my life. Yes, I get acne - but I can deal with that.
  • rosalee87
    rosalee87 Posts: 221 Member
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    I'm actually 2 days away from starting a new pack and I'm really thinking about coming off of it :\
  • Littlered9
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    Ortho does have a tendency to make you feel depressed & cranky. It made me feel yucky. I tried several different pills and the best one for me was called Zovia. It was the only one that didn't make me gain weight, feel bloated, & feel cranky. Everyone is different. The only thing I miss from taking them is the clear skin that it helped with.
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
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    I was on Alesse for 5+ years and had absolutely no side affects while taking it. I came off in March and the only issues I've noticed is increased acne during TOM, and more cravings for the munchies. If we weren't trying to get pregnant I'd go back on in a heart beat!
  • rosalee87
    rosalee87 Posts: 221 Member
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    Ortho does have a tendency to make you feel depressed & cranky. It made me feel yucky. I tried several different pills and the best one for me was called Zovia. It was the only one that didn't make me gain weight, feel bloated, & feel cranky. Everyone is different. The only thing I miss from taking them is the clear skin that it helped with.

    I've never really had skin problems till like last year - I tried using sensitive proactive just to get rid of like the minor stuff and BOOOYYY did that mess me up LOL
  • GambleGurl
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    I have tried the pill, the patch, depo and now im going to try the implant that goes in your arm. The only bad side effects from BC i have had was gaining so much weight on it so i got off it when my husband went to Iraq cuz it wasnt needed and i lost weight. My acne hadnt gotten any worse either. When i was on the pill or patch nothing really changed for me not even when i got off them and changed to another with the exception of the depo!
  • Littlered9
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    Ortho does have a tendency to make you feel depressed & cranky. It made me feel yucky. I tried several different pills and the best one for me was called Zovia. It was the only one that didn't make me gain weight, feel bloated, & feel cranky. Everyone is different. The only thing I miss from taking them is the clear skin that it helped with.

    I've never really had skin problems till like last year - I tried using sensitive proactive just to get rid of like the minor stuff and BOOOYYY did that mess me up LOL

    Oh yes, I tried Proactive once too and it made my face worse. That stuff was terrible. I have the best luck with Oxy Face Wash, just cheap, over the counter. Good luck!
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    I didn't have problems like weight gain or acne coming off BC, but I didn't get my period for three months, and then it was only after medical intervention. Also, for the past year my cycle has been really irregular. I'm not saying the pill caused the irregularity, but rather it may have masked underlying issues.
  • JHR323
    JHR323 Posts: 23 Member
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    I actually gained weight when I went off it, but everyone has a different experience based on her own individual body. Personally, my hormones went nuts from the change-- my face broke out, my hair was gross, and I gained about 5 pounds. I was also extremely tired and foggy-headed. Not a fun time. :)

    I too am experiencing weight gain after going off of birth control. How long did your weight gain last and other side effects last? Did everything eventually go back to normal? It's been about a month, and I've gain about 6 pounds. I'm still exercising and eating the same, so it has to be the effects of stopping birth control.
  • AshLinds11
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    I'm having the same problem! I don't feel as bloated as I did when I was on Ortho tri cyclen but I've gained about 5 lbs. I've been off of it for about 2 months. How long until hormones are back to normal and I can finally start losing weight!?