Have you STOPPED using birth control??

killerqueen17

Hi everyone... well, ladies in particular... haha :bigsmile: I'm hoping to hear about the experiences you may have had STOPPING birth control... I don't mean switching, I mean stopping entirely.

What side effects did you have while on birth control? And did they go away after you stopped?

I have tried two kinds of BC (NuvaRing and LoEstrin Fe), and I have experienced the same side effetcs with both-- weight gain that seems stuck & won't come off, emotional mood swings, an almost non-existent sex drive, and constant lethargy/fatigue. :ohwell:

I am thinking of stopping my BC entirely... I am sick of being full of weird hormones, and I want to feel like myself again! Plus, my husband and I are at a point where if I did become pregnant, it would not be catastrophic... we'll still try to avoid it for the time being, but if it happens we will be ready to handle it.

Just wondering if I can expect side effetcs to immediately stop, or if it will take some time... thanks in advance for your input!!

Vaanja

My main side-effect from stopping the pill was pregnancy.

killerqueen17

My main side-effect from stopping the pill was pregnancy.

hahahaha... yeah, I've heard that's a big one... lol!

SpitfireStacey

LOL the above post made me laugh.

I don't think there are any side effects. Some pills are supposed to help with the moodiness so I would recommend trying some different types of pills to find one that works better for you.

dad106

It may just be another pill that you need. Some women go through 4 or 5 before they get it right.

I take Loestrin FE 24 and have never had any of those side effects.. well can't comment on the sex drive, because I'm not sexually active, but the others like weight gain, mood swings and feeling lethargic, I've never experienced.

I personally could never stop my B/C due to medical reasons even if I wanted to.

candj2009

Yeah, mine too.....I hear women say all the time their bc is why they can't lose weight or gained weight.......think of how much you will gain pregnant. I can speak from experience, 2 times I said I wasn't going to gain more than recommended. 100 lbs gained with the first one and 40 with the second one. And trust me it don't come off easily.....not like it does in Hollywood and mom walks the red carpet 6 weeks after giving birth. In the real world, you leave the hospital still wearing maternity jeans.

snowpony

I did cos I had all the side effects you had. I was on it for 2 months and took a month to come back to normal.

Ral263

It may just be another pill that you need. Some women go through 4 or 5 before they get it right.

I take Loestrin FE 24 and have never had any of those side effects.. well can't comment on the sex drive, because I'm not sexually active, but the others like weight gain, mood swings and feeling lethargic, I've never experienced.

I personally could never stop my B/C due to medical reasons even if I wanted to.

Same here-- it's really about finding the right one for you. I was previously on Seasonique and it was truly terrible. I spotted nonstop almost everyday, had raging emotional issues (which has NEVER ever been an issue for me), and gained 10 lbs. Just switched to loesterin FE, spotting is gone, emotionality is gone, and best of all, already 5 lbs down.

MissJenova

I used Ortho tricyclene LO which worked awesome for me with really no negative side effects at all. When I stopped my skin broke out a bit and my period behaved differently (cramping etc.), but those two things were under control from the BC to begin with. So I would say stopping wouldn't cause many problems for you.
Ask your doc about Ortho Lo though. I switched from that and hated the alternative so I went right back to it. If not though, stopping shouldn't cause you many problems.

killerqueen17

Yeah, mine too.....I hear women say all the time their bc is why they can't lose weight or gained weight.......think of how much you will gain pregnant. I can speak from experience, 2 times I said I wasn't going to gain more than recommended. 100 lbs gained with the first one and 40 with the second one. And trust me it don't come off easily.....not like it does in Hollywood and mom walks the red carpet 6 weeks after giving birth. In the real world, you leave the hospital still wearing maternity jeans.

Well as I mentioned, I'm okay with getting pregnant, I do want kids within the next few years. I understand that pregnant women gain weight... lol!

GouchisGirl

I was on the pill for several years before I had my daughter 9 years ago, and it was great! But after I had her I went back on it, and tried several others, and it totally messed me up. I didn't have any side affects from stopping other then getting my body to be normal again cycle wise. I haven't taken anything in 7 years and considered it after my son was born a couple of months ago, but chose not to. You can still use condoms if you aren't ready to have a baby. They may not be 100%, but if you are married it could be a nice surprise (and they cut down on the risk if you aren't quite sure you are ready yet

FireMama_24

I know I was super moody, no sex drive, tired all the time, weight gain that was hard to get off. I am now completely off it and not pregnant and feeling a 100X better.

megcalvert

I quit taking BC last year bc it was making me PSYCHO! I was so moody, had no sex drive, constantly fatigued, the weight I gained over the years was too stubborn to come off...so I just quit and we have stuck to condoms...yes they aren't 100% but we are adults and if it happens it happens. I would rather that then ruin my relationship bc I am so moody. Once I quit I experienced 1 thing I have never had a problem with in my life. ACNE! I am still struggling with it and I don't know what to do about it. But it is better than the mood swings. lol & the weight is coming off. I have a sex drive and I am my normal moody self haha

Pocket_Pixi

I stopped taking mine because it was making my depression worse, and the water retention just wasn't worth it. I tried 4 different kinds before I said enough with it all ready. I recently talked to my dr about getting an IUD, not sure about it yet but I think that is my next route.

apapandrea

I went off BC three years ago and I've never been happier (and no, I did not get pregnant!) you just have to commit to using other reliable forms of BC (hello condoms!). My body has synced with itself, and it feels amazing to have my own hormones running the show. I personally enjoyed the decision.
Weight gain wise- BC or not- its all about committing to healthy living- and as I have started my weight loss journey its only made me realize more how great healthy eating can make me feel- because my body responds way better without all those extra hormones running through my system.

Just my experience :flowerforyou:

killerqueen17

It may just be another pill that you need. Some women go through 4 or 5 before they get it right.

Yeah, I know I could try another, but I'm just sort of annoyed with the whole process... I'm getting less and less comfortable with forcibly altering my hormones, and I'd really just prefer to deal with condoms at this point. I'm also afraid of switching to one with worse side effects... severe acne, or EXTREME depression, for instance...

ackeebee

My main side-effect from stopping the pill was pregnancy.

hahaha

good one!

2012Kristin

I think they affect everyone differently.

I did the shot from like 2000-2002 without any side effects, but I started it again in 2010 and gained a significant amount (not 100% sure on the cause, I was eating all the time though, I do blame the shot for some). I got off it around March - my appetite is back to normal now and I've been successfully able to lose some weight.

killerqueen17

I went off BC three years ago and I've never been happier (and no, I did not get pregnant!) you just have to commit to using other reliable forms of BC (hello condoms!). My body has synced with itself, and it feels amazing to have my own hormones running the show. I personally enjoyed the decision.
Weight gain wise- BC or not- its all about committing to healthy living- and as I have started my weight loss journey its only made me realize more how great healthy eating can make me feel- because my body responds way better without all those extra hormones running through my system.

Just my experience :flowerforyou:

Cool! Yeah, I think I'm in the same place as you were right about now... I'd like MY hormones back, please... haha :bigsmile:

VeganInTraining

i didn't have a ton of side effects with BCP but I hated not knowing if I was crying because I was really upset or it was the pill (I did the patch for a while and cried for 2 hours after watching Benny and Joon, that was DEFINITELY the patch) I went off of them and had MORE moood swings for a month or two but now I'm fantastic. Also it took about 3 months for my cycle to get normal, I had light flow one month, then super heavy, then super late, so it took while for my body to recalibrate but i'm real glad i'm not on them anymore

BigMamaDiva

I ALWAYS had weird issues with BC, the mood swings, etc...I have tried them ALL LOL I am now on Beyaz. Ive never felt better. It has the least amount of weight gain side effects also!

RachelT14

I havent taken a BC pill in the last 9 1/2 years. I dont regret stopping taking it the mood swings were terrible, when i stopped i discovered that i had PCOS, which the BC was maskign the symptoms of. My oldest child will be 6 soon and my youngest 4. Despite my Dr wanting me to start BC again and discussing it at most appointments with me i havent re started since the birth of my second and i wont. If i get pregnant it is ment to be, if i dont it isnt a problem.

I noticed a change in my moods when i stopped and also my ToM when i got it was a lot heavier to start with but since the kids (and bearing in mind i have PCOS which can make things a bit odd) things have really settled down.

ischmelle

I stopped all my birth control 9 years ago and have never regretted it (and I haven't had a baby either!). I HATED the hormones. And yes, all of the side effects stopped after I stopped taking it. There was a time of adjustment, because I had been using bc for 6 years, so my body had to sort out what hormones were really mine and what was synthetic and were leaving! :laugh: I tried switching birth control types too, just to see if I could find one that worked better (tried the ring, the patch and depo), but ultimately, things were getting worse and worse and I had just had enough. Yes, birth control does help prevent pregnancy, but it isn't 100% anyway and there are other ways to prevent pregnancy. If you don't want to have the synthetic hormones, do yourself a favor and just use protection.

dad106

It may just be another pill that you need. Some women go through 4 or 5 before they get it right.

Yeah, I know I could try another, but I'm just sort of annoyed with the whole process... I'm getting less and less comfortable with forcibly altering my hormones, and I'd really just prefer to deal with condoms at this point. I'm also afraid of switching to one with worse side effects... severe acne, or EXTREME depression, for instance...

I bet the process is annoying.. I got lucky that mine was one and done.. and I've had no problems since.

If you want to do condoms and stop all together... then go for it. Nothing says you have to keep taking it if you don't want too.

See if you can talk to your Doc or a nurse and say Hey,these are my side effects now and these are the side effects I'm scared of.. She may be more able to suggest a contraceptive method based on that information.

Hellbent_Heidi

My main side-effect from stopping the pill was pregnancy.

Also a proven cause of weight gain!

ajbeans

I thought a lot of things were caused by the pill when I was on it -- weight gain, mood swings, no sex drive, etc. So I stopped taking the pill. And the only thing that changed was that my mood swings got WORSE. I've developed PMDD and now I turn into a lunatic for 4 or 5 days before my period every month. And I still had trouble with my weight and no sex drive. So... I know that many women find that things get better for them after stopping the pill, but you need to know that it's not a given.

thedestar

I stopped taking bc 2+ years ago and I had the same side effects as you when I was on it. I felt like myself again after about 2 weeks. But then I found out I was pregnant My Dr told me it would take 3 months for the pill to get out of my system so we weren't using condoms or anything. Don't be under that assumption! LOL

HouseTargaryen

OK.. this might be tmi.. but I have been on nuvaring for the last year and a half or so, but there were 2 months that I didn't use it.. I found that I regained my sex drive and the "favorable conditions for sex" (lol).. but also that my nipples became EXTREMELY sensitive.. Like... OUCH. I would assume that in a few months time your body would even out and hopefully you wouldn't have any abnormalities (other than what you had before you started bc).

I, too am considering cutting out the bc. I was on a pill form that made me insane and made my hair come out too heavily.. and then nuvaring which.. I didn't notice at first but my sex drive is next to nothing now, I'm sort of insane again (lolol) and it just makes me uncomfortable putting hormones in me.

I may try one other kind to see if the two I've tried just don't work for me.. but I have a feeling me and bc's days are numbered. Have you read into all the side effects women have on nuvaring? I was surprised that so many other women have the same issues with it that I (we) do!!

Good luck!

loseiteli

Once I quit I experienced 1 thing I have never had a problem with in my life. ACNE!

^^This was my main side effect after stopping. (I also had a lot of weight gain and the BC elevated my already high blood pressure)

katatak1

When I stopped taking the pill, I stopped having my period all together. It was regular before the pill, and then I didn't have one for two years after the pill. Let me tell you, that first one back was hell! I didn't see much in the way of weight loss from stopping, but if you have other means of birth control (e.g. condoms), then I don't really see the need to stay on any type of medication. But hey, that's just me... I'm not really a fan of any medications.

emma_runs_amok

Hey there,

I was on birth control for 7 years and I had many of the same side effects you did-- lethargy, no sex drive, etc. I did find some relief a couple months after stopping, but the real relief came when I did some more research on candida yeast. Birth control, when taken over a long period of time, can cause an overgrowth of candida yeast in your body. Candida makes you crave sugar and carbs, and it causes all kind of symptoms, like lethargy, no sex drive, bloating, weight gain, etc.

Getting rid of candida is simple but not easy. However I did the 3-month cleanse about 4-months ago and I've felt great ever since. Even if you don't have candida, the cleanse is a great way to eat healthy and kick-start any weight loss.

You can find a lot of information on the internet (http://www.thecandidadiet.com/cleansing.htm, for example), but if you really want to do it I would recommend investing in The Candida Cure by Ann Boroch. There are other good books too but for me that one was the best. If you're anything like me, every single page you'll say "Oh my goodness, that's ME!".

But anyway, that was a long way of saying that in order to get true relief from my birth control symptoms, I had to take some extra steps. Good luck!!