Off The Pill After 24 yrs. What to expect?

Fancytiger
Fancytiger Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
I decided to get off bcp after 24 years because it is starting to show some undesirable side effects & I notice I am having a very difficult time losing weight. No matter how much I exercise or eat healthy I've been stuck in the 160s for last 5 or 6 years. 2 months ago I was 170lbs due to being switched to Ortho Tricyclen Lo, after being off pill for 10 days I got down to 160lbs. I think most of it was water weight though. It's been 23 days since I've been off the pill & i've had a 5 lb weight gain so I'm 165lbs right now, maybe due to period start this week.
Did anyone notice a lot of weight loss or gain after getting off bcp?
Did you notice if it was harder for you to lose weight while on bcp?
How long did it take for you to feel better and back to normal once you stopped taking bcp?

Replies

  • gzus7freek
    gzus7freek Posts: 494 Member
    I have been off bcp for almost a year. I had my tubes tied and my periods stopped and I notice no difference in weight loss with or without. I feel the same with one exception....I have endometriosis (found out at tubal surgery) and when I am supposed to have a period that week is hell!! However I will not go back on bcp due to the hormonal flux and risks involved.
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    I got off the pill after... about 15-16 years a couple years ago and I didn't see much of a difference in weight for me.

    I didn't really feel much of a change right away, I just noticed no periods and later found out I have PCOS :/

    Either way, I kept working my *kitten* off and in that couple years I've lost about 20lbs... don't give up!
  • gogoboobzilla
    gogoboobzilla Posts: 91 Member
    I can't say much about my weight on/off BC because I still ate like crap.
    I do know that after being on and off the pill and Nuva Ring for a couple years my period still isn't regular a year off it.
  • ViDexSha
    ViDexSha Posts: 46 Member
    Did anyone notice a lot of weight loss or gain after getting off bcp? Yes, weight loss of 10lbs.
    Did you notice if it was harder for you to lose weight while on bcp? Yes, I was always thinking about food. And my next meal.
    How long did it take for you to feel better and back to normal once you stopped taking bcp? I have yet to loose all the weight I put on while on the pill. I have lost 10lbs, so far. For every year I was on the pill I gained 5lbs. I have been off of it for about 3 years and I haven't gained any weight in the last 3 years. This year I started tackling the 50 lbs I put on while on the pill for 10 years. I wish you all the best with your weight loss journey.
  • jazpurita
    jazpurita Posts: 71 Member
    I am currently on Ortho Tricyclen Lo and have been for about 6 months I have lost 20 pounds I was worried as I have never liked bcp but 3 kids later I realized I'm pretty fertile but I was very worried I would gain weight or it would be hard for me to lose but I was able to lose and still am
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    I went off of it, after 10 years -not counting pregnancy breaks-, last spring, after the pill caused a blood clot :noway:
    Since going off of it-
    -I gained weight, around 10lbs
    -cycle has been all over the place and is still not regular yet.
    -My vision has gotten worse, which my doctor said is normal?!
    -paid over $2,000 out of pocket for the costs associated with the blood clot (insurance covered the rest)
    and had to be on bed rest for over two weeks

    Stupid pill :angry:
  • h9dlb
    h9dlb Posts: 243 Member
    A baby ?
  • kavanaghev
    kavanaghev Posts: 75 Member
    I hated the pill and Nuva Ring and had my period for 45 weeks out of a single year on Depo, so I stopped hormonal birth control all together. It took about 2 cycles, before I noticed changes, but I have never looked back. I felt insane, and now I feel even-keeled, and I almost never associate food and emotions anymore. My sister lost 90lbs when she got off the pill just because she wasn't depressed anymore. It affects everyone a little differently, but I feel so much more myself now. We use natural family planning and it works great!
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    I noticed no difference.
  • Beckyloo80
    Beckyloo80 Posts: 1,088 Member
    I have been off for 2 years, after being on for 15 years. My periods are shorter and more regular now, I don't get as bloated either. Don't know about you, but it killed my libido, and even that has come back =)
  • samanthachen
    samanthachen Posts: 360 Member
    As far as weight loss, I cannot contribute, but some other things--- yes.

    I was put on bcp to regulate my ovarian cysts (not PCOS, but extremely severe). I took myself off them (not wise) without doctor's permission because I couldn't handle the weight gain, acne, and PMS anger. The first week, I noticed that hormones were still really insane. I tended to have much more severe road rage, worse PMS signs, and my acne flare-ups were awful. After that, my cycle regulated to a perfect 28 days, PMS toned down to what I would consider normal, and my cysts are rare-to-none. I hated the pill and what it did to me, so I was happy to be rid of it

    I know you ere probably looking for more weight loss-related information, but I hope this is helpful in some way. :)
  • Fancytiger
    Fancytiger Posts: 16
    Did anyone notice a lot of weight loss or gain after getting off bcp? Yes, weight loss of 10lbs.
    Did you notice if it was harder for you to lose weight while on bcp? Yes, I was always thinking about food. And my next meal.
    How long did it take for you to feel better and back to normal once you stopped taking bcp? I have yet to loose all the weight I put on while on the pill. I have lost 10lbs, so far. For every year I was on the pill I gained 5lbs. I have been off of it for about 3 years and I haven't gained any weight in the last 3 years. This year I started tackling the 50 lbs I put on while on the pill for 10 years. I wish you all the best with your weight loss journey.

    Congrats on losing 10lbs so far! That's awesome! I need to lose 25-30 lbs. I wish you the best of luck with your weight loss journey as well! Thank you for your response.
  • Fancytiger
    Fancytiger Posts: 16
    I went off of it, after 10 years -not counting pregnancy breaks-, last spring, after the pill caused a blood clot :noway:
    Since going off of it-
    -I gained weight, around 10lbs
    -cycle has been all over the place and is still not regular yet.
    -My vision has gotten worse, which my doctor said is normal?!
    -paid over $2,000 out of pocket for the costs associated with the blood clot (insurance covered the rest)
    and had to be on bed rest for over two weeks

    Stupid pill :angry:

    So sorry about you experiencing that. That's horrible! I didn't know vision could get worse. I had a friend who got a blood clot while on Mirena. Pretty scary stuff. I initially got on the pill when I was 14 years old to regulate my periods. I used to get so sick while on my period that I would miss school. I've been on & off ever since. I'm done with synthetic hormones for good!
  • Fancytiger
    Fancytiger Posts: 16
    I hated the pill and Nuva Ring and had my period for 45 weeks out of a single year on Depo, so I stopped hormonal birth control all together. It took about 2 cycles, before I noticed changes, but I have never looked back. I felt insane, and now I feel even-keeled, and I almost never associate food and emotions anymore. My sister lost 90lbs when she got off the pill just because she wasn't depressed anymore. It affects everyone a little differently, but I feel so much more myself now. We use natural family planning and it works great!

    I used to get migraines all the time and thought they were inherited since my mother gets them all the time. Figured out last year it was Reclipsen, so I was switched to Microgestin FE 1/20 but that made me so bloated & irritable, then switched to Ortho Tri Lo and that made me insane. I had serious temper problems with my hubby. I was starting to feel hopeless and depressed and my hair was falling out in chunks. Ortho also made me extremely bloated around my periods, I looked 5 months pregnant! I am going to do natural family planning as well. There is a book I want to get on amazon called, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". Heard it's a good one.
  • Fancytiger
    Fancytiger Posts: 16
    As far as weight loss, I cannot contribute, but some other things--- yes.

    I was put on bcp to regulate my ovarian cysts (not PCOS, but extremely severe). I took myself off them (not wise) without doctor's permission because I couldn't handle the weight gain, acne, and PMS anger. The first week, I noticed that hormones were still really insane. I tended to have much more severe road rage, worse PMS signs, and my acne flare-ups were awful. After that, my cycle regulated to a perfect 28 days, PMS toned down to what I would consider normal, and my cysts are rare-to-none. I hated the pill and what it did to me, so I was happy to be rid of it

    I know you ere probably looking for more weight loss-related information, but I hope this is helpful in some way. :)

    Thank you for your response. I'm hoping that my cycle will go back to normal and I'll be able to lose weight. I also hate the pill and what it has done for me. I am happy to be hormone free for 23 days. I haven't experienced major emotional issues just some mild bloating this week, tender breasts and itchiness.
  • Mitzimum
    Mitzimum Posts: 163 Member
    Hi there, reading this thread has been really interesting as I have been thinking about going on the pill for a while. After hearing some of the horror stories though I don't think it is an option any longer. I just wanted to say I have been using a diaphram for over two years now and it is also great! It really works well despite its bad reputation, we have also used natural methods which also work really well :) Is there any other methods anyone here has used that they find really good?
  • Fancytiger
    Fancytiger Posts: 16
    Hi there, reading this thread has been really interesting as I have been thinking about going on the pill for a while. After hearing some of the horror stories though I don't think it is an option any longer. I just wanted to say I have been using a diaphram for over two years now and it is also great! It really works well despite its bad reputation, we have also used natural methods which also work really well :) Is there any other methods anyone here has used that they find really good?

    Gracey for many years the pill worked great for me. I didn't have any complications or problems. It wasn't until the last 5 years or so that problems have started showing up. I'm not sure if this is due to long term use of synthetic hormones or maybe due to switching brands. If you can avoid the bcp, I would say stay far away from it. Anything synthetic can NOT be healthy for your body, especially if you are healthy to begin with and don't have any major medical issues. Unfortunately in some cases, I've heard some women have had to go on some kind of hormone therapy to help. I have never used the diaphragm, this might be something I should look into. So far natural family planning sounds great to me.

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