Share experiences with going off combo BC

oat_bran
oat_bran Posts: 370 Member
edited November 29 in Health and Weight Loss
I've decided to go off the combination oral contraceptive that I've been taking for over 5 years. Mainly because it caused my libido to practically disappear and I often wonder if the lack of excitement for life and the lack of emotions I experience is caused by it as well. Another important reason is that I experience frequent periods of intense overpowering hunger/cravings that make weight loss incredibly hard and even though most studies don't support the connection between combo oral contraceptives and appetite I wanna see if it'll help. There are also other reasons.

My doctor is fine with it. He says I should just stop taking it after I finish the current pack and that my cycle and everything else should go back to how it was before within several months.

Now, the thing is I've heard many scary things about the months after going off oral contraceptives especially after longterm use. Almost everyone reports theirs skin becoming incredibly oily and breaking out like crazy (due to androgen rebound effect), hair falling out like crazy and having cramps and mood swings. All of each could last up to 6 month (!) or even longer in some cases. My sister experienced so much problems with her skin that she decided to go back on the pill despite that it's not recommended in her age.

Another often-reported effect is dramatic increase in appetite and rapid weight gain. Some of the reported weight gain is definitely due to water retention since this particular oral contraceptive acts as a diuretic. I'm fine with water retention. But a strong increase in appetite scares me somewhat since I'm already struggle with hunger.

So please, share your experience with going of the pill (in particular low dose combo pill) and in particular in relation to appetite and weight gain. And if you've found things that prevent or decrease the unpleasant effects.

Replies

  • Running2Fit
    Running2Fit Posts: 702 Member
    I'm currently on a combination BC but I went off it for awhile a couple years ago. I didn't have any of the issues you mentioned. No weight gain, no increase in appetite. Some acne because it does help my acne a bit but I just needed to find the right face washing routine so that wasn't a huge deal. My hair did not fall out. I wasn't crazy moody. I did go back to having awful cramps during my period but I wouldn't call that a side-effect of going off the pill because that's just my norm without BC.

    Really, I didn't have much trouble going off it. Nothing super noticeable or horrible happened. Everyone is different. The only way to know how it will effect you is to go off it and see. You can always go back on it or discuss alternative birth control options with your doctor.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    I went from combo to progesterone only for a few months, then stopped altogether. Zero symptoms in fact, I felt a heck of a lot better.
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
    I haven't gone off hormonal bc before but I have gone off of antidepressants than are infamous for having bad withdrawal side effects. I was completely fine. The only people who go out of their way to share their experiences going off of medications are those who had really bad experiences because 'I stopped taking it and nothing happened' is not a good story. Just keep that in mind when you research or talk to people about it!
  • lulehlu
    lulehlu Posts: 87 Member
    I went off BC a few years ago. I was also worried about the same issues. I think my exercise habit, calorie tracking, and dermatologist all helped limit any issues.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited November 2018
    happytree923 wrote: »
    I haven't gone off hormonal bc before but I have gone off of antidepressants than are infamous for having bad withdrawal side effects. I was completely fine. The only people who go out of their way to share their experiences going off of medications are those who had really bad experiences because 'I stopped taking it and nothing happened' is not a good story. Just keep that in mind when you research or talk to people about it!

    Agreed. No one tells their friends the story of how they stopped or started a medication and nothing bad happened :smiley:

    I had been on the combo pill for about 15 years, and I went off about 3 years ago because I was over 35 and had occasional migraines. I had no bad side effects or symptoms at all.
  • thelegendofsakura89
    thelegendofsakura89 Posts: 105 Member
    The first time I went off my combo bc pill I was completely fine, no side effects whatsoever.
    I do struggle with my cravings/appetite being outta control for about a week every month on the pill...but honestly my pms off the pill gets me like that too so it's whatever really lol.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    I had to go off my BC pills because I developed DVT ... my left leg was full of blood clots and I had a good chance of dying.

    I was hospitalised for 2 weeks and on Warfarin for a year.

    Any other side effects of going off the pill paled in comparison.
  • potatobunnykara
    potatobunnykara Posts: 2 Member
    I felt like I lost tons of hair. Libido was better but then I was paranoid about pregnancy... My skin was the same but my goodness did my period have a vengeance. My mood felt better and I felt less foggy but I'd rather not be pregnant so I went back on anyway.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I had to augment with progesterone (topical) after stopping hormonal BC. I felt like I had a "crash", and obviously my body had stopped making its own progesterone. Best decision I made.

  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,085 Member
    I went off hormonal BC for awhile about 6 years ago - for me, it was a horrible decision, BUT, other than the mood swings, not for the reasons you mentioned.

    I went on BC originally to help with horrible, debilitating cramps and mood swings I had no idea how to deal with. BC helped with those things and didn't really seem to affect my weight.

    Going off of BC after nearly 15? years on it, I was hoping those symptoms would maybe have calmed down - they did not. I was back to being miserable, and decided to go with an IUD (Mirena) since it didn't look like I'd be off of BC anytime in the future (no interest in having children for me). No ill effects from the Mirena for me, so I plan to have it replaced here shortly with the next one.

    I don't recall having any "new" symptoms when I was off the BC (which was for about 8 months or so if I recall), just the symptoms that put me on it to begin with.
  • oat_bran
    oat_bran Posts: 370 Member
    Running2Fit wrote: »
    I'm currently on a combination BC but I went off it for awhile a couple years ago. I didn't have any of the issues you mentioned. No weight gain, no increase in appetite. Some acne because it does help my acne a bit but I just needed to find the right face washing routine so that wasn't a huge deal. My hair did not fall out. I wasn't crazy moody. I did go back to having awful cramps during my period but I wouldn't call that a side-effect of going off the pill because that's just my norm without BC.

    Really, I didn't have much trouble going off it. Nothing super noticeable or horrible happened. Everyone is different. The only way to know how it will effect you is to go off it and see. You can always go back on it or discuss alternative birth control options with your doctor.
    nowine4me wrote: »
    I went from combo to progesterone only for a few months, then stopped altogether. Zero symptoms in fact, I felt a heck of a lot better.
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Agreed. No one tells their friends the story of how they stopped or started a medication and nothing bad happened :smiley:

    I had been on the combo pill for about 15 years, and I went off about 3 years ago because I was over 35 and had occasional migraines. I had no bad side effects or symptoms at all.

    Thanks you for your replies! It is so reassuring to hear that now everyone gets those side affects! I was beginning to have an impression that 80-90% of people develop acne and lose hair from what I've heard from friends or read online. And that weight gain is super common. But you are right people who experienced no changes or very mild changes after stopping birth control wouldn't talk about it as much. But I am still trying to prepare myself for some negative affects, just to be ready and power through it until they go away and not go back on the pill.
  • oat_bran
    oat_bran Posts: 370 Member
    potatobunnykara wrote: »
    I felt like I lost tons of hair. Libido was better but then I was paranoid about pregnancy... My skin was the same but my goodness did my period have a vengeance. My mood felt better and I felt less foggy but I'd rather not be pregnant so I went back on anyway.

    Yeah I had pretty painful periods before I went on the pill so I'm not looking forward to get that back and possibly even being worse the first months...

    Now that you've mentioned it, I do sort of feel foggy a lot and I often wondered if that's how everyone feels or if it's just me. I didn't know it could be cause by the pill. I guess i'll found out after I go off it.
  • oat_bran
    oat_bran Posts: 370 Member
    HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
    I went off hormonal BC for awhile about 6 years ago - for me, it was a horrible decision, BUT, other than the mood swings, not for the reasons you mentioned.

    I went on BC originally to help with horrible, debilitating cramps and mood swings I had no idea how to deal with. BC helped with those things and didn't really seem to affect my weight.

    Going off of BC after nearly 15? years on it, I was hoping those symptoms would maybe have calmed down - they did not. I was back to being miserable, and decided to go with an IUD (Mirena) since it didn't look like I'd be off of BC anytime in the future (no interest in having children for me). No ill effects from the Mirena for me, so I plan to have it replaced here shortly with the next one.

    I don't recall having any "new" symptoms when I was off the BC (which was for about 8 months or so if I recall), just the symptoms that put me on it to begin with.

    Thanks for sharing your experience. Yeah, I know that many people are literally miserable without BC. Part of why I was prescribed BC was very painful periods and I know they will come back. But it sounds like there weren't as bad as yours.

    It's been a year since I've been thinking of going off of it. At some point I just realized that the side effects I've developed gradually outweigh the advantages of being on it...
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited November 2018
    I stopped taking BC pills about 5-6 years ago. I tried several different ones and I hated them all. They affected my mood more than anything. I was very irritable when I took BC and had no libido. My acne did reappear when I stopped taking it but that's a small price to pay. I can't say whether it had an affect on my weight. I don't recall. Obviously not.
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