Have you STOPPED using birth control??

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  • RachelT14
    RachelT14 Posts: 266 Member
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    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
    ischmelle Posts: 203 Member
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    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
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    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
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    My main side-effect from stopping the pill was pregnancy.
    Also a proven cause of weight gain!
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    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
    thedestar Posts: 1,278 Member
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    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 :smile: 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
    HouseTargaryen Posts: 62
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    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
    loseiteli Posts: 242 Member
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    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
    katatak1 Posts: 261 Member
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    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
    emma_runs_amok Posts: 4
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    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!!
  • mindfulmunching
    mindfulmunching Posts: 62 Member
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    I stopped birth control, synthetic hormones are scary. Check out the lady-comp fertility monitor. A totally effective contraception tool to help you understand your own fertility instead of supressing it with wicked estradiol derived from bull piss.
  • angelakayerickson
    angelakayerickson Posts: 19
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    I was on the pill (many kinds) and they all made me feel preg. So my dr suggested depo shot.....NEVER NEVER do that....I gained 30 pounds in a few short months....great was i never had my periods......suck was I gained a ton of weight.......great I didnt get preg.......suck was when my husband and I wanted tooo we couldnt get preg for almost 2 years...........Now that I have lost 30 lbs on only 18 since i been on mfp, I am not on anything...no birth control, no anti depressant, nothing!!! sooooo excited!
  • hpsaucette
    hpsaucette Posts: 102 Member
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    Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it but the coil is a great alternative to the pill. I was on POP pills, progesterone only, which really didn't work for me hormonally with all kinds of side effects and a complete pain to remember to take every day. A few of my friends got the hormonal coil before me all without practically any side effects or discomfort, two of them were really lucky and don't get periods/spotting at all, I have minimal. Because it's er...localised the actual amounts of hormones is tiny in comparison with the pill, plus you don't have to think about it at all for five years, or less if you wanted to stop birth control before that which is easily doable. There's also the non-hormonal copper coil which actually has about the same percentage protection as the pill!
    Good luck!
  • Maryfullofgrace
    Maryfullofgrace Posts: 342 Member
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    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!!

    No side effects for me! Have you read about Natural Family Planning? It uses your basal temperature and other fertility signs to determine when you are or are not in your fertile time. There are classes you can take on it or purchase a manual online and learn the process yourself.
  • kbonamour
    kbonamour Posts: 49 Member
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    I have tried pills, the depo shots, and nuvaring in the past and didn't like a single one! I didn't use anythingfor about 3 years and don't remember any weird side effects from stopping using any of them. I just had a baby and opted for the Paragard iud since it is 100% hormone free, and it lasts for up to 10 years.
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
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    I stopped using the pill back in 2002 after I got married simply because it made me a bit nutty, mood swings, hard to lose weight, etc. The only times I got pregnant was when I tried. With my daughter it was right away. With my son it took 16 cycles and Clomid. In the interim I use TCOYF to avoid pregnancy and I don't take any birth control whatsoever.
  • kcmg0730
    kcmg0730 Posts: 96
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    I hated the BCP, and after my second baby was born in 2007, I was fed up with all those hormones, and all the side effects you're talking about. I now have an IUD (copper, not a hormone release one), and I love it. No thinking about it, no hormones, lasts for 5 years , and when you're ready to get pregnant, you just have it removed...no having to wait for anything to leave your system. Some women have heavier periods or cramping, but I haven't had any of that...it's been wonderful.

    Good luck...I know just how you're feeling!
  • jap6955
    jap6955 Posts: 12
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    I have been on at least 6 different types of bc trying to control my mood swings, weight, being lethargic and lack of a sex drive. Being on or off never made a difference. Last year i decided to make a major life change and become vegan. Guess what all my symptoms are gone and i am on the ring living life to the fullest.
  • killerqueen17
    killerqueen17 Posts: 536 Member
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    Thanks for all the input! From what I'm gathering, it seems that many of you felt better, and a few felt worse... and a few bacame pregnant (lol!). That's what I wanted to find out.

    The last time I swithced, I told my gyno about my side effects, and she said "okay, with those side effects it sounds like you need more of this hormone and less of that, so let's try LoEstrin!" I was so excited that she seemed to know the issue... so I switched, ....AAAAAND nothing changed. At all. haha.

    Once again, thanks for the input... I think that I'm going to continue on BC for at least another month so that I can skip my period for vacation (hahaha) and then probably switch to more natural methods after that!
  • aranchmom
    aranchmom Posts: 176 Member
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    I tried the patch awhile back, and HATED it! made me feel like i was losing my mind, depressed, etc. I didn't stay on it long enough to gain weight, though. I just quit pretty soon. It was awful! I will never try that again! I can imagine you want to stop! :) And condoms work pretty well as bc. Good luck.

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