Have you STOPPED using birth control??

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  • killerqueen17
    killerqueen17 Posts: 536 Member
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    Google Mirena. I would highly recommend it. I have not experienced weight gain from it and any pms symptoms I had prior to the Mirena procedure remained the same and didn't worsen or change. An added bonus is that periods are diminished or non existent for many women. I was one of the lucky ones and have not had a true period in at least seven years :smile: The procedure took literally less than five minutes at my OB-GYN office, there was no discomfort before, during, or after, and was covered by insurance. It lasts up to five years or can be removed sooner if pregnancy is desired before then.

    Yeah I have heard both good and bad things about Mirena... I've researched all the IUD's but they seem to not recommend them for women who have never given birth. Apparently it is more likely to fall out and/or cause problems for a woman who has never been pregnant... so that sort of deterred me!
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
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    Hormonal birth control is the devil for me. I was on Ortho Tricyclen and Ortho Tricyclen Lo at a later point. HUGE mood swings, irritability, lower sexual desire. When I stopped taking it, the side effects went away within a month.

    I recommend the Paraguard IUD. It is a copper IUD, so NO hormones, which is awesome.
  • havalinaaa
    havalinaaa Posts: 333 Member
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    I stopped using hormonal birth control a few years ago for many of the same reasons that you did - moodieness, weight gain, and lack of sex drive. I was on nuva ring when I stopped, but had previously used at least 3 different pills (ortho tricyclene, ortho-lite, and something else I don't remember). Now I use a combination of condoms and avoiding sex during the 5 days surrounding my ovulation.

    My mood swings are better, the weight gain stopped and dropped off, though I gained it back later for other reasons, and the sex drive is definitely back. I feel so much better off hormonal birth control than I did on it! I intend to get an IUD one day, the copper one not mirena, but probably won't until after I have my first child. I have two friends who tried an IUD before having children and both had it removed within 2 months. But then again I have one friend who has an IUD and never had kids and has no trouble, but I'd rather wait personally.
  • nyctraveler
    nyctraveler Posts: 305 Member
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    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.

    Ditto been on it for over 4 years
  • epona_mus
    epona_mus Posts: 207 Member
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    I only had good side effects from various low-dose BCPs but tried the Mirena IUD as a more long-term solution. The Mirena IUD perforated my uterus and migrated into my abdominal cavity. Main side effect was birth of child #3 along with massive hemorraging (12 unit transfusion required).
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    I stopped taking mine about 6 weeks ago. Since then, my appetite is less (yay for losing weight!) and my acne is back. I feel like a teenager again.

    My husband and I are abstaining until I decide if I want to get an IUD. I'm pretty sure I want to get the Paragard, but I hear it makes your cramps and bleeding worse for the first few months. I don't even know what my period is like without the birth control pills. I had a period right after stopping, and again about two weeks later. I'm due to start again any day now, but I don't think I will. My period is irregular when I'm off the pills. My doctor said that if I don't get it in 2 months, something might be wrong with my hormones and my thyroid. Ugh.

    I want to have at least one more complete cycle before I get the Paragard just to see what my natural cycle is like.
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
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    Fiberartist, I have had my Paraguard for 9 months now. It did make my cramps and bleeding worse for the first 6 months, but now they are the same as before. I do have a couple days of spotting pre-period that I did not have before getting the Paraguard.
  • jess_blonde
    jess_blonde Posts: 229 Member
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    Google Mirena. I would highly recommend it. I have not experienced weight gain from it and any pms symptoms I had prior to the Mirena procedure remained the same and didn't worsen or change. An added bonus is that periods are diminished or non existent for many women. I was one of the lucky ones and have not had a true period in at least seven years :smile: The procedure took literally less than five minutes at my OB-GYN office, there was no discomfort before, during, or after, and was covered by insurance. It lasts up to five years or can be removed sooner if pregnancy is desired before then.

    Yeah I have heard both good and bad things about Mirena... I've researched all the IUD's but they seem to not recommend them for women who have never given birth. Apparently it is more likely to fall out and/or cause problems for a woman who has never been pregnant... so that sort of deterred me!

    Your risk of expulsion is only slightly higher than that of someone who has previously been pregnant. Many who are nulligravid (no pregnancies) have very successful insertions and do not expel. There are smaller IUDs designed specifically for people who have not been pregnant but they are generally not available in the US. If you are interested in traveling to Canada or Europe, there are more options (the Flexi-T 300 is a T shaped IUD designed for a smaller uterus; the Gynefix is a frameless IUD that is implanted in the fundus of the uterus, also works well for a smaller uterus).

    Can you explain what you mean by an IUD causing problems for people who have never had children? There are a LOT of misconceptions still floating around the internet (and even in medical circles) courtesy of the Dalkon Shield and I like to dispel them where I can!
  • Mkrug221
    Mkrug221 Posts: 28
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    I stopped taking BCP a couple of months ago. I was on BCP for 10 years and had no issues. Came off when I wanted to get pg and got pg. After having my first daughter I went back on Ortho Tri Cyclen and I was having horrible side effects. I woke up feeling sick every single morning. I felt like I was pregnant again. The OB switched me Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and apparently it wasn't strong enough and I ended up getting pregnant with my 2nd daughter. After her birth I decided to try for an IUD. I went in and it was extremely painful to have it inserted. I went back a week later for a follow up and turns out it wasn't inserted correctly. They took it out and said I would have to try again. I haven't gone back to get it done and I haven't gone back on BCP. I feel so much better. My only side effects are a little acne and I have short cycles (24/25 days generally).
  • tree5981
    tree5981 Posts: 18 Member
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    I stopped taking BCP about a year ago. I have been on various types for 13 years. I stopped because I was having decreased circulation in my lower extremities and I am in my 30's now so I may want to start having babies soon. I found that it took about a year for my body to adjust back to normal after I stopped taking BCP. I was depressed for about 6 months, I started breaking out with more pimples, my sex drive was all screwed up, and the worst part is I gained about 25 in 6 months without ever changing my diet. Which is weird because I thought that getting off birth control would help me lose weight. But now that my periods are finally back to the way they used to be 13 years ago my weight has stopped increasing, I don't break out as much, and my moods are back to normal. I will NEVER take birth control again. It totally screwed up my body. It took a whole year for me to get back to normal and I'm sure its because I was on them for so many years. Everyone is different though, we all have different hormone levels and respond different.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    My main side-effect from stopping the pill was pregnancy.

    LOL This made me laugh!

    I have been on the pill, shot, and mirena in my day lol. The pill I stopped because I was getting yeast infections from it, not sure why or how.. the shot, It took almost 2 years to get pregnant with my first daughter, but aside from that, no other side effects. I had mirena taken out in October to try for our 3rd child, still no luck with that. I've been getting really heavy periods since getting it removed though.
  • ellenxmariex3
    ellenxmariex3 Posts: 165 Member
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    I stopped the pill after my prescription ran out last July. I lost a few pounds but my period was so heavy I almost thought I was having a miscarriage. I went back on the pill right after that.
  • RuthSweetTooth
    RuthSweetTooth Posts: 461 Member
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    Yes, you should stop and try to wait a few months before getting pregnant. Also increase your intake of folates and find out about good pre-pregnancy nutrition. The first few months of pregnancy are really important because that is the period when spina bifida occurs so it is important you start preparing without becoming pregnant in the meantime. Congratulations to you!

    Ruth
  • horrorghoul
    horrorghoul Posts: 59 Member
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    I got off birth control because I was insane on it. The hormones are terrible. I heard the copper IUD is good. I was awesome on the patch & Depo but it made me bleed all the time and whats the point of a birth control that makes you bleed and you cant even have sex. ew., For now I am on nothing.

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