coming off BC....what to expect?

veroj86 · April 2010

Hi ladies,

I'm going to be coming off the pill next week for the first time in 6 years. I'm nervous b/c before going on the pill I had very heavy periods and extremely painful cramps. I know some of you have gone off the pill as well so I wanted to hear your experiences as far as what changes you felt in your body and/or periods. TIA

emmypants · April 2010

Personally, I was exhausted all.thee.time and my teeth/gums hurt for a straight two weeks. Things are much better now. My first period was super heavy for the first two days, then moderate, light and spotting. I feel better overall!

toadstool · April 2010

I had crazy mood swings for 2 months or so after. I would cry for no reason at all. DH thought I was a nut. Then, I guess my hormones regulated and I was fine.

The_Quiet_One · April 2010

I never have had that much trouble, and I've gone on and off a couple of times now. My periods tend to be weird, but in a different way than they were before. I used to have a very abrupt, heavy, painful first day with no lead-up in terms of spotting or anything, and I was done three or four days later. I still have periods like that, but probably only once every five or six months. Instead, I have stupid, long, drawn-out periods where my flow is ridiculously light for six or eight days straight.

nballas · April 2010

Well, I was only on BCP for 2 years, I came off it in Jan. of this year, and have not had a period yet! little nervous, but I have also had 6 neg. hpt's.

youngscientist · April 2010

This is a little bit different because I went from bc to copper IUD.... but I noticed a big increase in cramping (which is a side effect of the IUD) and also an increase in libido (which comes from going off the hormonal birth control + does not have to do with the IUD.) Also, this is going to sound really weird, but I swear at the same time I went off hormonal bc I noticed kind of a difference in my sense of smell. Has that happened to anyone else?

xDanniellex · April 2010

I didn't really notice a big change in my flow. Typical 5 days. However, I did start to have a day of spotting then AF started heavy. I also didn't have a problem getting my first period after stopping the pills, and I was on BC for 5 years.

My period never became a typical set # of days. It ranged from 25-33 days over the course of the 13 months it took us to conceive.

I noticed I broke out like I was in high school again, but mostly on my chin and neck. Kinda weird.

rels09 · April 2010

I was on the Pill for 5 years and have been off for about a year and a half.

As for my actual cycle, it eventually went back to what it was like before I ever went on the Pill, and I think this is pretty typical. Sounds like this may be a downside for you, though.

My first cycle off of the Pill was nearly two months long, and this is common. After the first one, I went back to my normal pre-Pill 31-32 day cycles.

My skin, though, went crazy. I broke out worse than I ever did in high school, even. It was awful, and the worst of it lasted about 6 months. It's better now, but my skin is not perfect, and I keep wondering when I will stop breaking out considering I am entering my late 20s.

ShayLH · April 2010

I have been off the pill for about 10 months now (after being on it continuously for 12 years!)

I originally went on the pill because I had bad acne, bad cramps (as in passing out due to pain), and heavy periods. I too was really nervous at first to stop the pills. But I finished my last pack of pills, and my period came like clockwork within the next month. Then it missed 2 months (yea I was freaking out) and now has been pretty much on time each month, give or take a few days. Now it only lasts about 4 days, and I only have noticeable cramping the first day. My face breaks out a little more, but I still had breakouts even on the pill.

I can't tell you how glad i was to stop the pill. After 12 years I think my body was trying to tell me enough is enough. On the pill I was always tired, moody, and felt overall just bloated and fat. I had alot of spotting too.

Now that i am off it I am not moody, and am overall more relaxed. I feel so much better. I have more energy. When I first stopped i had some headaches from the withdrawal the first month, but now nothing.

You will be fine! Good luck!

cmcmillan0510 · April 2010

For the first month or two, my desire for sex with my husband was out of control- he was loving it! I also (along with doing weight watchers, which is the biggest reason why) was able to lose 18 pounds. You can't expect it to come off just because you are off the pill, but I've never felt better!

I've noticed significantly less bloating, lots more sexual lubrication, lots more acne (all over my chest), and the other thing I noticed was something another poster said- my general body odor, like the kind you smell when you put on a shirt or bra you have worn once already, is definitely different. It's "sweeter." Not a bad thing, just odd.

I used to get terrible cramps- so bad I couldn't move. I get cramps now, but I also take my temp every day to know when my period is coming and I take Premsyn consistently for a day before then through my period. That helps lots! My cycles started off super long (40-50 days), but now I've been on my period since March 9th. It's now April 30th. I'm seeing an ob-gyn for it...it's been awful. I know it was because I was on the pill for 7 years, but I've seen 2 doctors and neither believe the pill does that to you. Anyways, went off it last October so we could start trying in May....which won't be happening now.

Has anyone else had this issue? It was diagnosed as hyper-menorrhea (aka long periods). How did you end it? What was your experience? I would LOVE to know! I'm currently on "Aystin" which is a progesterone hormone- this is day 2 of the pills. We'll see if they work...but also in the meantime have had a bunch of testing to see a. what is causing this and b. why I wasn't ovulating before this issue (doc says if your cycle is over 35 days, she can confidently say you are not ovulating). In my opinion, it's all my birth control's fault! Messed me up!

Any advice or experiences would be appreciated!

LadyD1019 · May 2010

Hello,

I was on BC (two different types of pills) for almost 10 years. I came off of them at the end of October. My first period after that was a week late and shorter than normal. The one after that about two weeks late. My last period was at the end of February and I haven't had one since. I have taken pregnancy tests but they always come back negative. I seem to go through the normal period side effects (such as tender breasts, some cramping, etc) about the time I am suppose to get it but it never comes. I have found at times that I am extremely short with DH or irritated by things much more easily. I feel like sometimes I cry for no reason. Very tired more often than less (could be because of my work hours though). I feel like I am hungry more often or just get that hunger nauseous feeling. It is all very frustrating actually because now I have no clue when my period is going to come or when/if I am ovulating so I can't figure out the best times to TTC. Uugg. Hopefully your body will respond better to coming off BC than mine has.

springplum · May 2010

Oh lord, the acne. My acne hadn't been that bad since middle school.

sarapietrzak · May 2010

I recently got of the pill (about 3 1/2 weeks now or so) and it has been good so far. I had been on the pill for 8 years and was done with it--I had no sex drive what-so-ever, plus we want to start TTC this summer, so now seemed like a good time so my body can get back to "normal". The Sunday after my period was over (when I would have started a new pack) I started a 14 day Whole Body Cleanse by Enzymatic Therapy (you can find it at Whole Foods and drugstores) and I noticed a HUGE spike in my energy levels. I've had a big spike in my sex drive as well--to the point where I'm thinking about sex ALL day long! I haven't felt like this since, well, I can't even remember. It's amazing. We'll see how my first period goes...I'm a little nervous about that since they were on the painful side when I was younger, but I feel like it's worth it since I now have my libido back. I haven't really noticed any problems with acne, but that was never a problem for me before I went on the pill either. Good luck!

coming off BC....what to expect?

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