Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
When will I feel normal?!
I stopped taking my birth control about a month and a half ago after taking it for 2 and a half years straight. I have posted so much in the past about the issues I was having while on the pill-but now that I'm completely off, I just want some feedback as to when I should expect to feel 'normal' again.
Initially, I took the bcp for my polycystic ovarian syndrome-but after getting married, the irritability, breast tenderness, headaches, and lack of sex-drive just wasn't convenient for me. I'm a newlywed! I'm supposed to want to get physical with my new husband! Even without the pill, I still have no desire. I've spoken with my ob gyn and have had my hormone levels checked-and all came back normal, however, I know this isn't me.
I really want to be able to genuinely initiate sex, but it's so difficult. In the past, and even now, I've experienced painful intercourse and after addressing dryness, it was still painful-and no reason as to why. We take our time before penetration, but for some reason, oral foreplay just doesn't feel good anymore-almost like being over sensitive, but the sensation isn't pleasurable. Of course, I know over-stimulation can be painful, but this is not the case. I don't expect anyone out there to know the answers, but I guess this is just me ranting once more.
Has anyone experienced any of this? I feel so nonfunctional as a woman, and as a wife. My husband has been so understanding even though it's been a major stressor for us and now, it's just become the norm to not have sex. I'm just tired of feeling like an old married couple 
I just want to bring in the new year with a bang, is that too much to ask for?!
Re: When will I feel normal?!
I mostly lurk, but I have been in a very similar situation to you, so I will share my experience. I was on BCP for 9 years, ever since I was a young teenager, due to menstrual irregularities. When I came off of them I had a lot of problems. It took me at least 6 months to feel anywhere near normal, and I never felt quite 100%.
You said you took the BCP for PCOS. I have never heard of that curing itself. I would not be surprised if you did not feel like normal after quitting since PCOS is a hormonal imbalance. With PCOS, testosterone levels are usually very elevated, especially in comparison to estradiol (a form of estrogen in the body). Which birth control were you on? Which of your hormones did they test? I have read in most cases it takes about 3 months after stopping for your body's own hormones to kick back in. I would say to give it up to 3 or 4 months then get your hormones tested again to re-evaluate where you are at.
I know how you feel. Doctors insisted my hormones were fine even though I knew I wasn't. I was recommended a book by a woman having a similar problem that helped me a lot. It was called Screaming to be Heard. It might be worth checking out.
Normal really is just having my sex drive back. When I first began birth control, I was put on Yaz for about a year and a half (had an okay sex drive), then Loestrin 24 Fe for 6 months (no sex drive), and lastly Natazia-which I couldn't even stand to take for a full month due to the horrible side effects. Without the hormonal bcp, I'll more than likely grow the cysts back and have to undergo a second surgery to have them removed.
Before I was even diagnosed with PCOS, I felt no symptoms-nor did I show the physical effects of the syndrome. I'm a 4 foot 10 inch, 86 pound woman-with no acne, excessive hair or diabetes-so other than the fact that I grow painful cysts on my ovaries, I never would have known. My stature doesn't help in the sense that my doc said my frame is too small to handle even the low dose birth control pills. I have heard about going to an endocrinologist to treat the PCOS but I have yet to go that route.
I had my estrogen and testosterone levels checked, but this was while I was barely coming off the bcp. After having my first menstrual cycle without the pill, I'm really considering just going back to it because of the pain alone.
Thank you so much for sharing-I'll be sure to check out that book.
What you are feeling sounds very similar to what I have been feeling. I have been off BC since Sept. and I still don't have my sex drive back. I know what you are feeling like though because you want to have sex, you want to be intimate but you just don't have the urge to. I was told by my doctor and gyno last year that I had IBS. I was put on medication and it helped a little with the pain I was having during sex. I don't really have pain anymore but I think that has been one of the helping factors in me not wanting to have sex. Still though, I feel like I've gotten the IBS issue taken care of and I still have no sex drive. I have gotten other tests done to check things out but I have not gotten my hormone levels checked. Maybe that's something that I should do.
I just wanted you to know though that I am dealing with the same thing that you are, so you are not alone. Good luck!
I dont know the answer to your question, but do know several people who have had success managing their pcos with a primal/paleo diet.
www.marksdailyapple.com & www.girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com are good resources!