Coming Off Of Birth Control Heres Your Guide To Preventing Side Effects Of Stopping Birth Control Pills
Coming off of birth control pills can be challenging, and in a perfect world, this would be clearly communicated before prescribing people the pill in the first place. But thats usually not how it goes.
Birth control pills are often presented as a silver bullet approach to easier, more regular periods and reliable contraception. For most people, the choice to start the pill is a no-brainer. But for many, it doesnt work out.
Nearly 60% of people prescribed the pill stop taking it within the first 6 months. 34% of people who stop the pill do so because of side effects .
Side effects from the pill are most common during the first 3-5 months of use . While most people know that adjusting to a new medication is a process, fewer realize that readjusting after discontinuing a medication is just as muchif not moreof a process, especially when it comes to stopping the pill.
This article covers what you need to know before coming off hormonal birth control. It explains:
- What to expect after coming off the pill
- Why post-pill symptoms happen
- Tips for preventing post-pill symptoms
- What your period might be like after coming off the pill
Reasons For Having No Period After Stopping Birth Control
Did you miss your period after stopping birth control? Remember that it can take several months for your cycle to regulate once you stop hormonal contraception, and this is completely normal. In fact, it’s common to experience irregular periods immediately after stopping hormonal birth control.
That said, if menstruation is absent for longer than expected, there might be another issue at play. Here are the most common things that might be causing an irregular cycle.
What To Know About Stopping Birth Control Safely
Its always a good idea to talk to your prescribing doctor before making any sudden medication changes. That said, unless youre using birth control as part of your treatment plan to manage a health risk or condition, its not inherently dangerous to stop using your birth control if you have the ring or patch, take pills, or receive injections, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Getting your hormonal implant or IUD removed requires a medical appointment, as you should absolutely never try to remove those devices yourself. In any situation, talking to a doctor you trust can help you transition off birth control and help you understand what comes next.
Recommended Reading: What Does Estrogen Do In Women
What Happens After You Stop Taking Birth Control Mood Swings Bleeding And Other Symptoms
When you stop taking birth control, it can sometimes result in disruptions to your menstrual cycle. Stopping the use of any type of hormone-based contraceptive significantly impacts your reproductive system. It can lead to bleeding, weight fluctuations, late or irregular periods, and cramps.
Is It Safe To Come Off The Pill
Coming off the pill is risk-free. Although your menstrual cycle may be disrupted, your period should return within three months. However, regardless of the form of contraception youre using, its a good idea to consult your doctor first. You can obtain advice and learn about potential side effects to be mentally prepared to deal with them.
You May Like: Buy Human Growth Hormones Online
Getting Pregnant After Being On The Pill
If youre planning on halting your use of birth control to try to get pregnant, you may want to take a folate supplement for a few months before you quit. As reported by the National Institutes of Health, oral contraceptives can decrease the amount of folate in your body. Because folate is essential during early embryonic development, you need adequate intake just before and right after conception. If you get pregnant within a few days after quitting the pill, you might not have enough folate to keep you and your baby healthy.
Longer Shorter Or Less Predictable Cycles
Birth control makes your period come like clockwork, but stopping can throw that predictability off balance. It can take your body a few months to settle back into a regular ovulation cycle after stopping the pill.
And when it does, chances are, itll look a lot like it did before you started taking birth control. If your cycles are extremely irregular after two months, consult with your OB/GYN.
Read Also: What Does Low Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Mean
Your Hormones Will Probably Start To Fluctuate
This probably isnt very shockingall of the changes included in this list happen because of hormonal changes that occur when going off birth control. For context, there are two main types of hormonal birth control: combined and progestin-only. Combined birth control contains two hormones: estrogen and progestin . Progestin also thins the lining of the uterus, which helps prevent an egg from implanting, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . Progestin-only birth control only contains progestinno estrogen.
In most cases it doesnt take very long for your hormones to fluctuate when you stop either form of birth control, Jennifer Kickham, MD, an ob-gyn at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells SELF. Without hormonal birth control your natural hormonal processes will eventually resume. Typically ovulation starts within a couple of weeks after you stop using hormonal birth control pills, the patch, an IUD, or the ring, according to the experts at the University of Utah. But if you take a form of birth control that is designed to stay in your body for months, such as a progestin-only birth control injected into your muscle, ovulation can be delayed for months after you fully stop getting injections.1
When You Go Off The Pill It’s Helpful To Think Back On What Your Period Was Like Beforehand
A lot of factors will influence how your body reacts to coming off the pill. “The response to coming off birth control is largely dependent on the individual’s unique body, including genetics, microbiome, metabolism, stress levels, diet, and more,” says Tara Nayak, ND, a naturopathic doctor and hormone specialist. “As the synthetic drug forms of hormones clear out of a woman’s system, the hope is that the brain and ovaries will resume their natural rhythmic signaling cycle and ovulation and periods will resume naturally and normally.”
But if you’ve been on the pill for a very long time, you might forget what “normal” looks like for you. “For example, I see many women who state that their periods have been irregular ever since they stopped the pill, but on further history, it turns out that they have been on the pill since a young age, and in fact went on the pill to control their irregular cycles,” says Brauer. “So really, the irregular cycles were not a side effect of the pill rather, stopping the pill unmasked their irregular cycles. The same goes for menstrual cramps, another common reason women go on oral hormonal contraception.”
So if symptoms like mood swings, cramps, and heavy or irregular periods persist, it could simply be your body’s natural menstruation process. You might consider some home remedies to downplay some of these effectsor if they’re really debilitating, it might be worth paying your doctor a visit to ensure that something else isn’t at play.
Read Also: What Causes Low Testosterone In Males
What Is The Difference Between Pregnancy Symptoms And Side Effects From Stopping Birth Control
Pregnancy symptoms include nausea, fatigue, smell sensitivity, lack of a period, and tender, swollen breasts. These symptoms will normally intensify with time. Stopping birth control causes a temporary readjustment of hormones but is followed by the return of your period as well as a decrease in any symptoms.
How Long Does It Take For Anxiety To Go Away After Stopping Birth Control
How long your anxiety lasts after stopping hormonal birth control depends on the cause.
If your anxiety was triggered by fluctuating hormones when you stopped birth control, your symptoms should ease as your hormones stabilize. This can take anywhere from four to six months, and longer if you were using long-lasting birth control, such as the injection.
If hormonal contraceptives were masking an existing anxiety disorder, your symptoms may persist even after your hormones have returned to normal levels.
Also Check: Cost Of Testosterone Cypionate In Mexico
What Can You Expect When You Go Off The Pill
Just as you experienced changes when you started taking the pill, youll notice some changes after you stop using it. Many women have irregular periods, the return of PMS symptoms and heavier flows after they stop using birth control pills.
The hormones in birth control pills regulate your period. While on the pill, most women will have their period on a regular schedule. Going off the pill can feel like throwing out the calendar. You may notice missed or late periods, and possibly longer-lasting periods. Eventually, your periods will stop altogether.
Birth control pills can also help lessen PMS symptoms like period cramps, bloating, headaches, fatigue and mood swings.
Read Also: How Many Ml Of Melatonin For 1 Year Old
Birth Control Withdrawal Symptoms
You might also experience whats called a withdrawal bleed once you stop taking hormonal birth control. This isnt your period, but instead a different kind of spotting thats caused by a change in hormones. Withdrawal bleeding tends to be lighter and shorter than a regular period and its a healthy sign that your body is getting back to its regular hormone levels.
Recommended Reading: High Cortisol Levels And Weight Gain
You Likely Won’t Gain Or Lose Any Weight
If you believe birth control leads to weight gain, you need to know that the opposite isn’t necessarily true: Going off of birth control likely won’t help you lose or gain weight. According to a 2014 Cochrane Database of System Reviews article of 49 relevant trials, the birth control pill did not appear to have a major impact on weight.
There has been no definitive evidence showing that startingor stoppingbirth control will affect your weight,” Neha Bhardwaj, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, previously told Health.
How Long After Stopping Taking The Pill Will I Get A Period
The first period you experience after coming off the pill is known as the withdrawal bleed. This is not the same as your normal period and normally lasts up to about seven days. Usually your second bleed will be your normal period. It can take a while for your period to go back to normal or what is normal for you. The majority of people who leave reviews at The Lowdown find their usual menstrual cycle returns 1 to 3 months after stopping the combined pill. The NHS advises waiting three months for your menstrual cycle to normalise again.
As one of the benefits of the combined pill is often lighter, less painful periods, you may notice your periods might be more painful and heavier after stopping the pill, but this may subside after a few months.
Also Check: Can You Buy Melatonin Over The Counter
How Long After Stopping The Pill Will You Ovulate
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it depends! It could take a month or two for you to start ovulating again, or for some people, it might happen really quickly .
So if you’re breaking up with your birth control but don’t want to get pregnant, it’s a good idea to use a backup method of contraception.
It’s possible to ovulate in your first cycle off the pill â if you’re wanting to avoid pregnancy, you should chat to your GP about different birth control methods .
They’ll probably recommend using barrier methods to prevent pregnancy, but might have other advice. Barrier methods are always a good idea for people not wanting to get pregnant, as they protect against sexually transmitted infections.
What Clinical Treatments Are Available
Hormonal medication is the only clinical treatment likely to make a big difference.
If youre adamant you dont want to return to birth control, your doctor can still help with symptoms.
Usually, your doctor will first test your blood for hormonal imbalances.
Once assessed, they will then advise you of various ways to alter your lifestyle.
This may include activity changes and supplement recommendations, along with referrals to other practitioners, like a nutritionist.
Specific symptoms can have their own specific treatments. Acne, for example, can be treated with prescription-strength medications.
Also Check: What Are Signs Of Low Estrogen
Changes To Your Period
As we mentioned earlier, if you’re someone whose menstrual cycle was irregular before taking the pill â you might find things are a bit random again after you stop.
When you stop birth control, your body will start trying to get back to its “baseline”. This could look like heavy periods if you had them previously, or different PMS symptoms from when you were on the pill. You might also experience some breakthrough bleeding or spotting .
Age can also factor into how your body responds when you stop the pill . For example, your periods may become more irregular if you’re approaching menopause.
If you had nasty period-related symptoms as a teenager but have been on birth control since, you might actually find you’ve outgrown some of them .
But, if you’ve come off the pill and are worried about how your body is reacting, it’s a good idea to get advice from a health professional â they can help you rule out underlying conditions like PCOS, fibroids or endometriosis .
How To Stop Taking Birth Control Pills After Long
Currently, there is no prescribed method on how to stop taking birth control pills after long-term use. You can choose to quit all of a sudden or finish the pack youre currently on.
If you finish the pack, even though it may take a while, your period will occur around the same time it did before. So if youd prefer to return to a more regular period schedule, its best to finish the pack.
After you stop taking birth control, your body needs time to adjust to the new balance of hormones, similarly to when you started taking the pill in the first place. Possible side effects include slight bleeding or spotting, abdominal cramps, and irregular periods for the first few months. Gradually, these symptoms should disappear on their own.
The most important thing to remember once you stop taking birth control is that pregnancy can occur at any time if you remain sexually active. Consider switching to a barrier method of contraception like condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
Recommended Reading: Best Supplement To Lower Cortisol
How Long Will It Take For My Fertility To Go Back To Normal After Coming Off The Pill
A common myth is that it takes up to three months for your fertility to return to normal after being on the pill. However, this isn’t strictly true.
‘Everyone has heard of that person who got pregnant after forgetting to take their pill, right? That’s because if you miss a pill at the right time or wrong time, whichever way you think about it! you can ovulate and get pregnant,’ says Dr Mitra.
But even if your period doesn’t return straight away, you can still get pregnant.
‘If you’re not taking the pill anymore and don’t want to get pregnant, you need to use an alternative form of contraception straight away,’ she adds.
After Stopping Birth Control It’s Normal To Miss Your Period As Your Cycle Regulates Itself Again But Sometimes Another Issue Is To Blame Here Are A Few Reasons Why You May Not Be Getting Your Period As Expected
Birth control pills are widely touted as the answer to a pesky irregular cycle. Once you start taking them, voilayou can expect your period during those placebo pills each month. Doctors sometimes prescribe birth control pills as a way to balance hormones and kick-start your body into a more predictable cycle. What’s more, some studies indicate they can actually boost your fertility, partly because they can decrease your odds of fertility-inhibiting conditions like endometriosis.
But while those same studies indicate that normal menstruation can return soon after stopping birth control, what happens when that’s not the case? It can be confusing if you have no period after stopping birth control and a negative pregnancy test. However, there are a number of possible explanations, including stress, obesity, or a thyroid imbalance. We asked experts to weigh in on how birth control pills can affect your monthly cycle and explain the reasons why you might miss periods once you stop taking the pill.
Recommended Reading: Cortisol Treatment For Adrenal Fatigue
Mood Swings & Anxiety After Stopping Birth Control
Let’s not forget that for as long as you’re on the birth control pill, your brain and your ovaries aren’t talking, so it’s to be expected when you ditch that pill that they’re going to take some time to come back online and start communicating again. And as they start talking again, there may be some ups and downs in your mood. This could result in symptoms of anxiety after stopping birth control.
Your body has been dealing with a combination of inflammation, blocked ovulation and nutrient depletionsany one of which can lead to mood issues.
Ive seen women in my clinical practice have symptoms that vary from anxiety and debilitating panic attacks to feeling depressed and falling out of love with their life all while on the pill.
It might feel scary to come off the pill, but listen, you can do a hell of a lot more for your mood off the pill than you can on the pill. For however long you’re on it, it’s depleting nutrients, creating inflammation and doing a whole lot of things that are going to mess with your mood.
I recommend women work with a counselor or mental health specialist if they are experience extreme ups and downs with their mood and anxiety after stopping birth control. Leveraging a mental health expert alongside a Naturopathic or Functional Medicine Doctor can help you get ample support in breaking up with these hormones and rediscovering you off of hormones.