Experiences with going off hormonal birth control?

[thewhiteroutine]

I recently made the decision to go off birth control. I have been on various b.c. pills for the past nine years, and for the past two years have been skipping my periods by taking active pills continuously. My gyn said it was fine to do that since the period you get on the pill isn't "real" anyway, and there's no medical need to have one while on

Comments

[thewhiteroutine]

Hah, the bread tie thing is too funny! I have noticed myself becoming a bit more emotional about my recent breakup in the past few days since going off b.c., where I had been coping super well and not really feeling sad for a week prior to going off the pill. So maybe the increased emotion is related. I do plan on getting a diva cup ... it's so weird to think about investing in feminine hygiene products again, and I definitely want what I use to have as small of an environmental impact as possible. Thanks for your input!

[mirhanda]

The best thing I have ever found for my cramps, which are debilitating, is heat. Now I use those heat pads that you stick in your underwear, so they aren't very natural, but you could do the same thing with a hot water bottle or an electric heating pad. It works better than any drug I've ever tried, even the many prescriptions I've had over the years. I have tested using heat alone, heat with meds and meds alone, and while heat + meds was the best, heat alone worked better than meds alone, so if I could only have one, I'd take the heat.

[thewhiteroutine]

Yup, heating pads are awesome! I haven't needed mine for cramps forever, but I have fond memories of planting myself on the couch with a heating pad as a teenager and informing my parents that my cramps were too bad to go to church. Heh.

[audacian]

I started HBC at 15 and just went off at 27. I had severe PMDD before I was on HBC and it was controlled, mostly, while I was on. My periods have been fairly regular, with cycles ranging between 30-45 days. I started charting on FertilityFriend.com, not because I wanted to conceive but because I figured it'll help me get to know my body better and all that.

My periods are longer (from ~3 days to ~6 days), my cramps are much worse, my skin is very oily, and my acne is worse. I've been off almost a year now and it's all still pretty bad. I'm debating going back on because my cramps are so bad it basically makes me useless for one day a month and I don't have time to be sick like that (nor do I want to).

I haven't noticed any change in my mood swings, but I do feel like the PMS process is more drawn out. Instead of getting light cramping/crankiness/cravings a day or two before, I feel like I PMS for about a week. It's not fun.

[thewhiteroutine]

Interesting, thanks for sharing your experiences. I am hoping my skin will stay in control with the spironolactone I take for hormonal acne. I do worry about it getting more oily though. I had oily skin as a teenager and now my skin is very dry -- I'd attributed it to being older and my hormones changing, but given that a lot of my family has oily skin, maybe the change was caused by the pill. We'll see I suppose.

[anonymissity]

Ditching hormonal BC was one of the best things I have ever done. I felt amazing after kicking it. I didn't realize how bad it was making me feel while I was on it, until I stopped taking it and was like, "So THIS is what it feels like to be normal? I'll take it!"
And I have never once looked back. In fact, it was so bad for me, I would rather be celibate than ever subject myself to it ever again in my life.
I took it from 16-21. Futtered around with condoms and other methods in the meantime and I got a copper IUD about 2 1/2 years ago (I am 29 now).

Best. Thing. Ever.

In my experience, though YMMV, I'd say going off birth control will make you feel like a human being again, and it will be fantastic.

[thewhiteroutine]

This is nice to hear! I don't think it's made me feel particularly bad, but I haven't been off it long enough to really notice if I feel any differently. Out of curiosity, what was it that made you feel so awful?

[anonymissity]

Well, I was really quite young when I started taking them, so it didn't really occur to me that my side effects worth quitting over (to that they were negative things, I mean, the pamphlet said it could happen, right? Yeah, along with strokes and blood clots and all sorts of other fun stuff) until they started interfering with my adult life when I needed to move out of my parent's house and live on my own where attended college full time and worked full time. The side effects were fine when I was a teenager and my only concern was high school bullshit, but then the real works comes a knockin

[_dilate_]

I was just thinking about making this exact post! I don't have much help to offer since I have only been off my pills for a few months. I decided to stop because of all the mixups with pharmacys lately (my pills were recalled, the ones my sister was on turned out to be dangerous, etc etc etc).

So far I have been a bit sad and tired and my skin is horrible. I have acne on my chest! I never remember having that and now I feel like I can't wear half my shirts. I think I will have to relearn how to manage my skin entirely. :(

I am hoping it's worth it. Hoping my sex drive will come back and my skin will eventually work itself out. Will be checking this thread for more advice.

[thewhiteroutine]

I feel you on the sad/tired thing. I've definitely noticed those things in the past few days.

Do you know if your acne is hormonal? I highly recommend spironolactone for hormonal acne (if you don't have any conditions that would make it bad for you to take). Most of my breakouts were around my chin and mouth, with occasional bad ones on my back. The spironolactone has cleared up my skin almost entirely. Now I get what I would consider a bad pimple 1-2 times per year, versus 3-4 per week.

[_dilate_]

I am not sure. If it persists I will look into that, thanks for the tip.