Breaking up with Birth Control

For the last year or so I have been homonaly out of whack. I am only 28 and shouldnt be crying a diaper comercials. For the last few months prior to september I thought long and hard about my BC, and realized I have been on it for 12 years non stop. After some research I decided I was Estrogen dominant and decided to stop taking it. No i am not trying to get pregnant, we are using non hormanal methods. So far it has been about two weeks and well it may be to soon to tell. I am moody like a 15year old, but bessides that, no probs yet. I was wondering if anyone eles out there has ever stopped taking birth control without trying to get pregnant and how it worked out for them?

I went off Ortho Tricyclen-Lo last year after being on it for 5 years. I have always had a problem with acne, and I have noticed that it has definitely gotten worse since I went off of the pill, but that's been the only drawback. When I was on the pill, the week before my period was like HELL (especially for the poor souls who crossed my path) - crying for no reason, lethargy, depression, irratibility, irrational anger, binge eating, etc. Now I really don't get PMS at all, and that alone makes going off the pill worth it to me! I also have lighter and less frequent periods.

It sounds like you are more moody now that you're off the pill, which is the opposite of my experience. I am totally guessing but maybe your body just needs to balance out hormonally, which could definitely take some time. Best of luck!

I stopped taking Cerazette on 28th July 09 after being on one brand or another for 20 years without a break.  My first period started on 28th Aug - amazing.

However I did get very sore nipples for 1 week before my period started and I had a week where I burst into tears at nothing and everything.  I have also noticed that my weight fluctuates more now than when I was taking it. 

I am expecting it to take about 6 months to fully settle down.

Thanks for the feedback, I am expecting the total balance to come in a few months as well.

After having our second child (which we agreed would be our last), hubby decided to get a vasectomy, so after over 10 years of being on the pill (outside of trying to have the kids), I was able to get off, and I was so happy to do so.  Not because it was making me moody, but because I was glad to not have to remember to take a pill, not to have to spend the money every month, and to not have the risk of blood clots (which increases as you get older).

I've heard good things from people who went off of the pill to get pregnant - but don't think that you're really really "trying" til three mos. afterward because it takes your body a little while.

I took NuvaRing for 5 mos and am stopping now because I can't afford it. I had long term amenorrhea, breasfteeding my first put me all in a whack and I had to use hormones to get pregnant with #2 and never had a period afterward but never took BC either. Is there a chance that NuvaRing could have restored my period, or no?

Original Post by bsh0611:

I've heard good things from people who went off of the pill to get pregnant - but don't think that you're really really "trying" til three mos. 

Depends on the woman - I was knocked up within 4 weeks everytime I went off mine.

Well lets pray I don't get pregnant in any time frame. Iam not a mother type, once I feel it is better to be off of the pill we will look more seriously about one of us getting cut, most likely him because he already has three kids.

I was on the nuva ring for a bout five months or so a couple of years ago, but i switched back to the pill because of the constant discharge. Tried the patch too, but got tired of the band aid effect. I am really just ready to not be pumping my body full of chemicals that i don't have to.

I am feeling much better as far as the attitude goes. Acne is only a little more prevelent, but I have been fighting it for my whole life and am pretty good a keeping it at bay.

One of the reasons i wanted to get off of the pill is because of a new study that found a difference in muscle growth. They tracked two groups of women, one on the pill and one off the pill, and found that after eight weeks or something the group not on the pill had 60% more muscle growth than the pill takers. When you think about it, this makes sense. Estrogen and testosterone are out of balance when on the pill. Not being on it allows for more production of testosterone. I am into bodybuilding so this is a positive aspect for me.

Original Post by lak32:

I went off Ortho Tricyclen-Lo last year after being on it for 5 years. I have always had a problem with acne, and I have noticed that it has definitely gotten worse since I went off of the pill, but that's been the only drawback. When I was on the pill, the week before my period was like HELL (especially for the poor souls who crossed my path) - crying for no reason, lethargy, depression, irratibility, irrational anger, binge eating, etc. Now I really don't get PMS at all, and that alone makes going off the pill worth it to me! I also have lighter and less frequent periods.

It sounds like you are more moody now that you're off the pill, which is the opposite of my experience. I am totally guessing but maybe your body just needs to balance out hormonally, which could definitely take some time. Best of luck!

 I'm on ortho-tricylene as well and I've been wanting to get off of it. The week before my period is utter hell too... I cry about everything and let's not even talk about the headaches I get. I was put on it to cure a bout of amenhorrea, and I've been regular for 6 months... but I want out. Did you talk to your dr before getting off of ortho, lak32? Or did you just do it because you wanted to?

did you gain any weight, sebina, when you went off? temporarily?

well i did feel a bit bloated for the second week, but all seems right now. I dont weigh myself very often. but no real weight gain that i can tell.

I have been off the Pill for a few months (since June/July) after being on it pretty much all the time for nearly 15 years. So far I am very happy but I'm not yet back to "normal." The reason I've stayed on the Pill is primarily because my mother had very serious complications, and as a teen I'd started to see some of the similar problems.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there. So far I am pleasantly surprised with being off the Pill but I'm anticipating the physiological symptoms to get worse. So far I am having less migraines (none actually, instead of 1-2 horrid ones per month), and also waaaaaaaaaaay less moodiness being off the Pill. But I am also barely bleeding and I think that will get back to worse ("normal") eventually.

so far, so good!

I hope to start trying for pregnancy next year sometime.

Original Post by santonacci:

Original Post by bsh0611:

I've heard good things from people who went off of the pill to get pregnant - but don't think that you're really really "trying" til three mos. 

Depends on the woman - I was knocked up within 4 weeks everytime I went off mine.

 Yep, this happened to 2 of my best friends as well. And in their mid- to late-30's with both of them, one of them twice!

I think everyone is different when it comes to this.

So a little update on the birth control saga. Its been a month now and over all I must say I feel pretty good. One thing though, and I would love some feedback on this cause it doesn't make sense. I swear I am gaining weight. I have been training hard and watching what I eat since I stopped and I seem to be up in weight. I did weigh like three or four pounds heavier when my trainer and I reweighed me five weeks into our training. My pants feel tighter too. I must say for feeling balanced this makes me kind of depressed. I thought that it would be the other way around. And no I am not pregnant. I promised I would give myself three months, and truthfully I do feel better ( less weepy, shorter period,ect) But I cant figure out this weight gain. After I weighed in I started really killing myself at the gym. I wont give up. Then i realized I have been at this weight loss journey for a freaking year, and all i have done is gain a bit of muscle. Don't get me wrong, I respect the muscle, but seriously what the F is wrong with my body. How hard do I have to push. I have been attacking the same 30lbs for a year and at this point i would take 5.

I started gaining weight when I stopped taking BC too. It is a hormonal reaction and pushing TOO hard at the gym will only make your body hold on to fat more. Your body is just trying to regain control over the hormones, it is likely very temporary.

I didn't gain weight when I stopped hormonal BC (in fact, I dropped about 10 lbs of water weight) but I would have accepted any weight gain if it meant going back to my cheerful, easygoing self again.

I was on it for 4 years, and one of my sharpest memories from that time period was pitching a fit (we're talking crying hysterically, stomping around, you name it) because I was very upset that there were no bagels left for breakfast.

I semi-think that the more you screw around with your hormones, the more they will eventually screw around with you.  Your body is bound to be turning cartwheels (not literally) at being back in control of its hormones again, after 12 years of artificial control imposed by you.  I agree with giving yourself the full 3 months to "settle" ... in all ways.

Sebrina, I assure you it is probably water weight. When I first went on the pill, I gained some weight. but then I noticed, half way into the month, I would lose the weight. Then once I tracked it more, I found that I gained water weight about 1.5-2 weeks before my period, and shed it a couple days during. Now that I have been on the pill for a while, I gain water weight a few days before my period and lose it a few days during.

Also, if you are pushing yourself hard at the gym, you may be making your water weight problem worse. If you are lifting hard, your muscles retain water for about half a day to 3 days, depending on the person and how often/hard they lift. When I first started doing upper body, my arms were "puffy" due to water weight, and I was thinking, "What the hell, I'm trying to tone them!" Well, after doing upper body 2-3 days a week for a few weeks, my body got better and my muscles did not retain as much water during recovery.

So just be patient. I know it can be a huge pain, I understand. But just remember that this is only temporary!