6 Things That Happened When I Quit Hormonal Birth Control (The Good & The Bad)
I was on the birth control pill for almost 11 years. I initially went on the pill when I was 15 in an attempt to regulate my cycle and clear up my hormonal acne.The pill was presented to me as an easy fix to everything I was struggling with, and it worked. I was thrilled, but looking back I wish I was told more about some of the side effects or counseled on other things I could have done to support my cycle and my skin.
Let me be clear, I loved being on the pill
Even if I had known the side effects, I would have made the same choice to start the pill at 15. I am incredibly grateful for the freedom those 10+ years gave me and I support anyone using whatever form of birth control works best for them.
What I do wish was that someone had told me was that the pill is often just a bandage we slap on a problem to mask underlying hormonal imbalances. I also wish I had been told that when I did eventually decide to come off of the pill, it would be very likely that the symptoms I went on it for would come back, potentially even worse. And that’s exactly what happened.
When I came off of the pill, I braced myself for total hormonal chaos. Even with the knowledge that I had around potential unpleasant symptoms, I was still surprised and upset when they happened. For many individuals, especially those who are told “whenever you’re ready to start trying to conceive, just come off of the pill and go for it,” they don’t know that there is often some serious work that needs to be done after long term use to bring your body back to homeostasis.
I think the unfavorable symptoms of coming off of the pill often overshadow the benefits, so let’s start with the good things that happened to me when I quit birth control!
THE GOOD
Increased libido
One of the biggest complaints I hear from women who have been on the pill for a long time is that they feel like their sex drive has totally tanked, and unfortunately this is a potential side effect of hormonal birth control pills. When I came off the pill, I noticed a drastic improvement in my sex drive within the first few weeks.
Felt more like myself
Around the time I decided to come off of birth control I wasn’t feeling like myself. I just felt sort of…. Blah. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve talked with other women who have had a similar experience. Within a few weeks of coming off of birth control I felt like a fog had lifted. This is a more subtle change, but one that was very welcome!
I felt less anxious and more in control of my emotions (after a brief period of feeling very reactive)
One of the most well-known side effects of birth control is anxiety and other unpleasant changes in mood. One study out of Denmark found that women between the ages of 15 and 35 who went on birth control were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with depression 6 months later compared to those who were not prescribed the pill.
A few weeks after coming off of the pill I had a week or so of feeling very reactive and easily upset, similarly to the way I felt when I went on the pill initially. But after that period, I was surprised by how much more in-control I felt of my emotions and how much less anxious I was. This was by far the best change for me coming off of the pill. I don’t think I realized how anxious I had been feeling until I didn’t feel that way anymore.
THE BAD
It’s important to note that none of these negative changes showed up until about 3 months after coming off of the pill - this is common! Even though I knew this happened, I was still so hopeful I was one of the lucky few who noticed no difference. Unfortunately, I was not.
Hormonal acne
This is what I braced myself for, but BOY did I underestimate how bad it would get. About 3-4 months after coming off the pill, my forehead and chin broke out like I have never seen. It was painful, embarrassing, and seriously impacted my self confidence. I wasted so much money and time on skincare products and routines. A blog post on this will be coming soon, but it took me months to re-balance my hormones and finally clear my skin.
Hair loss
I was not anticipating this, but around the same time my skin broke out, my hair started falling out in clumps. Every shower was anxiety producing as I watched hair came out in my finger tips. Thankfully, this cleared up fairly quickly as I began working on repairing my hormones.
Wacky menstrual cycle and anovulatory cycles
I was so surprised when my first cycle after the pill came right on time. I seriously thought I had somehow won the lottery and would have no issues. However, 3-4 months down the line, they just continued to get more irregular. Sometimes they would be heavy, sometimes light, sometimes my cycle would be 20 days, sometimes it would 45+ days before I got my period again. What concerned me especially was that my naturopath was concerned I was not ovulating regularly, and my wacky cycles supported that theory. This took the longest to address, but after lots of hard work I was able to regulate my cycle. More on addressing menstrual cycle issues coming soon!
My transition off of the pill was rough, but it was the best choice I ever made
So many women come off of the pill, only to go back on again when experiences like this happen. I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re destined for a life on the pill if they don’t want to be, especially if you’re hoping to get pregnant. That’s why I started Post Pill Project. This transition is hard, but if it’s what you want, I am here to help you walk through the process.
