Anyone Have Experience With Going Off The Pill?

[jesscarmel]

Hi

Im going to try going off the pill to see if it helps my vertigo from migraines. i heard "weird" things can happen such as mood swings, weight loss, weight gain....... has anyone gone off the pill? i have been on it since 13 due to irregluar periods which were pretty much all the time

Thanks

Jess

[Corkdarrr]

I have the most awful story about birth control....

I went on the pill around 15 to help with heavy cramping.

That was fine and good. Switched brands a few times. No big deal.

Until about 3-4 years ago I started trying differnet TYPES. I went on the patch for a while, and that was a disaster. Damn thing kept coming off! So I went on Depo. That's the shot you only have to get four times a year. Well it took my body about two or three months to adjust to that. That's two or three months of weird spotting and irregular periods, etc...Granted, after I adjusted it was kinda neat.

So one day I go in to get the shot I'm due for. They tell me they can't give me the shot because I'm overdue for my annual. I can't get my annual because I'm bleeding. But I cant' stop bleeding until I get my shot, I say. Round and round we go.

Nothing they can do. I bleed for a month or two. I went to three or four different OBGYNs trying to get SOMEone to just give me the friggin' shot so I could stop bleeding. Six MONTHS it took my body on its own to "get over" the depo. SIX months I bled. I was crying in OBGYN offices. When they said they couldn't help me I'd just start to cry and tell them to buy stock in Tampax.

Anyways. So, after I finally stopped bleeding and I get my annual they asked if I wanted to go back on the depo. At which point I not only started crying again, but almost got into a boxing match. Seriously? Yes please. Hook me up with that miracle drug that my body clearly loved so very much.

So I went back on the pill.

At this point though my lady system just couldn't handle anything else. I was still having very irregular periods. Usually half my cycle I was bleeding and the other half was fine. It was almost like the pill wasn't strong enough to hold my cycle in check? Either way, my *new* OBGYN told me to go off the pill for a few months until my body re-regulated itself. Which I did. That was in July. My *new* miracle-working GP has advised me to stay off it for the time being. I agree with her. I'm dealing with so much other stuff right now, that I coulnd't handle my period going haywire again.

So. In answer to your question- for me, going off hte pill was wonderful. It coincided with some weight loss (which may or may not be due to the absence of the pill); allowed my body to re-regulate itself, giving me my first regular period in YEARS; my periods also seem shorter and more 'normal.'

Other than that, I'm not sure what other side effects I can attribute to going off the pill. I did that at the same time as all my dietary stuff so it's all shlumped together. Just be aware that your body may take a month or two to adjust.

Courtney

[eleep]

I know a lot of people who've had really big problems with Depo. However, I've recently gone off the pill myself and didn't seem to have many side effects -- whatever mood swings and such I might have had were a walk in the park compared to a glutening.

[jmengert]

Count me in the group with BIG problems with Depo. I had my period for six months straight when I took that stupid shot, which resulted in my having anemia for awhile. Never again will I have that stupid drug.

But, before (and after) the Depo disaster, I went off the pill without any problems, after having been on it for 5 years or so. I didn't notice anything negative. My period did become more irregular for a bit, but that's all straightened out now. I've been debating going back on it, for cramping reasons, but I don't know if I want to pump hormones into my body again.

Good luck--it should all work out fine.

[Guest cassidy]

I was on the pill starting around 15 for irregular periods. I changed to the patch (awful) and then the ring (great) and went off everything last January because we wanted to get pregnant. My skin which was never perfect broke out ever since I stopped the ring. It got worse once I got pregnant and I totally think it has something to do with my hormones.

The reason I went on the pill was because my period would last for a very long time - like 2 weeks and then come again 2 weeks later. After going off the pill I had 37-35 day cycles with normal length periods. I don't know if that change had anything to do with going gluten-free either.

I've heard that depo is worse than the pill, so I hope things go well for you.

[SpikeMoore]

Hi There

Just went off the pill a month ago. Had heavy and very painful cycles, was anemic and suspect endometriosis. I went on the pill last fall to control the nearly constant spotting from the endometrioma. Ihave a gyn apt coming up in March.

Went gluten free in Nov and went off the pill 1 January. First cycle was heavier than on the pill as expected, but not like before. Only one heavy day, but not like before gluten free, and cramps were quite manageable with ibuprofen alone, not ponstan. I think I took a total of 5 ibuprofen.

I am very curious to see what things will be like in 6 months.

[jesscarmel]

thanks for all your responses! i have one week left on the pill and then i will stop. im praying my vertigo goes away........

[sunshinen]

I went on the pill to help with cramps and heavy bleeding. I have stopped taking it a few times (traveling and other such reasons). Everytime, I lose about 10-20 pounds, otherswise I'm great untill three months in, when the cramping would come back. EXCEPT after going gluten-free. My cramping and bleeding are a little worse than they were on the pill, but even a year later they are still in what I consider normal and tolerable range (before going gluten-free, if I was not on the pill they were not tolerable). The only difference is that (at 30 years old), I'm back to weighing what I did in high school, and, obviously, I have to be more careful about not getting pregnant.

The pill does a lot of weird things. It will take a few months for your body to normalize, but for most people that just means the weird stuff goes away and your periods may get a bit heavier.

[Michi8]

thanks for all your responses! i have one week left on the pill and then i will stop. im praying my vertigo goes away........

As with anything, experiences on and off the pill are so individual. I found the pill really messed up my system...while it helped my cramps and length of cycle, it gave me really bad morning sickness, wreaked havoc with my libido and caused weight gain.

I found I lost weight when I went off the pill, but my libido took a while to return to "normal"...unfortunately, some studies have shown that the pill can have a negative impact on libido that can last a lifetime, even when a woman stops taking it. I'm no longer a fan of hormonal contraceptives, and am concerned about the lack of information given to women when making the decision to use these pills/patches/shots, etc.

Michelle

[tiffjake]

I was on the pill for 6 years. When I went off, I had no period for a year. I took the "let down" hormones to have a period every 3 months. My period finally started on it own in August. I have had a 76 day cycle, a 25, a 25, and a 32 since then. Looks like things are trying to even out.

My periods were actually worse on the pill. Cramps were severe. Mood swings sucked. Things are better, for me, off of the pill. I do FAM/NFP now. I suggest the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wessler (not sure about last name spelling). Great information about cycles.

[Michi8]

I was on the pill for 6 years. When I went off, I had no period for a year. I took the "let down" hormones to have a period every 3 months. My period finally started on it own in August. I have had a 76 day cycle, a 25, a 25, and a 32 since then. Looks like things are trying to even out.

My periods were actually worse on the pill. Cramps were severe. Mood swings sucked. Things are better, for me, off of the pill. I do FAM/NFP now. I suggest the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wessler (not sure about last name spelling). Great information about cycles.

It's a great book, and I think it's a must read for every woman. BTW, the spelling is Weschler.

Michelle

[elye]

Finding this thread has been so timely for me...I am going off the pill soon, as my DH is heading in for the big snip. I've been on it (barring my two pregnancies) for almost twenty years, and now that I've entered my forties I figure its time to go off. What really made me decide this was the reports that came out recently on the incredible decrease in breast cancer numbers in American women over the last few years. This huge decrease exactly coincides with the movement by doctors to stop advising menopausal women to take hormone replacement therapy. The science reporters are saying that this is no coincidence. Anyone else been concerned about the estrogen-progestin-cancer link?

[NicoleAJ]

I started on the pill at 15 because, like cassidy, I'd have a 2 week heavy flow period and then get it again two weeks later (aweful cramping, migraines etc). Periodically, I've gone off the pill for up to a year at a time when I want to see how things work out for me. The heaviness and length and pain of my old periods usually returns after 6-9 months off the pill (even though I feel great on the pill). For the last few years, I've actually been using the ring rather than the pill and have responded very well to that. I didn't do well on the tricyclic pills because they made me vomit every morning. The thing that is really worrisome is that when I ovulate, I develop really large ovarian cysts, and they often burst, causing a whole lot pain, but if you don't have a tendency towards getting those, then it shouldn't be a problem at all. I'd definitely try going off the pill for a few months to see what happens to your symptoms--you can always go back on it if it causes problems for you.

[SpikeMoore]

Hi There

Elye, yes I agree entirely with you. When I was a student in biology in the early 90's, there was research that showed that many tumors had estrogen receptor sites. I thought it was a bad idea to use the pill, but did anyway for 7 years and have used it to control ovarian cysts, but I have remained convinced for years that there is a link to breast cancer. I asked every doctor I came across about it and they side-stepped the question answering that the pill has increased risk of stroke etc...always avoiding my direct question about breast cancer in particular.

Fastforward to now...I think that if you look at the epidemic of breast cancer in the past 10-20 years it is the first genereation of the pill users. Now, granted the first genreation bcp had higher levels than current ones, but why is it that they don't let breast cancer patients use hormone replacement therapy? HRT has much less extrogen than the bcp...

It boggles the mind...

[tarnalberry]

I went off the pill... three or four years ago, after having been on it for two or three years. I didn't have any problems with it, and my period didn't go back to being as heavy as it was, or the cramps get as bad as they had been either. My cycle's about 30 days, not 28, but that's correlated to improved fertility, actually. :/

[tiffjake]

It's a great book, and I think it's a must read for every woman. BTW, the spelling is Weschler.

Michelle

Oops, thanks! Just packed mine up to move....

[Felidae]

thanks for all your responses! i have one week left on the pill and then i will stop. im praying my vertigo goes away........

I'm just curious as to how you figured out that your vertigo was connected to the pill. I've been on the pill basically forever (10+ years).

[jesscarmel]

I'm just curious as to how you figured out that your vertigo was connected to the pill. I've been on the pill basically forever (10+ years).

I actually haven't figured it out just yet. i was doing research on migraines when i read that the pill sometimes causes migraines in some people. then i read this on drugs.com

"Avoid them, too, if you suffer from migraine headaches preceded by an aura (visual disturbances such as pulsing lights and blind spots, temporary numbness, and similar symptoms"

i have a history of migraines with aura and blind spots. when i read that i thought maybe it is causing hte migraines that are causing my vertigo. it could not help at all but i'm going to try and see. i dont know why all the neurologists ive seen have not said anything about this. they know i take apri. do they not read the form you fill out with what medications you take. im really getting sick of doctors.

Jess

[Felidae]

I actually haven't figured it out just yet. i was doing research on migraines when i read that the pill sometimes causes migraines in some people. then i read this on drugs.com

"Avoid them, too, if you suffer from migraine headaches preceded by an aura (visual disturbances such as pulsing lights and blind spots, temporary numbness, and similar symptoms"

i have a history of migraines with aura and blind spots. when i read that i thought maybe it is causing hte migraines that are causing my vertigo. it could not help at all but i'm going to try and see. i dont know why all the neurologists ive seen have not said anything about this. they know i take apri. do they not read the form you fill out with what medications you take. im really getting sick of doctors.

Jess

My doctor actually sent me to a neurologist regarding my aura migraines. The neurologist linked it to my pill because the migraines were timed with the week off the pill. She said an option is to go off the pill, but that I could still get migraines from my natural estrogen cycle. Sounds like I had better luck with my neurologist. She was young which may make a difference.

Anyways, I haven't had the auras since being gluten-free. I have had the occassional migraine though. But, I do get head rushes when I stand up and I'm trying to figure out what that those are from.

Also, I do have a food trigger for my aura migraines. But, I have avoided that particular food since I was a teenager. I was sent to a neurologist way back then and he was crusty and mean, but did figure out that it was food linked.

[jesscarmel]

My doctor actually sent me to a neurologist regarding my aura migraines. The neurologist linked it to my pill because the migraines were timed with the week off the pill. She said an option is to go off the pill, but that I could still get migraines from my natural estrogen cycle. Sounds like I had better luck with my neurologist. She was young which may make a difference.

Anyways, I haven't had the auras since being gluten-free. I have had the occassional migraine though. But, I do get head rushes when I stand up and I'm trying to figure out what that those are from.

Also, I do have a food trigger for my aura migraines. But, I have avoided that particular food since I was a teenager. I was sent to a neurologist way back then and he was crusty and mean, but did figure out that it was food linked.

i dont have the aura migraines anymore since going gluten free, only the vertigo ones. i would much rather have the aura!

[sunshinen]

I spoke to soon! This period is kicking my a**.

Anyone have harsher periods from being glutened during the month, or should I assume my body finally caught up with being off the pill?