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Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
Soooo, I'm considering going off of my birth control. I know many of you ladies don't take birth control, so I'm looking to you for advice!
Questions:
1) What made you decide to go off of it? Or, if you never started taking it in the first place, then why not?
2) What symptoms did you have while coming off of it? (I'm most concerned about acne)
3) What do you use now for contraceptives? Condoms? Are you afraid you'll get pregnant?
I really really really want to hear from you all about this! All advice is appreciated!
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
i went off of bc when my ex and i broke up. honestly, i can't remember any specific symptoms coming off of it because i was already dealing with super high anxiety. i personally will go back on bc if i'm in a ltr but i've been single since and haven't gone back on it. then again, i'm also not really sexually active right now but even when i was i just used condoms. i would never have unprotected sex unless we were both tested and in a monogamous relationship.
besides, i have to take medication, i don't really want to have to take another. i'm curious to what others have to say too. i always wonder if i did go on bc if it would have any sort of interactions with the meds i'm currently on. but as of right now, i don't have a reason to be on it nor really a desire to go back on.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I got off my pills like 4 months ago. I was also taking them 3 months at a time instead one month at a time. I only wanted my period 4 times a year.
Anyways, I got off of them because I gained alot of weight on them (20lbs!!!) I was 100lbs to begin with but the weight didn't go where I wanted it to, LOL.
Since getting off of it I have noticed smaller boobs and I haven't got my period in 4 months. I have never had bad acne so...Oh and my sex drive has increased ten fold :)
As a method of BC, we aren't exactly being smart :( Sometimes he will come in me or sometimes he doesn't come at all but I still get mine...mwahahahaha!!!
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kaiarose
I got off my pills like 4 months ago. I was also taking them 3 months at a time instead one month at a time. I only wanted my period 4 times a year.
Anyways, I got off of them because I gained alot of weight on them (20lbs!!!) I was 100lbs to begin with but the weight didn't go where I wanted it to, LOL.
Since getting off of it I have noticed smaller boobs and I haven't got my period in 4 months. I have never had bad acne so...Oh and my sex drive has increased ten fold :)
As a method of BC, we aren't exactly being smart :( Sometimes he will come in me or sometimes he doesn't come at all but I still get mine...mwahahahaha!!!
Wow, so no acne? That really is my biggest fear (ironically). Hopefully being on spironolactone will make any withdrawal acne less severe? I'm nervous...
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
charlie61
Soooo, I'm considering going off of my birth control. I know many of you ladies don't take birth control, so I'm looking to you for advice!
Questions:
1) What made you decide to go off of it? Or, if you never started taking it in the first place, then why not?
2) What symptoms did you have while coming off of it? (I'm most concerned about acne)
3) What do you use now for contraceptives? Condoms? Are you afraid you'll get pregnant?
I really really really want to hear from you all about this! All advice is appreciated!
I came off birth control after finding out that I could never have children......there was no point in it after that.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
^ I'm sorry. :(
Did you have any negative/positive symptoms after quitting?
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I went off the pill in November of last year after being on it since I was 18, as was 40at the time. My doctor took me off it because of my age and smoking. I was worried about what would happen after being on it for so long and how bad my periods would be.
No problems at all, no mood swings or weight gain and my periods have been so normal it's almost scary! No bad cramps and on schedule every month!
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
in regards to acne and periods, my skin still broke out about the same and my periods have been the same on and off it. honestly, i was disappointed that my skin didn't completely clear up while on it.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
If I even wait till the end of my window to renew my birthcontrol (the shot) I get like... every side-effect possible.
Depression, random spotting, headaches, vomiting, acne...
But that's typical of my luck... and probably just me.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I stopped BC pills about 2 years ago after being on them for over 10 years. I had also been taking them continuously (no period break) for over a year. I had a crazy estrogen withdrawal headache for a few weeks straight. But other than that no side effects.....it was easier to lose weight.
I used the methods outlined in Taking Charge of Your Fertility for a while.....took my temp every day, kept track of cervical fluid, etc.
I have now been back on the pill for a few months, and I'm taking it continuously again. I really like not dealing with periods, but I gained a bunch of weight back.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I've been on and off BC since I was 9. Yes, 9. Because I was on it so young, and for such a long time, I feel like my body needs it now.
Last year I went about 6 months without any BC. I really couldn't afford it, and I wanted to see how my body reacted without it. The Acne was SO bad. OMG! All over my cheeks and chin....I've been back on BC about 8 months now, but I still have scarring and hyper-pigmentation from the horrible breakouts. I'm so mad at myself for going off BC because of the condition it left my face in. Whenever I look in the mirror I see it. The texture of my skin, all the gouges and pitholes....ugh. I'm never going off BC again.
There were other symptoms too. For the first couple months I think I was moodier than normal. Ovulating hurt like a BITCH. Periods seemed really heavy and a lot of cramping, and my breasts were much more tender when I was PMSing. I didn't notice any changes in my weight.
Sorry to type out a horror story about Acne, but it's what I went through, you might not have the same results. How is Spiro working for you?
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I don't take birth control - I tried it a couple of times for ridiculously short periods of time (like, a month) and just didn't like the way it made me feel. I never gave my body a chance to adjust to it, though.
I don't take them now because I am concerned about the health risks of taking synthetic hormones... and I am scared it will make me retain water or gain weight. I like my body just the way it is :)
I am somewhat scared of pregnancy - I use condoms, but don't find myself having sex very often right now (bf is in the military and gone all the time). I am currently looking into sterilization... I'd love to get that done as I know kids aren't for me. I'm a little concerned about finding a doc to do it though (I just turned 28 and have no children).
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
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Originally Posted by
4everresolutions
Ovulating hurt like a BITCH.
Yeah, I forgot about that. I also had crazy ovulation pains.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
4everresolutions
Sorry to type out a horror story about Acne, but it's what I went through, you might not have the same results. How is Spiro working for you?
No, I appreciate horror stories. This is definitely my worst fear. Spiro is still working beautifully, and I may slightly increase my dosage of Spiro when I go off of BC to balance out the effects of the lack of synthetic estrogen.
4everresolutions--have you looked into microdermabrasion for your scarring? I'm so sorry that happened to you.
I just suddenly realized in my women's health class today how creepy it is to be on a pill for life...taking something every day. I dunno. I just want to see what it's like to not be on it. I may go back on it after going off.
Thank you all so much for your responses so far!!
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I have been on a few different pills; I've had bad reactions to them ALL. I got wicked awful cramps for about three days every month, so I switched to a new kind, and got them every TWO WEEKS! Nausea and everything as well. So I went off it. Six days a month of being sick was interfering with work and school.
I gained a little weight - about 10lbs. No big deal for me, I'm really tiny anyways. My acne wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Not on my face, anyways. I'm one of those oh-so-lucky girls that gets backne. But my face is pretty clear.
Yes of COURSE I'm worried I'll get pregnant, but we use condoms. And it's totally weird thinking about being on the pill for life, which was one of the other reasons I went off bc.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
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Originally Posted by
Sia
Yeah, I forgot about that. I also had crazy ovulation pains.
*nods* It was so bad, it was ridiculous. Felt like it was a Chicken egg!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
charlie61
No, I appreciate horror stories. This is definitely my worst fear. Spiro is still working beautifully, and I may slightly increase my dosage of Spiro when I go off of BC to balance out the effects of the lack of synthetic estrogen.
4everresolutions--have you looked into microdermabrasion for your scarring? I'm so sorry that happened to you.
Yes, I'm def. going to start looking into some chemical peels and such for the scarring. I've started using Dermalogica with GREAT results. The hyperpimentation is fading very quickly, and my skin looks a little more even.
I probably won't invest in any expensive dermabrasions/skin resurfacing etc until I get a few years older. I'm only 21 now, and I want to be sure that my breakouts have stopped for life before I invest in an expensive treatment. I don't want to wait too long, but I figure if my skin stays clear for a few more years, then I'll get it done.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I went of bc and didn't get my period for like 6 months, so i figured i couldn't get pregnant to me no period=no ovulating, yea wrong my son just turned 1 haha I didn't have acne problems, and i think i actually lost weight when i stopped. but if you decide to go back on its sometimes tricky to find a pill that works with your body i couldn't take my old one after my son cuz it started to make me really sick.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
Yes, I went off the Pill some years ago because I hated the side-effects. I'm busty (and hate it) to start with and the Pill just made my breasts bigger and sore to boot. I wasn't on it for long so experienced no side-effects when I stopped taking it. I stuck to condoms after that. I've never gotten pregnant (having always used some sort of contraceptive) and am not afraid I might, given the low failure rate. I'd be afraid if I didn't use anything, of course, but since when I'm with someone I always do, I feel pretty confident.
Men tend to hate condoms, but I'm very firm on this issue and it's a take it or leave it proposition for me. I have had some moaning about it but nothing major.
Right now I'm not with anyone, so no need to use anything.
As for acne, using anti-bacterial wipes on your face morning and night should take care of a case that isn't overly severe. If it is, severe you might buy a benzoyl peroxide treatment (start with 5% and move on to 10% if that doesn't work), which should do the trick.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
When I went off mine...
1) They for some reason gave me a stomach ache after swallowed. My sex drive was low, I was depressed.
2) Nothing really happened, no acne. A couple pregnancy scares, though.
3) I'm back on it, but all the while I wasn't, I used condoms. I hated them so much, makes the moment less intimate, so I welcomed back the b.c.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
1) What made you decide to go off of it? Or, if you never started taking it in the first place, then why not?
I went off because I got pregnant last november. Never got back on because I only just started having sex with someone again. We're using condoms and I have no intention of going back on the pill again because I get pregnant anyway even with perfect usage.
2) What symptoms did you have while coming off of it? (I'm most concerned about acne)
No acne problems here, my cramps are a little worse and the first 3 days are heavier than they ever were.
3) What do you use now for contraceptives? Condoms? Are you afraid you'll get pregnant?
Using condoms. And no, not really.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I was on BC pills from about 16-20. I went off them because I wasn't comfortable putting that many hormones in my system. But I didn't get any acne or weird side effects. I've never had acne, though, at all, so I'm sure that varies for everyone.
Now I have a Mirena and wouldn't trade it for the world. I convince myself that the lower dosage of hormones is less dangerous, and the non-existent periods are a nice bonus.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
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Originally Posted by
Promnesiac
I was on BC pills from about 16-20. I went off them because I wasn't comfortable putting that many hormones in my system. But I didn't get any acne or weird side effects. I've never had acne, though, at all, so I'm sure that varies for everyone.
Now I have a Mirena and wouldn't trade it for the world. I convince myself that the lower dosage of hormones is less dangerous, and the non-existent periods are a nice bonus.
You don't have periods on mirena?
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
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Originally Posted by
JayATee
You don't have periods on mirena?
It makes them very light, and for some people that means pretty much not at all. So I know when it's period time (largely because I am insane for about 24 hours), but I have spotting for about 2 hours, and even that only every few months. Also has reduced my cramps to nearly nothing.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
I went off it because I stopped being sexually active and plus I had to get my pills re-filled anyway. What I noticed while I went off was.. my face got more oily, a gained weight, have horriable cramps near my period now, really really fucking bloated now too, other than that no ance.. if you had them before the pill, you'll probably get them a bit more. If I do have sex, I do use condoms, no I am not too worried, I always keep on track with my period and such signs. I am planning on going back on it soon, I cant stand being bloated and have strong cramps near my period. There are always pills that you can go on that only give one of the chemicals (not the estogron one) or mix up the levels lower.
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Re: Have you ever gone OFF of your birth control??
Questions:
1) What made you decide to go off of it? Or, if you never started taking it in the first place, then why not?
Id been on it for 10 years and I was having a lot of breakthrough bleeding, depression and I had a suspicion that it was causing cellulite.
2) What symptoms did you have while coming off of it? (I'm most concerned about acne)
I felt much better. Had literally no PMS and my depression went away. Most of my cellulite went away (My suspicion was right!). I did break out badly though until I went on spiro. However being on spiro without the pill I was getting my period every 2 weeks which lead me to go back onto the pill 2 years later due to frustration of always having my period.
3) What do you use now for contraceptives? Condoms? Are you afraid you'll get pregnant?
I used condoms for contraception and I was not afraid of getting pregnant. Im more afraid on the pill then with condoms. I am very strong when it comes to condoms and was almost never tempted to slip up, but having a baby would be my worst nightmare and thats why Im so careful.