If you are considering starting a family or you simply want to put an end to some of the other side effects of the birth control pill, you may consider talking to your primary care physician or women’s care provider about stopping your birth control regimen.
While the most obvious change will be the fact that it will now become much easier to conceive after unprotected sex, that’s certainly not the only change that is in effect. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the changes you can expect once you stop taking birth control.
Effects Of Going Off Birth Control
Stopping birth control will affect all women differently, but here’s a look at some of the more common side effects that we like to tell our patients about when they let us know they are considering ending their regimen.
-
Irregular Periods – Your birth control pill provides a daily dose of estrogen and progestin, and as your body gets used to these hormones, you begin to have more regular periods. Conversely, when you stop taking birth control, your body is forced to adjust to the loss of these regular hormones, and that can lead to irregular periods. Your body will learn to adjust to life without these daily hormones and eventually your periods should become more regular, but they may never be as regular as they were while you were on the pill.
-
Acne – Birth control is sometimes recommended as a way to control acne, while some women taking birth control for other reasons notice that their skin health tends to improve when they are getting a daily dose of hormones. Birth control can help to balance out the presence of a hormone called androgen, which plays a role in the production of oils on our skin. When someone stops taking the pill, androgen levels can increase, which provides a more ideal environment for acne to develop. You may notice that your skin seems a little oilier and you have a few more pimples after you go off birth control, but again your body will eventually normalize hormone production and your skin health should improve.
-
Increased Libido – Some women notice that they have an increased sex drive once they stop taking birth control. Again, this has to do with hormones in your body and the fact that birth control lowers testosterone levels. A resurgence in testosterone levels after stopping birth control can lead to an elevated sex drive.
-
Nausea And Tenderness – Another effect of the hormonal shift going on in your body is that you may experience a few physical side effects like nausea and tenderness in your breasts. These symptoms tend to be short-term as your body adjusts to life without your daily birth control hormones.
-
Mood Swings – Finally, going off birth control can lead to an increase in symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome. Depending on how these hormonal fluctuations affect your body, you may notice that you are more irritable, anxious or quick-tempered. Know that mood swings can become more prevalent after going off birth control, and talk with your women’s care provider if you are concerned about any of these potential issues.
Most of these symptoms are modest and fade as your body adjusts to the new normal, but we’re happy to help in any way we can if you’re encountering issues when ending your birth control routine. For more information, or for help with a different women’s care issue, reach out to the team at MetroPartners OBGYN today at (651) 770-3320.