Hello friends of r/TTC_PCOS. I was 27 years old when I finally decided to go off of the birth control pill. Diane 35 is primarily an acne/hirsutism treatment for PCOS, so while it works as birth control, that's not its primary function on paper. Worst decision ever! I took the pill to prevent pregnancy. Yaz was the worst (depression, football player jawline/neck acne for months on end, hair shedding, didn't get a period for like 6 months, etc.) The biggest risk, of course, is that you could get pregnant. Birth control helped with my PCOS so much. Gersh says treating PCOS with hormonal birth control is just a way to cover—not treat—the underlying issues. This makes a quick fix with birth control without regard for the root cause of the condition downright dangerous. reddit.com. Hormonal contraceptives (birth control) are commonly used for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms, such as acne and unwanted hair. Learn how to re-balance your hormones naturally with self-care tips, herbs, and supplements in this article. I felt like a zombie and has severe depression. I'm finally going to the doctor next week to see what the next step is. The birth control pill will not cure your PCOS. But for now, we have to work with what we have—especially because an unwanted pregnancy isn't an optimal outcome, either. What she For birth control and STI prevention we always use condoms. There's honestly a whole spectrum of what can happen. Currently … 1  According to Jessica A. Shepherd, M.D., "Although there may be changes seen after stopping the pill, there is no danger in stopping immediately from a birth control regimen and no need to taper off the doses." Birth control. Stop spreading misinformation. Switching birth control pills or going off it completely could trigger telogen effluvium, a temporary condition that causes your hair to shed. (Yes, I cheered for the dreaded Aunt Flo. Brand wise? My hormones were severely out of whack because of the bc. Here’s the definition: a type of birth control that uses steroid hormones to shut down your natural hormones to prevent pregnancy. Cycle-synching your diet and exercise while you’re actually still taking the Pill can make this transition so much gentler on your endocrine system and save you a lot of the post-Pill side effects women report like acne, insomnia, mood swings and irregular cycles. I read a bunch of forums and people saying going off will be more natural and your body will adjust. She was who got me on Keto and scoffed at the birth control pill being the only way to help manage PCOS. Have you tried other kinds? Quitting hormonal birth control can be a bumpy ride for some women. I’m a long time lurker and first time poster to the sub. Bleh. You won’t be able to get pregnant while you’re taking birth control pills for PCOS. Blood Clots. but I felt better than ever. WHERE TO GET THESE HERBS: 10% Off First Purchase. Yet going off the Pill without professional guidance can be risky. Have not had a period since other than the withdraw bleed. Hope this helps! I am also interested in hearing if anyone has gone off the pill and how they are doing now. I have a tubal ligation now that I got after my c-section after my third. She won’t even let me have metformin that I have been taking for a couple of years because I’m not trying to get pregnant . Totally cool - so if you consider changing your diet, I would suggest you are very careful in your relationship - natural family planning, male or female protection and a back up to your back up. PCOS women are often offered birth control as first line therapy. Mine was also progesterone only. Some women choose to go on birth control to control their acne. I began birth control when I was 17 because I was diagnosed with PCOS & had much unwanted hair growth. Luckily, some women might not notice anything different after going off birth control. After I went off I did start getting a lot of ovary pain. But I'd rather deal with that then be an emotional wreck all the time. Such signs include visceral or abdominal fat, hirsutism, acne, acanthosis nigricans, skin tags and male-pattern hair loss or thinning. Two of those resulted in pregnancy, one was a missed misscariage and the other is a 37 week pregnancy that I'm very anxious to be done with (love being pregnant, but I want him out because infertility fucked with me and I need him in my arms..I feel like he is safer there). Yaz was the worst (depression, football player jawline/neck acne for months on end, hair shedding, didn't get a period for like 6 months, etc.) I’m just lowkey freaking out about the changes from switching and debating whether or not to get off Dx. I was unofficially diagnosed with PCOS in June 2020 based on symptoms. PCOS is not just about the menstrual cycle, or about ovaries; it's a whole-body, whole-person condition affecting many systems. Here's what's changed since I stopped taking the Pill. but I'm still moody, deal with depression and take an antidepressant. Also, remember that if you are changing the way that you eat to balance your hormones, that will also help your body to have a natural period after going off the pill. I plan on trying the non-hormonal IUD after the birth of my kid next May. Various health issues that existed prior to starting the Pill can recur. I would only go on birth control again if I knew that I would be able to go back to the fertility clinic to start treatment immediately after coming off of them, rather than having to dick around for 6 months waiting for a period to come. And you can only cover them for so long. The birth control pill is designed to not only prevent pregnancy, but also to help regulate your menstrual cycle. What is to be expected? There has to be another option! I did have a few months of excess hair shedding but that's always resolved on its own. The weight wasn’t coming off and she was starting to lose her confidence. So, you could ask for that pill and show your parents the info. "The optimal birth control doesn't exist," she says. Instead, it masks the hormonal symptoms, which are the most pronounced and bothersome. Since birth control pills regulate your hormone levels, they may alleviate this symptom for some women. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Assessing clinical signs visually provides vital information indicating PCOS. It did not make my body feel good. I stopped when I decided to clean up my body - no more meds at all for me. Same story with the second time going off the pill (after a couple of years on it) – my period would just not show up for nearly 12 months, and when it did it was very erratic. A look at some of the best birth control pills for Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormone disorder that can cause infertility. I feel it contributes to the fact that I dropped out of college. While they differ in the way that the hormones are deposited into the body, all of these options release small amounts of hormones like estrogen and progesterone. And we're planning to start trying again soon, so I didn't want to mess with my hormones. I stopped taking birth control a year ago because it had the same effect on me. Literally they were 6mo to a year apart. It made me super horny and i lost 45 lbs while on it ( going to the gym too) i now am not taking anything and feel like a zombie, no libido yadda yadda. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Luckily, no weight gain thus far. I spoke to my OBGYN about my desire to stop birth control and he told me absolutely not and said if I went off my ovaries would act up. Your body can begin the process of detoxification and recalibration, readyin… My doctor said I didn't need to be on the pill and she would write a years' supply of progesterone (provera) tablets. The only downside is I now get period diarrhea, which was an issue I didn't have before. About the symptoms, my period got delayed for 10 days (I have always been super regular) I got cramps and an arm twitch before my first natural period, after it they disappeared. Have any of you ladies done off birth control after being diagnosed with PCOS? Edit: I am the type of PCOSer that has regular ovulation and periods. I also had a couple normal periods after i stopped and now once in a while. I felt terrible off it. I hate how it makes me feel too but I don't have anything to compare it to. PCOS symptoms can be managed with diet, lifestyle and supplement interventions. I really just wanted to flush the hormones out of my system in hopes of restoring my normal menstrual cycle so that we could start trying in a few months. I was so sick. The second dose is taken 12 hours after the first dose. I had a terrible time with the pill, crazy mood swings, depression, agitation, etc. Due to my age, my endocrinologist decided it was time for me to stop birth control a few months ago. Had tons of pain and fatigue like crazy. It depends. This isn’t everyone’s story, of course. The short version appears to be that every form does different things in every one, and you need to be proactive in monitoring how you respond and changing if necessary. For me its even changed based on what birth control I came off of. I stopped taking birth control June 2017 to give me body time to adjust and “normalize” before we started trying to get pregnant. If you're on the pill, I do recommend looking into taking probiotics since the pill can throw off your gut bacteria. I'm a junkie), the more irregular my cycle becomes, and the more cramping/bleeding I have. Most people go back to ovulating normally within one to two months of stopping their birth control, Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, OB-GYN … I have been on birth control since I was 12 to control severe acne. I went off birth control pills in December 2012 when we decided to get pregnant... it took until May 2013 to get a period. However, I stopped getting my period on Lo Est. The food you eat really does affect your reproductive system. I went off of the pill recently for the same reasons as you. Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a tribute, haha. I still have troubles obviously but I finally think I am figuring things out and starting to love myself. For me its even changed based on what birth control I came off of. Told there is nothing that can be done. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of going off birth control can be that your skin will start breaking out again. The good news is that in the long run you will feel so much better, and be so much healthier. After going off it I found my sexual response to be way better, higher libido, more natural lubrication. I was on Yasmin for 7 years I stopped it around 3 months ago, so I don't know about the long run. If you have PCOS and you want to go on birth control to either treat your symptoms or prevent pregnancy—or both!—choosing your method can be tricky. I took LOTS of supplements to support my liver and hormonal systems (basically, glandulars like liver, kidney, spleen, pituitary) which are missing from our modern diets. Rebecca was prescribed the Birth Control Pill to balance her hormones. Read PCOStories Diagnosed With PCOS At 30 and Taking Control Of My Life. I'm anxious and depressed on and off. Right now I'm not so insulin resistant that I HAVE to be on metformin, although, I'm sure my endo would like it. ″Going off birth control pills may return acne symptoms to what they were before starting [birth control],″ Dr. Bhardwaj previously told Health. Going from synthetic hormones to the real stuff: how to transition off of the birth control pill or an IUD You can stop taking the pill safely at any point in your cycle, though it can be helpful to finish a pack so you can predict your next ovulation or period if you’re looking to plan or prevent pregnancy. And over all it has work out really well. But I’m also looking to come off birth control (I’m on the equivalent to yasmin) as I’m pretty sure it’s causing me depression and anxiety. I was on Lo Est. I've lost over 30 lbs- nearly all of my baby weight, my skin is improved, and my periods are almost normal (this cycle was 32 days, and I ovulated!). I've had PCOS since I was 11 years old, and never had a regular cycle. So far, thankfully, the aldactone seems to be keeping things as it should be. I am so irritable all the time and I have zero libido. I have pretty much always had a normal BMI (in fact, when I was diagnosed with PCOS my BMI was on the low end, around 20). When I first started taking it my skin was clearer than it had ever been, I started pulling off weight (also started tracking what I ate and worked out but the BC was a help), my periods weren't horrible anymore, facial hair slowed down, I just felt a lot better. I'm exercising more than ever, on weight watchers and it's so disappointing for me to go to meetings each week and be up in weight. Depending which pill you take, you may be used to having a period every month. I am not doing keto or anything, I just tend to watch what I eat and I teach so I don't have time for lots of snacking or full meals. I did several rounds of detoxes, then paleo/keto type eating for a year to lose 73 lbs. I feel I have no control. Besides the other side effects from progestin only, I’m hella scared to get on it. I've had some hair growth return, mostly just the speed of it has increased. Lately I’ve made changes to my diet and I haven’t eaten fast food in over a month. Do you feel better without it? I spoke to my OBGYN about my desire to stop birth control and he told me absolutely not and said if I went off my ovaries would act up. I don’t have a scale but everyone can tell my belly is going down. Hi, just saw this post so hope you don’t mind me butting in. I’d been using natural and organic beauty products for about 5 years when I decided to come off the pill and was more wary of the foods I was putting in my body so I felt switching to a less hormonally invasive birth control was the right thing to do for my health. Birth control can totally change your body, and going off of it is no different. It took my insulin levels getting so bad I started developing hyperpigmentation of the skin for a doctor to take me seriously and test me for PCOS. Excited to become a mom, Elise, 34, came to see me in my medical practice, so frustrated that getting pregnant wasn’t going at all the way she thought it would. I feel trapped though. The symptoms of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) can be so frustration. I tried ortho tri cyclen, nuva ring, the patch, and another pill. PCOS Weight Loss; 0. Your mood may be a little better, but you have to weigh up whether you want a better/more manageable appearance or a better mind set :P. An option you could try is the patch or the nuva ring. For the first 6-12 months we were in the phase of giving my body more time to adjust to being off the pill. Let him or her know that you want to come off the pill. I'm crazy psycho bitch from hell when on BC. Did you find or are taking anything now to help with your acne? He told me we could discuss going off the pill when I want to conceive, which I don't right now. But as more and more women who have been on the pill for upwards of 10 years start to come off of it, they’re caught off guard by what is technically called secondary amenorrhea, or not getting a period for three months or more after having had one previously. The more sugar I eat (even gluten-free, organic sugar is still crap food! I went on it 3 years ago to sort out my acne (which it has done) however I am now terrified of coming off it due to the acne returning. Are there any probiotics that I should get? My periods are still crazy irregular, but my body is finally starting to normalize a bit. No one was going to tell me that I couldn’t have what I wanted most in this world. I have never had regular periods but I started taking vitex berry, dong quai, and 25 mg of spironolactone and I feel so much better and get my periods more regularly than I ever have off of birth control. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance, which causes problems with the way you metabolize food, and therefore, affects your ability to lose weight. My acne has started coming back, but it's no where near as severe as it used to be. For example, my primary care is a FNP but if the most up to date and knowledgeable provider I have ever found for PCOS, due in large part because her daughter has it too. I got back on pills + spironolactone in July and little by little the symptoms are getting better. I feel sooo much better about my mental health, it was like I couldn't control my emotions and couldn't be happy with myself no matter how hard I tried. This is the exact thing it is supposed to do. I don't get any of the emotional side effects I had with the pill. Of course, I miraculously got a period on my own so the clock starts with that one, then three months after if I haven't had a period I'll start the provera. What happened when you stopped birth control? Obsessing about PCOS only lets it further control us and hinder our ability to get pregnant. Edit: Thank you all so much for your comments! There has to be another option! For those with PCOS, it might temporarily worsen your symptoms but just keep an eye on things, especially your period and make sure they don't get too out of whack. I'm back on now, with the cycle starting to regulate a little - you get hairier, spottier and stuff without it, just a warning! Use code 19NEW. so after 2 years, my doctor recommended switching to Ortho Tri Cyclen. A place to discuss Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and all that comes along with it. Most of the women I spoke to have replaced the Pill with other methods of birth control… First time I went off it (after a year of taking BC) it took me a year to get my period back. You probably felt a few changes when you started taking birth control pills, like nausea or tender breasts.So it makes sense that you may feel different again when you stop taking them. Some women bounce right back and begin ovulating again immediately, or within a few months. With PCOS, your cycle may take even longer to return. ... How Rebecca Beat PCOS. All normal side effects except the twitching I guess it was a vitamin D change. I am on a combo pill, but I still have hair shedding and facial hair. Being on it, I do have elevated blood pressure, but it's usually normal as long as I get regular cardio exercise. I appreciate hearing your stories. Getting off hormonal birth control is easy as stopping, but it can take 6 months to a year or more for your body’s hormonal system to begin to normalize again with the right nutrients, food, and lifestyle habits. I'm off of it now. It was my freshman year of college, and my hormonal acne was off the charts. My Birth Control Protocol gives you the exact steps to get off any kind of hormonal contraceptive in a safe and effective way. It took me years to find a pill that I felt right on. I tried several different pills. (I'm pregnant right now) After the baby comes, I need to consider being put back on it, cause the pain was so bad without birth control. ... 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