To ask for your experiences of coming off the pill?

[Biscoffaddict]

I’ve been taking the pill for 12 years, I was placed on it by my GP because I used to suffer the most awful hormonal acne around my period which was painful and unsightly. At the time I was in my 20’s ate mostly junk food, drank gallons of coke and was really unfit, but the GP never really looked into any of that and stuck me on the pill instead.

I’m now convinced it’s responsible for my mental health problems. I have terrible anxiety, which I’ve always suffered with since childhood however it’s got so much worse over the last ten years or so and is now pretty much constant and nothing seems to work. I’ve been prescribed anti depressants twice in that time and had CBT. I can trace the deterioration in my mental health to when I started taking the pill. I’ve decided I really want to stop taking it, but am scared of what will happen. There are so many horror stories out there. Agonising, heavy periods, bad acne, even some women having their hair fall out.

What can I expect? Will it really be that bad?

Bump

I had absolutely no issues going on or off the pill. No difference at all stopping (except ovulation pain is obvious and painful, but that's only about a day a month). That said, have you tried other pills? Some pills (microgynon, for example) are known to cause more issues, but there are other options, like the mini pill or other combined pills (which are more expensive, but you absolutely can get them if you just ask and request to be switched). I would just think through what you'll do if you come off the pill and it turns out there was no connection. Do you have mental health support? I would just have a plan so you make sure you can tackle it and feel better. There's no reason to feel rubbish if you can get to the bottom of what's causing it, whether it's the pill or not.

Can I recommend check out @thetummydiaries on instagram as Lottie has recently come off the pill.

I came off the combined pill in October after 11 years. Like you I can trace my anxiety back to when I started taking the pill, and it’s got gradually worse over the years. I would say I feel better since stopping and I’m definitely sleeping better (although I’m not sure if that’s just a placebo affect!) No acne, hair loss etc.

Only issue is my periods have not returned to normal, last period was early December. Everything I’ve read online says it should return to normal within 3 months so I’ve spoken to the nurse in my GP. She advised it can take a year, especially as I’ve been on the pill for so long and not to worry.

other people's experiences are of no value as everyone has different body chemistry. and NEVER EVER read what an instagram babbler says. (even the babbler concerned stresses that you should go to your GP and that she isn't a medical professional, I looked on her website and that is the only bit you need to read). Soshul meeja sites (including this one) are not valid sources for anything.

here is another pointer to a valid source:

sounds like the pill you are on doesn't suit your body chemistry. Contact your GP (you can do phone or econsult) and discuss. Or just stop taking the current one, remembering to use a condom from the day you do. Hope you feel better.

I don't want to get your hopes up as I'm sure it's different for different people, but I had also suspected my anxiety dated back to taking the pill, and when I stopped it almost completely disappeared. I'm not 100% now and I have phases where it comes back but it's so much more under control, my OCD symptoms are now extremely rare, I sleep better etc.

Other than anxiety, natural hormone cycles have been strange to get used to again (I'd forgotten the cycle of ridiculously horny-ridiculously angry-CRY) and I am definitely more spotty and oily. Weight hasn't changed. I now have some vulva irritation that seems to track against my cycle so presumably hormonal and previously masked by the pill.

I went back on the pill for a short period between having my coil removed and my DH having his vasectomy. It was hideous. My moods were horrific and I put weight on in the short space of time I was on it. The impact was almost immediate and very noticeable.

The only difference for me was my period pains are now really bad (but they were pre-pill so it was to be expected really).
Other than that, not really noticed any difference!

I was put on the pill at age 15ish for bad skin and continued taking it until I was 27 when I stopped to have a baby. I had no issues with skin, hair or my periods. I was pleased to find out that my periods were shorter than when I was a teenager (not surprising I guess) and I guess I’d grown out of the bad skin.

I find my mood swings and low mood unbearable on hormonal contraception and will never go back on it again.

Off the pill my hormonal acne is worse but I have recently started taking a DIM supplement (read about on S&B threads) and so far that does seem to be helpful.

Definitely speak to your GP as everyone is different, but for me, yes I found the pull enormously detrimental to my mental health.

I’ve already spoken to the practice nurse about coming off it when I went for my last check because I’ve been thinking of it for a while and she said I’d most likely get heavier periods for a while and they might be a bit irregular for a bit, but most women are fine. I’m also a lot older now, nearly 40 which means by hormones will have probably changed naturally. I suppose it’s such a long time since I was completely natural that I’m scared of the unknown. Other than the hormonal chin acne, I didn’t really have any other hormonal problems, periods were regular and not especially painful.