Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Light periods after stopping pill

437 replies

HRMC87 · 20/03/2015 12:02

I stopped taking my pill in December and TTC since. I have had really regular periods since but they are so light! The same every time, period pains start on the Sunday night and I don't get it til the Friday. Last for 2-3 days and I can get away with wearing only one pad everyday. Getting worried now, I know it takes time for them to get back to normal but I have had 4 and they were never like this before! Anyone had anything similar with success?

OP posts:
Summerlovin32 · 20/03/2015 21:19

I came off the pill just over a year ago, been ttc since sept with no luck! My periods came back straight away & are pretty regular but are still very very light, thinking I should prob go to gp? would be interested to hear from others who have had this!

shelleybee · 20/03/2015 22:25

I came off the pill last July. Had really regular, light periods until Dec, when I was 2 weeks late. Period, when it finally came, was just as light as usual. Last month it was even lighter, but this month it's finally back to its pre-pill heavy flow! Think it just takes a while for the body to get back to normal. X

Rainy34 · 21/03/2015 15:13

I have been of the pill over 12 months and i am still having light periods, i also suffer with spotting a week before AF is due, i am going to the doctor next month to see what they can do for me

Summerlovin32 · 21/03/2015 20:10

Rainy34 please let us know how you get on, would be interested to hear what they say, good luck x

surferchic41212 · 21/03/2015 20:56

I came off pill last May, and have only had 4 periods.. Going to see doctor to get a blood test, and got a scan of pelvis next month, as before I had my toddler I had super regular 27 day cycle! Sooo frustrating! Hopefully we all settle down soon..

Bumpingalong84 · 21/03/2015 21:02

HRMC87 I came off the pill mid December, had a post pill bleed as usual, my periods were regular after that but very light in jan/feb and got my BFP a week ago. Good luck

Original poster
HRMC87 · 22/03/2015 12:09

Thanks for replying everyone. I'm really hoping it's just taking it's time getting back to normal. I did want to go to the GP but thought they would just say wait it out so I am going to just see if they go back to 'normal'. Good luck everyone :)

OP posts:
Rainy34 · 22/03/2015 12:18

Thanks Summerlovin32 , as soon as i have been i will report back to tell you what they say

Lookingforadvice123 · 23/03/2015 13:34

So glad to hear others have found the same! I came off the pill in August, had my usual withdrawal bleed (3-4 days) then every period since has been really light, but regular as clock work every 28 days. I swear they're actually getting lighter and it's about 24 hours of proper bleeding (only needing a light tampon) and a bit of spotting either side. I told the doctor and she said oh yes that is light but as they're regular then I wouldn't look into it further.

Not actually TTC yet but do worry about when we do, especially as my periods were heavy (7 days with regular and super tampons) before going on the pill nearly 10 years ago.

Rainy34 · 23/03/2015 16:36

Lookingforadvice i was on the pill for ten years and before i had good flow of blood when it was the time of the month and would last between 4 to 6 days, now i am lucky if i get a day and a half of bleeding, usually the first day is an ok flow then just goes really light and then nothing, really wish when i was put on the pill there were warnings to how it can mess with your body

Lookingforadvice123 · 23/03/2015 19:42

Same here Rainy. It's frustrating as my periods are now even lighter than they were on the pill!

Are you actively TTC? DH and I aren't as I don't feel ready to give up my freedom yet but I was keen to get my body back to normal well in advance so we are currently using the withdrawal method! But now I feel like we should start trying sooner in case it takes a while and I'm 27 so at least age is a bit more on my side if there is a problem!

Rainy34 · 24/03/2015 12:53

Yeah we are ttc since last June, Iv got a feeling I have hormonal imbalance and that my progesterone is lowering, that is why I am going to the doctors x

Kcinova17 · 18/02/2019 10:37

I wanted to ask for some help!! I have been off the regividon pill for 3 nearly four days and i have been getting bad cramps then i got period but have now verg light periods that actually nothing is on the pad need some help advice thanks!!Smile

LifeOfRiley63 · 18/02/2019 11:01

Same. I came off Cerelle in Oct 2017, we've been TTC for 16 months and I'm still having ridiculously light AFs.
It took 4 months for my first bleed and then I got them regular with the help of Agnus Castus. Just disappointed they're not heavier as I feel it means my womb lining isn't getting thick enough for an egg to implant.

Kcinova17 · 18/02/2019 12:20

So is it a normal thing or to go and see the doctor?

LifeOfRiley63 · 18/02/2019 12:47

@Kcinova17 It can't hurt to ask a Doctor but you might get the same line I did "See how your periods are after 12 months" (which will feel like the longest wait in the world)

Lookingforadvice123 · 18/02/2019 13:28

This came up on my "I'm on" posts and I realised I responded 3 years ago! My periods were very very light after stopping the pill. I conceived my son first month of trying (about a month after my post in this thread saying we weren't TTC yet - ha). I went back on the pill after he was born and stopped it again in March last year. I fell pregnant again straight away and my due date is in two days!

So I wouldn't worry about light periods post pill at all.

Lauri27 · 26/02/2019 09:38

Thank you so much that makes me feel so much better. I just went off pill a little over a month ago and we are TTC officially starting in 2 days time. My first period post pill is super super light like enough for even a panty liner so I was worried it means I’m not ovulating but you said yours were also super light and you fell pregnant so that makes me feel much better. Yours were also so light ?

abs1232 · 16/10/2019 17:16

This thread has been so helpful ladies, I came off Microgynon in July after 14/15 years and have had 3 regular cycles, but only spotting so very, very, very light periods and have been a bit concerned. Think I still might see my gp if things dont pick yo but it's good to hear its happening to others x

Hope365 · 04/11/2019 11:00

Hi ladies, really helpful finding this thread and not feeling like the only one with crazy light periods since coming off the pill. I stopped microgynon a year and half ago and my period is still so so light - only really 1 or 2 days of 'flow', but too light for even light tampons. We've been TTC for over a year now and have started going to a fertility clinic - I have had two tracked cycles (scans at various points throughout the cycle) and they have confirmed that my living is very thin, likely too thin for implantation :( I have been told by many people, including doctors, that light periods do not always mean thin lining, so you could all be fine, but its definitely worth asking to get your lining checked if you're worried about it.
We have an appointment coming up to discuss treatment options so it's definitely not the end of the road, just good to know what the challenges are so that they can be addressed and hopefully fixed!

abs1232 · 04/11/2019 21:21

@Hope365 Oh crikey reading this has made me panic! I came off Microgynon in July and still haven't had a proper period. Last month it was 'heavier' but it still wasnt right. Although I did have red 'fresh' blood (sorry if tmi), whereas before it was quite dark so I might have had a small step in the right direction.

My periods have definitely got lighter since stopping the pill which is confusing too. I'm going to see what happens this month and go to the doctors if it's no better.

Sorry to use you've been trying for so long. Wishing you lots of luck for the future. And thanks for your post it was really helpful Smile

MrsC105 · 05/11/2019 16:32

Hi,

I Came off the pill in May after being on it for 7 years, I had a withdrawal bleed a few days later. I then had a long 105 day cycle and AF was lighter than usual. I then had a 47 day cycle with some spotting about 5 days before AF then AF was soo light and seemed as if it was on and off for 5 days.

Don't even know what is going on now as I've only had 2 AF's in 6 months nearly.

I had a blood test done about a week before my first 'proper' AF as the doctor said it was weird to not have AF for more than 3 months after stopping the pill and everything came back normal.

Driving me mad!

Hope365 · 05/11/2019 17:13

Hi Abs and MrsC, I'm sorry I didn't mean to panic anyone! It seems you have both not been off the pill for that long (even though I know it can feel like ages!), so I wouldn't worry too much just yet - I was told it can take anywhere up to a year for things to regulate after the pill. I have also been told lots of times that periods do get lighter with age and that light periods don't necessarily mean thin lining, so chances are you will both be fine! 😊
Apparently though there are rarer cases like mine where things don't recover properly (so angry that doctors do not warn us of the risks...), so definitely worth going to the doctor if things don't improve - you might have to push to get your lining checked though, my crazy light periods were dismissed as normal by the first few doctors I saw 🙄

sarahc336 · 05/11/2019 17:40

I'm
Pretty sure mine were lighter than normal for a while after stopping the pill Smile

NeedAdvice1994 · 07/11/2019 20:58

@Rainy34, how are your cycles now? I would be very interested to hear how you are getting on. I came off the pill in June after 6 years of taking it and am wondering how long my flows will take to return to normal, if they ever do. I was on the combined 21+7 pill for 6 years and then the mini 28 day pill for 2 months, and then I went cold Turkey as they weren't treating me well. I get brown spotting for a week and then a 5-7 day period currently, and I can't remember this being the case before I went on the pill. I spend two weeks with no issues, then the cycle repeats. I'm wondering if I should be worried and how long I should wait to see my GP. Do you have any advice?