Coming off Cerelle

[AD23]

Hi all,

New to 'MumsNet' so not too sure on how it all works but I was posting to see if anyone on here has experienced the same symptoms as me.... I have tried looking for posts on 'Cerelle' but all of them are really old....

I recently finished my last pack of pills on the 16th Dec. The following day I had a two day bleed and then stopped for 12 days and had another two day bleed, which I was assuming was the withdrawal bleed? But in the mean time I've become SO spotty, my boobs are agony, I'm always bloated and I keep getting heart palpitations. I have come off the pill because I wanted to give myself a break and let my cycle go back to normal before me and my partner start trying for our first baby.

Bearing in mind I have been on this type of pill for 2 years with NO periods I'm worried they aren't going to come back easily....

Has anyone else experienced these symptoms? How long did it take you to get back to normal?

Thanks in advance 😊💁🏻

oh gosh @PositiveParrot i cant lie to you, i was in agony with cramps during my withdrawal bleed, bed ridden for one day and then coping the next at work. Sounds like we experienced similar @Genie4808 it will ease up!

ahh amazing news @HorrorQueen, afraid i cant advise either but can i ask, did you track when ovulating etc?!
x

@31TTC Hi yea i used an app to track when I was ovulating you just enter details such as when your last period was and how many days your cycle is and then it tells you the days you are ovulating so tells you the best days to have intercourse it's called Get Baby. Thank you, Good luck to you, i hope it happens soon x

thank you @Emit30x
i didn't want to start tracking anything yet but thinking it may stop me randomly taking tests all the time haha!

@31TTC it was a big help for me it gives you an idea of knowing when your ovulating and you can add if you had intercourse that day and also input any symptoms you have

Hi all!

@RM9827 thank you, that’s helpful to know.

@31TTC dreading it 😂😂

Does anyone feel a bit naive around it all? I don’t know how I’ve hit my nearly mid 30’s without actually knowing the ins and outs (as it were) of getting pregnant! 😂

Omg @PositiveParrot i totally get what you’re saying! I’m the same too! Haha!

@31TTC
It’s mad isn’t it? I just thought it could happen at any time throughout the month. Goodness me, lots of learning to do! So lovely to see the positive news earlier though.
Still getting to grips with the acronyms as well 🧐

@PositiveParrot those acronyms are a nightmare. I can't keep up.

Oh @PositiveParrot & @Genie4808 I wrote a list of them haha! I’ll share it this eve once home from work!
There is a list on this site somewhere but I even found some weren’t on it! Xx

Hi all!
First day completely AF free today. No other symptoms at the mo, but my breasts are still quite tender. The feeling is almost like they're tensing/being squished, but it's making me a little anxious which makes it hurt a little.

Has anyone else had this much? I'm sure I've seen in previous comments about still having breast pain/tenderness post period.
I do think my anxiety is elevating it a bit.

@RM9827

Hiya! I can’t for the life of me remember what a period is like, other than awful (for me!)
But I do recall breast pain.
Like you say, tensing won’t help with anxiety and it makes the pain worse, but it’s almost like when you get an ulcer and can’t help touching it!
If you’re anxiety is getting a bit much I’d recommend:
Breathing exercises (breathe in for count of 7, out for count of 11, and repeat)

Get stuck into something that involves some of your senses. Even just washing up. Notice how warm the water is, what it feels like etc

‘Watch’ your thoughts and even say aloud or in your head ‘I feel anxious at the moment, but this will pass’

Talking about how you feel is the best thing and you deserve a nice cake and a cup of tea! X

@PositiveParrot I'd completely forgotten what it was like!
Pre-pill I was one of the lucky ones with no pain or symptoms, but this time round I've had cramps, backache, headache, light headedness. And now I'm coming up to ovulating my breasts have been a nightmare!
I think I've definitely gotten myself more worked up tonight, because the pain has radiated to my arm, shoulder blade and neck also. Most days it's fine, but all the horror stories on the news and such aren't helping in the slightest

Thank you for your advice! Definitely think a cuppa and a cake is needed. Hope you're doing well! x

Hi everyone!
Not posted in the last week but I have been keeping up with all your comments. I just can't answer many of your questions, sorry!
@HorrorQueen Congratulations! Exciting news for you and makes the rest of us very hopeful! ☺️. I hope your pains subside soon!

@PositiveParrot I feel I need to thank you A LOT today. Last night I experienced the worst cramp ever (with exception to miscarriage) in my left side and it woke me up in the middle of the night. The hot water bottle seemed to be making it worse as well. I tried to use your tip of focusing on your senses when I went to the bathroom and kitchen to get some water and then focused so much on how soft the bed covers were when I returned to bed. It seemed to work well as a distraction technique and the pain subsided. I honestly can't thank you enough for that suggestion because I was on the brink of a sleepless and very emotional night. Sending virtual hugs!

Just wondering, for anyone who has had AF after coming off Cerelle, did you cramp days before you started bleeding? It is possible I'm on my period without actually bleeding? The cramps have happened mainly in the evenings/night for at least 3 nights now and my nipples are so sensitive and have been for weeks. I took my last pill exactly 4 weeks ago today.

Hope you are all keeping well xxx

Hi @LilyRose202
Sorry to hear about the painful cramping, but glad the advice worked for yourself!
I did experience some terrible abdonimal and perineum pain, and nipple sensitivity, on the last 1 to 2 days before AF appeared. I had to whip out the hot water bottle and take some ibuprofen.

According to my tracking app, I now have 5 days until ovulation but won't be TTC for a while yet. Currently, my only symptom is very achey breasts that radiates to my underarms/upperarms/shoulder blades. Based on what I've found online, this is normal for hormonal changes in the body. But now I've decided I'm never taking this pill again if this is what happens coming off it each time

Hope you are all well! xx

Hey ladies,

Pretty sure I was on Cerelle for over 10years and never once had a period on it. But also don’t think I ever had breast/nipple soreness or pain before either.
I’ve now been off the pill for 2 months, no sign of AF yet. Semi-patiently waiting hahah xx

I've stalked this post for a week but thought I'd go for it today and comment 😬

Me and my partner aren't TTC as such at the moment, but I've came off the pill (only been on it for a really short period, 12months say) but have discussed that in a few months we will actively try. We've only stopped it now because my memory isn't the best and agreed we'd start getting some normality ready for the end of the year!

I already have a son from a previous relationship and got pregnant when I least expected it, was 20 and miserable! Now I'm about to turn 30 so I am already stressing it's not going to be as easy as that

I took my last pill around the 16th of December, got every pregnancy symptom within a few weeks, now I still have no period. I know it's not been as long as some others on here but I just presumed I'd get back into the flow easily with it only been 12 months!

All these happy stories are giving me hope it might be okay! Good luck everyone 💗

@LilyRose202
Gosh that sounds horrid! So glad the tips helped, virtual hugs much appreciated
My anxiety used to be so bad years ago that I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere! Now I want to do everything and go everywhere 😂
How are you this evening?

@RM9827 are you feeling any better?

My OPKs arrived and I have a faint line... guessing that’s a good sign?! Xx

@PositiveParrot feeling much better today! The symptoms have been slowly improving, I think it's my anxiety that slows it down.

But I've had a cuppa and a chat to my mum and she says it all sounds to be related to hormone levels changing, especially after 5 years straight on cerelle.
I'm sure it'll take some time for everything to get back to normal, and seems the same for some ladies in the earlier posts on this thread.

Faint line is better than no line! Hopefully you get the results you want quickly

@Beehappy21 welcome to the thread! Don't worry if AF doesn't pop up quickly. It's perfectly normal for it to take a little while, and everyone's body is different.
Someone earlier in the thread took around 80 days, so it can be a lot longer for some than others.
If you have any concerns, please share. We're all here to listen to each other and ease our minds xx

@Beehappy21 hello! I’m fairly new here too. Everyone is lovely. I’m still waiting for / dreading the arrival of my period.

My best friend had mad cycles when she came off the pill. She had some 40 day cycles, and when she used OPKs it showed she wasn’t ovulating. Then after 6 months she was pregnant. It just seems like a mystery to me but the women, tips and support on here is just so invaluable.
I just said to my partner that I feel less alone in the process having a chat on here!

@PositiveParrot what is OKPs please?

Hi.Hope its ok for me to join here.
Stopped taking cerelle beginning of january to try for a baby with my partner.Nobody else knows we are trying so it will be nice to have others to talk to in similar situations.
First few days after stopping I had a really bad back,bloating and a couple of pink spots but thats it so far.
Looking back at this thread the time it takes to get period varies quite a bit.
Fingers crossed it wont be long.
I am 35 and my partner is 42 so time isnt on our side.
We both have children from previous relationships but really hope to have one together.

Hi @BmC55x and welcome!

It seems not everyone has the same symptoms after stopping, but yours sound completely normal.
There's no specific time as to when you should get your period after stopping. I've seen from 25 days up to 80 days in this thread, so there's a big variation!
It can take 3 or 4 months for things to get back to normal, from what I've found researching online.

I can't wait for things to get back to normal myself. I've been having a bit of light-headedness and random sporadic breast pain in both breasts, not focused on a single spot. The texture of them has definitely changed too but no scary lumps, however I will be monitoring them to make sure. I do have to keep asking my mum for reassurance though, but she says she went through the same when she stopped taking her hormonal contraceptive pills many years ago!

Thanks for the reply.
I dont know how to take you new to here.lol.
Ye,im not worried yet just overthinking it all.typical me.lol.
There are alot of variables from person to person.
Im sure they are fine and just body goi g through changes.
Mine have totally changed shape sonce I stopped the pill.
How long have you been waiting?

Good morning!
Welcome to the group @BmC55x
It is a great place to share how you're feeling with people who are going through the exact same. Some great advice on here too!

Update: I took my last Cerelle pill 5 weeks ago today on Sunday 27th December. I have had the sensitive breast/nipple pain for most of that time, insane headaches for the first couple of weeks, itchiness, sore hips at night and fainted once. Not sure if all linked to the pill though. I bought ovulation kits and tested it out yesterday just out of curiosity. Having no spotting or period though, it was obvious it was going to show low fertility and unlikely to get pregnant. We're not trying this month anyway but I was just curious. Went to bed a bit sad though incase you can't get pregnant without having this period. No idea if that's true or not! But it can take 3 months to appear anyway.
BUT this morning I woke up, no cramping and AF is here!! Could be spotting but seems too much for that. I am running round the house in delight 😂. I've never been so happy to have it 😂🙈. I wonder how long it will last. Let's hope not weeks! When I first started Cerelle I have a period for 4 months straight 😅😅.

It's going to happen for you ladies, I know it! Do exercise and eat healthily...it may provoke it. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Xxx

Hey ladies, I stopped taking Cerelle on 7th December so thought I'd drop my thoughts so far if that's ok 🙂.

I'm 28 and was on it for 8 years with no periods at all (heaven). I didn't experience a withdrawal bleed but AF arrived 28 days later on 4th Jan, the only symptoms I had during this time were minor twitchy cramps, sore boobs here and there and an increase in libido! First AF seemed a normal 5 day bleed, thankfully cramps weren't bad - used to be horrendous pre-pill but I was only a teenager.

Used OPK's in January which indicated I ovulated on 20th Jan so looked like I was going to have a 30 day cycle. I'm pretty certain I did ovulate as I had some pains on this day and at night - however AF had the audacity to show up on Friday at just 9DPO (five days early 🙁), giving me a 25day cycle and really short luteal phase between ovulation and AF.

Really hope things balance out soon, I've read that a 9day luteal phase can be too short for successful egg implantation 😞.

Hope you're all well and having a nice weekend 💜.