Your experiences of coming off the progestogen only pill please!

[sleepyg]

Hi everyone,

I'm a first time poster so please bare with me!

2 weeks ago I came off the PoP desogesterol with the aim of TTC very soon. I've been on contraception since about 14 so I can't honestly remember how I was before then etc in terms of hormones. I'm now 24.

I'm having such a crap time at the moment, my boobs are soooo sore I've never had this before! I feel nauseous all the time, that only subsides when I eat, I'm knackered and I'm gaining weight (I acknowledge this is probably because of the eating )

Can anyone please share their experiences with coming off the pill? How long did it take you to conceive?

Thanks! X

I should probably also add that I've tested for the last few days and keep getting a BFN

Hi OP I came off the mini pill 1st October still have not bled and can honestly say i have never felt so unwell for that first month. Nausea, dizzyness, headaches and cramps. That has thankfully gone away now but my boobs have been sore for weeks and feel like they might explode! Also a huge increase in sex drive so felt like I was dying a horny death last month

I wish GPS told you about what happens after coming off! That's my experience anyway I hope that helps x

Hi!

Thanks so much for your reply. I feel very reassured by your experience actually! I thought it'd be a walk in the park as I can't remember having any side effects going on them, but i'm really struggling coming off and i'm surprised!

I've got such bad PMS I feel like going back on them just so my poor OH doesn't have to bare the brunt of me being a grumpy cow. I wish they did as well! I did it off my own back but when I told my GP they didn't really say much.

I hope things get easier for you! xx

Hello 😊 I came off the POP in July 2019 and was 100% feeling pregnant for about three months. I have PCOS so my cycles were a bit hit and miss to start but they did come "back" within six weeks.
I definitely had sore boobs, was emotional and exhausted, felt sick, all of the time, even more so in the two week wait. But no bfp as yet.
Try not to read into any "symptoms" especially for the first six months as it can take a while for your cycles and hormones to settle 😊
I think it's partly your body readjusting that makes us feel this way but it's also about not knowing what the rise in hormones after ovulation (and the drop in them at your period) actually feels like as we've spent so many years synthetically controlling them!
What you're experiencing sounds perfectly normal to me, although a nightmare!

Hello sleepy G. I thought I’d share my experience with you. came off the mini pill end of august after being on it for 9 years I’m 26 now. I didn’t have a withdrawal bleed I just got my period around 5 weeks after. I had sore boobs and back ache and all kinds in the two weeks leading up to it. I’m on my third cycle now since stopping pill and every month after ovulation I have sore boobs up until AF. Each cycle so far I’ve thought I’ve been pregnant but AF came ! It’s the natural progesterone which our bodies are not used to after being on the pop pill for so long that causes all the symptoms. AF due in few days this will be my 3rd cycle will let you know the outcome .

@sleepyg I came off of the progesterone only pill coming up for 3 years ago. I didn't get a period for a couple of weeks but when I did it was very light which is unusual for me.
My skin suffered massively though and I had the worst cystic acne ever.
I had migraines for a little while but after a few weeks all of these symptoms subsided.
I still have awful skin but Ive suffered with that all my life.
I gained about 2 stone since switching onto the POP and I havent managed to lose it since coming off of it. If anything, I have gained a bit more. I'm not obese dont get me wrong, but I have struggled massively with my weight since I switched to the POP.

Have you managed to conceive since coming off the pill?

I came off cerazette back last August and I had my first period around 5-6 weeks later which felt strange after not having any for 7 years! I didn't have a withdrawal bleed or any bad side effects, if anything the opposite, my skin cleared up and I've lost weight. The best thing for me is I mentally feel better, I can't believe it took me so long to see that the pill was affecting my moods so much. I wasn't TTC so I got a copper coil back last November and so far it's been great.

@Slk3558 we haven't been TTC all of that time. We haven't taken precautions either to be fair. But no, we haven't conceived.
Currently being investigated though.

Hi all,

Thank you so much for your comments, I really appreciate seeing your experiences. Just wanted to update everyone that I got my first period today after coming off (after some HORRENDOUS stomach pain and bloating yesterday) so I'm hoping all the bloating and boob pains go away. And my ridiculous appetite but I'm really pleased because hopefully onwards from here my hormones will regulate and we can start properly TTC.

Pleased to see that you have reported your mental health getting better @frosted232 that's a big factor for me actually. I was diagnosed with EUPD in 2017 and have suffered with depression and anxiety alongside this since I was about 14 which I could link to usage of contraception.. scary to think it might have been the pill that caused all that! I've been feeling the best I've ever felt this week.

Hope everyone is well and thanks again for all your help x