Coming off the pill: side effects and tips
Some women want to stop taking the birth control pill – for example because they don’t tolerate the pill well, don’t have a permanent partner at the moment or want to have a child. It is usually possible to stop taking a blister pack without any problems. If health reasons led to taking the pill, you should consult a doctor before stopping. What are the reasons for stopping the pill, what do you have to consider and what are the side effects and advantages?
What are the reasons for stopping the pill?
There are different reasons for coming off the pill. On the one hand, a pregnancy can be intentional. In addition, however, the side effects that can accompany hormonal contraception often play an important role for many women in their decision.
Since the pill does not act locally, but is taken orally and its active ingredients are distributed through the blood in the body, the possible side effects, such as nausea , depression or loss of libido, can be extremely diverse.
With combination pills, ovulation is also suppressed and there is a withdrawal bleeding every four weeks. Many women who stop taking the pill wish to go back to a natural cycle and hope that they will feel better about their bodies.
Some illnesses can also make it necessary to stop taking the pill. Examples include breast cancer and high blood pressure . You should also stop taking the pill after a stroke, heart attack or thrombosis . If you have a family history of an increased risk of one of these diseases, you should consult a doctor before taking the pill.
Pregnancy is a common reason to stop taking the pill . If you are pregnant despite being on the pill, you should stop taking the pill as soon as possible. However, damage to the health of the embryo caused by taking the pill has not yet been determined.
Coming off the pill: what to watch out for?
Can you just stop taking the pill or should you pay attention to certain things? First of all, when taking a combination pill , a started pill blister should be used up to the end.
Minipills or progestogen pills are taken without a break. They can be withdrawn at any time.
In general, if you want to stop taking the pill, you should think twice about it: Even if the risk of thrombosis decreases over the long term, it actually increases slightly in the first year after you stop taking the pill. If health problems are the reason for stopping the pill, you should first consult a gynecologist. This can also be useful for a planned pregnancy.
Coming off the pill: side effects
For some women, stopping the pill has side effects. These include, for example:
- hair loss
- impure skin ( pimples )
- more severe menstrual cramps
- spotting and bleeding between periods
- irregular cycle
Hair loss from stopping the pill
Estrogen has a positive effect on hair growth. After stopping the pill, there is a sudden drop in estrogen levels. Until the hormonal balance in the body is restored, increased hair loss can occur.
If the hair loss is very severe or if bald spots form, you should seek medical advice to rule out other causes.
stop the pill and get pimples
Many women struggle with impure skin after stopping the pill. This is due to the sudden increase in testosterone levels compared to estrogen. This hormone promotes the activity of the sebaceous glands and the formation of new skin cells. This clogs the pores more easily and causes pimples and blackheads.
Skin care tailored to the complexion can help to reduce skin imperfections and prevent pimples from forming. In the case of severe problems, a dermatologist should be consulted.
Benefits of stopping the pill
But stopping the pill also has positive consequences:
- increased libido
- improved body awareness
- long-term reduced risk of thrombosis
- no other side effects from the pill (e.g. nausea, depressive moods)
coming off the pill and weight
There are currently no scientific studies that prove a fundamental connection between stopping the pill and weight loss or weight gain. However, the intake of artificial estrogen can promote the retention of water in the body. You may lose weight slightly when you stop taking the pill. This is usually limited to a few kilograms.
stop the pill and get pregnant
In principle, pregnancy is already possible in the first natural cycle that occurs after stopping the pill. However, it often takes a few months before the natural cycle returns and pregnancy is possible. This is because the body first has to get used to the hormonal changes.
In individual cases – for example if you have been taking the birth control pill for a very long time – the period of time may be longer. If you don’t have a period for more than three months, it’s called post-pill amenorrhea. However, this occurs only very rarely.
A general statement as to when pregnancy will occur after stopping the pill cannot be made because this can depend on many different factors, such as genetic predisposition or lifestyle.
