Going off Pill...need advice

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-03-2003
Going off Pill...need advice
8
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 1:32pm
I have been on ortho tricyclen for about 3 years and i am seriously considering stopping it. I think it is making sick and giving me headaches..although i am not sure what causes any of this i thought maybe it was the pill. I did ask my doc about it and he suggested not to go off it but he doesn't really listen to what i am saying. i just wanted to know what i can expect when i stop ? will there be any side effects?
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 2:12pm
No one can really say what your body will do when you go off the pill, because it is YOUR body!

When I went of the pill last summer (after almost 10 years on) I started to feel better almost immediately. My libido improved, lubrication improved, my moods are better, & I simply feel *better* overall, in little indefinable ways.

Unless you feel truly afwul, it is generally reccomended to stop your pills at the end of a pack, to try to minimize irregular bleeding. Do realize that you may not start to ovulate right away, so your first period could take a while to arrive.

Unless you are willing to risk pregnancy, be sure to have a reliable birth control method lined up BEFORE you stop your pills!

Good Luck, let us know how it goes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-03-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 2:48pm
Thanks for your reply. I am just finishing up my pack this week..my last pill will be saturday so i was thinking it would be a good time to try going off them. I just don't know whether i should go off the pill completely first and see what happens or go off this one and try a new one. i am worried about getting pregnant...i just don't feel safe enough using just condoms..a baby is the last thing i need right now. any tips on what else we oculd use besides condoms or wirh condoms to help boost the rate of no baby. thanx,
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 3:29pm
Hi codcart, welcome!

I had the same experience coming off OCs as happyjusttwo. I was on OTC for 3 yrs. The last year my libido almost disappeared. When I stopped taking them I felt more alive and my libido came roaring back in just a few days. A good 2% Nonoxynol-9 spermicide (not the stuff that comes with some condoms) will increase the effectiveness of condoms considerably.

Or you could try NuvaRing, a vaginal ring with a very low (15 mcg of estrogen) dose of hormones. The ring is worn for 3 weeks and removed for one for your period. Or, if you are interested in non-hormonal alternatives, other than condoms, a diaphragm or cervical cap might be a good choice. If you don't plan on children for a few years an IUD is a very effective alternative but could be expensive (if your insurance won't cover it) in the short term. Let us know if you want more info. on any of these alternatives. I hope you find a method that works well for you.

Good luck

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-03-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 3:50pm
Do you mind if i ask why you stoppped the pill? I just don't know if you can really develop side effects after so long. wheni mentioned it to my doc he kind of dismminsed and said that i hadn't had any porblems until now so he doesn't think that is it. He told me i was getting migraine..but i jsut don't know...all my tests always come back normal and i am beginning to go nuts..always feeling sick but never having anything wrong with me. ...it just seems to make sense that it oculd be the pill....but would i feel better the week i don't take pills..so the week i get my period? i don't notice much of a difference but i guess it could be becausei have my period and that in itself can make you feel gross. i just don't know what to do...stop cold turkey or get another brand. i have already tried aleese and marvelon both which i didn't like. i guess i could stop for a month and then always go back on them.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 4:16pm
I stopped because my libido tanked the last year and I had a bit of weight I just couldn't get rid of. I had no idea before I stopped that I would feel so much better when I did. We have had other members post that they developed side effects after years of being on the pill. If you feel it could be your pill that is the problem you could stop for a cycle or two and see if your mood and libido issues disappear. If you do stop OCs, just be sure to use an effective nonhormonal method of contraception.

Good luck

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-03-2003
Wed, 03-17-2004 - 12:20pm
Well i think that i have finally made up my mind ot stop the pill for at least a month and see how i feel. i am exccited to think that i might start to feel good again. i am just so worried about not being protected that i almost feel like saying to my boyfriend no sex for a month. I know that i will worry because you normally don't get your period right away after you stop so how would you know if you are pregnant or not or just going a long time between periods. I am so crazy. i just really want to feel better and i truly believe that this is going to help me. if anyone else out there has any other experiences about what to expect please let me know. thanks for all your help.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2003
Wed, 03-17-2004 - 6:49pm
When I quit the pill I immediately felt better. My mood was good, I lost weight and my sex drive skyrocketed. My first "off the pill" period came 5 days after it would have on the pill. Since then they have been roughly 26 days apart. I am very aware of when I am close to ovulating; mostly by my cervical mucus. My husband had a vasectomy but we have to wait till May to have a sperm count-hopefully there will be none to count!-before we can forego the condoms. Let us know how you do!
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-05-2003
Sat, 03-20-2004 - 3:00pm
I was on the same birth control pill for YEARS - when I went off for two months I had night sweats and couldn't sleep. It took almost four months before I got my period. After that everything was fine.