hey, good luck with this...there have been a lot of horror stories about the side effects of coming off the pill so hats off! I panic every time i think about it
hope you avoid these though, let us know what products you are using
Hey! I came off birth control more than 5 years ago and I feel much better overall. I had some weird side effects too, and my doctors kept switching my bcp from one brand to the other until I got fed up and visited a naturopath instead. The first few months off birth control my skin was the clearest it had ever been, but then my hormones went out of whack again because my body was used to relying on synthetic hormones for too long. At one point, every woman has to go off birth control so it's good that you are doing it sooner rather than later (especially considering the side effects). You are only 2 weeks into it, so there shouldn't be any dramatic changes yet. If you can afford it, try to monitor your hormones every 3-6 months to see if there are any fluctuations. Good luck!
Hey! I came off birth control more than 5 years ago and I feel much better overall. I had some weird side effects too, and my doctors kept switching my bcp from one brand to the other until I got fed up and visited a naturopath instead. The first few months off birth control my skin was the clearest it had ever been, but then my hormones went out of whack again because my body was used to relying on synthetic hormones for too long. At one point, every woman has to go off birth control so it's good that you are doing it sooner rather than later (especially considering the side effects). You are only 2 weeks into it, so there shouldn't be any dramatic changes yet. If you can afford it, try to monitor your hormones every 3-6 months to see if there are any fluctuations. Good luck!
Hey WishClean! Thanks for your post. It's good to hear experiences from others who've done the same thing. How long were you on the pill for, if you don't mind me asking?
I responded to your message, it ended up being longer than I wanted it to be lol.
It seems like you are taking all the right precautions. You can definitely regulate your hormones through diet, supplements, and low stress levels especially since it doesn't seem like you have major skin issues at the moment. Naturopaths sometimes prescribe too many things, so it's good to have the hormonal testing done to make sure they are recommending the basics and not just a bunch of extra herbs that you don't necessarily need (and are expensive!)
I responded to your message, it ended up being longer than I wanted it to be lol.
It seems like you are taking all the right precautions. You can definitely regulate your hormones through diet, supplements, and low stress levels especially since it doesn't seem like you have major skin issues at the moment. Naturopaths sometimes prescribe too many things, so it's good to have the hormonal testing done to make sure they are recommending the basics and not just a bunch of extra herbs that you don't necessarily need (and are expensive!)
Hey your situation seems similar to mine. My skin got better the first month after coming off of the pill but then I guess my hormones went out of whack again and I seem to be breaking out again. Mostly they seem to be alot of whiteheads around my mouth and chin area, but they are all scarring even when I leave them alone :/ I'm pretty sure it has to be hormones, and I'm thinking that it may be somthing to do with too much male hormone because I'm getting the break outs mostly between ovulation and my period. I've been doing some research and I've ordered saw palmetto to see if that helps any. I will let you know how I get on
It's so hard to pinpoint what works, I wish you well, keep us updated
Hey your situation seems similar to mine. My skin got better the first month after coming off of the pill but then I guess my hormones went out of whack again and I seem to be breaking out again. Mostly they seem to be alot of whiteheads around my mouth and chin area, but they are all scarring even when I leave them alone
I'm pretty sure it has to be hormones, and I'm thinking that it may be somthing to do with too much male hormone because I'm getting the break outs mostly between ovulation and my period. I've been doing some research and I've ordered saw palmetto to see if that helps any. I will let you know how I get on
It's so hard to pinpoint what works, I wish you well, keep us updated
Hey, thanks for your comment! I think it's a pretty common thing with women coming off the pill! My skin hasn't really been any better, pretty much just the same as it was when I was on the pill, though I've noticed a difference since I cleaned up my diet and stopped picking!
Which pill were you taking and how long were you on it for?
Mine scar even when I leave them alone too! It's so annoying, especially when you're trying your best not to scar yourself and spread the infection, and you still scar anyway! Definitely let me know how you do on saw palmetto, I've heard good things about it!
Hey! The dizziness is concerning...are you still getting dizzy spells? I think if that continues you should go to a different doctor. Do you have problems with blood pressure or blood sugar? If your blood pressure or blood sugar drops suddenly, then that causes dizziness. Some birth control pills can impact those areas, and there are specific diets you can follow to stabilize your blood pressure/sugar. I hope it's a short-term side effect.
Doctors who only studied the limited "western" options for controlling acne will of course defend their methods because they don't like patients who contradict them or who have their own opinion. My doctor (who is trained in both western and alternative medicine) told me that the numbness I am experiencing in my hands and feet could be a long-term side effect of birth control (which can cause thrombosis/blood clots, it's included in the bcp warning doctors never bother explaining to us) even if I stopped bcp years ago!
So if the dizziness continues, go see another specialist because it could be serious - hopefully not, but since you already have a medical condition that causes fainting, it doesn't hurt to get checked up.
Hey your situation seems similar to mine. My skin got better the first month after coming off of the pill but then I guess my hormones went out of whack again and I seem to be breaking out again. Mostly they seem to be alot of whiteheads around my mouth and chin area, but they are all scarring even when I leave them alone
I'm pretty sure it has to be hormones, and I'm thinking that it may be somthing to do with too much male hormone because I'm getting the break outs mostly between ovulation and my period. I've been doing some research and I've ordered saw palmetto to see if that helps any. I will let you know how I get on
It's so hard to pinpoint what works, I wish you well, keep us updated
Hey, thanks for your comment! I think it's a pretty common thing with women coming off the pill! My skin hasn't really been any better, pretty much just the same as it was when I was on the pill, though I've noticed a difference since I cleaned up my diet and stopped picking!
Which pill were you taking and how long were you on it for?
Mine scar even when I leave them alone too! It's so annoying, especially when you're trying your best not to scar yourself and spread the infection, and you still scar anyway! Definitely let me know how you do on saw palmetto, I've heard good things about it!
my skin was never great but nothing like it is now. I was originally on the pill microgynon (combined pill) for about 5 years I would say not for skin issues, then randomly came off it and was fine for about a year, then I got acne (ages 26) so I went back on the pill Ovranette (which is supposed to be exactly the same as microgynon) it made no difference so I asked to be put on microgynon just to try as my skin was great those past 5 years. Made no difference so then I went back and she gave me Cerelle which is a progestogen only pill. I read the reviews that almost all people said it was the worse pill for acne so I didn't dare use it. I then decided to take a three month break which is where I am now getting these little whiteheads around the mouth and chin. The only thing I can think of is that one of my hormones is unbalanced but it's just trial and error.
Have you been on any other pill other than Yaz?
Hey! The dizziness is concerning...are you still getting dizzy spells? I think if that continues you should go to a different doctor. Do you have problems with blood pressure or blood sugar? If your blood pressure or blood sugar drops suddenly, then that causes dizziness. Some birth control pills can impact those areas, and there are specific diets you can follow to stabilize your blood pressure/sugar. I hope it's a short-term side effect.
Doctors who only studied the limited "western" options for controlling acne will of course defend their methods because they don't like patients who contradict them or who have their own opinion. My doctor (who is trained in both western and alternative medicine) told me that the numbness I am experiencing in my hands and feet could be a long-term side effect of birth control (which can cause thrombosis/blood clots, it's included in the bcp warning doctors never bother explaining to us) even if I stopped bcp years ago!
So if the dizziness continues, go see another specialist because it could be serious - hopefully not, but since you already have a medical condition that causes fainting, it doesn't hurt to get checked up.
Yeah, I recently had a faint/seizure so I've had lots of different tests in the past couple of weeks. I actually just got my diagnosis yesterday, no epilepsy (thank goodness) but I do have moderate neurocardiogenic syncope, which is apparently where the dizziness is coming from, but the neurologist said that the withdrawal from the pill probably isn't helping matters either. So the dizziness is to do with a drop in blood pressure, but I was only just told yesterday it could be low blood sugars too... I'll look into the diet for stabilising my blood sugars, thank you!
I've found that I get dizzy after a meal (which makes eating out a pain!), after working out or standing up for a long time.
my skin was never great but nothing like it is now. I was originally on the pill microgynon (combined pill) for about 5 years I would say not for skin issues, then randomly came off it and was fine for about a year, then I got acne (ages 26) so I went back on the pill Ovranette (which is supposed to be exactly the same as microgynon) it made no difference so I asked to be put on microgynon just to try as my skin was great those past 5 years. Made no difference so then I went back and she gave me Cerelle which is a progestogen only pill. I read the reviews that almost all people said it was the worse pill for acne so I didn't dare use it. I then decided to take a three month break which is where I am now getting these little whiteheads around the mouth and chin. The only thing I can think of is that one of my hormones is unbalanced but it's just trial and error.
Have you been on any other pill other than Yaz?
I was on Yasmin when I was 17 which made my skin clear, but it made my depression/anxiety too difficult to deal with, so I switched to Yaz, which made my skin really clear too. I think I stopped Yaz a few months after my 18th birthday. I still had mild acne when I came off but nothing too bad. I went on Estelle-35 around May 2012, when I was 20, and got the worst acne of my life - on my cheeks for the first time ever, really bad all over my chin and some on my forehead. My skin slowly improved but was still bad. I switched back to Yaz January of this year and my skin was clear for fourth months, and then broke out for five months.
The only thing is, my acne was only ever very mild before the pill. I'm cursing my 17 year old self for ever going on them!!
It'll probably take a while for us to get back to 'normal' in regards to our hormones, but I know I'd definitely never go back on them. Would you say your acne is mild/moderate/severe at the moment?
Fingers crossed for both of us!
Ah so you have been on a few pills like me. It's weird isn't it what they can do. I think it's so hard to work out what hormone is not balanced. I don't even know if they test hormones over here in the UK. When I ask the doctor she said there was no such test but I've read there is from people online.
I totally agree with you about it taking a while for it to return back to normal.
I'm almost certain now that my breakouts are too much male hormone as the little whiteheads I had all over are clearing up now I'm due on any day and that is when the male hormone plummets so I've read so it makes sense.
I got my saw palmetto tablets through but I didn't do much research before I ordered and I seem to have ordered 500mg tablets and from what I can see people start on much lower dosage so I think I may lay off until next month and see if the whiteheads come back and get a smaller dosage to start then.
My skin is so annoying because it's dry as well so I bet the skin is getting stuck in my pores and it's sensitive so I have to watch what I use. Ugh!
My acne is mild I would say, but every now and then moderate. How about yours? And what would you say your skin type is like? Oily? dry?
I'm utterly terrified of coming off the pill but part of me really wants to - been about 3-4 years as well. I will definitely keep an eye on this post. Good luck!
You feel your hair loss is from coming off the pill? How long does it take for the pill to be fully out of your system?
I'm utterly terrified of coming off the pill but part of me really wants to - been about 3-4 years as well. I will definitely keep an eye on this post. Good luck!
You feel your hair loss is from coming off the pill? How long does it take for the pill to be fully out of your system?
Thank you for the luck! To be honest, I'm still completely terrified haha, but I keep telling myself it's the right thing to do.
As for the hair loss, yes, the pill is the only thing I can think of that's contributing. I'm very healthy apart from the pill so I can't think of anything else that it could be I noticed I lost more hair while taking it too, but now when I brush my hair/in the shower, I would say I'm losing a little more than before. It's not particularly worrying me at the moment though because it's not obvious and I don't have bald spots or anything, but I'm not too happy that it's happening!
I think the hormones themselves are out of your system within a few days (because you can get pregnant pretty much straight away), but then it can take months for your body to regulate itself properly again. From what I've read the average seems to be 3-6 months (as for when people break out/have side effects), but I've read that it takes 1-2 years + for some people (though these women seem to have been on it for 10+ years).
I found my hair changed once going on the pill, not drastically but I noticed - more fell out and I think the texture kind of changed. Maybe it's just me because I notice any little thing that goes on with me. Maybe once you've been off it you'll balance and the hair loss will slow down and stop.
I kind of like being on the pill but I don't like to be on it hah it's one of those things. Plus who wants to be on it forever?
I kind of like being on the pill but I don't like to be on it hah it's one of those things. Plus who wants to be on it forever?
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