Quitting Hormones!!!! Any Advice..

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Hi everyone.

I am thinking of totally and completely getting off birth control. I am currently on Depo Provera and have been on this or the Pill since I was 17. Can't even remember what it was like to have a real period. Well, for as long as I can remember I have been having problems with cystic acne, the real ugly kind. Not real bad, but I have flare-ups every now and then and was talking with someone that knows alot about hormones and such and she seems to think all my problems are hormone related. She is very anti-hormone. I get a large majority of this "cystic" acne on my chin, where she says is the "hormone zone"... what do you all think of this??

Also, I am married now and my husband wants children (I don't know yet:) and I thought now would be a good time to see how my body really is. I know when I come off Depo I will bleed for a few months ( I tried before, ended up going back on it in frustration) and then hopefully I will get to see how my body really is. When I was a teen I had very heavy periods and I am kinda curious to see if it will be the same now (I am 27).

I would like to know if anyone else has gotten completely off hormonal birth control after taking it for an extended period. Were your results good or bad? Did you gain weight or lose wt? Improvement in acne or made it worse?? Any experiences would be appreciated!!

Janice
 
Hi. I was on the pill for 18 years, from age 21 to 39. I also had extremely heavy periods as a teen, which of course went to almost nothing when I went on the pill. I also had (have!) cystic acne on my chin, and have been told that it is related to my reproductive system. Anyway, I went off the pill in November 2000, when we decided to try to have a kid. The most immediate effect was I lost a small amount of weight, about 3 lbs., with no effort. It took a few months for me to have a period. When I started getting periods again, they were nothing like I had as a teen; much lighter (although heavier than when I'd been on the pill) and very regular (also a change from my teenage years, when my cycle would vary wildly). My skin did NOT improve, surprisingly; in fact, I'd say there was no change at all. Then, when I got pregnant, my chin acne got even worse! After I had my baby, my skin cleared up pretty well and I went on the mini-pill, which I will stay on as long as I'm nursing. My chin isn't too bad right now, but the acne still comes and goes. I may be stuck with it until menopause, regardless of what hormones I'm putting (or not putting) in my body.
 
I took birth control pills for 15 years. I had to get off of them because they were making my blood pressure too high. I really couldnt tell any difference until it was ovulation time and period time. While on the pill, I could never tell when I was ovulating. Now, when I ovulate, it can be quite painful. My periods are heavier but not bad. They have never been heavy, even as a teenager. Also, I cramp much more and feel bad a day or two before and during. I never had any of this while on the pill. My blood pressure is back to normal now. My weight stayed the same. I saw no difference in my skin.
 
I have to agree with the others. My cystic acne did not get a bit better after I went off the pill (age 18-35). I'm 41 now, and if anything, it's worse. I also have much more trouble with my periods, which are heavier, last longer, and involve more cramping and all-over aching. I am regular now, though. (When I was young, I would sometimes have one or two periods a year.) Neither did I lose any weight when I quit taking the pill (as I had so hoped). Wish I could be more encouraging.
 
Total of 20 years

Since I was 18, I'd been on the pill for about 20 years. I'm now 43, and have been off the pill since last summer. I also stopped to have two children, and was off the pill for about a year at 35, after having my tubes tied.

Up until 35, I never noticed on the pill/off the pill differences at all. After I had my tubes tied and went off the pill, my hormones went ballistic, and I had heavy horrible periods and PMS. I went back on the pill, and it didn't help much. I tried about 5 different brands (Mircette, Alesse, Estrostep, Lo-Ovral, Yasmin). I finally had minor surgery to help with the periods, but stayed on the pill to keep my PMS mood symptoms in check.

This past summer, I went off the pill for good, because of all the talk about HRT being not such a good idea anymore, and at 43, I'm sort of nervous about hormones. I doubt I'll take HRT at all after menopause, if I can avoid it. I feel pretty much the same, but it is actually harder to keep my weight down. I also have quite a bit of water gain each month, that I didn't have when on the pill. Not sure how much is fat and how much is water, but overall, I'm about 5 pounds heavier than last summer. Oh well. I'll just keep working out!

Oh, and also, I had more acne when ON the pill than I do now.

I guess I'm not much help, but thought you'd want to hear about a different experience.

PennyLaney
 
I suffer with Cystic acne also. I have since I can remember. I must tell you while I was pregnant my skin was WONDERFUL! I had NO cysts at all the entire time I was pregnant. I had my kids close together so for 3 years I had no cysts!!!! It was awesome. AFter my second child was 10 months old, I stopped breastfeeding. My acne went nuts for 6 months. I couldn't handle it any longer. I went on Accutane. My acne got WORSE for 3 months(a side effect for some), then I had no cysts again for 6 months. I've had 2 cysts over the past few months, but they don't last as long as they used to. I'm 37. I also used a mini pill during breastfeeding my kids. Don't know if that helped with the acne or not. I took NO medicines at all for a small time period and I felt so good. Happy, and my sex drive was better than I'd ever experienced. Now I take ortho-tricyclen. I've had a couple cysts while on that. As I said they haven't lasted as long as before, but was it the birth control, Accutane, neither? I don't know. I DO KNOW cystic acne is entirely hormone related. I wish I had a pill that contained the exact hormones I had when I was pregnant. I tried a couple other b.c. pills before ortho-tricyclen, but mood swings were terrible.
My humble suggestion is to get pregnant.
 
I just recently went off the pill after being on it for about 6 years. I was always edgy, moody and cranky when on the pill, my periods had stopped (which I felt was strange) but I physically felt good while on the pill except I lost my sex drive. Going off the pill my husband says I am not as moody, more easy going now, and hopefully I will get back my sex drive. The main reason I went off of the pill is that I never felt like 'myself', i was always so touchy and unpredictable. Its been a couple of months and i feel good except that my periods are back full force and I have a couple of days per month where the cramps are unbearable and I have a lot of bloat. Other than that no problems and no acne.

I wish there was a pill for men!:+
 
Thanks everyone for the replies!!

But, I am more confused than ever!! It is obvious that we are all different and the results of going hormone free really do run the gamut! I am having frightening flashbacks about periods and the crap that comes along with them however,...after reading your posts!:O

Rhiannon..I laughed out loud when you said, "My humble suggestion is to get pregnant". Okay, well, I don't mind my little acne problem that much! When you are not really sure you want kids to begin with, well, the promise of no zits for 9 months really doesn't make it any more appealing! Sorry:):)

I might switch to the Pill until I can regulate the bleeding some. I hope then that when I do get off the Pill(when I am "sure"), it will be an easier transition. As far as the cystic acne goes, I am thinking now that I never had any problems with it until Depo came into my life. Maybe it is progesterone related.

My friend made a good comment. She explained that when you start taking birth control hormones it isn't like the doctor tests your current hormone level. Maybe I already had very little estrogen or something and now the progesterone is throwing that all out of whack! I know the Pill is a mix of estrogen and progesterone. Depo is just progesterone, and all the side effects seem to be the same as if I was taking testosterone. Maybe I am thinking progesterone is an androgen? Dunno...It was funny, cuz the lady that told me this waxes my eyebrows and she says, "Well, we sure know your hair grows good now don't we??". Funny, because I am one of those poeple who can cut their hair off in Jan. and have a whole new head by July! LOL!

Ok, well, I hope if anyone has anything else helpful to add they will. Thanks again for sharing your experiences!

Janice
 
I haven't gone off the pill, but I am on my last pack (baby planning). I don't think I'll go back on it in the future - I'm thinking of using the FAM method - check out Toni Weschler's book 'Taking Charge of Your Fertility', if you are interested.

best wishes,
Kelli
 
Oh Kelli, I am so glad you mentioned this book, if not I would have!!! Doctor's will have you believing that hormones somehow help your system. Taking hormones is not healthy. Janice, your friend who is "antihormonal" can give you all the stats, I'm sure, on what hormones do to your system. So let me add to this by telling you that this is one MAJOR reason I went vegetarian. There are mega hormones in meats and dairy and when I went off them 4 years ago, not only did my cycles straighten out (they were pretty hap hazard, not regular, painful etc.) my sex drive returned. It was nonexistant for the first 12 years of marriage. When I got rid of the artificial hormones, WHEW....what a difference. Just another thought. I was also shocked to read all the symptoms associated with PMS and menopausal mood swings, etc. on a thread a while back. I have a circle of natural minded friends and I've never even heard of these problems, they haven't experienced them....but they also have not taken birth control hormones (they are not vegetarian), but are pretty health conscious as food is concerned. I also had never heard of "perimenopausal symptoms" until that thread. Many of my friends are past the menopausal years, but only the ones who practised natural birth control have seemed to escape the menopausal and hormonal problems. Just a thought.....you know the rest!!!

Briee
 
Hi.

Just wanted to share something....I NEVER wanted kids at all(too much work and didn't want to 'lose' my body). When I married I knew my husband wanted them and I thought my maternal clock would begin ticking and 'make' me want kids. My clock NEVER ticked. I turned 32 and took the plunge because of the committment to hubby. Now I have 2 daughters - 4 and 2 1/2. I cannot believe how much I adore them. Many moments, sometimes days, I hate being a mom because I get stressed and the workload. I won't even tell you that the good outweighs the bad - I believe that's a perception thing that each individual has to determine for herself. I will tell you that if you decide to have a baby you'll experience a kind of deep love unexplainable to anyone who doesn't have children.

p.s. I'm not selfish any more like I was before having kids. As for my body, it's back as good as before becoming pregnant. 2 of my top priorities are the girls and working out.
 
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