* Good & Bad side affects/symptoms of coming of the Pill

I have been off the Pill since April and have noticed so many side affects or symptoms that I didn’t get when I was on the Pill and vice versa.

These are mine:

Good
- Dropped 3kg
- Don’t feel as bloated
- No more fluid retention
- High sex drive (very horny :bd: )


Bad
- PMT
- High sex drive (poor DH :shock: )
- Very sore & enlarged boobs a week before period
- Very large & tender nipples a week before period
- Very heavy period & very red blood (TMI)
- Period cramps

That’s all I can think of at the moment. It looks like I am worse off the Pill but apart from the week before symptoms, I feel great off the Pill.

What have been your good/bad side affects/symptoms?

Do you prefer to be on the Pill or off?

I am now out of the pattern of not having to take the Pill. At the start I would be at work and freak mid-morning that I had forgotten to take it, then smile & think it doesn’t matter…...... :smt081

Al
:bdust: :pdust:

Hi Al
I have only been off the pill for a couple of weeks so I can't really speak with any authority....but I have been dead horny too! :D
Karen

I take my last pill on Friday so this topic is of great interest to me. From the look of you list Al, the symptoms off the pill are better than on it IMO. I can put up with PMS if I have an improved sex drive AND lose weight!! WooHoo to that.
Are you taking any vitamins or herbs to help with the PMS?

Hi Ladies, this is a helpful topic for me. My situation is very complex though. I was on Depo for 6 years, got my last shot in June 2004 and still have not had AF. Went to the doctor last month, and he prescribed BCPs for me to take to see if that would get AF to return. Well, I take my last pill before the placebos tonight and I have absolutely NO signs of AF coming! I'm really disappointed. :( I actually had more signs of AF coming before I started taking the stupid BCPs. So now I'm wondering if I should continue taking the BCPs or if I should just do nothing and wait it out? I have decided to start charting tomorrow, regardless of whether or not AF comes. It just seems as though taking the BCPs is counter productive because they are not making AF return and they are also preventing me from getting pregnant and DH and I want to get pregnant.

I just had my first cycle off the pill. It was 35 days. I'm now on CD 2.

For a while I was really tired and rundown but I have no idea if this was related to stopping the pill (as I can often get rundown due to Ross River).

I got AF on Tuesday night and noticed a bit of yucky cramping yesterday morning. I never used to get cramping.

But really I haven't noticed anything else. My skin and weight are still the same (both good!). My sex drive is still the same (not that high!).

I liked being on the pill though - because I knew exactly when AF was due. My cycle always used to be 28 days so I hated the cycle I just had - having to wait and not know when AF was going to arrive.

Hmmm....

Good
No more emotional PMT (poor DH used to be in the firing line whenever AF was due)
Less frequent AF
Possibly higher sex drive (or that could be related to TTC lol)

Bad
Periods are heavier and last longer (they used to last 1-2 days, now it's more like 3-4 days)

Overall, I LOVE being off the pill. It's more than just the things I listed above .. I feel like I can now get in sync with my body's natural ups and downs, rather than pill-induced hormonal ups and downs. I have told DH that I am never going back on the pill again and he is OK with this - so we're either going to have lots of kiddlets, or he'll have to get the snip at some stage ;)

Hi Al,

This is my second cycle off the pill and i feel heaps better. I have been off it for about 6 weeks now. Im not as tired, i can get out of bed easier in the mornings. My weight hasnt changed much. I didnt get any cramping when i had AF although i did have PMT.

The only bad thing is that AF is heavier and lasts longer. On the pill it used to last 2-3 days and my last AF was 6 days!!! hopefully this will shorten. I have been taking Vitex as thats good for helping with heavy and long AF.

Overall i would not go back on the pill. I just feel better knowing that im not putting any artificial hormones in my body.

Good luck

Dee :flower:

Inspiration - I agree with what you wrote about getting to know my natural ups and downs, etc. It is amazing what you learn about your body when you take time to really watch for signs, etc. I have also told DH and I never want to go back on the Pill. It was great when I really didn't want to fall pregnant but I have just noticed how it really dictates your hormones, etc.

TracyD – Sorry to hear that AF has not arrived. :hug: Personally I think your Doctor should let your cycles try and get back to normal without the help of the Pill. Is this your GP or Gyno? Are there any tests which can be conducted to establish a reason why you haven’t gotten AF? Really sorry to hear about your situation and really hope AF makes an appearance soon.

:pdust: :bdust: for all of us!!

I too feel so much better off the pill. And I agree with the feeling more insync with my body and I feel more like me again.

Good:
-Increased sex drive
- Sex is more enjoyable and I'm nore sensitive
- I don't feel flat

Bad:
- Periods hurt more and are heavier
- Have to use condoms

I too don't want to ever go back on the pill. Plus I heard on the news that they are linking it with more types of cancer than first thought!

Good - increased sex drive and being in control of my body. Bad - heavier periods but worth it. I went off the pill for 6 months before TTC as I had been on it for 17 years. Lucky I O in the first month and had regular cycles. Did natural fertilty (temps and CM) to avoid conception and conceived in the first month of trying. I am now waiting for my cycle to resume after giving birth and won't be going back on it. Also I had bad PMT on the pill.

Thanx Alton. The doctor I saw is my Gyno. I still haven't had AF after coming off Depo. I knew it would take a while (I've heard 9-12 months) to get back to normal, but I had my last shot in June 2004 and still nothing. Anyway, the Gyno said the BCPs will help my body get back into a rhythm since it will give me a controlled amount of hormones daily. I hope he is right. Now I have to change my ticker to something else! :-k

Anyone else want to add???

Hi guys,
Just thought I'd share my view after being off the pill for 9 months after being on it for 10 years.
The thing I hate about being off the pill is I never know when AF is coming, very bad cramps, heavier bleeding.
I used to AF every 28 days and for 4 days, now its between 31 and 36 day cycle (so far this month was the longest being 36) and lasts for 7 days.
As long as I remember I have been on the pill so I forgot about the bad cramping and I knew nothing about PMS that was until this last month.
I turned into a snarling cow!!! (which is not me at all).
But I figure that I have some raging hormones finally so this must be a good sign that my body is getting into swing of a normal rythm and hopefully I can fall preggers soon.
The bad thing you realise is that the pill changes your body COMPLETELY and surely this isn't a good thing, no wonder it takes awhile to get back to normal.
Good luck to all this coming month.
J

Ooh, good topic.

Good
Lower sex drive (was just about killing DH!)
Less depression about not TTC (I was unable to get out of bed some days)
Calmer, less snappy, more rational (as a rule)
I know I'm ovulating!
6-week cycles not 4-week cycles (obviously bad when I get to TTC)
Don't have to remember a tablet every morning (though I'm better with folic acid than I was with my OCP for some reason)
AF lighter and shorter

Bad
AF comes over the weekend and when I don't want her to!
Sore breasts when ovulating and sensitive nipples during LP
Condoms! (though we're ditching them when we are sure it's safe)
Sitting waiting for AF, who's due sometime later this week - at least I used to know exactly when!
Obsession with mucus and cycles etc

Overall, I'm a happier person off the Pill and wouldn't go back for anything. Oddly enough, my breasts are larger during LP then they ever were on the Pill and that was a side-effect I wanted! But I've also got a bit of a belly now, so that's bad. I'm another one whose DH is having the snip when he doesn't want any more children (I want 4, he wants 2, but that's right now, I may draw the line at 1) as I'm no way going back on the Pill!

For me... my weight is ballooning out of control since stopping the pill!
I seem to have a complete absence of a normal menstrual cycle, but i was like that before the pill, anyway

On the better side of things... I do feel less depressed since I stopped - not that it was ever really bad, but it was just THERE, if that makes sense, and I do have more interest in sex than before

And there are a few things that I'm a little undecided on - I have less CM than before, which leaves me more comfortable, but it does become harder to chart.

BW