Question for WOMEN ONLY!! Guys, You've been warned.

Question for the women.

I've been considering getting off my birth control pill for a while. I started when I was 14 due to severe cramps, nausea and PMS. Now I am 31, and I am tired of paying the co-pay on the pills monthly and going to the doctors 2x a year (now it's more difficult for me to get to my doctor as she's 30 miles away, only one I trust, been going since I was 14.. new job makes it hard to get out there).

Has any ladies gone off the pill? Can you share your experiences (especially those that has gone on for cramps originally)? Pain? Weight loss/gain? Emotions and such? 

I want to get off, but I am apprehensive to! Looking for advice

thanks, and hope its OK to post this here.. if not, please let me know!

Many years ago, I took the Pill for the same reasons.  And stopped, for  the same reasons!

I have severe cramps--so bad the pain made me faint a few times. I also would bleed a LOT--enough that my lips would turn blue, and I 'd start to go into shock, according to my Mom, who was a nurse. The Pill really helped. I was on it for a couple of years. 

After I stopped taking it, that sort of pain never returned.

I was on the pill non-stop for something like 23 or 24 yrs (not for cramps though ) and finally switched over to a Mirena IUD a few years ago because my blood pressure was creeping up. Best thing ever!  Lost a few pounds without doing anything, no more having to get refills (and mine were free, but it's still a PITA to have to go get them), traveling was so easy, not to mention all the money saved by not buying "feminine hygiene products" anymore. The one small catch was that it was quite painful to have inserted , and if you don't have insurance coverage for meds, it can also be a tad expensive initially (but remember that you'll ultimately save money). Also isn't recommended if you're not in a monogamous relationship. But I so wish I'd made the switch earlier, and this coming from someone who loved being on the pill.
 

Sugarcatmom, that's really interesting to me. I'm considering switching to Mirena too, after being on the Pill for 25 years. No problems with the Pill, just that I'm getting older and wanted a different method.
MargeCat- good lord!!! I'm so glad I don't have such severe menstrual cycles. I feel really sorry for women who have to go through all that.
Draco- I have a friend who went on the Pill young for similar reasons as you. She did have trouble when she first went off it again, and problems conceiving etc. But in all honesty, I think she just had a lot of problems in general with her periods & hormones etc, so I wouldn't go by her experience. How about injections instead or the maybe the constant hormone release of something like Mirena would be good for you to ease those intense cramps?

MargeCat said:

Many years ago, I took the Pill for the same reasons.  And stopped, for  the same reasons!

I have severe cramps--so bad the pain made me faint a few times. I also would bleed a LOT--enough that my lips would turn blue, and I 'd start to go into shock, according to my Mom, who was a nurse. The Pill really helped. I was on it for a couple of years. 

After I stopped taking it, that sort of pain never returned.

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I am hoping for the same, no pain! I wasn't as bad as you described.

Sugarcatmom, I think I am scared to consider Mirena! But what I am reading does sound good. I may consider that.

I've decided to stop my pills today. I am nervous, but, I figure, if the pains come back after several months, I can always go back on the Pill or ask my gyno about the Mirena.

Currently on it for period issues. 

I have endometriosis.  It was diagnosed late, after I'd been having horrible periods for years.  Nothing like having a doctor tell you that your heavy painful periods are "normal", then 5 years later have another one do a laproscopy and say "guess what we found".  Sigh. 

Anyways- I am so over taking the pill.  I had been on Depo for 5 years, the doctor I'm currently seeing told me that I'd been on it for about 5 years, and I needed to stop it so I didn't do any kind of damage to my bone density.  Want no more kids- I've got one in her freshman year of college.  She loves it- I could do without tuition bills .  I had trouble getting pregnant anyways, and since I'm 45 I don't think I could anymore. 

I talked to my doctor at my annual.  Told her how done I was taking the pill.  She told me that I probably wasn't anywhere near menopause.  And that if I stopped the pill- I may have some "good" months, but eventually my periods could get nasty again.  An IUD is out of the question.  I tried to have one inserted years ago, and that didn't work.   Doctor couldn't get it in ( I know TMI)  I've got a package of pills, and a new prescription for some.  Blech. I guess I'll just have to "deal" with it and start taking the pill again, there's not a whole lot of other options.  Or I could wait a few months and see just how bad it could get. 

I had to take my oldest daughter to the doctor (she's been on the pill for about a year) for the same reasons.  And the 15 year old has been complaining about her periods too.  I don't know, she can kind of be a drama queen at times.   BUT- I have BTDT with people not taking my pain seriously, and I know that the whole heavy period thing can be hereditary. 

Times like these it just stinks being a girl

Cheryl

I went off the pill about 4 years ago and I will never go back on one if I can help it!!  I was on a low-hormone one.  Prior to that I had switched from a regular one.  The change from regular to low was a bit nuts.  I had hot flashes and mood swings.  My mild-mannered husband, who almost nothing rattles, one day was like "what is wrong with you!?!?!"  I remember crying back "I don't knooooowwwww!" 

After I got off the pill (to start trying to conceive) I realized I just felt better overall.  There was no withdrawal or anything that time.  I didn't even realize how I had been feeling.  It was like someone lifted a "blah" off of me that had been there constantly.  It took about a year and a half to get pregnant with DD and it wasn't till AFTER she was born that the rest of me came back; if you know what I mean.   We were just discussing that the other day on a baby board I go on too.  My periods were pretty normal after going off.  They got a bit lighter as I got older anyway.  Pregnancy did the most changing of them for me though.  It seems with each kid they've gotten lighter; though since DS I've been sicker with them.  But he is only 3 months so it's hard to say for sure if this is my new normal. 

I also don't miss paying for it.  When I went off my insurance didn't cover any birth control.  So we were paying completely out of pocket.  They cover it now; so I'm hoping they will cover a permanent procedure I'd like done in a few years when we are sure we dont want any more babies.

I have an IUD and absolutely love it. I was horrible for taking the pill on time, there would be a few weeks where I'd be good about it and then weeks where I'd be doubling up quite frequently to "catch up". The shot wasn't an option, I'm absolutely horrified of needles and the emotional trauma wasn't worth it. I didn't want to do the patch, I didn't like the idea of having it on all the time, having to explain what it was, etc and feared that I would forget when to change it. The implant wasn't an option either, the needle thing again and the idea of having it there just freaked me out (even though my dogs are microchipped, lol).The IUD was the best thing for me. 

I'm 26 (nearly 27) now, I've had it for almost 4 years. I've never had kids, so I had to be measured, which was... interesting, lol. They told me when I was measured that it would feel very similar to having the IUD inserted. It wasn't that bad. I was instructed before it was inserted to insert two advil a few hours prior to my appointment which helped lessen the pain. I had extremely intense cramping for about a day and a half, then it went back to normal. Mine has shifted slightly, so the strings aren't where they should be. Having it removed is going to be interesting, I'm not really sure how they're going to do that but I do think I'll have to be sedated for it (they mentioned "freezing" the area with a needle before removing it, and I can't deal with that). I have another year or so before I have to worry about that though, lol. At that time, I'll either have another one inserted or, if we've decided that we want kids, we'll start trying then. At this point though, neither of us has any desire for them. 

Gradually, my periods have decreased and I rarely get them at all. I'm lucky that I can tell when I'm going to get one a few days before it happens, so I can prepare (aka pick up some pads, lol). When I do have them, they generally only last a day or so. I get them once, maybe twice, a year. 

I will say that the first few months were HORRIBLE for mood swings. I was pretty mean, extremely agitated and hard to deal with. I holed up in my room for pretty much the entire month, except when I had to go to work. Once that passed, I was fine and back to normal. Part of the mood swings may have also been because I am bipolar, so it may not be that bad for everyone and some people may not experience it at all. I do suggest that if you are in a relationship with someone to let them know what to expect. I didn't know and it almost caused my boyfriend (at the time) and I to break up. 

I'm on Yaz cause I don't want any babies!

It doesn't cause any emotional problems for me at all. If it did I'm not sure what I'd do. maybe the IUD.

I have no periods while I'm on the pill. I skip the placebo pills when the regulars are done and just go straight on to the next pack. Some say you should have a period every month, but most doctors say it's fine. The periods you get while on the pill aren't actual ovulation periods anyway, they're just breakthrough bleeding. so I see no real reason to have one.

When I was sure I did not want any more children. I had my tubes tied. Then it got really bad. I bled for months on  I had to have blood transfusuions twice, nearly bled to death.Then a doctor decided to do a wet sonogram, because that was the last resort other that a hysterectomy, with all my laundry list of  illnesses, surgery was not a good option for me unless it was an emergency. If you have anything floating it could be found. What they did find was a huge polyp that probably had been in there for years, deep in the fold in my my uterus. They almost did not find it.  It was removed, and while I had been bleeding and I went through menopause. I am 53, so it was time anyway. It may be something for you could discuss with your doctor.

I was on the pill for a few years and got off and went back on it. After a few years, my body rejects it and I start to get breakthrough bleeding until I get off of it. I decided in January to go back on it since I had just started college and in February I got pregnant. I was taking tri-cyclen lo. 

I never had any side effects when I got off the pill. I had lots when I started it though. Mostly made me very moody and some weight gain. Once I have my baby, I am hoping to get Mirena until we decide if we want to have any more kids (which is probably no since I am currently in the hospital due to a rare pregnancy condition).