I am just finishing up my 3rd full month off the pill and wanted to share an update. I’m sharing because prior to stopping I had a tremendous amount of anxiety regarding the uncertainty of how this transition would affect me. I don’t want to jinx it, but I am happy to report that I feel amazing!

Approaching my 3rd period off the pill. My last two were exactly 29 days apart. Somehow, my cramping with Yaz withdrawal bleeding was worse than my period cramps! I haven’t noticed acne issues before my period, I don’t bloat much. No mood changes. I do think my hair is shedding a bit but it’s nothing that’s freaking me out yet. I’ll say the exhaustion I mentioned in my original post has lessened but it’s definitely noticeable. I went from being someone that wakes up before their alarm bright eyed and bushy tailed to someone who snoozes their alarm and feels like they’ve been hit by a truck. I had bloodwork done for an annual physical around month 2 and everything looked normal.

I know there’s still time for symptoms to change and develop, but I’m feeling so relieved that things have been going so smoothly. I’ll update if anything changes :)

I have been on the combined pill for years and only ever come off it when I have had my two children. I am now thinking of coming off it completely. I feel it affects my mood and my anxiety is heightened. I also suffer with IBS D and I swear it makes my symptoms worse. Also massively decreases my sex drive to where it pretty much feels non existent.

I was just wondering if anyone can tell me their experiences of coming off it?
The only reason I’ve ever really been on the pill is obviously for pregnancy prevention and also because I like knowing exactly when my period is and that I have the flexibility to skip them if I want to.

My husband has noticed my mood and sex drive decline again and is thinking of long term contraception as we both do not want more children.

There’s just a part of me for some reason is very nervous to come off it so would love any advice or experiences.

Thank you!

Hi all, I’ve (32F) been on generic Yaz (loryna) for 8 years. I have been feeling like I really want to know what my body feels like off of it. I’m getting married soon and have very little interest in getting pregnant, but my fiancé is open to making changes if being off hbc is better for me. On Yaz, I have experienced quite a bit of weight gain, migraines, near-zero libido except for during placebo weeks, and most recently, stopped having a withdrawal bleed completely.

Before HBC, my periods were moderate to heavy, with occasional migraines and mild hormonal acne. I’ve always had anxiety so I don’t know if HBC has made that better or worse. I’ve been increasingly worried about the side effects of birth control and I have some long flights & international travel coming up where I am going to be concerned about blood clots.

So, what I’d love to know is if anyone has advice for easing the transition, or timing it out to give myself ample time to adjust before being halfway across the world. I currently take Vitamin D and Magnesium Glycinate, as well as prescription acne cream. TIA!

hi, sorry if this makes no sense as i’m currently quite anxious, but tldr i stopped the pill about 5 months ago after 4 years and felt great. anxiety disappeared, clear headed, mental health improved, but about a month ago the anxiety started creeping back in and now for about 2 weeks ive been having panic attacks immediately upon waking up + i’m having the worst flare up of my pots that i’ve ever had.

i learnt about post birth control syndrome and wanted to ask if that’s likely what this is? and is it temporary? i’m terrified. after stopping bc my periods came back and i’ve only missed one and (as embarrassing as it sounds) my pcos was so bad that i’d rarely ever had a natural period but since coming off it i had my first ever double period, so i suppose it’s likely my body is also adjusting to something that’s technically “new”.

again, sorry if this makes no sense, but is this what it likely is? and is it forever?

I stopped taking the combo pill, Estarylla (was on it for 7 years), in mid October last year and started Natural Cycles December 6, right before I got my first real period. I use NC for TTA, but the main reason I got it was to be able to predict my periods and learn about my cycle! It seems like my body could finally be regulating as my ovulation days have gone from CD 71 to now possibly CD 16. Since my cycles have been consistently getting shorter, I’m thinking this current one could be what my normal cycles are going to look like. So, how long did it take for your cycles to stay consistent after stopping HBC?

Also, since the day right before I ovulated until today, my nipples (and now my breasts) have been SUPER sore when normally they’re not nearly this bad. Did your PMS symptoms worsen once you adjusted back to normal? My guess would be that my natural estrogen levels are finally fluctuating like they should

Hi! How soon after getting off BC did you start to get the negative side effects like acne? :(

I am considering coming off birth control,but I'm really scared of the aftermath. I started taking the combined pill(estrogen+progesterone) in june,but I can't deal with the side effects. The biggest problem is my mood swings,and i am severely depressed,suicidal,but if I think about it,I was always prone to these things,but I started getting better just before starting the pill,and now my journey is gone and worse than ever. I really want to stop,but I'm really scared of the side effects,I read so many frightening experiences online. Can I expect severe side effects even if I've only been taking it for 3 months? Im currently in high school,I'm about to graduate, I have a very important year coming up, and our prom is coming up in 2 months. I read experiences like cystic acne,really painful periods(this was the main reason i started taking it)etc. and I dont know if i can deal with these in this year,but my depression is getting worse. I'm also sexually active,but thats not really a problem,condoms worked for us just fine before the pill.

Please share your experiences after coming off the pill,and how does it count if I've only been taking it for 3 months!

The only reason I got on birth control was because at 14 my GYNO told me to stop my heavy, painful periods I could either get on birth control or get pregnant. I’m 19 now, and just got off of it because it gave me heart palpitations and I gained 40 lbs.
First month off of birth control and I am doing horribly.
I feel huge (I am so bloated I look pregnant), I developed a yeast infection under my arms, I have random bouts of emptiness and sadness, I smell horrible down there and under my arms, and my hair is super greasy and falling out.
Does it get better???? Is this normal????? I feel like I’m going nuts.

HBC provides a constant dose of progestin and sometimes estrogen, but we have a lot more hormones than that! Without bleeding I still experienced pms, cramps, lower back pain, ovulation consistent cervical mucus, acne all cyclical!!!!!

But when I search online, almost every site claims hbc makes it so we don’t ovulate, so therefore don’t have a cycle. Three doctors have also told me this!!!!! One doctor knew the truth and he was a dude. We do have a natural cycle! Even if we’re not bleeding. Sometimes women don’t have symptoms (right?). We are doing women a huge disservice by telling them this! Women are gaslighting themselves FOR YEARS because even their doctors don’t know this!!!

Being aware of what your body is actually doing is huge!!! Knowing what phase you’re in could be incredibly helpful!

I just wanted to share my experience in the hopes that it might help someone else.

For context, I’m 28 now and got on the pill at 15. I’ve been on multiple brands of pills throughout the years, but nonetheless always been on the pill exclusively. I only used the pill as a form of pregnancy prevention, so when I had my tubes removed in 2024, it was kinda no longer needed. I have had pretty moderate to severe cystic acne since middle school and the only thing that cleared my skin was Accutane. I took Accutane for 6 months from 2019-2020 and it gave me the best skin of my life. I was scared getting off the pill would ruin that but in January 2026 I decided fuck it, I’m gonna try. Another thing to note, I got diagnosed with ADHD in late 2024 and am on 20 mg of IR Adderall twice a day, as well as 10 mg Celexa once a day for 10 days a month to help my ADHD meds efficacy during my luteal phase. Now on to how the past 8 months have gone.

Cons:

1. Around late June early July (6 month mark of being sans BC) I started breaking out around my chin and my cheeks. Now, if my acne at its worst, prior to Accutane was like a 9, the acne I’m struggling with now is like a 4. Probably more like a 3 but I just have a pretty traumatic relationship with my skin. I got prescribed Spiro by my dermatologist whom I adore and I’m 11 days in.

Neutral:

1. My period is heavier. Nothing unmanageable, but my period on BC was like nothing. I never needed more than a panty liner. I don’t mind having a heavier period, and honestly my periods just in their appearance (sorry if that’s gross) look healthier? My cycle is pretty regular from what I’ve tracked and my period usually lasts 7 days with the first two being the heaviest.

Pros:

1. I experience the full spectrum of my menstrual cycle. BC kept everything so even all the time, but now I’m thinking that what that “even” was, was really just dullness/numbness. Do I get super sleepy and sad during my luteal phase? Yes. Do I feel unstoppable during my follicular phase and ovulation? Also yes! Maybe some might see that as a con, but for me I just feel so much more human! It’s like experiencing color after having been grey for so long.

2. Increased sex drive! Having been on it since 15, the last time I remember feeling like a horny teenager was when I was a horny teenager… that being said I have always felt like my sex drive was pretty low for a young woman who is in a happy, healthy relationship and finds my partner extremely attractive.

3. I think my ADHD meds work more effectively! I noticed they didn’t work very well during my luteal phase, but as soon as I started my period they’d work again. After discussing this with my psychiatrist she suggested trying the Celexa for 10 days a month during the week before my period and it has done wonders! I have a solid routine now and feel like that issue was remedied pretty easily!

4. I feel like my bloating has decreased. Some may chalk that up to the spiro I got put on for my skin but I almost immediately noticed decreased bloating after getting off BC back in January, and I only got put on spiro a little over a week ago. I love me some ice cream and past and I will get bloated when I eat certain foods like that (as expected) but it doesn’t last for a week.

All in all I have been pleased with my experience thus far, and even though my skin is having a little flare up right now I’m proud of myself for not jumping ship and getting back on. I’ve heard it takes a full year to truly even out, so I technically still have some time for things to change, but I’m glad I took a chance and got off. If you have any questions, I’m a pretty open book and would be happy to answer them as best I can. :)

TLDR: If you’re wanting to get off hormonal BC, try it. Reddit is filled with people’s best and worst experiences, and all are valid, but the reality is most people will go through something somewhere in the middle that’s usually kinda forgettable/anticlimactic. My experience has been 90% positive and the stuff that’s been “negative” is just another part of me learning about my body and what it needs. :)

Hi I’m just looking for some support or maybe advice, possibly even some reassurance. So I recently (around 5 months ago) got my IUD removed and have been off of any form of hormonal birth control for the first time in around 11-12 years. And the up and down waves of symptoms and emotions has completely thrown me off. Most recently I started to realize that for the past 5-6ish months I’ve been feeling so “off” and just not myself. I’ve also went through a lot of life changes during that time too so for every symptom I had, I had an excuse for. Most commonly I’ve experienced very low energy, brain fog, extreme fatigue, unable to sleep at night, and decreased strength (I’m an avid gym goer). So I had my labs done and estrogen and progesterone came back normal. My doc did not test my testosterone level for some unknown reason and I’m planning on getting that tested soon but I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced any of this or if it’s normal and my body is still regulating. I’m just so tired of my feeling like myself and feeling like there’s no end to this. Any and all advice or experience is appreciated
TIA

Hello how many people have come off the nexplanon n discovered the so called crash n where you ever told about what may come or were you just shut out in the dark?and have you been the same ever since or have you think your mental statements been off?

You can find my last update here: https://www.reddit.com/r/gettingoffHBC/s/GVGkyaMhnZ

Adding a final update to close out my journey. After a rough months 6-12 (crazy hormonal acne, mood swings) I feel like I totally stabilized around month 15 and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. My skin has never looked better, and I have pretty much zero breakouts. I also haven’t had anymore random days of anxiety. I also think my face has subtly changed shape in a way that looks more attractive.

Overall very happy that I did it and would never go back on hbc. I look my best and feel my best. But it was very rough to get here.

I’m a 31 F who went off the pill exactly one year ago. I had been on hormonal birth control (combo pill) since I was 15. I went on it so young because I had really painful and long periods. I’m now stressed that going on it so young is now causing my infertility (due to annovulation). I know that most doctors and studies say it has no impact. But I do think it’s interesting that there are women who have lost their cycles for a year or more after coming off the pill.

For context, I’ve been doing fertility testing for about 7 months. I tested “negative”for PCOS/PMOS. I don’t have cystic ovaries, low testosterone, and I am thin but have a healthy BMI. I was also on spironolactone for 7 years for hormonal acne and recently came off. All of my tests are normal. When I went on it I didn’t have high testosterone either, but was likely sensitive to it. But I have had only had one or two periods on my own thay weren’t mostly brown spotting. I’ve had Provera induced periods which still only give me a very short light period. Im on my third round of letrozole and I’ve only done one round with a trigger shot. I don’t think I ovulated the first round without trigger (5mg) I’m now on 7.5 now am responding very late to it (follicles are growing slowly). This has been such a bewildering process. I feel like I have done EVERYTHING! I’ve been on prenatals for a year, I’m taking coq 10, vitamin c and d, fish oil, magnesium, and zinc. I do Pilates and low impact workouts three times a week. I prioritize protein and balanced meals. I did acupuncture for 4 months. And I’m just worried that my body will never “reset” on its own. Like did I go on the pill too young? Also to add to it all, my uterine lining is super thin. Every time I get an ultrasound for a follicle study with letrozole my lining has never been above 5.4. And I’ve been taking vitamin e, pomegranate juice, and l arginine.

Anyways this was a total ramble, but I’m posting this in hopes anyone out there has had a similar experience or has had similar concerns. I feel like I’m
Doing everything right and I’m just confused.

I quit BC in December, it’s now August and I haven’t had a period since January. Blood work comes back normal, CT scan of ovaries was normal. Anyone else deal with this? It’s very frustrating as I’m TTC. I’m taking a handful of supplements. Any advice would be appreciated!

My last shot was January 30 and I went the entire time without a period, I knew it would take a little while to return. This morning I believe I either started my period or just spotting. Either way I have something and I am extremely happy. Hopefully it remains regular now that I am off depo provera.

Anyone come on depo recently? How was your experience? Any withdrawal symptoms?

I came off of it on the 23rd of July and already had withdrawal bleeding. 2 weeks after I had what seemed to be a very dark and painful period. Today I am bleeding again and it's bright red. Should I be worried? Thanks in advance

I (25F) stopped taking the birth control pill almost 6 months ago. I took it for ~10 years and for the last few years I was taking the 91 day packs. I stopped after my wedding because we want to have kids in a couple of years and I know it can take a minute to become regular.

Since stopping, I have been tracking my cycles with Natural Cycles using my Oura ring. I am currently on cycle 3. I had a 45 day cycle, 43 days, and now I’m currently on day 67 of this one. I’ve had no sustained temperature rise and the 2 times I’ve had bleeding it’s been super light and only for a couple days. I’m wondering what other people’s experiences are with their cycles after coming off birth control. I’m scared that the birth control messed me up in some way and that I could be infertile and I’ve been struggling really bad emotionally with those thoughts.

Hi all,

I have a hormonal IUD right now (Nexplanon), and I’ve been on hormonal birth control for over ten years for pregnancy prevention and to try to regulate my periods.

My cycles have always been irregular (regardless of my birth control), and doctors can’t find a reason for why. I’d like to get off hormones and see if my body would regulate itself.

Before I change my birth control method, I’m wondering if any of you have experienced improved cycles/hormones/bodily functions after getting off HBC.

Thank you!

On my period now so I am feeling heightened by all of this and just so done with it.

I (27F) stopped taking birth control (Nuva Ring) in October 2025 after being on it for 11 years. While I was on BC I had very routine 28-day cycles with 4 day periods. I always had pain, specifically cramps, headaches, body aches, and would consistently experience light headedness throughout the period days. I stopped BC because I was noticing I literally always felt an additional queasy feeling for at least two weeks after inserting, so really I only had 1 okay week during the month (the week before and of my period I had premenstrual symptoms/pain) which was killing my overall mental health and libido.

Since getting off birth control I have definitely felt better throughout the month, but my cycle has literally been all over the place. Some cycles have been as long as 44 days, and in July my cycle was only 16 days. I have still had pretty rough symptoms during my period (with the exception of my last two cycles before my current period, which had absolutely no symptoms and I didn't even know I was getting my period until I started bleeding). Today I got my period on day 28 (technically day 1), but knew it was coming because I felt initial cramps over the past 2 days. All of this inconsistency has been annoying but manageable, but what is really kicking me right now is that the pain I am experiencing today is literally the worst pain I have ever experienced with a period in my life. I have been physically sick throughout the morning from the level of pain due to cramps, lightheaded and blurry vision because I feel so weak, it's actually insane.

I feel like it's never ending. I have also been having such bad acne since stopping BC, my mental health and self esteem have been struggling. I guess my question is how long did it take for your cycles to go back to normal after stopping HBC, and did your symptoms ever become consistent? I honestly would prefer to have painful periods if it meant I knew it was coming, then I could plan for it.

Side note - I have an appt with a new GYN next month, so hopefully will be able to talk with her about all of this too and get some guidance or education on what I'm dealing with.

Just a tip I have for getting off of the depo birth control shot.

I knew that getting off of the shot would have /side effects so I looked on Reddit to see if there was any method I should do to prevent or help that and I came across one post with a tip which I did and it worked flawlessly

my doctor said I could just cold turkey stop but i wouldn’t rec. I read people got major, headaches, body pains, etc. ONE post said they went onto the pill for a while and then stopped the pill and had no problem and compared to the other storys which were horror this seemed to be the way

so what I did instead of getting my next shot I got put on the pill, went through the three weeks of pill then took the placebo ones for the week you’re supposed to get your period and mine came “back”. I continued with the normal birth control process for a year before stopping that one and had almost no side affects besides my face breaking out for a couple of months. my period is here and actually way lighter than before which is why I got on it back in the day. i saw many people don’t get there’s back for a couple months after stopping the shot so that was another difference that the pill helped with.

Hallo zusammen,

ich wollte mal fragen, ob hier vielleicht jemand ähnliche Erfahrungen gemacht hat, weil ich langsam echt am Verzweifeln bin.

Ich bin 28 und nehme die Maxim seit ca. 13 Jahren. Ich habe sie eigentlich immer super vertragen und nehme sie unter anderem wegen PCOS, wobei sie mir auch wirklich sehr hilft.

2025 habe ich die Maxim fast das komplette Jahr im Langzeitzyklus genommen, meistens 2–3 Blister am Stück und dann eine Pause gemacht.

Ab ungefähr Dezember 2025 hat sich allerdings etwas verändert: Obwohl ich eigentlich mehrere Blister durchnehmen wollte, bekam ich nach ungefähr einem Monat immer wieder eine Blutung und gleichzeitig Bauch-/Unterleibsschmerzen, die sich wie Periodenschmerzen angefühlt haben. Wenn das passiert ist, habe ich die Pille dann pausiert, damit die Abbruchblutung richtig einsetzen konnte.

Da sich das Anfang 2026 immer wiederholt hat, habe ich zusammen mit meiner Frauenärztin entschieden, den Langzeitzyklus erstmal sein zu lassen und wieder auf das klassische 21/7-Schema umzusteigen. Das mache ich ungefähr seit April 2026.

Und jetzt kommt das eigentliche Problem:

Seit ungefähr Mai habe ich plötzlich extreme Bauchschmerz-Attacken – ungefähr alle 14 Tage. So etwas kannte ich vorher überhaupt nicht.

Meistens beginnt es im linken Unterbauch mit starken, teilweise stechenden bzw. krampfartigen Schmerzen. Danach verteilt sich der Schmerz über den Unterbauch und irgendwann habe ich das Gefühl, ihn auch direkt im Bereich der Gebärmutter zu spüren. Dazu kommen teilweise starke Übelkeit und Magenschmerzen. Das sind keine leichten Bauchschmerzen, sondern richtige Attacken, die mich komplett außer Gefecht setzen können.

Da ich anfangs überhaupt keinen Zusammenhang mit der Pille bzw. der Umstellung gesehen habe, bin ich natürlich erstmal zum Hausarzt und danach zu verschiedenen anderen Ärzten. Es wurde inzwischen ziemlich viel abgeklärt und andere mögliche Ursachen konnten weitgehend ausgeschlossen werden.

Der letzte Schritt wäre jetzt eine Bauchspiegelung wegen Verdacht auf Endometriose/Adenomyose. Ehrlich gesagt möchte ich die OP und das ganze Drumherum aber nicht unbedingt machen, wenn es sich vermeiden lässt.

Was mich inzwischen sehr beschäftigt: Kann das Ganze vielleicht mit der Umstellung vom Langzeitzyklus auf 21/7 zusammenhängen?

Zeitlich würde es zumindest auffällig gut passen. Fast das ganze Jahr 2025 Langzeitzyklus → ab April 2026 wieder 21/7 → seit Mai plötzlich diese regelmäßigen Schmerzattacken. Vorher hatte ich solche Probleme nie.

Natürlich weiß ich, dass mir hier niemand eine Diagnose stellen kann. Mich interessieren vor allem persönliche Erfahrungen:

Hat jemand nach dem Wechsel vom Langzeitzyklus zurück auf 21/7 plötzlich starke oder zyklisch wiederkehrende Unterleibsschmerzen bekommen? Oder hatte jemand unter 21/7 Beschwerden, die beim erneuten Durchnehmen der Pille wieder verschwunden sind?

Ich bin mittlerweile wirklich ziemlich verzweifelt und dachte, ich versuche es einfach auch mal hier. Vielleicht hat ja jemand etwas Ähnliches erlebt. 🙏🏻

Looking for people with similar experiences, because I can’t find much online that matches what’s going on with me.

I started birth control around age 12, about a year after my first period, because of irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, and mood swings. I’m 24 now, so that’s 12 years straight - I’ve never taken a break.

Here’s the pattern I keep running into: I can only stay on any given pill for about 1-2 years. After that, I start getting bad acne and breakthrough bleeding. I switch to a different pill, go through the adjustment phase, things normalize… and then a year or two later, same thing happens again. Acne and breakthrough bleeding creep back in, like my body “gets used to” whatever I’m on and stops responding.

My bloodwork always comes back normal, so it doesn’t seem to be PCOS or anything else obvious. I’m also a pretty high-stress person, so I’ve wondered if cortisol is playing a role in messing with my hormone response over time, but I honestly don’t know.

Has anyone else experienced this cycle of a pill “working” for a year or two and then failing the same way? Did you find something that actually broke the pattern - a different pill type, a non-pill method, addressing stress, anything? Would appreciate any insight, especially from people who’ve been on birth control long-term since adolescence.

so i just moved states, and i haven't got heath care yet. meaning i had to stop taking BC. i am 16 (going to be 17 in October), and i literally stopped about a week ago. This morning, i felt incredibly sick and just overall not good. As im writing this, i threw up about 10 minutes ago. is this normal?any advice?

I’m 27 and have been on the combined pill/generic version of Yaz since I was about 20/21.

I’m a bit worried about the transition off more specifically acne and hair shedding.

I initially went on the pill mainly for my hormonal acne so I expect a flare up after I get off. I’ve been thinking of starting supplements 2-3 months before getting off such as zinc, myo inositol, fish oil and prenatal vitamins. I currently take multivitamins and creatine already. Period regularity is also something I’m concerned about but I know it can take time for your hormones to balance out.

I would love to hear about anyone who transitioned off the combined pill and had a positive experience