going off BC- what to expect?

runr42 · 05-30-2006, 05:17 PM

I'm going to try going off BC for a little while. I tried using it to stop getting my periods except for a couple times a year, but it's not really working the way i hoped it would. I've been on BC since October, and most of that time i was on Zovia 1/35 (aka Demulen?). I probably gained between 10-15 pounds on it, and i've been kind of an emotional wreck. So I decided it can't hurt to go off it for a while and it'll always be an option to go back on. But what should i expect when i stop taking it? Is it possible that i might lose some of the weight i put on while i was taking it? That would be so awesome, and might even be worth having bothersome periods again. I've also heard that you might not get your period normally for a while. How long does it take for your body to get back to normal? I also saw that someone posted that it made them feel tired to go off it. How long does that last? If you go back on the same medicine then, sometime later, will it still work the same as it did before? I'm really interested to know if i might lose some weight. Any insight?

ZenpunK · 05-31-2006, 05:45 AM

every woman responds differently. When I got off bc pills the first thing that happened was my face broke out. it was horrendous. but on the bright side, I started to lose weight. my appetite decreased. so you can expect lots of pimples and weight loss, perhaps. Besides that, some women start their periods right away and some dont. my sister started hers about 2 months after she got off it, but as for me I went 5 months with still no period. I went to the doctor and he said it was normal, it can take that long sometimes, but he gave me progesterone pills to induce a period anyway. So if you don't get your period for a while don't freak out, its normal even if it seems like an ungodly amont of time. you may be one of those women that get their period that very month.

runr42 · 05-31-2006, 12:57 PM

i have another question. Usually my period ends only when i start taking the active pills again. I feel like this is what "stops" my period. If i don't go back on the pills then, will my period last for a really long time? And then I might not get it again for a while? Did the face breakouts go away? I nearly forgot about how nice and clear my face got when i started taking BC. (that was the only good side effect, really).

mysticmemories · 06-01-2006, 06:46 AM

I was on Diane/Brenda for three months, my friend was also, when she stopped it.. she broke out incredibly, but when I stopped it for four weeks, my skin was still fine, but I guess I never really had that bad acne before I went on it.

When I stopped the pill, my period came 32 days afterwards, and normally I'm a 31 day cycle, so I was glad. I also had the same feeling, that the active pills stopped my period. I found my natural period was much longer, heavier, and more painful.. made me realise just why I was on the pill.

=]