5 Things That Can Happen When You Stop Taking Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills have a large number of advantages besides pregnancy prevention. They can make your skin cleaner, regulate your menstruation and reduce PMS symptoms. Therefore, if you have taken pills for many years, it is clear that you can worry a little about what will happen to your body when you will stop taking them.

Most women don’t feel a difference when they quit birth control pills. But if you were taking pills for a specific reason like relieving cramps or clearing acne, you may face a quick return of these symptoms as soon as you stop taking them.

Side effects of stopping birth control depend on what pills you take (extended-cycle, progestin-only, or combined) and their dosage. It has very individual consequences because two women taking the same pill may experience different symptoms after they quit. However, there are some changes that can occur in your body when you stop taking birth control pills. Here are five things that you may expect to happen:

1. You can get pregnant quickly

It’s unexpected but your body doesn’t need time to clear itself from birth control. The ovulation usually renews during a month or two in most women. Some studies found that approximately 20% of women can become pregnant during the first cycle after they stopped taking oral contraceptives. It may take more time in case you got birth control injections. In case you don’t want to get pregnant, it is better to use some kind of contraception (condoms are the most suitable) right after you stop taking the pills.

2. Acne can return 

Many women are taking combination birth control pills to get rid of acne. Those pills contain a combination of estrogen and progestin that help to decrease the androgen levels (a hormone that is responsible for oils on the skin) in the body. New acne may arrive nearby your menstruation when the hormone levels are unstable.

When you stop taking pills, it is expected that all the acne symptoms you had before birth control will come back. If you stopped taking pills, there are other ways to control your hormonal acne such as various cleansers, probiotic supplements, and simple stress relief methods.

3. Your menstruation may become heavy and irregular

One of the most significant advantages of free birth control pills is their ability to regulate the menstrual cycle. They usually relieve symptoms and decrease blood flow during periods. It is typical that the first period after you stop taking pills can be unpredictable in duration and painful sensations. 

You can also face one more unpleasant companion of menstruation, PMS. Many women are taking oral contraceptives in order to get rid of it. And when you quit birth control, be ready to meet your usual irritation and poor well-being.

4. Your libido can decrease

Some women notice that their libido decreased as soon as they started taking oral contraceptives. It happens because of hormonal changes and these women usually feel an increased libido when they quit birth control.

 But every woman is different and some of them are nervous to have sex without the birth control protection that they had earlier with pills. Reducing the risk of pregnancy for a woman can let her enjoy sex more.

5. The level of vitamin D can drop

Many women suffer from a decrease in vitamin D levels when they stop oral contraceptives. And this vitamin is very important for women that are going to get pregnant because it helps maintain the skeleton of the fetus.

When you stop taking birth control pills, ask your doctor about possible ways to get a proper amount of vitamin D. The simplest ways are to sunbathe, eat fatty fish, and take supplements.