Serious issues after coming off of birth control pills! Anixety, Acne, Fatigue, Eye Pain, Headaches

Hey Megan, If you're still following, I'd love to talk to you. I am going through what I believe to be hormone imbalance from stopping BC and I am majorly struggling. You seem to have gone through so many similar things that I have and I really just need some reassurance.

Hello all, how are you feeling?

I have been having the worse days and don’t know how to cope with this anymore. I went to my doctors office checked my heart, my blood, my neck and everything is fine. I even did a hormone test and got my results today but everything seems to be fine. I had tested LH - 4,53 and FSH - 6,23. The numbers fit in reference values but are on the lower part of the reference. I am anxious and worried all the time and it started to affect my work cause I cannot concentrate at all. Did any of you get your hormones checked? Can you please advice on how to deal with this? I though it was all over because I felt normal last week but than it started again on saturday and it is not getting better. I am taking multivitamins, omega-3, and will start taking maca as well.

Thank you!

Hi Emily!
I am having exactly the same symptoms like you, but I stopped my pills after 15 years taking them, and I started with pains in my joints, headaches very hard, everyday, now is more often than before, I stopped in September/2017 and in November all began, I am looking for something about at google and now I found your post, I’m so glad that my guess is right now, I went a doctor only in November and only some blood tests with high cholesterol and some inflammation, but I think it was because a high nervousness I had and tension in my neck because something bad that happened, but next phase was everything that you described, I am wondering to get to endocrinologist to have some exams about my hormones, I really wish you feel better now, I want to know after one year how do you feel!!

Best wishes,
Suzana

Does anyone still follow this thread? I stopped taking birth control about 2 months ago and I am currently going through very similar symptoms that everyone else has mentioned here. The one that really gets me is the burning/tingling sensations I am getting, primarily in my feet or legs. But I can also feel it in my scalp or arm or neck. Does anyone else have this burning/tingling in their feet? I wake up in the middle of the night with the bottom of my feet burning almost every night. I also do get the head pressure, dizziness, etc.


I have seen several different doctors and specialists and so far no blood work, x-ray, or MRI (foot, ankle, brain, lower back, and neck) has shown anything abnormal. Blood work is normal, no diabetes, etc. I feel like I am going absolutely crazy. A vascular surgeon says I could have some chronic pain condition and I am scared. I am really, really scared.

I am just looking for some support from someone who might understand. I'm only 27 and have always been a healthy person - very active, eat right, take vitamins, no health issues.

Hi Emily,

Thank you for your message. I am currently going through all of these scary symptoms, and it's been about 11 months now with absolutely no answers and just feeling worse. I am thinking it could be hormone related since a month before all this started, I got off of birth control. Just curious, how did you change your diet? Anything specific to avoid? Thanks in advance. :)

I have been going through a lot of the same symptoms as many of you the past few months and would like to share my story as well. Hopefully it will help someone out there and we can figure this out together!

I had been on birth control for about 15 years. I was on different kinds over the years but after being on Junel for a few years I was getting dizziness/anxiety a week before my period all the time. My OBGYN switched me to Ortho Tri  Cyclen Lo in December 2017 which I had been on before in the past. I had some headaches when I switched but in March 2018 I started getting really bad anxiety. I didn’t know where it was coming from and one night I had a full blown panic attack. Shaking on the floor I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital. Luckily I had a xanax so I took that and went to sleep. The next day I was in a complete fog. I figured it was from the panic attack and would pass in a day or so. Well it didn’t. I started to freak out that something else was wrong with me. I went to my regular dr who took blood work. My liver enzymes and cholesterol were a little high. Very weird because I don’t drink alcohol and am 32 year old healthy woman. I have researched and thought I had things like you all mentioned like MS, brain tumor, etc. My dr sent me to get a CT scan of my head and sonogram of my liver, kidneys, etc..everything came back normal. In the beginning of April 2018 I decided to call my OBGYN to tell her I had anxiety/panic attack and was still in a fog. She told me to stop the birth control at the end of the pack (which was in a week) and to see her in 2 months to see if I feel better.

It is now June 3rd 2018 and I still feel like I am in a brain fog everyday. Some days are worse than others but I haven’t felt clear headed since that panic attack i had in the middle of March. I stopped taking the birth control on April 5th so it has been 2 months now being completely off of it. My other symptoms are headaches many evenings which Advil usually helps for. I was also getting very itchy feet and head last month which pretty much went away now. That was weird because I had no dry skin on my heels but they just felt tingly and itchy. I read other women on here have had tingly/itchiness so I guess it’s from the BC withdrawal. Another weird symptom was burning eyes. I had to buy dry eye drops which helped a lot and that symptom seems to be fading but last month it was like every morning I could barely open my eyes. I also forgot to mention I have had 2 normal periods since coming off...which was a surprise considering my hormones are all out of whack. Another fun fact is I started to get acne on my face more but i started using oil absorbing sheets because my face was pouring out oil which was causing my chin and tzone to break out.

I can deal with the headaches, burning eyes, itchiness, acne but this daily brain fog like Shyla also mentioned is very scary! It’s like I’m in a dream and every day is groundhog day and I can’t get out of it. Luckily I have my husband and angel of a mother who listen to my complaints of it everyday. I have read this can be from anxiety but I know what anxiety feels like and this is different. I am not anxious and just want this to go away! 

Whether the brain fog is from anxiety due to coming off the pill and it’s my hormones adjusting themselves back to “normal” I am trying to get through each day as positive as possible. I started taking a women’s multivitamin and fish oil a few months ago. The fish oil helped another symptom I had which was cold hands/feet. It was like my thyroid wasn’t working properly but the tests came out that my thyroid was fine. 

Sorry there is so much but I don’t want to forget anything. I had my dr test my blood again and vitamin levels. My cholesterol went down a lot and my liver enzymes were  normal again. Now my vitamin D was low which I read could happen when coming off BC. I started taking vitamin D3 but can only take it some days as I think it makes my headaches worse. 

I am so happy I finally wrote to all you lovely ladies going through some of the same c**p as me. I had been reading through your posts for the past few months   and it has helped me get through some of my worst days. I hope someone will read this one day and it will help them too. It seems that hormones control a lot more then we think and can make you think something is really wrong with you. I will post again soon to update everyone but my next step is to talk to my OBGYN at the end of June and see if she has any advice to get my hormones back in order. Shyla mentioned taking Omega Healthy Hormones so I may order them and see how I feel after a few weeks. Anyone who has any advice or questions please feel free to post! Thanks again and good luck to everyone! 

Hi. My name is Becca.I was on nexplanon for 9 years and nuva ring for 1 year but on and off also while I had nexplanon. I have been watching this thread for 6 months now and it is the only thing keeping me semi stable. My symptoms started 3 minus in (January 2018) I felt like I was crawling out of my skin. I was tingling and shaking and my anxiety was through the roof... The floresent light felt like it was burning through my skin.. I was also having sinus issues and head pressure and tingling like something was crawling on me. I went to the ENT and got and MRI and ran all blood tests and got my hormones tested. Everything came back normal..My hormones tested 0.04 for progesterone. Honestly, I have not found any doctors thus far to test properly. I am guessimg tho my body is having trouble producing progesterone.I am seeing a naturopath who has me on estrofactor and minerals to flush out bad estrogen . I thought I was doing better until One month ago(month 7) I had several SEVERE panic attacks and landed in the ER. So scary. Now I am also back to having nerve pain in my feet legs armd and hands. I am having a hard time sleeping. I eat an anti inflammatory diet with no gluten or dairy or soy and this is still so defeating. I saw the doctor today and he wants me to start on prozac... For pmdd until I balance out. Has anyone tried prozac 20 mg? I am going to a natural medicime place to get my neurtransmitters and 4 point cortisol levels checks and a saliva hormone test so I am praying that will help guide me through this hell. My periods have been irregular but coming every month. The last one was super painful.I want everyone to know you are not alone. Doctors will write you off as crazy and just remember you are NOT!I appreciate you all so much but it makes me so sad that so many of us suffer so much without warning.How is that even legal.:( Lets keep in touch.

Also, the dry eye thing has been huge and itchy feet and skin as you descibe Ria. :( You are 100% right about hormones controlling a lot. It is so hard to find a doctor that will work with you and understand that. I have seen many OBGYNs and they do not know how to deal with any of this. It is so frustrating. So, I also forgot to mention my testosterone on the solle pella test came back low(41) Normal range in 70. But I feel like my addrenals and pituitary and thyroid are all exhausted even tho they may come up in "normal " range does not mean they are. The heailing process on this is so brutal. As other people stated on here OCD on Google and basically becoming a hypochondriac is also something im dealing with. I am working really hard to strengthen my mind. I dont know about you guys but my brain in my #1 enemy right now. :/ Hang in there everyone. When I figure out something that is really helping. I promise to post.

Michelle. You are not alone.I'm 26. I am on month 8 being off nexplanon(was on it 9 years nuva rimg 1 year). I got the tingling in my legs feet and arms month 3 along with the head tingling. I thought it was over but now month 8 and it has returned and it is terrible. I am 7 days before my period. But my knees started feeling weak 3 weeks ago. It is all so frustrating. You think it is gone and it comes back at full force :( How are you ?

Hi Becca! Thanks for posting your story. It is crazy that doctors seem to not know much about this and blame it all on anxiety. Well, I have had anxiety and there were usually reasons why it came and went. This is anxiety that just comes for no reason. I was prescribed a low dose of alprazolam (xanax) for the anxiety and weird head pressure. It definitely helps but I don’t want to get addicted so I am only taking a 1/2 a .25mg pill every other day now.
I get headaches/head pressure almost every evening. It is so annoying but Advil helps. I also get neck pain with tingling down my neck and shoulder.
I agree with your mind being your #1 enemy right now. Dealing with all of this does feel very defeating but just remind yourself it is just your hormones balancing out and you will get better and better as the days go on. I have to remind myself too! I am seeing my OBGYN at the end of this month but I am betting she won’t be of much help. It’s crazy they don’t warn women about how birth control can mess with your hormones, body and mind. I would have never went on the pill! But people have said it can take up to a year to feel better. You are almost there! I am only 2 months in. Hang in there and keep us posted!

Hi Ria ^^I 100 % understand what you mean about the anxiety... It is so terrible. I went to my favorite place in the world two weeks ago.. Had off two weeks.. And I just had severe panic attacks the whole trip :( Then we got back and I went to the ER.. Ive been in that dreamstate you were referring to ever since:( Its like we are going off a controlled substance.. So messed up . Xanax is probably the only thing that helps right now!It does suck how quickly your body gets addicted to that stuff because it helps so nicely with sleep! Oh my goodness.. I was getting the neck tingling today during work... At like 1pm I contemplated checking myself into the hospital... It drives me INSANE. Thank god for this forum.

Hello! Thanks for your post! How long have you been off birth control? Sorry about your trip..that sucks. My husband is saying let’s just go on vacation and you will feel so much better and I’m thinking i’m not going to be able to enjoy anything feeling like this. The dream state is HORRIBLE! Sometimes I don’t know if I’m getting better or getting used to feeling this way. It really is like coming off a controlled substance but it’s insane how long it takes for your hormones to regulate. I know sometimes I want to go to the hospital too but I’m almost giving up on Dr.’s with this problem because no one seems to understand. This forum is better than my Dr. lol Stay strong and keep posting!

Hi ^·^ So, anyone on here with anxiety and panic attacks try : Holy Basil. It is amazing.. Organic india Tulsi Tea ginger tummeric. I notice it is the only thing that keeps me happy and calm at work. I also just purchased GAIA adrenal health balance and nightly restore. Also, the vitrex from Gaia.I will update in a week. Just wanted to share what is working. Hope everyone is having a good friday. We got this !This is Becca Btw :)

Hi Ria this is and was Becca(who posted about the trip anxiety as well) You should def go on vacation ^·^ Where are you guys gonna go?Bring some Tulsi tea and a holy basil supplement . I wish I would of had some on vacation.So, our adrenals are also probably super tired from coming off Birth control . All I know is it def helps me. Gaia has a nightly restore adrenal that I took before bed and slept SO GOOD. It was amazing. You are 100% right about DRs they do not understand at all. I am going to discontinue seeing my nathopath as well because I think I know what my body needs now. Birth control messes up the balance in our bodies. We have to re balance each part. It takes time but we got this ^´^

Hi Becca! Oh ok I wasn’t sure if it was you or someone else. I am from NY so my husband and I like to go to Florida after the summer but we may go to Virginia beach this year. Where are you from? I will definitely buy some Holy Basil and tulsi tea. I heard of Holy Basil but didn’t know what it was for. Also, the adrenal health nightly restore sounds good too. Let me know how it works. Everyone also talks about Maca. Have you ever tried that? Another thing I did to help with anxiety is I stopped drinking caffeine. I LOVE coffee too and feel tired a lot but it’s better than getting the racing heart and worrying about it. Keep me posted and have a nice weekend!