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

One more thing I was going to mention :) Candida overgrowth is also something ive been looking into . My bf and I are doing a no sugar diet for a few weeks to see if that helps.

Hey Becca! How have you been feeling this past week? I still have the brain fog but some days are less noticeable than others. I haven’t had much trouble sleeping but I sometimes take a little piece of xanax which helps with that. My headaches are less frequent but last night I kept getting a sharp knife pain in my temple but it was on and off for a few hours. Probably a migraine. Did you get the neurotransmitter test back yet? July 5th was just 3 months off BC for me. How long has it been for you now? No sugar is definitely a good idea. I have been gaining weight lately because I haven’t been working out or on a set diet. I definitely need to exercise more it’s just been so hot here I haven’t been in the mood. My anxiety has been manageable but I almost got a panic attack the other night and it scared the sh out of me. I was just sitting on the couch and out of no where I felt my heart pound and it felt weird. I just went a took a xanax and told myself i’m fine. It went away before the xanax even kicked in. It’s so scary when you don’t expect it and it just comes. I forgot if you told me but do you take any anti anxiety vitamins like St. john’s Wort? Anyways hope you are feeling better and I will talk to you soon!

Dear Ladies, my name is Hannah and I am from Germany. I'm 24 years old and my journey to come off hormonal birth control started 5 years ago. I started taking it when I was 14 and first discontinued when I was 20 but only for 3 month as I couldn't cope with the acute Acne onset. I went straight back on the pill (yaz). But the side effects that I hated it for came back: low mood, no motivation to move and no libido at all. I felt so numb as if I was unable to experience emotions but I still functioned very well in life. I remember a diary entry 3 month after I started taking the pill which said: where did my fire go? I feel like somebody blew out my inner candle everything is just so unspectacular. nothing was sad, nothing was happy ... Well after 6 month back on the pill after my first try to come off it I realized the acne will be something I have to go through in order to come off this sh*t. So I stopped the pill again. Im gonna take it short from here: I started to get all the symptoms described in this forum, especially the derealisation and brain fog. I ended up in a psychiatry where they put me back on a different pill. Without telling me its a stronger one estrogen wise. It blew me up like a balloon but it balanced my hormones out. I could return to my life and started university. After a year on that Pill I was like what the f**k I don't wanna be dependent on medication my whole life. So I started to work on my mental ability to cope with severe symptoms without going crazy - I meditated every friggin day. Once I felt strong enough I discontinued the pill. This time I looked like somebody put a pin into a balloon BOOOOM the estrogen overdose took its toll: I aged severely in just 3 month off the pill and was left with stretch marks all over as it just blew me up way to fast. Well a good thing I meditated that much ... I didn't end up in a psychiatry this time, but in a hospital. I was so severely fatigued and in so much pain all over my body, having diarrhea each day ... They found out my gut was basically ruined and I was allergic to almost anything I ate. My liver was screwed up as if I had been an alcoholic. The acne was my smallest issue. Ok I promised to keep it short: 2 years later, a microbiome transplant, strict diet, training plan, vitex, homeopathy, acupuncture, nature identical hormones to help my cycle ... I am back to my life. I still experience some brain fog but only a few times a month. I still get weird panful sensations in my joints and my skin looks like I am a teenage girl - but I couldn't call it acne anymore. My cycle is quite stable and I managed to grew boobs MYSELF - I think my estrogen kind of started to kick back in. I am left severely traumatized, scarred and in disbelieve why this is even legal to do to young women. There are no studies proofing it is save to give hormones to children of 14 years, no science looking at the effects of discontinuing it years later. Doctors deny the effect. Im glad I made it out alive and sane. Still not sure what to make of this experience though. I hope you all get better as well, you're strong, you're smart and you're the expert for your body so don't let anyone else tell you what normal should be for you. You deserve to be happy and healthy. All the best, Hannah

Hi Clare I've been going through all the same symptoms. Having tingling sensations and my vision being not as clear. I've had an MRI and all came back normal. It's been almost 3 months off bc and with everyone else's posts it looks like it's just going to take time. I too have gone crazy googling my symptoms and thinking I have MS. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone in this. Mandy

Hi Hannah. Thanks for sharing your experience. You have went through so much and I am happy to hear you are back to a somewhat normal life. I am 3 months off BC and still feel brain fog everyday, derealization, fatigue, acne, headaches...etc. It is so scary and I just want to return to my “normal” self again. I keep thinking maybe there is something wrong with me still. You said your liver was screwed up as if you had been an alcoholic. My blood work came out a few times with high liver enzymes and the Dr asked me if I drank a lot or took a lot of tylenol but neither apply to me. I would have maybe a glass of wine every month and now nothing for months bc of this. I even stopped drinking caffeine bc I was getting anxiety from it and rapid heartbeat. I wish I could have a cup of regular coffee again since I’m always tired and out of it. Do you have any suggestions to improve the brain fog? I have Vitex but but didn’t take it yet thinking it would mess me up more. I take a women’s multivitamin and omega 3 fish oil everyday. No big improvement on the brain fog though. Thanks for your knowledge and encouragement.

Hi Mandy. I am also 3 months off and still experiencing symptoms. When you say your vision isn’t as clear do you feel like you’re in a brain fog or out of it? That’s my worst symptom still and it gets worse around my period. I was like you googling everything and freaking out thinking I had every disease in the world. I have since stopped and just try to let time heal this. I have been to the Dr so much about it and now for the past month or so just have been trying to wait it out. I know I won’t be going on hormonal BC ever again!! I hope you will be feeling better soon! -Ria

Hi Ria, my vision has been one of the most annoying symptoms. I've gone to my eye doctor and an opthalmologist and they say my eyes are healthy. My eye doctor said the focusing muscle in my eyes are not as strong, which is why my vision isn't super clear, a bit blurry. I still have quite a bit of doctors appointments (for tingling sensations and hematologist ) still, which I'm already tired of appointments. Hearing everyone's stories on here has given me hope to just stay strong and hope that these symptoms will start to subside. I wish you all the best with all of this too. Mandy

Hello. I just wanted to give a quick update. I am now a little over 4 months off and I am having horrible headaches/migraines. They started last week before my period and I am 3 days into my period and they are still lingering. I take advil or Tylenol and nothing seems to really work! I went to my regular Dr a few days ago who is now going to test my hormone levels and vitamin D with blood work. Anyone who is feeling this have any tips or advice? Thanks and I hope you are all feeling better than me! Hey Mandy, any updates with your appointments?

APRIL PERIOD WAS 12-19.
HAD UNPROTECTED SEX - APRIL 30th, which acc to my ovulation calendar, is my most fertile day. Forgot to use condom or contraceptive, sex lasted with withdrawal & I had orgasm.

DUE TO PANIC, I took ECP 5 days after sex. (I heard ecp works effectively 5 days and below after sex) So it was May 4th, I took 4 active pills in the morning and after 12 hours another 4 active pills.

HAD PERIOD FOR MONTH OF MAY.
It was May 14-21 exactly as i have expected it.

NO PERIOD FOR MONTH OF JUNE. Tested 1st pregnancy test last June 22, it was negative.

NO PERIOD AGAIN FOR MONTH OF JULY. Tested July 26th, negative. Again I took test again July 27th, negative also. All urines were first morning urines.

HAD NO SIGNS OF EARLY PREGNANCY, my body is normal and NOT experiencing any signs like vomitting, morning sickness etc.

JULY 27th, TOOK MY 1st PILL OF BIRTH CONTROL, hoping to correct my cycle. I'm taking them everyday at 10:30am.

AUGUST 7th, took again pregnancy test, negative result.
AUGUST 8th, took test again, also negative.

Are there chances that i'm pregnant? Or just because of the pills, that may have messed up the cycle?

Hi Rhobbie. I don’t think you’re pregnant because of all the negative tests. I think the pills def messed up your cycle. So May was your last period? and you have never skipped periods like this before right? You should get a period at the end of this month. Hopefully you will be back to normal soon!

Yes i never skipped periods like these before i'm so worried that i may be pregnant. I miss my period so bad and yes May 14-21 was my last period and April 30th is my last sex since then. June and july no period, still hoping this month can come.

Well if April was the last time you had sex and you had a period in May there is no way you could be pregnant. Especially a long 8 day period like you had. Plus if you were 4 months pregnant you would have some symptoms by now...like nasua or breast tenderness. Hang in there and stop worrying and it will come!

I wish it would come by the end of this month. Yes ur correct no symptoms of any. But last Aug 15 i had very very severe stomach pain which lasted 30 mins and that was the 1st time i had experienced my stomach to ache like that before it was very very hurting for me like i'm gonna have my period but still waiting until now.. i'm on my 23rd pills and hopefull if i get to finish the 28th pill which is the last, then i may have period hopefully

Yes when I was on the pill I would always get my period a day or 2 after finishing the pack. 5 days left!

Hello everyone! Flow here! I’ve posted previously in this thread and I am giving an update on how I am since I stopped BC. It’s been over 4 months since I stopped, and to summarize everything - symptoms does get better. I could say I am not completely okay, but I guess I am getting there.

Just to give everyone reading this, here’s a summary of what happened to me the past 4 months:
Month 1 - lack of energy (couldnt drag myself out of bed), upper back pain, dizziness, blurred vision, headache (the tension type one where the aches transfer from one part of the head to another, as if there’s some sort of pressure or what), insomnia, anxiety and anxiety symptoms (brain fog, palpitations, chest tightness, difficulty of breathing, hot flashes)

Month 2 - all of the symptoms still present but at a lesser extent, tried several supplements such as magnesium (which worked for the insomnia and anxiety), high dose B - complex which helped with the headaches (no more headaches after taking this on a regular basis, and evening primrose oil)

Month 3 - Headache and pressure gone, dizziness diminished, energy levels restored, back pain gone, anxiety and anxiety symptoms present but at a lesser extent, but experienced GI issues such as constipation, bloatedness, and air.

Month 4 - All of the symptoms subsided except that I missed my period for 8 weeks now (I had a period in month 1 and 2) though, and have intermittent periods of spotting during the time of ovulation an during period of menstruation but no menstrual flow.

This past 4 months have been a great struggle for me - mind you i think I have consulted a lot of specialists and have undergone different procedures because of the multitude of symptoms i have felt not to mention the amount of money I had to spend for procedures and the doctors. I have never felt so sick in my life to the point that I was convinced I was dying, up until now — I still think that I have a severe medical condition of some sort - MS, brain tumor, colon cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer... It is frustrating especially if I look up the symptoms online. I have gone through nights of crying and lamenting... but now at a lesser extent. So i would say it does get better.

Majority of the symptoms have gone away or lessened but right now what’s bothering me is the spotting which happens right after a bowel movement, and the missed period (not pregnant).

Has anyone experienced the same spotting issues and GI issues after stopping the pill?
Would appreciate some light from BCP survivors here.

Message me if you have inquiries as well.

Thank you!