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

Hi Maria, firstly know you will feel better again! I was in such a state when I came off BC, the anxiety was scary as well as the physical symptoms. I am now 9 months off, and it does get better. PCOS is also going to make your situation more of a process as the hormones associated to PCOS as well as the BC will be throwing you all out of whack, it may take a few months + to get everything balanced. I have been and paid for every test, DR under the sun and as time passed and the results all came back positive I became less stressed and worried. You are on the right track, the first thing I would have recommended was an endocrinologist as well as a naturopath. I would say do more research on PCOS and visit and discuss your situation with forums/groups people in the same boat can give you a lot of relief and suggestions. Please know it will get better, I never thought I would see the old me again and finally after 9 months I am slowly getting there, it took it's sweet arse time but I do feel "normal" and you will too.

Hello! Thanks for responding!
I actually had to go into the bathroom at work and cry when I saw you're response! Its more of a what a relief someone can relate me
doctors think its all anxiety but I know deep down its not! I am getting anxiety because I dont know what is wrong with me and want this all to stop!! I have made it worse by googling my symptoms I have made myself believe I am dying! :( so far I have diagnosed myself with ALS or MS and I know I wont feel better until I get all the results back
now is just the waiting game
I go to work and I cannot concentrate! I keep googling my symptoms and then I tire my brain out from it and go straight home and sleep. I am a fitness competitor and I train 7 days a week but I just cannot push myself to even go to the gym! I just want to sleep because I am terrified to stay awake
My whole body is twitching which does not help this at all!
I never had any of this until I started the birth control again! .. I knew in the back of my mind I should have never touched them again but if anyone had the bad skin I was dealing with I think they would of done the same

thank you again for responding!!

I was the exact same I saw an TV Ad for ALS and went into hysteria, also via google thought MS, I think it is the unknown that is the most frightening. Please know every Dr I have spoken to and seen and I can count 5-7 all said BC would not cause this......................the only person who empathized with me was the Naturopath. I believe 100% with every fibre in my body that coming off the BC after 11+ years is what created my issues, within 3-4 weeks of stopping all my issues begun and it has been a process ever since. I have a friend who has PCOS and she found great help in finding forums and chat groups who understand. I had panic attacks for 6 weeks after my first period when I have NEVER suffered even mild anxiety in my life.......yet no DR will agree that coming off BC could have created this. The only thing I changed was BC?? My greatest concern is that the BC is handed out like lollies and we just trust our DRs I educate all my friends on my situation and implore them to be very cautious and understand that stopping the body from what it is meant to do natural every month will and does lead to health issues, some big, some small. All we have to do is look at the infertility rate it lines up with the rise of BC, we are the biggest guinea pigs for pharmaceutical companies. I found this forum when I was in great need and the girls who started it Emily and Megan helped my immensely, you are not alone, continue down the path of testing as it will give you comfort as the days and test go on and they come back all ok, this is what gave me hope and helped me relax and understand the body is a crazy thing and an emotional issue can create a physical action, mine was tingles in my left side, mostly arm and face to begin with and now I very rarely get it in my left forearm. Time will heal your anxiety, when you are getting caught up in it, STOP remove yourself from Google and go for a walk or watch a favorite show. This is what got me through the first 6-8 weeks, my husband was amazing he knew I was on Google and would tell me to stop. You will come out the other end of this. Happy to offer some relief. SHRUBO

My doctor looks at me funny when I mention the pill that has caused these issues! They can be soo darn useless these days! Got a headache - take panadol, got a sore throat - take antibiotics ..got acne - take the pill!
all they prescribed me is medication! I am done with prescription medicine natural is the way to go and the naturopath I am seeing is pointing me in the right direction.
it breaks my heart to hear of all these women who are having this experience with the pill
The pill is just a mask that is hiding all the underlying problems. Once you stop it all those issues that were there before will be waiting and by then the affect of coming off the pill has enhanced them much greater
if I never came off the pill I wouldn't of known I had PCOS. Which the Endrinocologist could not offer me anything for it besides going back on the pill! Makes me soo angry!
And yes you are right time does heal all and the only way I am going to get through this is once I keep getting test done and I am reassured. Anxiety and depression does tend to run in my family and I have experienced it many of times and the only way to overcome it is to be reassured
and the internet does NOT help at all!! The only good thing that came out of googling my symptoms was this site which I am grateful to you for responding :) god bless you and all
The other women who are going through this
god definitely made women stronger for a reason!
I will post back once I get my MRI results and see the neurologist next week.
Maria

Hi Maria,

I am sorry you, another woman, is going through this again. It does get better, but it definitely takes time. I'm still not 100% but getting there. My doctors told me it wasn't from the BC, which was totally BS. My husband keeps telling me that 'you know your body best' and definitely go with that instinct. Don't Google, WebMD it or anything else. I drove myself to crazy anxiety over and over again at work thinking I was dying too. Try to go for walks, enjoy the outdoors, eat well, get your sleep, (even if it is a lot!) and talk with your family and friends. I see an acupuncturist and receive Cranial Sacral Therapy at the same time. Go get a massage too. Get your energy moving and balanced, it's an investment in your health, no matter if people think it's frivolous/useless or whatnot. It has helped me. I have mentioned it before in previous posts, not sure if anyone has read it yet or not, but 'Taking Charge of Your Fertility' by Toni Weschler has helped me understand my cycle better. Also download the Kindara Fertility App to track your cycle. Once you have the tools and knowledge about your cycle you start to see patterns, when you get anxiety, headaches, fatigue, bloating, crankiness, good sleep, poor sleep, etc. Keep us posted! Feel better!

Hi Kate & Ladies
today I am much worse I didnt even get up for work. I may lose my job from this madness! Its soo bad! My anxiety is out the roof until I see the neurologist next week. I am only thinking the worst! I had to take a panadeine forte to go to sleep lastnight because I was shaking. I feel good sleeping then it hits me once I wake up!! My whole body starts to buzz and twitch and then the bad thoughts start happening and by the time you know it my heart is pounding and breathing gets weird! :'( I cant take it anymore honestly I feel that everything ive been working hard for this past year I am going to lose because of what's happening to me
I told my boyfriend to come see me on my lunch break yesterday and I just broke down and cried to him and I worried the c**p out of him

Can you ladies please tell me what kind of symptoms you have had

Maria

Hi Maria,
So sorry about today. You aren't alone! My symptoms were / are : exhaustion, headaches, stabbing pain in temple, tingling in temple, night sweats, anxiety, sore neck, heart palpitations, insomnia, I'm sure there are more that I can't think of at the moment. I had to get a low dose prescription for xanex. I hate taking meds but sometimes I absolutely need to. I can now recognize my anxiety attack symptoms and try to work through them but Sometimes I can't without meds. keep us posted

I'm not sure you're still checking this thread anymore-- if you are, I'd love an update on how you're feeling. Either way, just wanted to confirm that you're not alone in your symptoms. After going off combination birth control, I had crazy head pressure for 3-5 months, anxiety, and the feeling that life was never going to be normal again. I am an athletic healthy 20-something, so this wasn't something I was used to feeling. Fortunately, all of this subsided with time. It's not fun at all, but do know that it's not forever. Your body will find balance again eventually. At the time I was scared it was going to be permanent, but it wasn't. I am now going through it again after coming off the progesterone-only pill-- I thought this would be a better treatment, but unfortunately for me it hasn't been in the long run. Good luck.

Hello
Things feel like they are getting worse and then somethings get better. I am sick and tired of feeling this way. I have been going through hell ! I tried taking a particular antidepressant and omg it was so bad I thought that was it for me! Couldn't feel my tongue for 24 hours, the twitching got worse! My body was spasming and moving on its own. It was a really bad experience
ive had MRI's, nerve tests. Doctors are saying its anxiety disorder I dont know what to believe ! Before this mess all started I was a fit 25 year old athlete I am a fitness competitor and would train 7 days a week
now I am at home bed bound and almost jobless!
:( just keep praying that is all you can do!
I am sorry to hear what is happening with you
were you feeling any other symptoms?

Hi Maria,

I am sorry that you are going through all of this, but trust me I know exactly how you are feeling. For me it's been over a year now, and things are much much better I can guarantee. Last year I went through absolute hell. I had so many symptoms that I can't even count. I got worried about cancer, brain tumor, MS, hearth defect, you name it. I was trying to tell myself that it was all from the hormonal imbalance due to coming off the birth control, but how can you not get worried when your body is obviously telling you that something is wrong... Unfortunately there is no quick and easy solution. For me it was a long recovery (which is still going on) and not a steady one. There are ups and downs. You just need to hang in there. Acupuncture really helped me with anxiety. I was also on the verge of quitting my job and leaving everything, but I kept telling myself ok one more week, ok until the end of this month.. It is definitely a life changing experience and no one will understand you unless they go through the same thing. I felt really lonely; I was sharing it with my friends, but no one wants to hear you complain about your health 24/7. Fortunately my boyfriend has been so tolerant with me, more than I could ask for. I hope you also have some people around you who can listen to you and comfort you when you feel very anxious. I haven't been able to post in the longest time, but I will try to respond more regularly. So if you or anyone who is reading this post has any questions I'll do my best to answer them.

Best,

Emily

Hello all!

Ugh guys this has literally been a living hell for me and, from what I've been reading, all of you lovely ladies too. I'm so so scared. I went off my birth control pill at the end of Sept 2015 due to a whole range of awful symtoms and now I feel even worse! I felt so great last month for about 2 weeks but after my last period finished at the end of November I have felt awful. My anxiety has gotten so bad and I don't know what to do because I feel so trapped and scared like it'll never get better. I'm also terrified because I've been feeling really disassociated from myself- like really disassociated from my body, almost like an out of body experience or like I'm dreaming a lot when really I seem to be functioning as normal. Has anyone else had this? Everyone close to me says I'm so much more like myself than I was even 3 months ago which makes me so happy but this is really scaring me :(

Hi, I'm just wondering how everybody is doing. I was off birth control 1year and 1 month. I was suffering terrible chest pains for first few months, headaches and sinus infections, and then I got carpel tunnel symptoms first in one hand then in the two and I was freaking out but trying to hold it together. I did head MRI, blood test etcs. Anyway, I thought I was managing but clearly it was too much for me. Last week I was coming up to time for my period and day my period was due I got numbness in my left leg at work along with my arms. I broke down crying!! I went to get checked by doctor and was told everything seemed OK. Following day I had lots more bleeding than usual so I though maybe my period was finally back on track. Then day after I couldn't get out of bed. My anxiety levels was huge. My legs were numb. My sister took me to A&E and they ran tests and all ok. They suggested I go to doctor for anxiety meds until they get app for MRI again for me. I went to my own GP and told him for the 100th time that I thought it was all connected to coming off birth control. I told him everything fets worse around my period. He suggested I get back on the pill and take anxiety meds for a few days to see how it goes. I'm day 3 of the pill but I'm scared of being on it. I know I'm a mess, I took 2 days off work and I know there was no way I could have driven to work. I was in an awful state. I know I have anxiety-it started when I stopped the pill and couldn't find answers!!! I can't decide should I stop the pill straight away and only continue with anxiety meds or vice Versa. I know I need one of them. I'm a single mom and my daughters dad is visiting in few days from abroad and if he sees me like this I'm sure he'll think I'm not ok to mind my daughter. My doctor says that if my symptoms go away taking the pill then he will understand its hormonal and we'll look into coming off the pill in 3 months time. I just don't know what to do. Should I stop the pill now and take anxiety pill? Or do the experiment with birth control pill for a month so my GP believes me? I hate being on medication now because I feel this past year has made me more weary of taking any form of medication. I want to be Medicine free. It's been such a roller pasted. My family think I'm nuts. My younger sister went on birth control recently even though I told her not to. Half of me thinks that wouldn't it make them all believe me if she experienced the same issues but then I think I wouldn't wish that on her. It's awful. I don't know what to do. I know when I'm distracted I'm ok. I have a fear of being on my own as well so if I have company I'm grand. It's a full on nightmare. I was on yasminelle by the way for 6 years. I was perscribed Ovranette the other day. What's your opinions? Would greatly appreciate them.

HI, I'm just wondering how you are doing now? Any improvement? I'm going through something similar. Does it get better?

My issues have improved greatly I am 18 months on. I have had a baby in that time so my hormones have gone through the ringer. It did take over 10 months for my body to regulate after coming off of the pill. It was almost like a withdrawal and my body purging the drugs I have put in my system since I was 17. My biggest suggestion is to try and find something that curbs the anxiety. A hobby, exercise it was my savour. I also utilised natural supplements that help regulate hormonal issues.

Thank you so much for replying. It gives me hope. Congrats on your baby!! :)