Good afternoon! It’s another hot one here. Spent the morning doing more cleaning out and lifting, and I may run later this evening before Glee!
Ok, I am sure you are curious about the title of this post, so here you go! I have been on birth control pills since I started college for reasons not even related to birth control. I had horrible cramps and acne, and it seemed to help for awhile. Over the years I have been on 5, yes 5 different birth control pills. I switched so often because they would give me emotional problems like anxiety, moodiness, and I would be just plain mean sometimes. Anyway, my most recent pill I have been on maybe 3 years, is Yaz. I am sure you have seen the TV commercials saying it is dangerous, etc. etc.
Well, a few weeks ago I was in a particularly bad mood so for some reason I decided to do some research on my pill. It was like a light went off, a revelation, I was having SO MANY side effects I would never have thought would be attributed to a birth control pill! Here are a list of my side effects. *Please note I am not a doctor, and some of these side effects may not really be from the pill but these are things that have come on SINCE I have been taking yaz:
-racing heart
-shortness of breath
-anxiety
-weight gain
-eye astigmatism
-post nasal drip (constantly)
-ear fullness (feeling like they need to pop)
-short temper/anger
-other sinus issues
-swollen ankles
-losing of my hair
-fatigue
and this is just off the top of my head folks! I cannot believe I have been poisoning my body all these years! I do realize some people need to be on the pill for medical reasons but for someone like me who does not, I felt no need to keep living like this! I have been off the pill for 3 weeks and let me just say I feel SO MUCH BETTER! Most of my emotional symptoms have gone away and I am generally happier. The ear fullness and some of the post nasal stuff has gone away, as well as the racing heart. I am sill losing my hair and have shortness of breath as well as fatigue, but from everything I read it may take awhile for my body to get back to normal. I feel like a new woman!
What really helped me was this website I found: Yaz and Yasmin Survivors. If you think you may be having debilitating symptoms like I was please go check it out! I feel like doing this is just one more way I can be good to my body, be more healthy and much more happy! Looking back I can’t believe I was living like that! I guess I just got so used to it that I thought that was how I was supposed to feel. Now I feel FFFRRREEEE!
**These are my opinions and opinions ONLY on BC pills!**
Once again I will leave you with a couple pictures from our trip:
QOTD: What are your thoughts on birth control pills? Do you have side effects?
Heather,
I just recently (like 2 months ago) decided to get off the pill for good. I got on it in college to help with some problems I was having with my periods. I pretty much had to switch every few months because of the awful migraines I started getting. After my second daughter was born, I got back on them for a few months and had terrible migraines, so I asked my doctor for another option. I was told to try the NuvaRing…was on it 3 weeks when I realized that ANY artificial hormone like that that I put in my body was going to cause the awful side effects for me. My husband and I have researched and found lots of suitable birth control alternatives for us. I’m still slowly on the mend…migraines are much better but lack of energy and other crazy symptoms are still hanging around. I hope you continue to feel better!
I know people who have suffered from KILLER migrains while on and after taking BC pills. I hope yours get better!
I was on both Yaz and Yasmin for about 2 years combined and it was not a good experience for me. I was having crazy mood swings, anxiety, depression, etc. You name it, I had it. I went off of them (best decision ever) and took about a year off. Once I felt back to normal, I started ortho tri cyclen lo and it was a great move for me. Sometimes I wonder if certain moodiness can be attributed to BC, but its so minimal now that I can live with it!
lol! I was on ortho tricyclen for awhile too, and I honestly just think my body does not like BC pills! hope it works for you!
I know 2 friends who have had blood clots from yaz so I’m glad you’re off of it! I really hate medicine and try to stay off of everything from BC to pain meds. Putting hormones and chemicals in your body can never be good! I’ve even read it can increase your risk of breast cancer if you stay on it for several years. So I’m just not a fan, unless it is absolutely medically necessary, of taking any kind of medication.
the blood clot and stroke issue is what really made me nervous, healthy girls just having strokes or going numb, so sad/scary!
I have a post brewing about this, too. I just went off BC last week–first time in TEN years I am free of all of those awful poisons! I have really bad endo, and my doctors have always told me: get pregnant or go on the pill. Well, we are finally at a stage where pregnancy would be an acceptable option so we took the jump. My mom nearly died after having a stroke at age 50. She ran 3-5 miles daily and is 125lbs and 5’7….completely healthy by all standards. The only thing the docs can attribute her stroke to? The replacement hormone therapy she was on for 20 years after her hysterectomy at age 30. Scary to think that I just spent ten years pumping my body full of similar chemicals!!
thats crazy about your mom, it’s the stuff like that that I read that really scared me!
I am ethically opposed to hormonal birth control. I didn’t realize this until I started researching a couple of years ago. I was experiencing symptoms and wanted a new option. In my research, I discovered that I morally disagree with how it works. I wrote on my blog about it. Let me know if you want the link. 🙂
I would love to see!
I’ve had co-workers and friends who have had problems, but I’ve loved my BC since I first went on it. I haven’t had any problems and it has helped immensly with my periods. Although I have gained a little weight, I haven’t had any side effects to warrant my going off of it.
It is surprising how many side effects you were experiencing. I don’t know if I would have thought to put those two together either. I’m glad that you made a healthy decision for you and are happy with it.
I was on yaz for a year or two before I had the major side effects, and thats a common thing I have been reading that a lot of ppl’s haven’t come till later. I LOVED the pill the first year I was on it. Of course I had the usual moodiness and weght gain but the other weird stuff wasn’t till later, so be careful!
Wow that is great! Glad to hear you are off and feeling great! I just quit BC about 3 weeks ago as well! That is crazy! I started it when I got married 3 years ago because my mother in law was adamant that I do it (GRRR!)she’s a nurse, etc. etc. and therefore my husband thought that was the best way to go. I have always had reservations about BC and was never 100% happy with it but decided to be a “submissive” wife. Well lately my mother in law has been really bossy to my hubby and I and I thought, hey I don’t have to do all this crap she wants me to do, and I’ll first start with getting off BC!!! So I am so happy about it and not having the side effects (swollen ankles, retaining water, etc) and don’t know why I didn’t get off sooner! 🙂
HILARIOUS! so do you feel like your side effects are going away now? I feel so much better and happier!
I also went off the pill permanently. I have been off since January and I am happy with the decision. I was also experiencing some adverse side effects. Now the only problem I have is 1-2 days of severe cramps which is better than the side effects I was experiencing.
I totally agree! so worth it!
I was on yaz for maybe a few weeks before I had to change. It messed with my heart too much and cycle.
my heart would go crazy! I would be sitting watching TV and it would start racing, it was scary.
I’ve been hearing this so much lately and I’m jealous. I’ve been married two years and while my husband is still in grad school and we’re reliant on my income for at least another year, pregnancy wouldn’t be the end of the world. I would also like to start the Take Charge of Your Fertility method.
However (I feel so silly saying this) I am running my first marathon in February and I think I’m going to stay on the pill until then. What if I have my period naturally the week of the race?! Is that a ridiculous worry?!
I thought about that actually…as I am of course running my first one in jan. I figure 1.)I have a good chance I WONT be on it
2.)if I am, I just deal with it like most of the other women out there do. it not worht it to put those chemicals in my body anymore!
I’m 25 and have never been on birth control. Ever. Just the thought of putting those kinds of chemicals in my body…. yeah, no. I’ve had so many people have side effects and who knows what the effects are going to be 10, 20 or even 30 years down the road with these relatively “new” methods of birth control. We simply don’t know because there are no tests out there.
I feel like nothing else was ever really presented to me. We don’t have maternity insurance so I was always petrified of getting pregnant and felt like it as the only way to avoid it, but there are other ways!
I’ve been on BC for about 3 years, but I intend to go off next month! The BC has been giving me insanely dry eys since I started it. So no more! I’m thinking of getting the IUD called paraguard. It has no hormones..it’s simply an IUD.
I have had dry eyes, too! not too terribly bad but noticable. that is one of yaz’s side effects. so weird! GL!
I was on the pill in high school for, like you said things not related to actual birth control (I had terrible, long periods and cramps that literally kept me home from school), but I got off in college because I just wanted to try without it and I felt like it was bad for my anxiety, ect.
When Peyton and I got married, we decided to not use oral contraceptives because we didn’t feel like they fit with our pro-life ideology. I would have never really known the actual mechanisms of BC (one is preventing implantation) if Peyton weren’t a pharmacist, but it was unsettling to us. We took the Natural Family Planning route and of course, that was one big FAIL (from a worldly point of view), but we’ve learned how to make it work and our biggest surprise turned out to be our biggest blessing!
lol about the fail! I always wondered what happened with yall. I was hoping you weren’t on the pill and still managed to get pregnant! (one of my biggest fears!) I had the awful cramps, too. I would rather have that though then the dumb pill. I feel like it was shoved in my face as my only option you know?
Thanks for sharing! I will Google my birth control pill and see if that gives me some answers!
you should! there is info out there for the finding!
I’m not sure how I feel about the pill honestly. I know it helped keep my PCOS in check, but it also “hid” my PCOS symptoms from me so I didn’t know I had a problem until I went off the pill.
But I am very glad you feel better 🙂
thanks Jen! it’s like a double edged sword!
I tried BCP twice and both times I went off after only 3-4 months. They did not treat me well so my husband and I mutually decided they were no good. I believe they are extremely unnatural and especially for women with lower body weights, we can experience heightened side effects. My gyno told me that. I felt like I was CRAZY when I was on Yaz. I was extremely moody and emotional. It wasn’t good. I’m glad you were able to realize they were no good for you either!!
OMG I felt so crazy and out of control and I KNEW it wasn’t “me” it was like having an outof body experience!
I was on BC for 10 years, and got off last October. My body still isn’t normal yet. All docs say it has nothing to do with the pill, but I know I’ll never touch ’em again!
ug how all the dr.’s defend the pill. I am going next month and I know she is going to do the same thing.
I was on bc for almost 10 years- started when I was 16 for horrible horrible periods. I never really gave them a second thought because I was on them so long, but when I had a lapse in insurance I went off them for a little bit and was amazed at how many of my “problems” were from the pills! I decided it was more worth it to deal with the couple days of horrendousness of debilitating cramps than constantly be affected by the pills. Glad you’re feeling better!
exactly! I have horrible cramps too, but I can deal with it for a day or two to not have to live my life the way I was!
I know what you mean!! I haven’t been on birth control in about 5 years.. which is probably why I have 2 children under the age of 4. BUT, I just started Nuvaring and haven’t had any of the moodiness or other side effects like the BC pills do. 🙂
lol! we are not ready for babies so we are being careful!
i’m a nuvaring user too. i don’t feel that i’ve had any side effects from it at this time.
i have thyroid disease and was diagnosed at age 24, now i am about to be 42. an unbalanced thyroid can cause a number of issues with your body which include tiredness.
love reading all the comments and such a wonderful topic!
thanks for reading! I have heard a lot of ppl ae now switching to nuvaring
Love all of your pics!!!!
I do have some of those issues you discussed with your BC and never thought they could be related to BC. I’ll have to look into that! Thanks for the insight!
I totally never would have linked my pill to eyesight or nasal issues, but it makes so much sense now!
wow, that is horrible and really scarey! I’ve never taken BC before and have no plans to. Ryan is super against BC pills because he has seen the commericals and he is afraid i will die if i take it. I try to avoid all things unnatural whenever possible so I don’t even think I’ll ever take BC pills. Maybe this is why there are so many moody women out there? All those side effects sound awful, makes you wonder which is better, bad cramps or that list. wow, good for you for bringing this up and i’m glad you are feeling better!
great pictures!
haha good point about moody women! I am hoping I won’t have to ever take it again.
Just now seeing this post! LOVE the pictures…so cute! And yeah, you know how I feel about birth control pills! LOL :0)
oh the pills…we were talking about it again today how my mood has changed!
So I have been off BC for about 10 years…now that DD7 and DS5 are here, and we have decided we are all done, I am looking to go back on.
What are the good pills out there right now for BC, if any? It’s been almost 10 yrs since I have taken the pill.
And on another note – you are teasing with those trip photos. I wld love to hear all the details! 🙂
a lot of ppl have had minimal side effects with IUD’s, if I had already had kids I would probbaly give that a try, nuva ring has worked for a lot of ppl
Loved reading this and all the follow up comments. I went on birth control early in my college career to help with a chemical imbalance. When I decided to go off birth control nearly 2 years ago (wanted to get the chemical out of my body) I was amazed at how many little things had changed. I just thought it was normal for me to be like xyz when in reality, that was the birth control. Anyway, so glad I went off of it and really wish I had known more about it once we got married. I had no idea that my BC could prevent implantation. Being pro-life, that really shook me when I found out. If I hadn’t gone off BC before knowing that, I sure would’ve once I found out. Anyway, thanks for sharing this, girl! 🙂
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Hi heather, i stumbled across your blog as ive been researching about coming off the pill. I completely agree about worrying side effects while on it! I took levlen for 3 months then norimin for 10 months and the time i have been on the pill has been horrible 🙁 crying almost everyday and feeling depressed for no reason, getting really irritated over nothing, and hair loss 🙁 iv decided to stop taking it and hopefully ill start to feel better and less depressed! I take it because two of my aunties have endo and its meant to help prevent it, but feeling unhappy all the time when life is great is not worth it! Particularly as im at law school, i need to be able to concentrate!
Hello,
I am on Cyclen. I notice that I am tired and have bad mood swings at times. This could be because of the BC but also because I don’t have a healthy sleep schedule, etc. I was wondering though, I get colds often (like every month and a half). On my BC sheet it says some side effects reported by women taking BC in general are upper respiratory tract infections (colds, sore throats, bronchitis, etc.). Has anyone else here experienced getting sick more often?? My eating habits and sleeping habits could contribute but I’ve had the same habits since highschool and during highschool I didn’t get sick as often (maybe every 3-4 months) but now I can’t seem to go even 2 months without a cold. I have never been tested for allergies so I am going to do that to see if maybe I have an allergy.
Have you had your ferritin levels checked (body’s stored iron)? My dr said that the level should be above 70 for healthy hair growth. I was losing hair and had my level checked. I was at an 8. I started taking an iron supplement which has helped. You have to ask for the ferritin level test. It’s not a standard test. 🙂
I am a cnm(nurse midwife) and love Nuva Ring…btw, do you have any specials on Disney cruises wanna surprise the family
and have too many people to use only my DVC points….
Let me know,
Cathi
Disney very rarely releases discounts on cruises. sometimes they ahve kids sail free but thats about it. But with Disney cruises, the earlier you book the better as prices tend to go up as it gets closer. Also try booking at value times of year like september/october, January/feb, not around holidays or in summer.