For many women, hormonal contraception is an absolute hero. It gives you control over your menstrual cycle, can help minimise symptoms of hormonal conditions, and lets you decide when you want to fall pregnant.
Even if you've enjoyed using hormonal contraception, you might one day decide to come off it. A bit like when you started taking it, side effects are expected.
Reasons to come off hormonal contraceptives
Everyone’s health journey is different and what is right for some, may not be right for others. We can’t possibly list all the reasons for coming off hormonal birth control, but we can share 5 common ones.
Mood changes and side effects
When you first started your birth control, your doctor probably mentioned there might be side effects. For some women, these impact their daily lives — to the point where stopping medication is required.
Some of the top-reported symptoms include headaches, moodiness, weight gain, and changes in sexual desire. One study even investigated how likely these side effects were to mean a woman decided to stop taking the contraception [4].
Researchers found that headaches and moodiness made it more likely to stop in the first 3 months, while weight gain was a big factor in the first 6 months. This study didn’t find any strong link between sexual satisfaction and coming off hormonal birth control [4].
Changing contraceptive methods
Ultimately, hormonal birth control won't work for everyone but luckily, there are other contraceptive methods you can try.
Finding it hard to use
When it comes to oral contraceptives, believe it or not, one of the most frequent reasons women stop is because they find it hard to use them consistently [4][6]. Between running out, finding the right one with a doctor, and finding time to update your scripts — it’s not exactly a walk in the park.
For some women, swapping to a different method like injections or an implant is simply easier.
For health reasons
It’s not that common, but some women come off hormonal birth control for health reasons. There are certain conditions like high blood pressure, migraines or a heavy body weight which mean they are advised against using a method containing oestrogen [3].
In this case, they might swap to non-hormonal options such as a copper coil or diaphragm [3]. It’s important to assess any health conditions or risks with your doctor who can offer personalised advice for your situation.
To fall pregnant
There’s one really big reason that most women choose to stop any type of contraception — because they decide to start or grow their family [7]. If trying to conceive is in your near future, we want to say a big congratulations and we hope it’s a beautiful time for both you and your partner.
You might want to prepare early with Kin’s Conceiving Essentials, containing everything a couple needs for a healthy and simple conception journey including Kin's Prenatal and Male Prenatal as well as a box of Kin's Ovulation Tests and Kin's Pregnancy Tests.
What should I expect when coming off hormonal contraception?
It’s hard to say for every woman what to expect, but we’ll do our best to share a few common symptoms.
Heavier periods
One of the benefits of oral contraceptives is your periods become lighter and less of a monster each month. If you were on the progestogen-only option, you might not have had a period at all [1].
Of course, when you stop taking birth control, your natural period will return. This might include heavier, longer or even more painful periods [1]. If your period starts impacting your daily life, make sure to talk to your doctor.
Vaginal discharge
Another side effect of stopping is changes to your vaginal discharge. While on oral contraceptives, it’s usually thick, sticky and white in colour.
When you stop, this discharge might become more slippery and egg white at the time of ovulation [1].
Your fertility
Hormonal contraception does not affect your long-term fertility. It will return to normal when you stop [3].
But, even though hormonal birth control doesn’t cause fertility problems, it could be masking underlying issues. Some women take it for things like irregular periods, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis — all of which may affect fertility [9].
Give yourself time to adjust when you stop your birth control. Your fertility should return to normal, but it does take a few months for your body to settle into its natural menstrual cycle [10].
How long after stopping will I get a period?
If you were skipping your period while on birth control, you might wonder how soon your monthly bleed will return.
Your period should come back within 4 weeks of stopping hormonal birth control. The first bleed you have is actually known as a withdrawal bleed — and it happens soon after coming off the contraception. The next bleed after this is your first natural period [9].
It can take up to 3 months for your periods to become predictable and consistent again [7][9].
Factors like weight, physical health, stress levels, exercise and conditions such as PCOS can all influence your natural cycle [9]. These might affect how quickly your period returns or how regular it is. If you haven’t had a period for a few months after stopping hormonal birth control, it’s worth checking in with your doctor [1].
Are there any side effects?
There's good, bad and ugly when you come off any medication since your body will be adjusting to the new norm. Here are some potential side effects of coming off your hormonal contraceptive:
PMS symptoms might return
If you started birth control for hormonal issues (like acne, painful periods or mood swings) then these could return [1].
You might also find that your PMS symptoms either reappear or become worse than they were while on the contraceptive. Common symptoms include [7]:
- Bloating
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Tender breasts
- Mood changes
- Menstrual migraines
If any of these side effects are severe or they interrupt your daily life, make sure you talk to your doctor about it. You don't have to suffer in silence.
Your sex drive might increase
Here’s the good news (potentially). Some women find that birth control lowers their libido, so when they come off it, their sex drive increases [7].
It's a small difference, but it might be really useful if you plan to become pregnant.
How long does withdrawal from hormonal birth control last?
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been on contraception for a short time or a whole decade; the synthetic hormones clear from your body very quickly [1].
But, the full process of regaining your natural rhythm can take a while. You might experience spotting between periods or have irregular periods in the first few months [8].
In one study, it took between 6 and 9 months for women to fully withdraw from the oral contraceptive and go back to their natural menstrual cycle. This study looked at factors like cycle length, period length, menstrual flow, and changes to cervical mucus [10].
For example, being on the contraceptive thins the endometrium lining, which means up to 60% lighter periods. In this study, women coming off it had up to 6 months of lighter periods before their endometrium lining thickened up and changed their menstrual flow [10].
This may not be the case for everyone as we all adjust differently. But, we did want to flag it as a possibility, since it may take a while for your cycle to be predictable again. If at any time your symptoms are concerning, have a chat with your doctor.
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