Coming off the pill

The idea of coming off oral contraceptives (the birth control pill) can be a scary thought for many women. If you were prescribed birth control to manage your skin or hormonal symptoms, you may be worried that those symptoms will return! If you were prescribed it for contraception, you may be equally worried - unsure of your period may be like or if you will encounter new symptoms you have never experienced.

In reality, the experience of coming off the pill can differ for each patient, and often may depend on why you began taking it. The problem with being prescribed oral contraceptives for symptom management is that it doesn’t “fix” the underlying reason for your symptoms. When we take away the bandaid, symptoms MAY return.

In this case you may need additional support to manage your concern - this is especially true for women with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Patients in with these two conditions may have been prescribed the pill for symptoms that include: irregular cycles, skin issues, hair growth, or very painful periods.

Even if you have one of these hormonal conditions underlying your pill use the experience of coming off can be different for everyone. You may come off the pill and feel no change, you may come off and feel no change for a few months and then slowly your symptoms return, or you may have more immediate effects.

For patients who started using birth control pills for contraception, but didn’t experience any hormonal symptoms before they began the pill, you will often return back to cycling normally once you have stopped the medication. However if you can’t remember what your periods were like in your teens, or you want support by your side to make the transition as seamless as possible, we are here to support you, troubleshoot with you as needed, and investigate any underlying hormonal concerns.

Birth control is a choice that many women make for a variety of reasons - contraception included! - and we fully support women in whatever choice makes sense for them. We are also here to support when you are ready to come off the pill.