5 Possible Side Effects of Quitting Hormonal Birth Control

Hormonal birth control can work wonders by regulating your cycle, relieving period cramps and heavy bleeding, and clearing up acne. But if your time with the pill or IUD hasn’t gone so smoothly due to unwanted side effects, you’re considering hormone-free birth control options, or want to get pregnant, it’s normal to be a little worried about what could happen when you quit.

Here’s how to go off hormonal birth control and what side effects to expect, according to obstetricians and gynaecologists.

How to safely get off birth control

Whether you’re using the pill, ring, or patch, you can stop whenever you want under the guidance of your doctor. There’s no need to wait until you reach the end of a pack unless you want to make it easier to predict when your next period may be, says obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Mary Jane Minkin.

To have an implant or IUD taken out, you’ll just need to schedule an appointment with your doctor. Removal of an implant is similar to insertion—you’ll be given a shot to numb your arm, then they’ll make a small cut to take it out. You might have a sore arm for a few days afterwards.

Typically, IUD removal is less uncomfortable or painful compared to insertion, though you might experience some cramping. Complications are rare but possible, so seek help immediately if you notice that you have a fever, chills, heavy bleeding, or extreme mood swings afterwards.

What to expect when you quit hormonal birth control

Know that it could take some time for your body to adjust to life without birth control. Without hormones to regulate your cycle, your periods will likely return to what they were like before you started, notes obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Jessica Shepherd.

Any side effects that drove you to stop taking birth control should fade relatively fast. “If you just stop the pill or remove the ring you’ve been using, your symptoms should be gone quickly, certainly within a couple of weeks,” says Dr Minkin. One exception is the depo shot. Though the shot itself is effective as birth control for three months at a time, “symptoms can last for several more beyond that,” Dr Minkin notes.

If you’re concerned about lingering issues or notice persistent or worsening menstrual cramps or an irregular or super heavy flow, contact your doctor. Sometimes, underlying conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) could be to blame and symptoms may worsen post-birth control, adds gynaecologist and reproductive health expert Dr Alyssa Dweck.

It’s important to know that, contrary to the common misconception that it takes your body a while to remove birth control from your system, you could get pregnant immediately after stopping, says Dr Dweck. In fact, one in five women could become pregnant as soon as one cycle after they quit birth control, according to a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. So make sure you’re prepared for a possible pregnancy or have other contraception methods like condoms ready to go.

Otherwise, here are a few potential side effects that could arise after you quit hormonal birth control:

PMS might make a comeback

If you struggled with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome like tender breasts, mood swings, or painful cramps before your period when you were off birth control, they could come right back when you stop. That’s because the hormones that regulate your cycle and often relieve these symptoms are no longer there to do their job, says Dr Shepherd. With the return of hormonal shifts, you might also experience premenstrual migraines due to a dip in oestrogen just before your period starts.

Your periods may be off schedule

After you stop birth control, your period might go back to normal fast or it could be irregular for a few months as your body adjusts to the absence of extra hormones. But if it’s been three months and you still haven’t had your period, contact your doctor to sort out what’s going on.

Or they could get heavier

In order to prevent pregnancy, birth control suppresses ovulation and stops the release of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins and other inflammatory chemicals which typically contribute to heavy bleeding and cramping during your period, says Dr Shepherd. “Therefore, when you’re off birth control, the normal process of cycles is restored—which usually means bleeding and pain come back,” she says.

Acne might pop up

If you were initially prescribed birth control to treat hormonal acne or noticed it helped your face clear up, your skin woes could return when you stop. Hormones in birth control help relieve acne by decreasing levels of androgens, sex hormones in your body like testosterone, which make your skin more oily, notes dermatologist Dr Geeta Patel.

However, there are non-hormonal options available like topical treatments including retinoids and face cleansing gels plus prescription medications such as spironolactone, an off-label treatment that can be extremely effective for adult acne, says dermatologist Dr Melanie Palm. To clear up breakouts, connect with a dermatologist for a personalised skincare regimen, she says.

Your libido could change

Some women say birth control lowers their sex drive, possibly due to reduced levels of testosterone circulating through the body and the loss of natural peaks and valleys of sex hormones with the suppression of ovulation, notes Dr Dweck. In this sense, one positive side effect of quitting birth control could be a higher libido.

That said, others say their libido goes up on the pill due to factors like a lighter flow and the security that comes with contraception, says Dr Dweck. Since stress is a known mood-killer, make sure you’ve got alternative contraception methods if need be so you can fully reap the benefits of a potential rise in sex drive.