I’m about to get REAL up in here. And I’m definitely a little uncomfortable talking about it, but I feel like more people should be talking about this…so here we go – I recently got off of birth control completely. You know why? No, it’s not because I’m trying to get pregnant. Definitely, definitely not. But because this past year I completely lost my sex drive (if any of my family members are reading this right now, please leave. thank you.). This is all pretty personal so it feels a little weird to share it all on the internet for anyone to read, but I digress.
For quite a while I just thought it had to do with my husband and I going through some tough times in our marriage while his job was eating him alive. But once he quit and we became the happiest we’ve ever been in our relationship, I had to face the fact that there was something else at play. Or not at play, if you will. But it didn’t make sense to me since I’m super healthy, I work out regularly, get enough sleep, and eat dense, nutritious foods. Then one day while I was out for coffee, I mentioned it to a friend and she brought up birth control and how it may have to do with it. This surprised me. Like, really surprised me. I had never heard of that, my doctor had never mentioned it, and none of my friends have ever talked about experiencing it. So then and there, I decided to get off birth control for good.
Then I went on my merry way hoping things would get back to normal in no time. Well, turns out the body often needs more help than just hope. A couple weeks back, my girlfriend Christina Rice (if you don’t already follow her, do it, she’s the best!) was in town and I told her about getting off of birth control and she quickly asked what I was doing to help my body with the transition. I said, “Uhhhhh…nothing.” She rolled her eyes and started spouting all her knowledge bombs at me, explaining how birth control depletes vitamins and minerals in the body, especially B vitamins, selenium, zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. But there are also a ton of other things that can happen once you come off of birth control – loss of periods, depression, anxiety, hair loss, headaches, bowel issues, and WAY more. It’s bananas. Not only did I never know that being on birth control can cause these issues, but I definitely didn’t know coming off it could be just as crappy.
Christina was nice enough to send me a list of all the different vitamins I needed to get into my daily routine. And right away I went straight to Thrive Market to grab my vitamins. I’ve talked about Thrive Market about a million times because it’s truly one of my favorite places to shop, for almost anything! Dog treats, paleo snacks, non-toxic cleaning products and makeup, and a ton of other must-haves. Plus they have a HUGE selection of vitamins and supplements, all marked down below MSRP! I was able to pick up a Magnesium & Zinc, B Vitamins, Vitamin C, and Selenium, all between 20-36% below MSRP, and have it shipped to my doorstep in just a couple days.
In case you were like me and completely in the dark about birth control can deplete so many important vitamins and minerals in the body, here’s why some of these supplements can be beneficial when coming out of birth control –
- Magnesium & Zinc
- Magnesium – We all know magnesium is good for us. I feel like it’s talked about more than any other mineral. It’s involved in energy creation, protein formation, gene maintenance, muscle movements, nervous system regulation, and more. And it plays a role in brain function and mood which can help with depression while coming off birth control
- Zinc – This can be helpful with loss of menstruation since many birth controls can cause zinc deficiency or copper overload.
- B Complex – When your body is detoxing from the excess hormones, it needs adequate B vitamins such as B6 and B12, both of which can be depleted while on birth control. B Vitamins help with energy levels, cell health, and a crap ton of other things.
- Vitamin C – Surprise surprise, birth control also depletes Vitamin C in our bodies which is sucks since it helps protect our cells and fight against free radicals.
- Selenium – When you’re detoxing from the excess amount of hormones coming off of birth control, your liver is responsible for processing them. Selenium supports the liver, as well as the thyroid, to help process and eliminate heavy metals.
Sure, I complained for quite a long time about the size of the vitamins. I mean COME ON. Pills suck, especially ones the size of small boats. But I quickly learned that taking the vitamins with some carbonated water washes them down real quick like. It’s a game changer. Try it!
I’ve been off of birth control for over a month now and I’m happy to say things have been going very well. I’ve had some definite mood swings and cramps were a little worse than before, but I was quite happy to get my period on the same day as I thought I would. Sadly my sex drive isn’t fully back to normal (again, so awkward to talk about on here), but it’s improving. I’m a person who definitely understands that everything takes time and I don’t expect my body to be back to normal after 16 or 17 years of birth control.
I don’t know personally know many people who have had the same experience as me when it comes to birth control, but I’m hoping that sharing this story helps at least a few people out there. And I have Christina to thank for talking me into supplementation post birth control. And I can thank Thrive Market for having everything I would need to make the transition a little easier. Thrive Market makes healthy living easier and more affordable. And the more we can support Thrive Market, the more they will be able to change even more households in the US, for the better. And don’t forget, you can get 25% off your first order + free 30 day trial + free shipping when you click here! Thrive Market will help you save on groceries, beauty products, and yes vitamins and supplements!
Remember, I’m not a doctor. This is my own personal experience. Don’t forget to talk to a medical professional you TRUST. And if you have your own birth control or post-birth control experience you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it. I know it can be a little strange sharing it over the internet, but those stories can impact people in such positive ways! I’d especially love to hear any vitamins and minerals that you’ve added into your own daily life to help you thrive. I’m really excited to feel like I have my body back. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress!
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This post is brought to you by Thrive Market. It contains some affiliate links and I may be compensated for this post, but all opinions are my own. This compensation helps with expenses to keep this blog up and running! Thank you for all your support!
What a great transition you are making! If you haven’t already there’s a fantastic book you may want to check out, Beyond The Pill, by Dr. Jolene Brighton. She gives you all the info you need after getting off the pill and it’s a super easy and interesting read.
So glad this topic is getting attention! Thank you for your post and letting us know about your journey! I’ve been off the depo shot for 11 months, after being on it for 10 yrs. I noticed an immediate response in body body to the vitamins, which I had to find out from personal research (my gyno will still not acknowledge I was depleted!). As far as sex drive and birth control goes, I read Taking Charge of your Fertility to learn the fertility awareness method. If you haven’t read it, I recommend you do! Your body goes through all these subtle changes over the month, and you can feel them in the methods described. But on birth control, my body was basically locked in the same position for eternity, which was detrimental to my sex life. So glad to get this part of myself back! I wish you luck on your journey. Next topic, food for fertility and hormone balance! Thanks again!
i just recently started birth control pills (i had the nexplanon implant in my arm but it put me into a cycle of NONSTOP spotting/bleeding, so i had it removed). IUD’s are not an option for me because i apparently have the smallest cervical opening known to man (my gyno couldn’t even get the tool inserted after giving me pills to soften my cervix). the patch makes me nervous, the ring makes me nervous, i don’t know anyone that has good things to say about the shot… leaving me with hardly any options for BC. i am not convinced that i NEVER want to have a baby, but i definitely don’t want one now. did you happen to switch to a different form of BC?
Get the book the Period Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Briden and Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten. Both women are amazing functional medicine docs who focus on women’s hormones. Both books are loaded with great information. Hope you continue to feel good and get your groove back!!!
Thank you for sharing this. I recently took myself off of birth control, and it’s made a difference in many ways. I can actually feel more emotion. I feel sexier, more female. A strong one at that. And my sex has never been better. Granted, I’m experiencing the loss of periods and that is frustrating and a little scary, but I’m working on supplementation just like you’ve mentioned. Your vulnerability is so needed in a world where women are encouraged to actually suppress their bodies.
I was on birth control from 18-23 and the reason I went off of it was because it was making my blood sugar drop. It started off happening once a month around the time I would get my period, I would wake up shaky/low sugar and then gradually it increased to happening multiple times a month, I felt like a diabetic and felt like crap. Since it was the only prescription I was taking I decided to look at the side effects and… Ta da! Drop in blood sugar was a side effect! So I immediately went off of it, suffered through almost 2 weeks of withdrawals but it was the best decision ever. Luckily I’ve been with my husband since we were 22, 34 now, so we just use contraceptive films and condoms without any problems. Good luck to you!
Juli, please contact me, I may be able to help! This is not a spam message lol. I’ve used fertility awareness methods with great success for over ten years. The beauty is you learn to work with your body to get it in optimum health instead of halting a healthy bodily function. Imagine if we did the same to our respiratory system that we do to our reproductive system?? No one would go for it!
As you’ve experienced, hormones aren’t limited to sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone, progesterone), but also include insulin-and progesterone does affect digestion as well as skin issues. This idea that women only have a high sex drive around ovulation is a symptom of unbalanced hormones, not something any woman should have to put up with. Realistically, healthy women are built very similar to men and are ready to go any time!
Contact me through my site: My.doterra.com/JoyKubik1
I’ve been researching how essential oils can correct these problems without having to use even bio-identical hormones.
The same thing happened to me. I had been on birth control for about 10 years and all of a sudden my sex drive vanished. I went off and have been birth control free for about a year and it’s so much better! My sex drive is back, I feel better, I don’t have crazy cravings every month. I wish I had gone off of it sooner.
Not sure if you drink raspberry leaf tea but once I started drinking that once a day my cramps have become so much better. I definitely recommend!! Thanks for sharing your journey!
Oh also meant to share one more resource – I’m currently reading a great book called “Come as you are: the surprising new science that will change your sex life” by Emily Nagoski and there’s a lot of great research on sex drive across different phases of female development in it! Also touches on other things that impact our sex drive and a lot of them are simple contextual things that seem so obvious when you read (or listen, the audio book is great!) but wouldn’t have thought of on your own – sort of the psychology / mindset of figuring out your sex drive , so if that sounds appealing to you I’d definitely recommend checking that book out!!
https://www.amazon.com/Come-You-Are-Surprising-Transform-ebook/dp/B00LD1ORBI
Thanks for sharing this! I feel very strongly about this topic; it doesn’t make sense for women to subject themselves to HBC and all the terrible effects when they are only fertile a couple days of the month! I went off HBC two years ago, and it took me 1.5 years to get my period back. My sex drive is much better now, it just took time coming back! I’m trying the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM), but I’m still struggling to figure out when ovulation happens so we end up using condoms most of the time. Would be awesome if the hubby got a vasectomy, but he’s not 100% decided on not having children.