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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Hi Julie! Love your stuff. Something else to consider that might be leading to some of the things you are experiencing including loss of sex drive (and I’m sorry if this seems weird or inappropriate but I am speaking from experience) is breast implant illness (BII). I’ve been struggling with many symptoms since getting my implants a few years ago including loss of sex drive, racing heart beat, nerve pains, joint aches, dizziness, brain fog, etc.. The list goes on. There is a FB group of over 87K women with implants experiencing similar symptoms which I randomly found and has helped me figure out what’s been going on with my body. I’m 32 which is way to young to feel how I have been! Just wanted to throw it out there as I think I remember you mentioning you have implants. Sorry if not! IMO It only makes sense that the body could have a reaction when we put something foreign (and chemical-laden) in it. You can search “Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole” group on FB to find the group. (Note: Some of the women in the group are very dramatic and extreme but not the case for all). If nothing else might be something you can research and give your two cents on. Would love to hear! Thanks, Juli.
Hey lady, this post really resonated with me. Went off my bc after 10 years and I cannot how good I feel. My sex drive is back in full drive, I almost forgot what this feels like. It feels great to be able to feel that part of myself again.
Wow, I am in a very similar situation you are/were in and always questioned if my birth control had anything to do with how I was feeling. My one question is do you notice any changes to your acne as you went off the pill? I had acne prior to going on birth control and am afraid it will come back if I stop taking it.
I have been off BC for almost a year. I’m 36 and I got on the pill when I was 19 to help with acne and regulate my period. I decided to try to shot when I was 27 and I gained so much weight but because I wasn’t getting my period I was totally fine with that. Eventually I was tired of being so plumpy and I talked to my doctor about going back on the pill. My husband and I were both in the army so we didn’t see each other much for a few years so my sex drive was never in question. Now that I’m out of the army and I have nothing better to do, I have a sex drive but the fear of getting pregnant is enough of a deterrent to tell my husband to stay away from me.
I use a generic tracker that tells me when my period is coming and when I’m in my fertile window and ovulating and such so I definitely abstain during that time. When I first got off, my period made me so ill and I would have awful migraines, horrible cramps and my flow was so heavy. I use a cup and my cup was running over. I was miserable.
I changed my diet significantly during that time and mostly use Redmond’s Real salt and Trace Minerals in my water for electrolytes and I take Paleo Valley’s organ meat complex. My period has finally started to chill, it’s only about 4 days or less, very little pain or discomfort and a regular flow. Totally worth it!!
Hey Julie! Great post at usual!!! I went on birth control 10 years ago for a total of 8 months. It gave me two periods a month and then I ended up bleeding out for almost two weeks. It resulted in my hemoglobin levels dropping to the number equivalent to someone losing SIX PINTS of blood. The doctors didn’t even know how I was conscious (although I did pass out three times in the ER when I took myself in for erratic heartbeats). Totally terrifying. They wanted to try another pill, but I refused. I really believe it’s so unhealthy for our bodies and doctors should be more forthcoming with all the side effects with their patients (short and long term). So glad you’re doing better day by day! Loved the info about the minerals and vitamins-I’ll be picking up some selenium soon!
I changed my BC pills every year because of low labido! Felt terrible for my husband. I didn’t have the choice to just get off of it because of endometriosis. So I had a partial hysterectomy, left the ovaries. That conversation went over real well with my OB because we didn’t have children, nor did I want to have kids, and I was 34. Best decision of my life!!!
I wish you luck!!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this. I was on Hormonal Birth Control for 10 years. It was instrumental in helping my acne and endometriosis, however I too lost any and all sexual desire. I thought I was going insane. I have now been off for 4 months and I finally am feeling what I believe to be normal. It’s absolutely crazy to see everything that BC can affect. Thank you for being so open and helping us to not feel so alone. you’re the best!!
Thank you for this post. Seriously. I went thru the exact same issues on birth control to the point where that was the root cause of several failed relationships. It’s hard to ya know develop and maintain a healthy relationship when you have zero sex drive and want nothing to do with the person. I decided to get off of my birth control in January 2018 just to see what I was actually like after being on it for 15+ years. Getting off of it was ROUGH. I have the worst hormonal acne now that I’ve ever had in my life and I did two rounds of Accutane when I was a teenager. Other than the acne though everything else finally balanced out and returned to normal. I switched to an IUD in July 2018 and although that was so painful to get put in (gross sorry) I no longer have a period so hello bonus! I’m so glad you opened up about this because honestly those 6 months I went thru this last year I felt crazy. Glad to know I’m not alone.
I was in birth control for 15 years as well and I have unfortunately not had a period in 1 whole year… which alone comes with a host of issues. I am trying to get pregnant so I am hoping to regain regular hormone functions.
Sucks but I’m glad your getting off it as well…
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing this post and your experiences with birth control! Everybody’s body is so unique, and this type of stuff needs to be discussed more.
I personally was on the pill ten years ago for a short time (about 6 months) and actually had some crazy things happen to my body. I’m talking crazy mood swings, muscle cramping, tingling and nerve issues in arms and feet, and peeing constantly types of things. I saw multiple doctors for all these issues and none of them could find a “cause. I finally was told by a urologist after things checked out with my bladder (I had ruled out diabetes with the constant peeing since it runs in my family), that it could be my birth control. He suggested that I stop taking it and seeing if my issues cleared up within a year….and they did! I still am not sure if these issues were a trigger in my later discovery of a couple autoimmune conditions, but I do know I will NEVER go on the pill again.
For anyone wondering, there is a non-hormonal method of tracking your basal temperature every morning with a devise called Daysy. After a few cycles, the thermometer gets to know your cycle and will alert you to your “fertile” days so it can be used for contraceptive purposes and also for baby planning when/if someone is ready later. I believe most insurances should cover it.