Are the side effects of birth control reversible?

September 8, 2008 6:30 AM

I want to start taking birth control, but I'm afraid of potential side effects. I really do not want mood swings, weight gain and I especially do not want bigger boobs. What if I start on the Nuvaring and my boobs go up a cup size, if I stop taking it, will they go back to their normal size?

Also, how long does it take for any of the side effects to develop, and how long would it take to go away? If I stop taking it for a while, and then go back on, will the same side effects return? I'm 31, fairly petite and slim, and in a long term relationship. Might have kids in the next 5 years, so getting an IUD is out of the question. Also, am completely absentminded, so taking the pill is not an option I want either.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (21 comments total)

Just curious, but why is an IUD out of the question? A Paraguard IUD sounds like a good solution for you if you don't want to deal with the side effects of hormonal BC. If you decide you want to get pregnant, it only takes 5 minutes at the doctor's office to get it removed.
posted by MiaWallace at 6:40 AM on September 8, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I went on Depo-Provera and my bust went up two cup sizes (as well as other weight gain). I didn't drop the weight off afterward so I guess they'll disappear as with any other weight gain with exercise.

IUDs are really good if you have a tendency to gain weight easily. However having mine fitted hurt like BUGGERY. But then, I am a wuss.
posted by mippy at 6:45 AM on September 8, 2008

I can only speak from personal experience.
I took it 4 years ago for 60 days (this is before I had my 1st child) and I couldn't take the extra cramps, weight gain, mood swings, or the overall feeling of imbalance. My breasts grew just a little, but nothing compared to the way they did when I actually got pregnant. And they did go back to normal size once I stopped using the ring.
It took about a week for side effects to occur in me, and I was roughly 26 at the time, petite and slim as yourself.
The side effects have never returned. Although it did take about 30 days for me to feel "normal" again. That includes losing the extra bit of weight and not wanting to bite my husband's head off.
posted by czechmate at 6:46 AM on September 8, 2008

The side-effects of birth control are going to be a lot different for every woman, so going by others' experiences is not going to help a whole lot.

I have been on OrthoTricyclin-Lo and NuvaRing. My boobs increased in size almost immediately after taking OTCLo and stayed that way on NuvaRing. I did not start getting emotional/mood swing awfulness stuff until about a year after taking OTCLo--it's why I originally switched to NuvaRing. On NuvaRing, the craziness continued. I decided to go off birth control due to the mood swing side effects, and within a week was feeling back to my old self. My boobs decreased in size again, but it took a couple months.

There are some women who get bigger boobs and they never return to their original size. Some after ending birth control end up with smaller boobs than they started with. Some women do not get any emotional craziness from birth control, and some, like my boyfriend's ex, keep the emotional craziness after they go off it (according to him, anyway). It really is an individual experience, unfortunately.
posted by schroedinger at 6:50 AM on September 8, 2008

Schroedinger has it right, different people are affected by different ways by different birth control options.

For instance, TheOtherGirl uses Implanon.. and loves it. So much so she raved about it to her best friend.

Her best friend was impressed and tried it herself - and had it removed a month later because of severe(ish) side effects.

The moral is every birth control option is going to have its supporters and detractors based on their own personal experience with it. This is where you go to the clinic and ask someone qualified about which is the best option for you and your medical history.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 7:01 AM on September 8, 2008

It definitely will take some time before you find the right combination for yourself. Be patient, and most importantly be honest with yourself about how you are feeling. Keep a log of your daily moods (before and during treatment) so that you can make sure you're not experiencing any unusual emotional reactions.

I would recommend Yaz as a way to avoid any emotional issues. Their website has an option where they can text message you to remind you to take the pill at the same time everyday.

I hope you find what works for you! =)
posted by ginagina at 7:06 AM on September 8, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

My friend is on the Nuvaring and loves it. Another is on the patch because the pill made her nauseous. I've been on the pill for a few years and only recently switched to a generic (way cheaper) and it made me feel nutty. I'm going to discuss an IUD with my gyno next month.

I would suggest the IUD. I have a married friend who loves it, and you never have to deal with remembering to take a pill. Plus, she said her periods lightened significantly (not that they were heavy before). She had some discomfort initially but says it was completely worth it.
posted by LiveToEat at 7:24 AM on September 8, 2008

I used Nuvaring for just over a year and had minimal side-effects. The first month was the worst in terms of spotting and cramps (OMG, they HURT!) and after that, I had almost no problems. As others have noted, YMMV.

I've heard that taking a B-Complex vitamin daily helps with the mood swings from birth control.

I recently had a Mirena inserted because I was tired of paying $30 a month for Nuvaring. So far, I love my Mirena.
posted by whatideserve at 7:44 AM on September 8, 2008

I was on DepoProvera for 8 years, never had any side effects except amenorrhea, which is extremely common (it's a feature, not a bug!). But because I was on it for so long my doctor suggested I take a "break" then put me on Seasonale because I liked not having periods. Within 2 months on Seasonale my breasts went from a small B to a large D. My husband *loved* this.

For a long time they were HARD, like I'd gotten implants, and they were swollen and sore. I couldn't run really or sleep on my stomach. I also gained about 30 pounds, which is a lot when you only weigh 120 to begin with.

I was on Seasonale for about 3 years and when I started having really irregular periods and breakthrough bleeding. I was also having wild, uncontrollable mood swings. I never had those kinds of side effects on Depo. So I quit them, and all hormonal BC, cold turkey.

After a few months I lost all the weight I'd gained (I was working out a lot at this time too though) and my boobs went back to the small B cup. I now have a bunch of big bras that don't fit, and my boobs, though the same size as before, are not the same at all. Because they grew so fast in the beginning I now have stretch marks and they aren't "perky" like they used to be. I honestly wish I'd known that was going to happen — I would have never taken the oral BC.

Sometimes I think I want to get back on Depo, because I loved how easy it was, but I wonder if now that I'm older my body will react differently than it did the first time. For now I'm sticking to a blend of fertility awareness and good old-fashioned condoms.

Condoms are a pain in the ass, especially since I'm in a long-term monogamous relationship, and I think they kill the intimacy. But I really, really don't want to have a baby, and because I have a history of irregular paps I am not a good candidate for an IUD or else I'd get one in a heartbeat.
posted by Brittanie at 8:14 AM on September 8, 2008

I would suggest not getting yourself worked up about side effects that may or may not occur. I'm 32, fairly petite, and have been taking hormonal BC for 10 years. My experiences have been quite good, for all methods. With most of the pills and the patch, I would get a little nausea on the night after my week off. (For that particular side effect, it stopped the minute I stopped taking BC.) But otherwise, no weight gain, no magical boob growth, no craziness, no nothing. That said, should you experience side effects, be open to trying other options.

I've been on NuvaRing for over a year now, and it is the greatest thing in existence. I love it like a crazy person. No side effects, not even the nausea I get with the other methods. And you can leave it in for all 4 weeks and skip your period. I try not to do this for too many months in a row (I start spotting if I do) but the convenience of having that option without running through your BC prescription faster is pretty awesome.
posted by misskaz at 8:17 AM on September 8, 2008

One more data point: I took hormonal birth control for about 5 years. When I started, I gained a cup size. It probably took less than 6 months to lose that cup size when I stopped taking the pill, but I was also exercising pretty vigorously. I tend to gain and lose weight in my breasts easily.
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:20 AM on September 8, 2008

I agree with everyone who has said different pills effects people differently. I took one pill that turned me into one walking zit (so not pretty), another that worked fine but was a bit of a libido killer, and eventually started taking Yasmin a couple of years ago which has been a wonder drug for me with no side effects. I actually feel better when I'm on it then when I go off. So, talk to your doctor about your concerns and see if there's one that might work well for you. Also, keep in mind that it takes at least a good 3 cycles for the pill to sort of settle in your system. If you're having awful side effects, of course switch or get off, but it's not unusual to have a slightly tougher period and some mild side effects for the first couple of months, and then a much easier one and no side effects after that. Good luck!
posted by katemcd at 8:20 AM on September 8, 2008

If you don't want the side effects, I'd say go for the IUD too. You can take it out sooner than 5 years.
posted by sondrialiac at 8:27 AM on September 8, 2008

I know you said and IUD is out of the question because you want kids in the semi-distant future, but that doesn't make a lot of sense... when you're ready for kids, get the IUD taken out. Piece of cake.

Getting it in if you haven't yet had kids isn't super easy, but it's worth it. 10 minutes of discomfort for 5 years of not worrying is a very very good trade off. I love love love my Mirena. Eventually my periods did start again (they stopped for about 6 months after I got it in), but the amount of bleeding is so minimal it's almost comedic. I haven't had any side effects, at all. After being on the pill for years, my Mirena is like a breath of fresh air. My only complaint is that the pill stopped my PMS cramps, and the Mirena does not.

Note - i switched because of the blood-clotting risks associated with the pill, on the insistence of my doctors. Although the Mirena does also include very very small amounts of hormones (the other one, the copper one, Paraguard? doesn't), it's a ridiculously tiny amount compared to what's even in the mini-pills. It works because the hormone is released right where it needs to be.

No, I'm not in any way associated with the company that makes the Mirena; they're not paying me to say nice things. I just can't believe I wasted so many years on the pill.
posted by cgg at 8:27 AM on September 8, 2008

never had any side effects except amenorrhea

Ah, I liked that! I do like the Mirena, I take enough tablets without adding hormones to the mix and I'm not particularly good at remembering those!
posted by mippy at 8:40 AM on September 8, 2008

Everybody's different, and every PILL affects everybody differently. I took the pill for a year and change ten years ago; one type made me a basket case, so I switched to another kind and that was better.

Other people came in with different alternative methods, though, so I'm going to put my suggestion for an alternative in - the cervical cap. This is another "doesn't-necessarily-work-well-for-everyone" alternative -- it's like a form-fitted diaphragm that sits bang over your cervix, so if your cervix is on the skinny and protruding side this works better than if it's on the shorter-and-squatter side. But I have one and LOVE IT.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:43 AM on September 8, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I've been on three hormonal birthcontrols: Nuvaring, Yasmin (which is chemically nearly the same thing as Yaz), and Levlen. I got weird . . . discharge from the ring. Though I'm comfortable with touching myself/period blood and all of that, it was really gross. Otherwise, I had no side effects. It was very expensive, though ($50 a month), and I wanted to find something more cost effective.

Yasmin, which I tried next and was on for over a year, made me feel like a total emotional whack job. It made me pee constantly, guzzle water, and gave me horrible leg cramps just about every morning. This is because Yasmin/Yaz contains a diuretic. You will not gain weight on them--I actually lost weight--but they could screw up your electrolyte balance because you'll be peeing so much.

I like Levlen (I actually use a generic, Portia). I've gained weight on it, and gone up a cup size, but I don't burst into tears at diners anymore. I've had some other side effects--dryness during sex, but that and the weight gain are pretty unimportant to me compared with having reliable birth control that doesn't make me feel crazy.

In the cases of Yasmin and the Ring, the side effects went away fairly quickly. I've been on Levlen for four years now and have no idea if the weight will just melt away the minute I stop taking it. I assume that I'd retain a little less water, at least, almost immediately.

(I'd like to try a non-hormonal IUD, but I've yet to find a doctor who will give me one, and I've asked four. Supposedly this is easier in some areas than others. It might be worth it to ask your doctor about it. They're easy to remove and have no lingering hormonal side effects--you can supposedly get pregnant as soon as its taken out.)

But, as everyone's said above, your mileage may vary. Try different HBC. You might have side effects but find that they're not so bad that you can't live with them. And there's no guarantee that your side effects will be anything like anyone else's.

As for forgetting to take it, just get a watch with an alarm. I've heard that there are even pill cases that will remind you to take them.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:49 AM on September 8, 2008

Nthing the idea that different people respond differently. A friend of mine was on DepoProvera for years with no problems. When I tried it, I gained forty pounds, lost about 25% of my hair, and became a being of pure, incandescent rage. As hard as I tried to control my fury - and I mostly succeeded - I don't think I've ever quite lived down my reputation from that time, though it's been almost five years. I still haven't lost all the weight, either.

I went back to the pill as soon as I could, but once you get that Depo shot, you're in for the whole ride, whatever it may be. The side effects took several months to go away. If you're experimenting to find the right solution, I suggest that Depo be your experiment of last resort. You can stop taking the pill; you can have an IUD removed; but afaik Depo is something you just have to wait out.
posted by sculpin at 10:14 AM on September 8, 2008

My personal NuvaRing experience was that I loved, loved, loved it -- for the first two years. Then things got weird: constant swollen painful breasts, deep depression, anxiety and painful (think "on fire", and not in a good way) intercourse. These all came on so slowly and subtly that I didn't associate them with the Ring until removing it for other reasons, and then whoa! within days to weeks I felt like a new person. I don't know why this happened after two years' use, unless maybe they changed the formula.

Of course what didn't work for me might be dreamy for you, but just keep careful tabs on how you're feeling. I'm still bummed that I had to abandon the NuvaRing, because it was terrifically convenient and really did feel great at first.
posted by bunji at 10:40 AM on September 8, 2008

Both the NuvaRing and LoEstrin caused definite bust swelling. After I went off them, it took about a month for my boobs to deflate. I am considering returning to hormonal birth control if only for the increase in cup size.

I didn't gain a significant amount of weight while on either, but I definitely had more 'girly' swings - I would cry at commercials, or if my boyfriend said something that I found thoughtless, or sometimes just out of angst. That was weird.
posted by amicamentis at 10:54 AM on September 8, 2008

I refuse to take any of these things. I've tried them all. They made me gain weight, cry constantly, pee every two seconds, and generally question my sanity.

Make your boyfriend wear a condom and if he whines about it, dump him. I can't think of anything more logical than that.
posted by bondgirl53001 at 3:41 PM on September 8, 2008