Quitting the Birth Control Pill | side effects, takeaways & alternatives

Hello beautiful people and welcome to another blog! It’s been a minute since I’ve posted something new on here as I have been a busy bee making videos for YouTube and Patreon, as well as working on a secret project that is set to release this Christmas :D As a result, the weekly blogs have moved to the back burner and I don’t want to post something for the sake of posting but would rather put out content that I think will be helpful and interesting to you. 

Which takes us to today’s topic: birth control. To my male readers, you might want to skip this post and check back in when we return to fitness/nutrition content; unless you’d like to learn more about contraceptive methods, then by all means read on! I made the decision a few months back to go off of hormonal birth control after taking it for ten years. As someone who considers herself health-conscious and promotes a holistic approach to health and fitness, I found taking a pill that alters my body’s natural chemistry did not align with this approach. However, as having children is still a few years away for me, I chose to seek non-hormonal alternatives.

After doing a bit of research I came across four viable options: 1) condoms, 2) tracking your cycle with a basal thermometer and planning your sexual activities (:)) around that time, 3) a diaphragm and 4) a copper IUD. One quick caveat: none of the aforementioned methods (except condoms) protect against STDs so make sure that you are also taking the necessary precautions there. Before I get into which one I chose and the reasons why, if you are considering a non-hormonal birth control then I would suggest you do your own research, consult with your gynecologist and find an option that you feel comfortable with and that suits your lifestyle. With that being said, I decided on the copper IUD because it is effective (most studies put it at 99.9% efficacy), it can be inserted and lasts for 5 years, and if at any point you decide you want to make lots of babies you can have it removed and, in theory, get pregnant the next day. And, most attractively to me, it doesn’t affect your body’s natural cycle. So in May I made the appointment and have been off the pill ever since.

Now, I’d love to tell you that it has been completely smooth sailing since then but I’d be lying. If you are going off of the pill after years of having taken it there will be side effects that you should be prepared for. First, the birth control pill is an estrogen supplement that can make your moods more regular, your hair shinier, skin clearer and periods lighter. Sounds like a miracle, right? In many ways it is, especially if you suffer from acne, mood swings, and heavy and painful periods. Though if, like me, you are also curious to see how your body functions without any external elements, or maybe you keep forgetting to take the pill and are looking for an easier option, then you should be prepared for what is to come when you remove this “wonder pill” from the equation. 

Firstly, it is very common for your skin to break out when you stop taking the pill. This is due to a decrease in estrogen (no longer coming from your daily pill) as well as an increase in the hormone testosterone which can increase the sebum production in the skin leading to acne [1]. From my research I found that this generally passes within 3-6 months and that there are some things that can help to balance your hormones out. One of the first things I found was supplementing one’s diet with zinc can help. Zinc is “critical to hormone synthesis and balance (e.g. thyroid, progesterone, cortisol)” and thus can be a big help when hormonal acne strikes [2]. Additionally, sufficient levels of zinc are tied to a healthy immune function which is a bonus in times of COVID-19 :). On the topical side of things I turned to different oils to soothe my skin, specifically tea tree oil and grapeseed oil. If you are unfamiliar with face oils, or feel uneasy about using them for fear that your face will become greasy, then check out my YouTube video on Clean Beauty Practices  to see how different oils address different aspects of your skin health. And lastly, vitamin D has also been linked to improved hormone function and “can help with the regulation of insulin flow and balance blood sugar, allowing the body's natural hormone cycles to function more effectively” [3]. So, taking advantage of the long summer days make some time to get outside and soak up the sun- safely of course using adequate SPF ;). 

Some more side effects of going off the pill include: heavier periods and more intense cramps, erratic moods, and the surfacing of other conditions (i.e. PCOS). On the more positive side, bloating could reduce as estrogen levels decrease, your mood could actually be better, and you won’t have to worry anymore about taking a pill anymore at the same time. In my experience, I feel much better now being off the pill and more like my true self. It is hard to explain but while taking the pill I felt my body was constantly fighting with itself- always a bit bloated, and that there was something in the way that prevented me from feeling like “me.” Now that it has been about three months without any hormones my body feels lighter and I feel more in tune with it- and that, for me, is worth all of the slightly inconvenient side effects that I mentioned. If you are considering going off the pill, or going on it, I would suggest you do your own research, talk with your doctor, and consider all options because you know your own body best. I hope, though, that this post helped illuminate the world of contraception (or at least IUDs and the contraceptive pill) and the many options you have available to you. The more you know, the better a decision you can make. 

That’s all for this week, folks. Thank you for stopping by and if you would like to see more on this topic, or women’s health in general, let me know down below or send me a message on Instagram (@alexandratempletonfit) and I’ll see what I can put together.

Until next week,

Alexandra 

Sources: 

1. Goldstone April 1, Penny, and Penny Goldstone. “I Got Serious Case of Post Pill Acne – Here's How I Got Rid of It.” Marie Claire, 3 Aug. 2020, www.marieclaire.co.uk/beauty/skincare/post-pill-acne-608596 

2. Wszelaki, Magdalena. “Signs You Aren't Getting Enough Zinc (and What to Do About It).” HormonesBalance.com, Hormones & Balance, 8 Feb. 2020, hormonesbalance.com/articles/using-the-mighty-zinc-to-balance-your-hormones/ 

3.“How Do Vitamins Affect Your Hormones and Mood?” Moody Month, 29 Apr. 2019, moodymonth.com/articles/how-do-vitamins-affect-your-hormones-and-mood