Can Stopping The Pill Help You Lose Weight

The side effects of starting hormonal birth control are pretty widely discussed. But there's a little more mystery about what happens to your body when stopping birth control.

Birth control pills, also known as oral contraceptive pills, are the second most common type of contraceptive method as of 2019 (the latest data available), per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you've been thinking about stopping birth control after being on the pill for years, you should know that it's safe to stop at any time, according to the Mayo Clinic. But you should expect your body to go through some changes.

Here's the scoop on the side effects of stopping birth control pills and tips for taking care of yourself as you make the transition.

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There are several reasons why someone might want to stop using birth control pills. According to Felice Gersh, MD, ob-gyn and the founder/director of Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, those reasons include:

While some people who menstruate go back to their normal periods soon after stopping birth control pills, other people may have irregular periods for a while.

Even if ovulation resumes during the first cycle post-pill, there's no guarantee the next few cycles will be regular. In fact, it can take up to a year for their cycles to go back to regular, says Kerry-Anne Perkins, DO, ob-gyn and member of the medical review board of Women's Health Interactive. This is true for both types of pills, progesterone or estrogen-free and combined hormonal, which has both estrogen and progesterone.

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And if you took birth control in order to regulate your menstrual cycle, there's a chance that previous unpleasant period-related symptoms may make a return, she notes.

You may also notice a change in the flow and duration of your period, per the Cleveland Clinic. It may be longer and heavier — birth control pills typically give you shorter and lighter periods.

It's valid to have concerns about how your fertility may be affected by discontinuing birth control pills, especially if you are trying to become pregnant.

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But your fertility levels may also be lower than they were when you started taking birth control pills. If you have been on birth control for many years, your fertility has naturally declined and may be significantly lower than when you started the birth control, Dr. Perkins says.

When stopping the pill, be sure to use a backup method of contraception if you aren't looking to get pregnant at all or right away, per the Cleveland Clinic.

The belief that oral contraceptives commonly cause you to gain weight is a longstanding one, per a January 2014 study in the ‌

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But researchers of the study found birth control pills weren't linked to short-term changes in weight or body composition after observing 150 people assigned female at birth (AFAB) with both normal weight and obesity who used oral contraception over three to four months.

There are chances that you can lose or gain weight after you stop taking the pill, though. Some women retain water while on the pill, so if this is you, you may drop a couple of pounds after quitting it, Dr. Perkins says. Others could retain water after quitting the pill, due to some temporary hormonal imbalances. Again, it shouldn't be more than a couple of pounds.

It's also possible to experience changes in appetite due to hormonal shifts, Perkins notes, that could in turn contribute to weight changes.

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Talk to your doctor if you have questions or concerns about what to expect when stopping birth control pills, per the Cleveland Clinic. That's also a good time to discuss how being off of the pill will affect any prior conditions you have.

You have hormonal changes to thank for any adverse skin and hair-related side effects you may experience after you come off birth control pills. Quitting birth control pills leads to a temporary hormonal imbalance, according to Dr. Perkins.

For example, acne is fairly common in the first few months post-pill, she says. Experiencing hair loss or a condition called hirsutism (excessive facial hair) is also possible.

Reasons For A Missed Period After Stopping Birth Control

Most people won't experience significant emotional changes related to stopping the pill; most of the effects are physical, per Jefferson Health. But if you experienced mood swings or emotional instability on birth control, those things may stop post-pill.

On the flip side, if you were prone to depression, anxiety and mood swings before using birth control pills, those conditions may return when you nix oral contraception, according to Oschner Health.

‌ found a small correlation between the use of hormonal contraceptives and decreased libido, however research shows there are mixed results overall on how hormonal birth control affects your sex drive.

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If you experienced lower desire while on the pill, you could find yourself feeling more sexual than usual after you stop taking it. After quitting the pill, you may also experience changes in your libido — usually higher libido, especially around ovulation, Dr. Perkins says.

Many of the side effects of discontinuing your birth control pill are temporary, but there are things you can do to help ease them.

‌ found an association between higher vitamin D levels and estrogen-containing contraceptive use among more than 1, 600 people identified in the study as African American women.

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It may be beneficial to focus on naturally increasing your nutrient levels after you're off the pill. Some ways to raise your vitamin D levels, per the Mayo Clinic, include:

Dr. Gersh also recommends supplementing if you can't fit enough crucial nutrients from your diet alone. Taking a high-quality multivitamin is key. Be sure it contains methyl B12, methyl folate, selenium and the usual array of vitamins, she says. Extra magnesium would be of benefit, along with omega-3s and vitamin D.

While you can quit the pill cold turkey, it may be best to finish out your current pill pack before stopping altogether.

What To Expect When Getting Off Birth Control

You can expect to have your period within a few days after stopping the pill if you stop in the middle of the current pill cycle, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

A balanced diet can help as you transition away from birth control pills. Eating well is especially important if your appetite is affected by stopping the pill. For example, you may experience cravings.

Pay attention to those cravings and try to eat a healthy and balanced diet to minimize them, and you shouldn't have weight issues, Dr. Perkins says.

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Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.There are loads of reasons you might be considering coming off the pill. You might be struggling with the side effects, might want a break from having synthetic hormones in your body, or might just want to start trying for a baby.

As you likely know, the contraceptive pill contains artificial versions of female hormones and prevents pregnancy. There are two kinds of contraceptive pill; the combined pill, which contains oestrogen and progesterone and prevents release of an egg (aka ovulation), and the progesterone only pill, which thickens the mucus in the neck of the womb to make it harder for the sperm to reach the egg.

So what happens when you come off the pill, if you've been taking it for a while? Will you experience weight loss or gain, libido increase or decrease, and are you protected against pregnancy for a period of time?

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The pill suppresses the body's own natural hormonal cycle and replaces it with the hormones from the tablets. It stops you from releasing an egg each month (ovulating) so you cannot get pregnant.

The 'periods' that you have during your break or 'pill free' week are not true periods but are withdrawal bleeds where the lining of the womb is shed in response to the drop in hormone levels.

When you stop the pill, the hormones are cleared very quickly from your system, according to Victoria. Even after extended use, most people will ovulate within a month, however occasionally, the 'normal' pattern of periods may have changed while they were using the pill, she adds.

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Periods are typically shorter, lighter and less painful on the pill and the majority of people on the progesterone only pill will have no periods at all. So, by stopping the pill, your periods may take a while to return to a regular pattern and can become painful or heavier again, she warns. But don't worry - this is to be expected and is normally nothing to worry about.

If you're worried, do book an appointment with your GP to discuss what's going on. That's what they're there for, after all.

Women report that they gain weight while using the pill and this is often a reason why they do not want to start or continue on contraception, Victoria explains. However, studies have shown that women gain, on average, a similar amount of weight over time, whether they are using hormonal contraception or not, she shares.

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Unfortunately, it may, Victoria shares. Side effects caused by hormones such as breast tenderness and nausea should reduce,