Stopping the Pill: What to Do Next for Your Health

“The pill” is one of the most common forms of birth control; it is an effective strategy for preventing pregnancy – no denying this.

The pill is also used as allopathic alligned treatment for a variety of female concerns such as:

• Irregular periods
• Dysmenorrhea or painful periods
• PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
• Endometriosis
• Menstrual migraines
• PMS (premenstrual syndrome)

While many in conventional healthcare cite the pros and continue to support the use of hormonal birth control as an intervention, there has been continual research and information in the media highlighting the cons. Starting and stopping the pill is something to discuss with your healthcare team who will look at your unique health scenario, but ultimately it’s the woman’s decision to take or not to take.

The movement behind more and more women stopping hormonal birth control is for a variety of reasons including but not limited to:

• Having a root cause work up versus treating the symptoms
• “Not worth” the impact of the birth control pill on their own body
• For those sexually active, using other methods of contraception like condoms for example that carry less risks (stroke, DVT, depression)

If you’re on the pill or have taken it in the past, I by no means want you to feel guilty for doing so as there is NOTHING to feel guilty about. (Note I was prescribed and took the pill on and off in my 20s). I am also not anti hormonal birth control; I think it serves a time and place.

What I do take a stance on is women needing to be told all sides of the pill story – true informed consent to make a true educated decision regardless if using the pill for contraceptive purposes and/or as an intervention for a health problem.

Whether you are:

• Newly coming off the pill
• Been dealing with post-pill symptoms
• Years off the pill
• Or deciding to stay on the pill

Thee information below can help you better support your body regardless of your choice. This blog is written for those either coming off it or questioning coming off the pill, but practical information for anyone who has taken or taking.

What CAN happen after you stop the pill aka “post-pill syndrome?”

“Post-pill syndrome” refers to common symptoms that many women experience after discontinuing the pill. These symptoms can begin around 4 to 6 months after stopping the pill, but may also present sooner. Here are some common complaints:

• Acne
• Anxiety
• Bloating/Gut changes
• Hair shedding
• Irregular periods
• Infertility
• Mood changes
• Painful periods

Post-birth control syndrome is not a formal ICD-10 code diagnosis but these common symptoms and struggles still warrant being addressed. Not all woman have issues during or after the pill, but many do! (The severity of issues can be influenced by how long the pill was being used for, its reason for use, the age when starting the pill, and any underlying dysfunction that may have been present before starting the pill). 

What causes post pill symptoms?

The pill has synthethic hormones (like progestin and not actual progesterone) that suppress the bodily reproductive processes. When stopping synthetic hormones, the body takes time to re-establish the baseline communication between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the ovaries. This HPO axis being altered can cascade to the symptoms described above.

If you went on the pill to address any of the symptoms above like an irregular cycle or painful periods, the birth control pill may have masked these symptoms and there is a good chance you will be dealing with these same issues when you come off the pill (and maybe more pronounced symptoms too).

The underlying or “root” issues to your female symptoms may NOT have been initially pinpointed for whatever reason; this is why many believe in and are turning to “root cause” healthcare.

So about this root cause stuff…

There are many studied integrative and functional options for caring for female health concerns. I have multiple blog posts that address PCOS, estrogen dominance, low progesterone, etc. Check these out for more info! Any of these may have led to you getting that possibly led to you getting on the pill in the first place, but there are other ways to address the root of your health concerns.

Let’s get to the many studied areas about the pill and its impact on the female body, and what you can do about it. If you’ve already stopped the birth control pill, possibly transitioning off, or plan to stay on it…

These TOP 5 TIPS below can benefit just about all females!

1. Replace the vitamins and minerals the the pill depletes:

Studies have shown that the pill can deplete essential vitamins and minerals in the body. Typical deficiencies brought on by the pill include:

• Folate
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Selenium

I recommend screening for these nutrient deficiencies, and then correcting via tailored supplementation. Getting nutrients from whole food sources is ideal, but people usually can’t eat their way out of a deficiency so higher dose supplementation is warranted. This is the general protocol of nutrients I recommend post pill or during pill usage, but this may need tailored and like I said I do recommend getting bloodwork to check for nutrient deficiencies. **Always speak with your own healthcare team before supplementing.

2. Get blood sugars under control:

The pill can contribute to insulin resistance. Excess circulating insulin can lead to a variety of other health problems. The topic of blood sugar control is a big can of worms to open; for starters, prioritize eating plenty of vegetables, quality protein and healthy fats at each meal and minimize sugary and processed foods. Ask for not just a A1c but also a fasting insulin with your next set of labs to see if this is/has occurred.

3. Eat ENOUGH calories:

Too little calories/energy from food can downregulate naturally produced progesterone which is not ideal post pill (or at any time really). Adequate intake of nourishing foods helps fuel hormone function among so many things. Drastic calorie restriction is not the best approach for those trying to manage unintentional weight gain during or post pill.

4. Support your liver

The liver processes and packages up hormones to eventually leave the body via feces. The pill introduces extra hormones and ultimately your liver will handle these too. The pill is one of many external factors that can negatively influence phase 1 and phase 2 liver detoxification. Many need extra liver support in our modern day society given the totality of toxins and substances that most humans now encounter daily. A nutrient dense diet with dark leafy greens, garlic, berries, animal protein and various herbs are all excellent foods to help positively support the liver’s ability to detoxify. Metabolic detoxification is another big topic and I created this 2 hour online, self paced course to help explain all the details.

5. Look into your gut health

Research shows that the pill can lead to gut dysbiosis: imbalanced gut bacteria and increased intestinal permeability. Because your gut is responsible for removing excess hormones (like estrogen) from your body among many other functions, optimizing gut health is crucial for females both on or off the pill. A GIMAP (FDA approved stool test) can give a lot of insight into gut flora and I highly recommend looking into this especially if you feel bloated, have acne, struggling with weight or mental health concerns. Check out Pubmed, a free medical journal database for lots of studies on the pill and its impact on gut health.

Female healthcare is a HOT topic for sure that continues to be researched as it should.

All things considered, I just think it’s important for women to receive all the facts and know that birth control is ONE intervention. There are many evidenced based, holistic ways to manage female health concerns that don’t involve hormonal birth control. Women should be given options because the reality is there are many solid options.

I specialize in functional and integrative medical nutrition therapy for women’s health. Schedule a telehealth consult package today!

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