I’m panicking slightly after a doctors visit yesterday so I apologise in advance if this is a bit too much information! I’m relatively new to these forums but have loved talking names and gaining inspiration from other berries since I joined in [name_u]December[/name_u].
I went to see my doctor (new doctor as I’ve recently moved) yesterday to discuss coming off my pill (as well as some bodily tissue that I passed just before I started bleeding this month).
Now I had assumed that it would take about 3-6 months for things to get back to normal (start ovulating and establish cycles). I explained that we hope to ttc later this year, and because of the tissue and us not knowing what this is (could be fetal or endometrial, so either a very early miscarriage or some sort of tissue from the lining of my womb- she has sent me for blood tests, an ultrasound scan and a hysteroscopy (camera)) she has said it would be better for me to come off the pill right now. She then said, it could take 2 YEARS to get back to normal!! Nobody mentioned this when they put me on [name_f]Yasmin[/name_f] for my acne 6 years ago!
I’ve been on the pill (I’ve been on 3 kinds: microgynon, marvelon and yasmin) for a total of 11 years. I was first put on at 14 because of heavy and frequent periods, so I am a little worried that my body never really established a regular cycle in the first place.
So my questions are
of those of you who have used Yaz or yasmin how long did it take you to either concieve/ start ovulating/ have regular cycles?
same question for those of you who have used other combined pills?
for those of you who have used the combined pill long term (5 years plus), how long did it take you to concieve/ start ovulating/ have regular cycles.
About me: I’m 25, from and living in [name_f]England[/name_f], (so at the mercy of our national health service and it’s variable standards!), never been pregnant, 5ft 2 and about 8 stone 7 (so 121lbs), in good health/ average fitness. DH is 26, never fathered a child. [name_m]Both[/name_m] non smokers.
Any responses / help / soothing words would be much appreciated!
[name_m]Hi[/name_m] Lilea
I can see how that would be concerning! [name_f]My[/name_f] thoughts . . . I was on yasmin for a couple years, other oral contraception before that (alesse, tricyclen) for a total of about 15 years before coming off. I started ovulating the first month (charting to confirm that) off, and have ever month since (4th month this month). From what I know, oral contraception shouldn’t have any long term effects fertility after you come off. Some women can have delay of returning to normal cycles, but after 3 months if you haven’t had a return of normal cycles you should really have a work up by your doctor just like a women who didn’t have regular cycles and wasn’t on oral contraception. I would think coming off your contraception 3-4 months before you want to start trying would be totally reasonable. Of course, if you had an underlying fertility problem before starting contraception, that would still be there after you come off. But just the pill shouldn’t actually cause a fertility problem. Hopefully that is helpful and will help to make you a bit less stressed!!
I came off the pill in [name_u]December[/name_u], I was on microgynon, and had my period like normal at the end of my pill cycle. I missed my [name_u]January[/name_u] and February periods, and have just gotten my [name_u]March[/name_u] one, so I’d say it takes a little while to get back to normal, but it shouldn’t take too long. I did a lot of googling and a lot of women miss a few periods after coming off the pill. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t know how helpful this is, but I just wanted to share my experience.
Thank you. I’m currently doing some reading up on charting (any links to any good guidance?). Ideally (with DH’s work situation) we would want to fall pregnant later this year. But I’m now keen to start ttc sooner because of all of this. He’s very much of he impression that we will fall pregnant the first month of us having unprotected sex so is keen to use condoms at least until [name_u]August[/name_u], which I guess is only 6 months so will give me chance to start charting and have my tests undertaken. Without meaning to be crude, he did however tend to ummm ‘break’ condoms quite regularly when we first got together, we have bought a larger kind so will see if they are any better.
I was on a combination pill for 20 years until this past [name_f]September[/name_f]. I used the pill continuously so never had a period during that time (for the sake of convenience, frankly). I got married last year, and we had decided to start trying to conceive this [name_f]Spring[/name_f], so I stopped the pill in [name_f]September[/name_f], figuring that would give me plenty of time to regulate…I had one period in [name_f]September[/name_f], and ended up conceiving in [name_f]October[/name_f] (we weren’t really trying, but obviously not really being careful either). So, it can definitely happen! Think positively and keep us posted
I was on the pill for five years until [name_u]January[/name_u] 2013. I was on Levlen. [name_f]My[/name_f] cycles went back to normal immediately (28 days, normal bleeding, ovulating straight away). I had no problems whatsoever. We have been trying for a baby since [name_f]April[/name_f] 2013. I’ve fallen pregnant twice, but lost both to very early miscarriage (chemical pregnancy). This has nothing to do with the pill. I hope your cycles go back to normal quickly. I know many women for whom it has taken several months. Two years seems like a long time; I’ve never heard about the pill screwing you up for so long, although I’ve heard some bad things about Yaz.
I was on Yaz for four years. [name_f]My[/name_f] cycles never missed a beat, and I got pregnant on my second cycle. I’m currently five months along and everything is all good. I think it depends on the person.
The rule of thumb is that for women coming off of any form of hormonal birth control (combined estrogen/progesterone), it can take up to 12 months for the hormones to ‘wash’ out of the body and for the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis to self-regulate. In other words, a year before women should be cycling completely normally, and another year for women <35 to have unprotected sex before they become pregnant-- only after two years is a fertility workup indicated. Of course many many women do not need nearly this long, but on the NHS this is how long you’ll need to try before interventions would be warranted.
That’s helpful thanks. The doctor was completely lovely and on the ball, but I did feel a little panicked when she said two years! Fingers crossed it won’t take that long. I get the results of my blood test this morning and my pelvic ultrasound is now booked for next Thursday. Which should give me a good indication of whether everything in there looks normal or not.
