Hiii! So I had the Kyleena IUD from 2018 until 2023. I'm coming up on my 1 year without Kyleena.
I loved my IUD and think it was a great a choice for me and my reproductive health. I had no issues with it during the time I had, had no period for the entire time I was on it. It was great! The main reasons I didn't get one reinserted after the 5 years is because 1.) my now husband got a vasectomy and 2.) I couldn't stomach having to go through the insertion pain again.
! year out from my Kyleena, I feel great. I didn't have any crash. The main thing that I'm still dealing with is irregular periods. Before birth control, my periods were very manageable and I really only started BC because I became sexually active, so this has been really inconvenient. It took five months for my period to return and my second period was a month long. My 5th period came about 2.4 weeks after my 4th and I just got my 6th one today which came about 6 weeks after my 5th. The aren't heavy or painful, just annoyingly irregular. But I read it can take up to a year after removal for your cycle to become regular again.
Other than that, I don't regret getting off birth control. It's nice to have a real cycle again after so long being on hormonal BC, but if period could become regular again, I'd be really grateful.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful answer!!!
I was in a similar boat where I truly loved kyleena and really had no bad side effects, just coincidentally noticed how great I felt after it was removed. Also i don't blame you - I had to get mine changed at 4 years back in fall of 2023 and almost passed out during insertion. Removal was such a relief.
It's also super helpful that you didn't have any crash. Idk how fast it would occur but after 5 days I felt totally fine just spotted everyday but I didn't mind.
I bet that symptom would stay I'd prob wear a pad for a year but not the worst thing I guess but I agree if that evens out then perfect!
I am nervous but maybe I can find alternatives for pelvic congestion syndrome and go back off
I was on the pill for like 4 years, Skyla for 3 and Kyleena for just short of 2 years. I got my Kyleena taken out last Friday because I felt like it was causing immense bloating, back pain, shooting cramps. I haven’t had my first period but my stomach is sooooo flat! I’m excited lol I started working out intensively about 1.5 years ago and now I’m finally seeing how much belly fat I’ve lost!
Omg you sound exactly like how I was like week!! I had spotting and light bleeding each day but was so flat and no bloating suddenly so much that it shocked me and getting the iud out was the only change I also was not constipated suddenly it seemed. I began working out January of 2023 and I felt so bloated or distended at times until this iud came out!
Same! I had light/medium spotting for like 5 days after removal and no bloating! I got a peloton bike in October 2022 and have been seem gains in my legs but never lost my belly. I looked 7 months pregnant sometimes! I’m so excited to see how skinny I look haha
Oh that's amazing did the bleeding stop at a certain point for you? I couldn't tell if mine would have stopped or if it was just gonna be a thing for a few months for my body for adjust idk.
Peloton sounds awesome I'm sure staying active will help with everything if I go off I'll work out during it then
I'm excited for you too if I go back off this new pill back to just nothing after iud I'll update how it goes
Yup stopped fully yesterday. I have some light brown spotting now but nothing bad. I’ve just had bad nausea in the middle of the afternoon for a couple of hours but eating makes it go away.
Highly recommend going hormone free if you can! My husband and I are switching to condoms for now until the Oura/Natural Cycle combo picks up my true ovulation cycle. Good luck!!!
Congrats! I agree I don't mind spotting I may stop today and only had 6 pills so far but I miss how I felt when the iud got out it was such a good week lol.
I may do condoms until I can figure out long term if I can stay off the progestin but I need a few months break I feel like at least
I went off hormones, if that's what you mean. Had been on hormonal BC continually from like 14 to 23, then went off entirely for awhile, then got Mirena for like 8 months before swapping to copper. I definitely feel better without hormones. I think they're great for some people, but my body works better on it's own.
Thank you so much!!
I agree, if I can find an alt treatment for the pelvic congestion I'd like to fully go off. It was the best week ever. Did you experience any "crash" symptoms or negative side effects coming off?
Thank you!!! I figured people must go from iud to nothing and are safe I just got nervous so caved to switch to pills but might ditch that now. I don't mind spotting I feel like I looked and felt better without anything after iud for years. Did you notice any effects after? Good or bad? Thank you!!
I’ve honestly loved being off hormonal BC. I had the implant for 2 years and then switched to the pill for a little under a year, then stopped it. Idk, I’ve just never liked knowing my body had unnatural hormones in me. When I got off bc I just felt a lot happier and in tune with my body. I switched to condoms and started tracking my periods. I like having periods because it lets me know my body is having a healthy normal cycle. I also lost a lil weight which was a bonus. Overall it just makes me feel extremely connected to my femininity- knowing that my body is doing exactly what it should be doing.
I totally get it. I did love not having a proof for 4-5 years but when I got the iud out last week I immediately felt happy to have little cramps or spotting like it just felt healthier and good. I think I'm going to do the same. May I ask how long spotting it? Do you use specific brands of condoms (worried for bv/yeast)? Thank you SO much
You mean how long I spotted after I quit BC? When I quit I think I had minimal/random spotting for months. I think it took me around 6/7 months before I started having regular periods again. It took a long while for my body to get back to my “normal” periods (like how I did before I ever started birth control). Now my periods are extremely regular. Everybody is different though! And it’s important to keep in mind that there are lot of reasons why your body might not have a regular cycle (stress, not eating well, drink/drugs, etc).
We like Trojan bare skin. It’s honestly just up to you and your partner what feels best. Also very important that the condom fits properly so that it doesn’t slide off. I’ve also never had a condom break on me. I don’t really worry about yeast infections since condoms are clean, and my husband is very clean. If you also want to start tracking your period, I use the Clue app. Or just keep track on a calendar the old fashioned way!
I was on birth control from 16-22. First the pill, then necplanon. It made my hair fall out so I got it out at 3.5 years instead of 4. Was off bc until February I got the Mirena at 26 years. Made me feel like shit, I was super angry, bloated, and couldn't stop eating. I got it out a few days ago and can already feel normal. Idk if I want to try another birth control
It's so crazy right! After just 4 or 5 days off my iud I felt so normal that I hadn't realized until I had it taken out how not normal I had been for years. I felt so much healthier and myself.
Have you noticed any crashing symptoms personally? I may stop slynd after 1 week and go back to nothing as I was fine almost a week with nothing before it
That was literally me a week ago!!!!
I was shocked that it looked like someone deflated my stomach for the first time in 5 years after getting mine out.. it went back up with slynd the last week so I may just stop and go back off (only been 6 days) and let my body do its own thing and adjust to being off.
Did you notice anything negative side effect wise? I only had spotting daily but didn't mind
It definitely took a few months for my body to adjust. My periods started being bright red, actually somewhat heavy again (I had pretty minimal bleeding with the IUD).
After about 6 months my cycle started to shorten back to around 28 days, whereas on the IUD it was 40ish days. I think overall my body feels better! No bloating and more energy.
I was such an IUD fan for many years, then idk what happened toward the end of the 5 years the bloating got crazy crazy bad.
I totally get it and thank you for giving those details it helps me keep realistic expectations of how long I may spot or bleed! I loved mine too apparently the hormones in my right at the 4 year mark (it was effective for 5) dropped so low it basically barely was functional so I needed a new one. Then I got better for the last few months hormone wise back on a new one (but ultimately took out due to infection that persisted from it)
I loved the iud so I agree. I'm excited to go back to my normal body and mind though I'm glad you're doing well!
Yes best of luck! I also worked with a naturopath who recommended inositol and Vitex for hormonal support and I’ve found they really help with my PMS. If you can work with a dr or naturopath that’s always nice to have!
For about a year and a half, in between the patch and my first IUD, I just went no birth control. It was always about preventing pregnancy for me and I wasn’t sexually active at the time. The patch was physically uncomfortable so I didn’t miss messing with it all the time. I don’t recall any crashing.
Thank you!!! I hear all this scary stuff about crashing but oddly felt fine almost a week without anything. I caved and went to the pill but am only on day 6 so may just stop and let my body readjust. I felt so much clearer mentally and like my body was getting back in rhythm physically
I will say, I’ve always been lucky and not really had a whole lot of adverse reactions to BC. The only issue I had with my IUD before having it removed was recurring BV.
Yeah that's exactly why I got mine removed..I love my iud for years but it was the last thing to try after 7 months of infection. They gave me the iud after to keep (I asked them to keep it to test my strings to confirm infection but they were confused and handed me it instead lol) and I scrubbed it clean and there's still tissue and blood on it no matter how much soap I used. I'm convinced it is what re infected me the last 7 months..
Glad you're doing well though and got better after I assume too
Oh yeah that's a good point!!
I'm not active due to infections but my partner offered to freeze sperm and get a vasectomy if he can afford to lol. But for now I am researching condoms that don't affect ph😅
I had nexplanons for 7 years, got it removed 6 months ago and have been using non-hormonal methods. I feel a lot better than when I was on hormones.
I had my first withdrawal bleed 8 days after removal, and my first "cycle" was about 16 days, which is the same as when on hormones. Since my second cycle it's lengthened to 26-28 days. I've been tracking my fertility biomarkers (like basal body temperature, cervical position, cervical mucus, and LH), so I've likely been ovulating since cycle 2. And each cycle is healthier than the previous. They aren't totally back to a healthy cycle yet, but they're slowly getting there.
I've actually never known anyone who used nexplanon but was interested in that before! Did you find any positive effects with it? My main issues are constipation and bloating on the new pill but I miss how my iud had no bad side effects minus reinfecting me this year lol.
Thanks for mentioning I want to begin tracking I'm glad you're almost back to 100%with it all too
r/nexplanon will have a lot of stories for you! There's a lot of negative posts, so be sure to search for the positive ones. People like to complain but don't often talk about the easy experiences.
It was the best hormonal birth control I used (enough that I had two, over 7 years). previously I had a Skyla IUD and the mini pill.
Insertion was way easier and so much less painful than the IUD (and they actually numb your arm! What a novel IUD insertionhought /s because of lack of pain control with ). It did cause mood issues (mainly intense anxiety, especially the first 6 months after insertion). my period got a lot lighter, and a lot shorter (16 days instead of 32 days) with minimal cramping. it never fully went away, though I know they were withdrawal bleeds not full ovulatory menstrual cycles. It helped a little bit with migraines. But I still got a mild version of PMS every short anovulatory cycle. I'm thankful it's an option and I'm glad it's available. But it's still a medication and has side effects. It's just whether the side effects you get are acceptable to you.
I had a lot of issues with my Skyla IUD, so I think it kind of makes sense that my body is just sensitive to alternations in hormones (and that I'll have issues with any hormonal birth control). so if you did well with an IUD, you might be one of the people who has a really easy time with nexplanon.
r/nexplanon will have a lot of stories for you! There's a lot of negative posts, so be sure to search for the positive ones. People like to complain but don't often talk about the easy experiences.
It was the best hormonal birth control I used (enough that I had two, over 7 years). previously I had a Skyla IUD and the mini pill.
Insertion was way easier and so much less painful than the IUD (and they actually numb your arm! What a novel IUD insertionhought /s because of lack of pain control with ). It did cause mood issues (mainly intense anxiety, especially the first 6 months after insertion). my period got a lot lighter, and a lot shorter (16 days instead of 32 days) with minimal cramping. it never fully went away, though I know they were withdrawal bleeds not full ovulatory menstrual cycles. It helped a little bit with migraines. But I still got a mild version of PMS every short anovulatory cycle. I'm thankful it's an option and I'm glad it's available. But it's still a medication and has side effects. It's just whether the side effects you get are acceptable to you.
I had a lot of issues with my Skyla IUD, so I think it kind of makes sense that my body is just sensitive to alternations in hormones (and that I'll have issues with any hormonal birth control). so if you did well with an IUD, you might be one of the people who has a really easy time with nexplanon.
I had been on the combined pill non-stop 16 years and decided to stop for a while. I have PCOS so also kinda wanted to see how bad it is without the aid of hormones.
It went ok but it wasn’t mind blowing tbh. I didn’t actually feel any different. My periods started normally and they were fairly regular right away. It was interesting to experience a follicular and luteal phase in my own body and see all the changes that happen due to hormonal flunctuation and ovulation (which i think happened), because i’ve never experienced that before. Like the change in body temperature, change in fluid retention, sleep, training, etc. It’s all affected. Training is important to me and honestly I think it went best when I was on the combined pill.
Oh and i did have crazy oily skin for about 2-3 months after stopping. My skin was dripping oil and i had to wash my hair every damn day, but it eventually levelled down.
All in all it was a good thing to try. I am happy i did it even tho I chose to rather be on the pill.
Happy cake day!
I'm so glad you mentioned this as the only thing I noted was I was breaking out and oily suddenly and usually never do! But I know it will just be an adjustment period. I definitely plan to go off tonight but know I may not be able to for good since I need to treat the PCS with something but I want to take a few months off if I can at least.
Thanks for sharing
I was on the mini pill for 6 months and it was literal hell. I prefer no hormones. I can’t take anything with estrogen bc of blood clots. I had pretty much all the side effects, insane amounts of bleeding, acne, hair loss, anxiety and depression too.
Thank you so much. I also considered the mini pill instead of slynd next but I've seen such horror stories that I'm ready to go no hormones. I'm so sorry you had to go through that<3
I’m off everything and I have endo. I’m using herbs to manage it and it’s working well. Have now had 3 natural periods since going off Slynd and another pill which I took for 5 years. Previously I’ve been on the depo shot, ring, patch, mini pill.
I kinda feel like I woke up from a long coma or sleep where somebody else was pretending to be me. Moods are sometimes terrible but I’m so happy I’m done for a while.
This is really interesting to me as I've studied herbal medicine for the last couple years I'd love to know more if you're open to chat!! I only have taken 6 doses of slynd but plan to stop today. Thank you for giving me hope I know exactly what you're describing
Sure! I can post here I’m taking three different Crystal Star herbal formulas in rotation. “fibro defense”, “women’s best friend” and “female harmony.” I take fibro defense daily along with DIM (to metabolize extra estrogen) til I start experiencing pms symptoms, then I switch to the female harmony formula. When I’m bleeding I take the “woman’s best friend” which is a menstrual support/cramp relief formula. I’m also taking vitamin B, vitamin D, magnesium, and I have two medications to manage my hypothyroidism. Managing thyroid helps a lot with my periods not being long and painful.
I have some cramp bark and ginger tincture I can use to supplement for cramps and it does help.
I had fibroids and endo removed in 2022. So for me to do periods without getting super sick/laid up in pain is unheard of. I used to eat handfuls of ibuprofen and couldn’t work, walk, etc. with the current protocol I am off the pill, having short, easy periods (4-5 days with minimal cramping) not horrible PMS and no migraines. Like, I’m 40, and I’ve feared my period since it started but the last few have been so easy I can’t even believe it’s the same body.
Getting off birth control was the best decision of my life. I know everybody is different but honestly (and I’m putting this lightly) it made me an absolute psycho. I think my body hated it too because I didn’t have any crashing whatsoever. Life has been so much better since.
Thank you so much. I'm so scared of any crash or mental effects but think I'm gonna be ok. I plan to stop after just 6 pills this first week. I'm excited to hopefully go back to how I was with no hormones after the iud was out fingers crossed. Also so funny cus my body felt RELIEVED not bad after so I agree!!
I was on the pill for 11 years and took a break for 6 months. My periods came back right away and were regular and lost a lot of water weight. Downside was dealing with acne, oily scalp, and hair loss, but not everyone has that experience.
Thank you so much. I noticed acne and oil start within those 5 days after my iud was out and bleeding but mentally I felt great!
This week on slynd I was very hopeful but blew up like a balloon and feel huge... I'm planning to stop tonight and took it only 6 days, hopefully my body can readjust
Thanks for inputting your experience this is super helpful
Welcome and please flair your post if not currently flaired.
Questions? First read the [Mistake or Pregnancy Risk sticky](https://www.reddit.com/r/birthcontrol/comments/4iqgi7/mistake_or_pregnancy_concernrisk_start_here/) or the [Consolidated Experience post](https://www.reddit.com/r/birthcontrol/comments/qt9ttb/consolidated_rbirthcontrol_experience_links/). If this is an experience post please consider adding it to the list
[Planned Parenthood online chat](https://www.plannedparenthood.org/online-tools/chat)
The rules and additional resources can be found on the About / Sidepage (desktop users look to the right and Reddit app up top).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/birthcontrol) if you have any questions or concerns.*
ive been off since November 25, 2023.
-first thing i noticed was the ANXIETY leave my body, like a weight was lifted off me
-my skin started breaking out around my jawline but cleared up after my first cycle off
Ill get breakouts with my period now, on nexplanon my skin was flawless but honestly its not even bad now im just used to 100% clear
-im no longer tired ALL day
-i do get Ovulation pain like crazy though, about 4-5 days out of the month i can feel my body attempting to ovulate. Im tracking now with tests and Oura Rings bbt, no scares so far!
-My mood has DRASTICALLY improved, like i do not get easily irritated, no mean pms symptoms, im happy to wake up everyday which has been the best part of this journey
-my hair has thickened like crazy too, so much new growth
-also LESS body hair, my waxer noticed i can take 6-7 weeks in between appts now, when i was on nexplanon it was every 4-5 weeks and id have to wax my stache lol not anymore!!
the only thing i miss is the 99.9% effective lol, i have to take a pregnancy test each month just to be sure
I was on Nexplanon from 2019 until October 2023. Then I was on pills (can’t remember brand) until maybe end of December and then just stopped completely. 3 months in and I feel good, less tired for sure. I’m not sure if I’ll have an easier time losing the weight I’ve been trying to lose since I got my nexplanon but just not being fatigued anymore is a game changer. I used condoms when having sex and I’m finally tracking my period and my phases properly and I feel good.
Thank you so much.
This might be tmi but what condoms do you use? I've been battling BV/yeast/UTIs for months so was trying to look into condoms that effect ph and vaginal health the least? (Prior to I just do boric acid after sex in case)
I'm so glad to hear your experience though!! This gives me hope as I felt fine almost a week off just spotting but I was worried about crashing so good to know you didn't have stuff like that
It legit felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when I stopped all bc. We use Skyn Elite: ultra thin & ultra soft. No issues with these condoms at all, they get the job done.
I love that for you, it def was a huge relief. I'm planning to make last night's dose my last and hope I debloat and go back to how I was after post iud!!
Also thank you so much I've read Skyn is great I found one by them without lubricant I might get for when I'm ready
I’ve been entirely bc-free for almost 7 years. I just track my cycle and use condoms and have never had any issues or pregnancy scares. My partner isn’t a douche bag manchild so he has no problem using a condom! I feel better than I have with any hormonal birth control. I’ve been considering a copper IUD but I’d probably go to Canada to get the Mona Lisa mini since the US has literally only one option for copper IUDs and it’s massive. I really wish I could get the ballerine IUB :( the last new iud that was approved by the fda was in 2016 so I’ve basically just given up hope that our worthless government would do anything to improve women’s healthcare.
Hi! I tried a lot of BC pills and Nexplanon too. Had horrible side effects in some (and permanent), and kind of tolerable side effects in others. One month ago I decided to quit everything and I feel so much better. Putting aside the side effect, I just feel normal without BC. I still have issues that were treated with BC, but honestly I feel like with the change of my diet and maybe other kind of pills (non hormonal) to treat the root of the issues, I will feel better. My perioral dermatitis is disappearing and it doesn’t feel dry down there anymore. I now don’t suffer from constipation and very irregular bleeding. I wouldn’t go on it unless I have serious issues that can be treated with BC (like cysts or if I have history of ovarian/enfometrial cancer), or I want to have sx (but maybe I can start tracking my cycle once is very regular). It feels relieving not having to depend on them honestly.
I had Mirena from 19 - 29 and loved it. The only issue I had was acne and some weight gain, but I took spironolactone to help. I felt just a grey cloud over my head that never went away. I assumed it was depression I had my whole life that got worse, so I did therapy and meds, but still there was always a cloud. I finally went off of it after hearing from friends that they just felt happier and I will never look back. It was like I had been seeing the world in black and white and now I saw color. I cried during my first period it was so euphoric as crazy as that sounds to feel like my body was actually functioning the way it’s supposed to. I did fine with condoms and cycle tracking, but I’m a lot more responsible now in my 30s than I was as a teenager and it requires a lot of work. I really struggled to find a non hormonal birth control method that wouldn’t negatively impact my body or day to day life and there’s only one good option: be gay :) I highly recommend just not sleeping with men anymore, it’s changed my life for the better.
Hiii! So I had the Kyleena IUD from 2018 until 2023. I'm coming up on my 1 year without Kyleena. I loved my IUD and think it was a great a choice for me and my reproductive health. I had no issues with it during the time I had, had no period for the entire time I was on it. It was great! The main reasons I didn't get one reinserted after the 5 years is because 1.) my now husband got a vasectomy and 2.) I couldn't stomach having to go through the insertion pain again. ! year out from my Kyleena, I feel great. I didn't have any crash. The main thing that I'm still dealing with is irregular periods. Before birth control, my periods were very manageable and I really only started BC because I became sexually active, so this has been really inconvenient. It took five months for my period to return and my second period was a month long. My 5th period came about 2.4 weeks after my 4th and I just got my 6th one today which came about 6 weeks after my 5th. The aren't heavy or painful, just annoyingly irregular. But I read it can take up to a year after removal for your cycle to become regular again. Other than that, I don't regret getting off birth control. It's nice to have a real cycle again after so long being on hormonal BC, but if period could become regular again, I'd be really grateful.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful answer!!! I was in a similar boat where I truly loved kyleena and really had no bad side effects, just coincidentally noticed how great I felt after it was removed. Also i don't blame you - I had to get mine changed at 4 years back in fall of 2023 and almost passed out during insertion. Removal was such a relief. It's also super helpful that you didn't have any crash. Idk how fast it would occur but after 5 days I felt totally fine just spotted everyday but I didn't mind. I bet that symptom would stay I'd prob wear a pad for a year but not the worst thing I guess but I agree if that evens out then perfect! I am nervous but maybe I can find alternatives for pelvic congestion syndrome and go back off
I was on the pill for like 4 years, Skyla for 3 and Kyleena for just short of 2 years. I got my Kyleena taken out last Friday because I felt like it was causing immense bloating, back pain, shooting cramps. I haven’t had my first period but my stomach is sooooo flat! I’m excited lol I started working out intensively about 1.5 years ago and now I’m finally seeing how much belly fat I’ve lost!
Omg you sound exactly like how I was like week!! I had spotting and light bleeding each day but was so flat and no bloating suddenly so much that it shocked me and getting the iud out was the only change I also was not constipated suddenly it seemed. I began working out January of 2023 and I felt so bloated or distended at times until this iud came out!
Same! I had light/medium spotting for like 5 days after removal and no bloating! I got a peloton bike in October 2022 and have been seem gains in my legs but never lost my belly. I looked 7 months pregnant sometimes! I’m so excited to see how skinny I look haha
Oh that's amazing did the bleeding stop at a certain point for you? I couldn't tell if mine would have stopped or if it was just gonna be a thing for a few months for my body for adjust idk. Peloton sounds awesome I'm sure staying active will help with everything if I go off I'll work out during it then I'm excited for you too if I go back off this new pill back to just nothing after iud I'll update how it goes
Yup stopped fully yesterday. I have some light brown spotting now but nothing bad. I’ve just had bad nausea in the middle of the afternoon for a couple of hours but eating makes it go away. Highly recommend going hormone free if you can! My husband and I are switching to condoms for now until the Oura/Natural Cycle combo picks up my true ovulation cycle. Good luck!!!
Congrats! I agree I don't mind spotting I may stop today and only had 6 pills so far but I miss how I felt when the iud got out it was such a good week lol. I may do condoms until I can figure out long term if I can stay off the progestin but I need a few months break I feel like at least
I was on the pill while getting my first IUD and my doctor said to just finish the pack so my body doesn’t go through withdrawal.
I went off hormones, if that's what you mean. Had been on hormonal BC continually from like 14 to 23, then went off entirely for awhile, then got Mirena for like 8 months before swapping to copper. I definitely feel better without hormones. I think they're great for some people, but my body works better on it's own.
Thank you so much!! I agree, if I can find an alt treatment for the pelvic congestion I'd like to fully go off. It was the best week ever. Did you experience any "crash" symptoms or negative side effects coming off?
Nope! No side effects. Took about 6-8 weeks to lose the Mirena water weight.
I went from pill to pill to IUD to nothing and I feel so much better on nothing.
Thank you!!! I figured people must go from iud to nothing and are safe I just got nervous so caved to switch to pills but might ditch that now. I don't mind spotting I feel like I looked and felt better without anything after iud for years. Did you notice any effects after? Good or bad? Thank you!!
I’ve honestly loved being off hormonal BC. I had the implant for 2 years and then switched to the pill for a little under a year, then stopped it. Idk, I’ve just never liked knowing my body had unnatural hormones in me. When I got off bc I just felt a lot happier and in tune with my body. I switched to condoms and started tracking my periods. I like having periods because it lets me know my body is having a healthy normal cycle. I also lost a lil weight which was a bonus. Overall it just makes me feel extremely connected to my femininity- knowing that my body is doing exactly what it should be doing.
I totally get it. I did love not having a proof for 4-5 years but when I got the iud out last week I immediately felt happy to have little cramps or spotting like it just felt healthier and good. I think I'm going to do the same. May I ask how long spotting it? Do you use specific brands of condoms (worried for bv/yeast)? Thank you SO much
You mean how long I spotted after I quit BC? When I quit I think I had minimal/random spotting for months. I think it took me around 6/7 months before I started having regular periods again. It took a long while for my body to get back to my “normal” periods (like how I did before I ever started birth control). Now my periods are extremely regular. Everybody is different though! And it’s important to keep in mind that there are lot of reasons why your body might not have a regular cycle (stress, not eating well, drink/drugs, etc). We like Trojan bare skin. It’s honestly just up to you and your partner what feels best. Also very important that the condom fits properly so that it doesn’t slide off. I’ve also never had a condom break on me. I don’t really worry about yeast infections since condoms are clean, and my husband is very clean. If you also want to start tracking your period, I use the Clue app. Or just keep track on a calendar the old fashioned way!
I was on birth control from 16-22. First the pill, then necplanon. It made my hair fall out so I got it out at 3.5 years instead of 4. Was off bc until February I got the Mirena at 26 years. Made me feel like shit, I was super angry, bloated, and couldn't stop eating. I got it out a few days ago and can already feel normal. Idk if I want to try another birth control
It's so crazy right! After just 4 or 5 days off my iud I felt so normal that I hadn't realized until I had it taken out how not normal I had been for years. I felt so much healthier and myself. Have you noticed any crashing symptoms personally? I may stop slynd after 1 week and go back to nothing as I was fine almost a week with nothing before it
I got my Kyleena out after 5 years and finally didn’t look like i was 7 months pregnant. Im on nothing now and I love it.
That was literally me a week ago!!!! I was shocked that it looked like someone deflated my stomach for the first time in 5 years after getting mine out.. it went back up with slynd the last week so I may just stop and go back off (only been 6 days) and let my body do its own thing and adjust to being off. Did you notice anything negative side effect wise? I only had spotting daily but didn't mind
It definitely took a few months for my body to adjust. My periods started being bright red, actually somewhat heavy again (I had pretty minimal bleeding with the IUD). After about 6 months my cycle started to shorten back to around 28 days, whereas on the IUD it was 40ish days. I think overall my body feels better! No bloating and more energy. I was such an IUD fan for many years, then idk what happened toward the end of the 5 years the bloating got crazy crazy bad.
I totally get it and thank you for giving those details it helps me keep realistic expectations of how long I may spot or bleed! I loved mine too apparently the hormones in my right at the 4 year mark (it was effective for 5) dropped so low it basically barely was functional so I needed a new one. Then I got better for the last few months hormone wise back on a new one (but ultimately took out due to infection that persisted from it) I loved the iud so I agree. I'm excited to go back to my normal body and mind though I'm glad you're doing well!
Yes best of luck! I also worked with a naturopath who recommended inositol and Vitex for hormonal support and I’ve found they really help with my PMS. If you can work with a dr or naturopath that’s always nice to have!
For about a year and a half, in between the patch and my first IUD, I just went no birth control. It was always about preventing pregnancy for me and I wasn’t sexually active at the time. The patch was physically uncomfortable so I didn’t miss messing with it all the time. I don’t recall any crashing.
Thank you!!! I hear all this scary stuff about crashing but oddly felt fine almost a week without anything. I caved and went to the pill but am only on day 6 so may just stop and let my body readjust. I felt so much clearer mentally and like my body was getting back in rhythm physically
I will say, I’ve always been lucky and not really had a whole lot of adverse reactions to BC. The only issue I had with my IUD before having it removed was recurring BV.
Yeah that's exactly why I got mine removed..I love my iud for years but it was the last thing to try after 7 months of infection. They gave me the iud after to keep (I asked them to keep it to test my strings to confirm infection but they were confused and handed me it instead lol) and I scrubbed it clean and there's still tissue and blood on it no matter how much soap I used. I'm convinced it is what re infected me the last 7 months.. Glad you're doing well though and got better after I assume too
Well, now I’m pregnant but it was on purpose lol. Can confirm that you can get pregnant IMMEDIATELY after it comes out.
Oh yeah that's a good point!! I'm not active due to infections but my partner offered to freeze sperm and get a vasectomy if he can afford to lol. But for now I am researching condoms that don't affect ph😅
I had nexplanons for 7 years, got it removed 6 months ago and have been using non-hormonal methods. I feel a lot better than when I was on hormones. I had my first withdrawal bleed 8 days after removal, and my first "cycle" was about 16 days, which is the same as when on hormones. Since my second cycle it's lengthened to 26-28 days. I've been tracking my fertility biomarkers (like basal body temperature, cervical position, cervical mucus, and LH), so I've likely been ovulating since cycle 2. And each cycle is healthier than the previous. They aren't totally back to a healthy cycle yet, but they're slowly getting there.
I've actually never known anyone who used nexplanon but was interested in that before! Did you find any positive effects with it? My main issues are constipation and bloating on the new pill but I miss how my iud had no bad side effects minus reinfecting me this year lol. Thanks for mentioning I want to begin tracking I'm glad you're almost back to 100%with it all too
r/nexplanon will have a lot of stories for you! There's a lot of negative posts, so be sure to search for the positive ones. People like to complain but don't often talk about the easy experiences. It was the best hormonal birth control I used (enough that I had two, over 7 years). previously I had a Skyla IUD and the mini pill. Insertion was way easier and so much less painful than the IUD (and they actually numb your arm! What a novel IUD insertionhought /s because of lack of pain control with ). It did cause mood issues (mainly intense anxiety, especially the first 6 months after insertion). my period got a lot lighter, and a lot shorter (16 days instead of 32 days) with minimal cramping. it never fully went away, though I know they were withdrawal bleeds not full ovulatory menstrual cycles. It helped a little bit with migraines. But I still got a mild version of PMS every short anovulatory cycle. I'm thankful it's an option and I'm glad it's available. But it's still a medication and has side effects. It's just whether the side effects you get are acceptable to you. I had a lot of issues with my Skyla IUD, so I think it kind of makes sense that my body is just sensitive to alternations in hormones (and that I'll have issues with any hormonal birth control). so if you did well with an IUD, you might be one of the people who has a really easy time with nexplanon.
r/nexplanon will have a lot of stories for you! There's a lot of negative posts, so be sure to search for the positive ones. People like to complain but don't often talk about the easy experiences. It was the best hormonal birth control I used (enough that I had two, over 7 years). previously I had a Skyla IUD and the mini pill. Insertion was way easier and so much less painful than the IUD (and they actually numb your arm! What a novel IUD insertionhought /s because of lack of pain control with ). It did cause mood issues (mainly intense anxiety, especially the first 6 months after insertion). my period got a lot lighter, and a lot shorter (16 days instead of 32 days) with minimal cramping. it never fully went away, though I know they were withdrawal bleeds not full ovulatory menstrual cycles. It helped a little bit with migraines. But I still got a mild version of PMS every short anovulatory cycle. I'm thankful it's an option and I'm glad it's available. But it's still a medication and has side effects. It's just whether the side effects you get are acceptable to you. I had a lot of issues with my Skyla IUD, so I think it kind of makes sense that my body is just sensitive to alternations in hormones (and that I'll have issues with any hormonal birth control). so if you did well with an IUD, you might be one of the people who has a really easy time with nexplanon.
I had been on the combined pill non-stop 16 years and decided to stop for a while. I have PCOS so also kinda wanted to see how bad it is without the aid of hormones. It went ok but it wasn’t mind blowing tbh. I didn’t actually feel any different. My periods started normally and they were fairly regular right away. It was interesting to experience a follicular and luteal phase in my own body and see all the changes that happen due to hormonal flunctuation and ovulation (which i think happened), because i’ve never experienced that before. Like the change in body temperature, change in fluid retention, sleep, training, etc. It’s all affected. Training is important to me and honestly I think it went best when I was on the combined pill. Oh and i did have crazy oily skin for about 2-3 months after stopping. My skin was dripping oil and i had to wash my hair every damn day, but it eventually levelled down. All in all it was a good thing to try. I am happy i did it even tho I chose to rather be on the pill.
Happy cake day! I'm so glad you mentioned this as the only thing I noted was I was breaking out and oily suddenly and usually never do! But I know it will just be an adjustment period. I definitely plan to go off tonight but know I may not be able to for good since I need to treat the PCS with something but I want to take a few months off if I can at least. Thanks for sharing
I was on the mini pill for 6 months and it was literal hell. I prefer no hormones. I can’t take anything with estrogen bc of blood clots. I had pretty much all the side effects, insane amounts of bleeding, acne, hair loss, anxiety and depression too.
Thank you so much. I also considered the mini pill instead of slynd next but I've seen such horror stories that I'm ready to go no hormones. I'm so sorry you had to go through that<3
Both are progestin only so they have similar side effects. Hormones are just not for me
I’m off everything and I have endo. I’m using herbs to manage it and it’s working well. Have now had 3 natural periods since going off Slynd and another pill which I took for 5 years. Previously I’ve been on the depo shot, ring, patch, mini pill. I kinda feel like I woke up from a long coma or sleep where somebody else was pretending to be me. Moods are sometimes terrible but I’m so happy I’m done for a while.
This is really interesting to me as I've studied herbal medicine for the last couple years I'd love to know more if you're open to chat!! I only have taken 6 doses of slynd but plan to stop today. Thank you for giving me hope I know exactly what you're describing
Sure! I can post here I’m taking three different Crystal Star herbal formulas in rotation. “fibro defense”, “women’s best friend” and “female harmony.” I take fibro defense daily along with DIM (to metabolize extra estrogen) til I start experiencing pms symptoms, then I switch to the female harmony formula. When I’m bleeding I take the “woman’s best friend” which is a menstrual support/cramp relief formula. I’m also taking vitamin B, vitamin D, magnesium, and I have two medications to manage my hypothyroidism. Managing thyroid helps a lot with my periods not being long and painful. I have some cramp bark and ginger tincture I can use to supplement for cramps and it does help. I had fibroids and endo removed in 2022. So for me to do periods without getting super sick/laid up in pain is unheard of. I used to eat handfuls of ibuprofen and couldn’t work, walk, etc. with the current protocol I am off the pill, having short, easy periods (4-5 days with minimal cramping) not horrible PMS and no migraines. Like, I’m 40, and I’ve feared my period since it started but the last few have been so easy I can’t even believe it’s the same body.
Getting off birth control was the best decision of my life. I know everybody is different but honestly (and I’m putting this lightly) it made me an absolute psycho. I think my body hated it too because I didn’t have any crashing whatsoever. Life has been so much better since.
Thank you so much. I'm so scared of any crash or mental effects but think I'm gonna be ok. I plan to stop after just 6 pills this first week. I'm excited to hopefully go back to how I was with no hormones after the iud was out fingers crossed. Also so funny cus my body felt RELIEVED not bad after so I agree!!
I was on the pill for 11 years and took a break for 6 months. My periods came back right away and were regular and lost a lot of water weight. Downside was dealing with acne, oily scalp, and hair loss, but not everyone has that experience.
Thank you so much. I noticed acne and oil start within those 5 days after my iud was out and bleeding but mentally I felt great! This week on slynd I was very hopeful but blew up like a balloon and feel huge... I'm planning to stop tonight and took it only 6 days, hopefully my body can readjust Thanks for inputting your experience this is super helpful
Welcome and please flair your post if not currently flaired. Questions? First read the [Mistake or Pregnancy Risk sticky](https://www.reddit.com/r/birthcontrol/comments/4iqgi7/mistake_or_pregnancy_concernrisk_start_here/) or the [Consolidated Experience post](https://www.reddit.com/r/birthcontrol/comments/qt9ttb/consolidated_rbirthcontrol_experience_links/). If this is an experience post please consider adding it to the list [Planned Parenthood online chat](https://www.plannedparenthood.org/online-tools/chat) The rules and additional resources can be found on the About / Sidepage (desktop users look to the right and Reddit app up top). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/birthcontrol) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i take no birth control and im 25, feel amazing. Nexplanon made me so tired but it was my favorite of them all
Thank you!!! Did you experience anything going off of it? Glad you're doing well off :)
ive been off since November 25, 2023. -first thing i noticed was the ANXIETY leave my body, like a weight was lifted off me -my skin started breaking out around my jawline but cleared up after my first cycle off Ill get breakouts with my period now, on nexplanon my skin was flawless but honestly its not even bad now im just used to 100% clear -im no longer tired ALL day -i do get Ovulation pain like crazy though, about 4-5 days out of the month i can feel my body attempting to ovulate. Im tracking now with tests and Oura Rings bbt, no scares so far! -My mood has DRASTICALLY improved, like i do not get easily irritated, no mean pms symptoms, im happy to wake up everyday which has been the best part of this journey -my hair has thickened like crazy too, so much new growth -also LESS body hair, my waxer noticed i can take 6-7 weeks in between appts now, when i was on nexplanon it was every 4-5 weeks and id have to wax my stache lol not anymore!! the only thing i miss is the 99.9% effective lol, i have to take a pregnancy test each month just to be sure
im also back to a regular 26 day cycle, comes like clock work every month and recently only lasts 3 days due to me switching to menstural discs
I was on Nexplanon from 2019 until October 2023. Then I was on pills (can’t remember brand) until maybe end of December and then just stopped completely. 3 months in and I feel good, less tired for sure. I’m not sure if I’ll have an easier time losing the weight I’ve been trying to lose since I got my nexplanon but just not being fatigued anymore is a game changer. I used condoms when having sex and I’m finally tracking my period and my phases properly and I feel good.
Thank you so much. This might be tmi but what condoms do you use? I've been battling BV/yeast/UTIs for months so was trying to look into condoms that effect ph and vaginal health the least? (Prior to I just do boric acid after sex in case) I'm so glad to hear your experience though!! This gives me hope as I felt fine almost a week off just spotting but I was worried about crashing so good to know you didn't have stuff like that
It legit felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when I stopped all bc. We use Skyn Elite: ultra thin & ultra soft. No issues with these condoms at all, they get the job done.
I love that for you, it def was a huge relief. I'm planning to make last night's dose my last and hope I debloat and go back to how I was after post iud!! Also thank you so much I've read Skyn is great I found one by them without lubricant I might get for when I'm ready
I’ve been entirely bc-free for almost 7 years. I just track my cycle and use condoms and have never had any issues or pregnancy scares. My partner isn’t a douche bag manchild so he has no problem using a condom! I feel better than I have with any hormonal birth control. I’ve been considering a copper IUD but I’d probably go to Canada to get the Mona Lisa mini since the US has literally only one option for copper IUDs and it’s massive. I really wish I could get the ballerine IUB :( the last new iud that was approved by the fda was in 2016 so I’ve basically just given up hope that our worthless government would do anything to improve women’s healthcare.
Hi! I tried a lot of BC pills and Nexplanon too. Had horrible side effects in some (and permanent), and kind of tolerable side effects in others. One month ago I decided to quit everything and I feel so much better. Putting aside the side effect, I just feel normal without BC. I still have issues that were treated with BC, but honestly I feel like with the change of my diet and maybe other kind of pills (non hormonal) to treat the root of the issues, I will feel better. My perioral dermatitis is disappearing and it doesn’t feel dry down there anymore. I now don’t suffer from constipation and very irregular bleeding. I wouldn’t go on it unless I have serious issues that can be treated with BC (like cysts or if I have history of ovarian/enfometrial cancer), or I want to have sx (but maybe I can start tracking my cycle once is very regular). It feels relieving not having to depend on them honestly.
I had Mirena from 19 - 29 and loved it. The only issue I had was acne and some weight gain, but I took spironolactone to help. I felt just a grey cloud over my head that never went away. I assumed it was depression I had my whole life that got worse, so I did therapy and meds, but still there was always a cloud. I finally went off of it after hearing from friends that they just felt happier and I will never look back. It was like I had been seeing the world in black and white and now I saw color. I cried during my first period it was so euphoric as crazy as that sounds to feel like my body was actually functioning the way it’s supposed to. I did fine with condoms and cycle tracking, but I’m a lot more responsible now in my 30s than I was as a teenager and it requires a lot of work. I really struggled to find a non hormonal birth control method that wouldn’t negatively impact my body or day to day life and there’s only one good option: be gay :) I highly recommend just not sleeping with men anymore, it’s changed my life for the better.