After being on hormonal birth control from over a decade I made the decision to finally come off of it. It was a scary decision but in the end it was something that I knew needed to be done. After doing research on the side effects of birth control my eyes were opened to all of the horrible things it was doing to my body. One of those including my increased risk of having a stroke – Hormone changes can cause migraines, and hormonal contraceptives can help regulate these changes and reduce migraines. However, studies have shown that using certain types of oral contraceptives to treat migraines can also put certain women at greater risk for stroke. As a 15 year old being put on the pill my doctor didn’t once ask about my history of migraines (or if I had an aura with them) and I had no idea that I was potentially putting my health at risk. Since then I’ve learned is that no one knows your body as well as you! Take your hormonal health into your own hands and do what is best for you! When it comes to transitioning off the pill one of the most important things you can do is heal your hormones.

First I want to talk about some of the things you aren’t told about the pill:
  • It is not a real treatment for reproductive health issues from PMS or PCOS (it is a bandaid!)
  • Suppresses symptoms (it does not fix them)
  • Increases risk of stroke (especially if you suffer from migraines with an aura), blood clots and breast cancer
  • Causes vitamin & mineral deficiencies (vitamin E, C, B2, B6, B9 (folate), B12, selenium, zinc, and magnesium)
  • Switches off hormonal function
  • The bleeds you have on the pill are not periods
  • Some potential side effects:
    • UTIs & Yeast infections
    • Hair loss
    • Low libido
    • Painful sex
    • Depression
    • Migraines
    • Anxiety
    • Mood swings
    • Heavy bleeding
    • Gut dysbiosis
    • Weight gain
    • Post pill acne
    • Post pill PCOS
    • Infertility
    • And more
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The good news is that there are things you can do to make this transition easier! By supporting your body, working to balance your hormones, living in sync with your cycle, and replenishing depleted minerals you can make the experience less scary. Below are some tips on what I did personally and what I have clients do.

Incorporate more real, whole foods and balance blood sugar

When you are coming off the pill one of the most important things you can do is nourish your body with the right kind of foods. Imbalances in your hormones are triggered by sugar, gluten & dairy. Alcohol & caffeine can also be hard on your hormones. While you are healing your body after the pill it can be super beneficial to remove these foods from your diet. After removing the triggering foods, add in whole, real, unprocessed, organic and mostly plant based diet – incorporating in organic or sustainably raised animal products. By doing this you are reducing intake of xenoestrogens, hormones and antibiotics. It can also be helpful to add in specific hormone balancing foods such as, cruciferous veggies, dark leafy greens, flaxseeds, and healthy fats.

Add in more healthy fats

Don’t be afraid of fats! Healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, ghee, grass-fed butter, nuts & seeds, and coconut butter are essential for hormone production.

Support gut health

The pill has been shown in various studies to affect the balance of our good and bad gut bacteria. Gut dysbiosis is a common side effect of the pill. When the good bugs are depleted, the bad ones overtake causing many problems not only with digestion but with our hormone health as well as our nervous system. Some things you can do to support your gut are: Ensure you are getting adequate fiber intake, increase probiotic rich foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, coconut yogurt), eat slow and chew your food.

Focus on low impact movement

Gentle exercise helps to produce feel-good neurotransmitters including endorphins which are linked with lowering stress and boosting your mood. Exercise also helps to support healthy blood sugar regulation and improve insulin sensitivity to help promote balanced production of female hormones. While healing your hormones, I would incorporate more low impact movement like pilates & yoga because high intensity movement can actually make hormonal imbalances worse.

Support your liver

The liver is responsible for eliminating excess hormones from the body which is important while transitioning off he pill. (You should be going poop daily). Unfortunately our liver is under a lot of stress these days with environmental toxins and needs extra support. To support your liver make sure you are nourishing your body by cutting down on refined sugars, carbohydrates and processed/packaged foods. Add plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, seeds, nuts and healthy oils to your plate. Some other things you can do are: reduce toxic load, exercise regularly, reduce alcohol consumption, and drink Milk thistle or dandelion tea at 1-2 cups/day to promote liver activity.

Supplement to replace depleted nutrients

The pill depletes many essential vitamins and minerals so it’s important that you support your body and start replacing those nutrients (vitamin E, C, B2, B6, B9 (folate), B12, selenium, zinc, and magnesium). It is best to test and see which nutrients you need extra support with and then go from there. Taking magnesium, a B complex, and a multivitamin can be helpful but our bodies are all different so it’s best to test and not guess!

Manage stress

During this transition it is so important to make sure your body feels safe! If your body is constantly in “fight or flight” mode it won’t ever be able to “rest and recover”.  Check out my blog posts on managing stress and lowering cortisol naturally.

Eat enough food for your hormones

Your hormones need food to function and if you are under eating (and overtraining) you could be sabotaging them. When you aren’t eating enough you are depriving your body of essential nutrients needed to support hormone health. Undereating isn’t just about eating enough food, it’s about eating the right kind of food to fuel your body properly. Make sure you are prioritizing meals consisting of proteins, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals. I also want to note that if you are overtraining or have too low of a body fat percentage you are likely not going to get your period back or struggle in doing so. Our bodies need to feel safe to have a period and if it doesn’t our hormones and cycle with suffer.

Revamp your bedtime routine

Sleep is SO important especially when your body is healing from years of being on the pill. While we sleep our body rests, repairs and recovers which is essential. Try to avoid screens (and bright lights) an hour before bed. Instead read a book, talk to a love one, meditate, etc.

The most important thing is that you are listening to and connecting with your body. It is best if you start implementing these tips before coming off the pill to prepare your body but if you have already taken the plunge these will still help you to get through the transition period. I also think that working with someone to come off the pill can be super beneficial. I’ve worked with many women to come off the pill without side effects! If you are wanting to take this next step and come off the pill I would be happy to support you, schedule a free consult here!