Everything You Need To Know About Post Birth Control Syndrome

If you’ve experienced post birth control syndrome, I feel for you. It’s not talked about often, so you may have had it without knowing.

I’ll be going over what post birth control syndrome is, what causes it, and how to treat it. Let’s get into it!

What is Post Birth Control Syndrome?

Post birth control syndrome can occur when women go off of hormonal birth control. It has various symptoms that can last up to 6 months or longer.

Symptoms include:

As you can imagine, having to deal with any of these symptoms can be very hard on your mental and physical health. Some people may decide it is too much and go back on hormonal birth control, but hormonal birth control only masks symptoms. It does not actually treat the root issues, which is why it is a band-aid solution. It’s best to treat these symptoms in a holistic way that will heal and nourish your body so it can naturally return to homeostasis.

Types of Hormonal Birth Control

• The pill
• Hormonal IUDs
• Contraceptive implants
• Skin patches
• Vaginal rings
• Hormone injections

Any one of these hormonal birth control methods can cause post birth control syndrome when you go off of it.

Hormonal birth control essentially makes you pre-menopausal. It disconnects your brain from your reproductive system. In other words, your brain and reproductive system cannot communicate with one another.

That’s kind of a scary thought in my opinion!

It’s also very unnatural. Our whole body is connected, so if our brain is unable to communicate with our reproductive system, then there are going to be problems. That’s why there are so many side effects and warnings when you go on birth control.

You may be preventing pregnancy, but at what cost? There are safer ways to prevent pregnancy.

Types of Non-Hormonal Birth Control

Now that I understand how harmful hormonal birth control is to women’s bodies, I do not use hormonal birth control anymore. Luckily, there are non-hormonal birth control options for women who want a hormone-free approach to birth control.

• Vasectomy
• Copper IUD
• Condom
• Fertility Awareness Methods/Natural Family Planning
• Phexxi
• Diaphragm
• Cervical cap
• Sponge
• Spermicide
• Neem oil

If you really want to go all-natural, I would choose these birth control methods:

• Fertility Awareness Methods/Natural Family Planning
• Condoms (there are lots of organic, safe condoms on the market)
• Neem oil

Have you tried any of these hormone-free birth control methods? Let me know down below!

My Experience with Post Birth Control Syndrome

I started Yaz birth control in February 2021 and went off of it in May 2022. I instinctively knew it wasn’t good for me and I didn’t like the side effects I was experiencing. Within a month of stopping the pill, my skin flared up with cystic acne and I developed hair loss.

I didn’t know what the heck was happening. My skin had been doing so well and suddenly I had terrible cystic acne and blackheads all over my face, chest, and back. I had experienced acne on my face since I was twelve, but never on my chest and back. I also never had so many blackheads. It was horrible. I didn’t know what to do.

I also had clumps of hair falling out when I would shower and brush my hair.

Something was not right.

One day I was listening to a podcast about women’s hormonal health and the term “post birth control syndrome” came up. Everything they described in the podcast was what I was experiencing. I couldn’t believe it.

Why did my doctor not tell me this was an effect of going off the pill? Why had I never heard of this?

So, like with everything else, I took matters into my own hands and did my own research.

How Do You Treat It?

Sometimes the symptoms can heal on their own. You may experience symptoms for a few months and then go back to normal again, but most women struggle and never return to a normal state without professional help.

In my case, my symptoms did not go away on their own. My acne was not getting any better and my hair was still falling out at the same rate after 9 months. I decided it was time to seek professional help.

Herbalists, naturopathic doctors, and acupuncturists are some great health professionals that can help your body get back on the right track by using natural, holistic methods to balance your hormones.

It’s also important to eat a nutrient-dense diet and have a healthy balanced lifestyle (easier said than done, I know).

You will find balance and relief again! It takes some time and effort, but you will be nourishing and healing your body in a way that will make you feel better than ever before.

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UPMC Magee-Womens. (2023, January 19). What Is “Post-Birth-Control Syndrome”?. UMPC Health Beat. https://share.upmc.com/2023/01/post-birth-control-syndrome/#:~:text=Symptoms%20will%20eventually%20resolve%20on,take%20up%20to%20six%20months.

Brighten, Dr. Jolene. (2013, February 6). Post-Birth Control Syndrome + How to Heal Now. Dr. Jolene Brighten. https://drbrighten.com/post-birth-control-syndrome/

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