Planning to go off the Pill/try to go Natural......, quitting BCP's after 10 years, worried about what will happen? Options

[ex-urbanite]

I went on the Pill ( Yasmin, Lo Estrin, Yaz ) when I was 44 for perimenopausal symptoms....( hot flashes, trouble sleeping)...have stayed on the Pill until now, and I am almost 54....I know that my Dr. will not let me stay on much longer, will want me to switch to HRT ( which I actually did try for 1 year, and gained lots of weight)

Anyway, I figured that I would try going off the pill....I see my doctor in 3 months, and by then I would know how I am doing....
I am mainly worried about gaining weight ....although I know that sounds vain....
however, I am also hopeful that perhaps I can lose weight, which I have found hard to do...

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts!

[aprillv68]

When i went off the pill at age 28, after being on it for 5 years, my libido suddenly went through the roof.... I even remember waking up my hubby in the middle of the night!!

[FoxyRoxy]

When i went off the pill at age 28, after being on it for 5 years, my libido suddenly went through the roof.... I even remember waking up my hubby in the middle of the night!!

LMAO .....I bet your hubby LOVED that

Rox

[zen]

i didn't really notice anything immediately after stopping birth control years ago.. but menopausal symptoms crept in bit by bit.. periods resumed naturally, and weight stayed much the same for a while too.. well, for at least a couple of years, then it all went west... i stopped B/C at age 50, and am now 55 and one year post. i do not take HRT, but i do take Blackmores' Phytolife, and Evening Primrose Oil with Fish Oil capsules.. i thought the Phytolife was helping at first, then i wasn't sure.. but with the addition of EPO and Fish Oil, i really do think the hot flushes are not as bad as they were.. my mood has improved since i started Phytolife..

good luck ex-urbanite.

[ex-urbanite]

Thanks, ladies, for your responses! I will just have to see what happens.....
Zen, do you mean that you have gained weight? I have always felt that in recent years, the pill was adding weight on...who knows?
As for my libido, well, I am divorced, and currently not interested in dating....so will have to put that on the back burner for now....my youngest will go to college in a year, and who knows after that??

[zen]

yes.. i have gained weight. i exercise and try to eat sensibly most of the time, but the weight mostly stays unless i am constantly pushing myself physically, and eating like a rabbit, or a bird.. a small bird!! lol... honestly.. i did lose a lot of weight last year, but the minute i look at anything other than lean protein and salad, my weight goes up again, even when exercising with gusto! thing is, it was the same with B/C pills anyway.. i started putting weight on when i started B/C pills at 40 (i married for the first time at 40) i was hoping it would go away when i stopped taking them, but no.... i have no libido anymore, whatever the cause, and it's not my husband's fault, he's still an attractive younger man..

[skiergirl]

Hi,
I switched from bcp to BHRT about 8 months ago. I feel lots better but am still having some problems balancing my hormones. I didn't gain any weight after going off the pill and switching to BHRT. I exercise lots and eat pretty well though. I think you have to get the dosage right though. I think at almost 54 it's time to get off the pill and try something bioidentical, maybe in a lower dose. Good luck to you.

[ex-urbanite]

Thanks, skier girl! I am afraid that bioidents are not for me, though....
for one thing, I am one of the millions of Americans who are uninsured, so cannot afford the blood tests, etc.
IF I have to go back on anything, it will have to be conventional, as some drug companies have assistance with the meds....

(also, I really do feel that even if a substance is natural, if my body did not make it, then it still is not "natural " for me.)
I know that lots of women swear by the bios, too, but it is just not in the cards for me.
I am glad to hear that they are working well for you...guess it will be trial and error to get it just right.
And, I am glad to hear that going off the pill did not make you gain weight.
Very true that one must eat right and exercise, that goes without saying!

[HoosierFan]

Hi Ladies,

It's nice to hear how going off birth control is affecting other women. I stopped taking mine this week after my last "cycle". I've been on and off of them since I was 16 - first for period problems, then - in college - enough said, and then after I got married - it was our form of birth control between pregnancies. Now I'm 37, oops 36 until tomorrow, and I feel like it's time. My pills were changed from Ortho- tri-cyclen to Loestrin Fe 24 last year due to perimenopausal symptoms. I'm nervous and anxious to see what happens with nothing in my body but a daily vitamin. If I have any "episodes" (near fainting, dizziness, funny feelings in arms/legs), I'll certainly go back on them. I didn't consult my Gyn, but I don't really think there's a reason to do that. She'd just say to do whatever I'm comfortable with doing. By the way, does anyone follow the vitamin regimen suggested by Dr. Oz from the Oprah show? It involves magnesium, calcium, multivitamins, etc.? If so, how is that working for you?

Have a great night!

CJ

[ex-urbanite]

And.....I have changed my mind! I went to the doctor last week, and she said I could stay on the BCPs for one more year, until I am 55...after that, she would like me to take nothing....

I had planned to go off the BCPs now and see how I felt...but really, really do not need any more hassles in my life!
Mind you, I never took the pill until I was 42, but it makes me feel great....I have been divorced for 10 years, have financial issues( to put it mildly! Have debt, no house, no health insurance), have been a stay at home mom struggling to re-enter the work force, no family here, it is just me and my kids , and my ex and his new family...
so, NO....I do not want to see how bad it gets without the BCPs. I LIKE the way estrogen makes me feel, and plan to find a doctor by next year, who will let me switch to HRT!!

[larafalcon]

And.....I have changed my mind! I went to the doctor last week, and she said I could stay on the BCPs for one more year, until I am 55...after that, she would like me to take nothing....

I had planned to go off the BCPs now and see how I felt...but really, really do not need any more hassles in my life!
Mind you, I never took the pill until I was 42, but it makes me feel great....I have been divorced for 10 years, have financial issues( to put it mildly! Have debt, no house, no health insurance), have been a stay at home mom struggling to re-enter the work force, no family here, it is just me and my kids , and my ex and his new family...
so, NO....I do not want to see how bad it gets without the BCPs. I LIKE the way estrogen makes me feel, and plan to find a doctor by next year, who will let me switch to HRT!!

Hey there Ex-Ur:

Glad to hear your good news!!! Enjoy another year of stress-free life.. If your bp and cholesterol is fine I think you should not have any health issues. So did you just turn 54? I thought you had just started your 53rd yr. The reason I ask is that I will be 52 in October and I'm hoping to keep going on my bcp for another 3 years - 52, 53, 54 and a few months before my 55th birthday I'll switch to bio-identicals. so far I haven't heard of any problems with women taking the bcp in their fifties... unless they have diabetes or other issues... so I think doctors will continue prescribing them for women. I think they are a Godsend for women and more women should be taking them. Women are scared because of the connection of the pill with strokes, blood clots etc. But those studies were done with pills that had VERY HIGH levels of hormones. The pill I take and I'm sure you take is very low - 20 mcgs of estrogen - enough to keep the cycle going and prevent the vasomotor symtoms of peri.

[joyceveronica]

And.....I have changed my mind! I went to the doctor last week, and she said I could stay on the BCPs for one more year, until I am 55...after that, she would like me to take nothing....

I had planned to go off the BCPs now and see how I felt...but really, really do not need any more hassles in my life!
Mind you, I never took the pill until I was 42, but it makes me feel great....I have been divorced for 10 years, have financial issues( to put it mildly! Have debt, no house, no health insurance), have been a stay at home mom struggling to re-enter the work force, no family here, it is just me and my kids , and my ex and his new family...
so, NO....I do not want to see how bad it gets without the BCPs. I LIKE the way estrogen makes me feel, and plan to find a doctor by next year, who will let me switch to HRT!!

Dear 'ex-urbanite'

You sound like a real survivor.Am sorry that you have so many financial problems and you are very wise to stay on the estrogen as weaning off is pretty hard and should be done slowly and when there is less stress in your life

Have bee n on HRT for a long time.Am now 57 and still on it. Told my Gyno. it just makes me feel so much better.Have very regular checkups and Thank God everything in good working order.

So really Good Luck,my love
God Bless
Elizabeth

[ex-urbanite]

Thanks, ladies! I will be 54 in a few months, and will stay on the pill until 55. Am having my cholesterol checked ( a low cost test) and glucose next week....have always had low cholesterol and blood pressure. Am also having bone density checked in a few weeks...I will not take the bone meds, that I do know...so hope for good results...

Yes, I like feeling good, and am not ready to give up my estrogen!
My mother will be 89 next month....she took estrogen ( HRT ) from age 49-65...currently takes NO meds, is healthy as a horse....