Q:

I've been on birth control for the past five years nonstop (the last two years have been on Seasonique specifically) and have decided to get off of it to see how my hormones are naturally, without alteration of any sort (mostly to see if it affects my moods, etc.). How long will it take for the birth control to completely leave my body? What side effects can I expect, and is this a safe thing to do abrubtly? I was planning on no longer taking it after this week, when my packet runs out. Thank you!

 

A:

You certainly can stop after this pack is done, and the synthetic hormone is gone from your body in 24 hours, but the effects of the suppression of your ovaries for five years may take months to dissipate. Some women begin to ovulate right away and have a normal period within the next month and others don't cycle normally for 3 or 4 months. There are no side effects from stopping the synthetic hormones other than what you may not remember from your own cycles--you may be moodier, you may have more cramps and heavier bleeding, and you certainly should anticipate being fertile!

~The Doc