Stopping Birth Control, Side Effects Going Off The Pill

Skip navigation!

Begin Slideshow

This article was originally published on April 5, 2016.

The first time I stopped taking the pill after breaking up with a long-term, live-in boyfriend, I assumed nothing much would change except that I’d stop having to stress about forgetting to pick up my prescription. Then, my next period came.

The main thing I remember now is the volume of blood. Carrie-at-the-prom levels of blood. Waves-pouring-out-of-the-elevator-in-The-Shining amounts of blood. Rick-Grimes-after-a-Walking-Dead-killing-spree kinds of blood. You get the picture. I seriously thought I might be hemorrhaging.

I wasn’t, and the bleeding lessened as time went on. But it turns out this is a not-uncommon occurrence after going off the pill, according to Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine. And a deluge of blood is not the only thing that can happen.

Read on for everything you need to know about the unexpected side effects of going off the pill.

RELATED:
A Handy Guide To Some Of The Best Condom Options Out There
The C-Section Problem Nobody Talks About
So That's Why You Have To Poop So Much During Your Period

More from Body

Athena Club Is Your One-Stop-Shop For All Things Wellness

All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. Whether it was pads, multiv

by Karina Hoshikawa

How To Tell If You Have A Yeast Infection & Get Rid Of It

Yeast infections are the most common type of vaginal infection and up to three out of four people with vaginas will get a yeast infection at some point in

Help R29 & Period Law End The Tampon Tax

We’re getting personal about our periods. The path to menstrual equity starts with talking about it. There’s a lot of feelings around get

by Refinery29 Staff

It’s 2024 — Why Isn’t Every Workplace A Period-Positive One?

We’re getting personal about our periods. The path to menstrual equity starts with talking about it. Debbie Herrera has been working on the influence

by Elizabeth Gulino

5 Women On The Effect Of Having A Good First Period

by Elizabeth Gulino

My Heavy Periods Make Me Feel Like A Social Burden

My Period: We’re getting personal about our periods. The path to menstrual equity starts with talking about it. My heavy, abnormal periods make life

The News About Tampons Is Scary, Let Us Break It Down

Arsenic, lead and other metals have been found in tampons by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. In the study, 30 tampons from 14 brands

by Tanyel Mustafa

R29 Intelligence

Women Athletes Should Never Have To Apologize For Being Competitive

When Alexa Coubal was in eighth grade, a volleyball teammate told her to quit, because she was “too competitive.” Her immediate reaction: “Why are we

by Andrea Cheng

For Black Fat Women, Is The Body Positivity Movement Dead?

Get your obituaries in order folks, because the body positivity movement as we knew it, is dead and gone. Sure, that declaration may be a bit extreme, but

by Stephanie Yeboah

My Miscarriage Was “Common” — For Black Women That Is...

Content warning: This article contains graphic details of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and the Black Maternal Health crisis. When I was 11, I was convinced

by Kathleen Newman-B...

I Feel Romantic Love Even If My Body Won’t Produce The Hormones

As 21-year-old Toria Christie scrolled through TikTok, she started to cry. “I was so sad when I first saw [those videos],” she tells me. “Like, so sa

What’s The Best Way To Relieve Period Cramps?

For some people, just imagining the pinching, aching, piercing abdominal pangs that come with their period is enough to make them want to assume the fetal