Heavy Period After Stopping Birth Control
A heavy period after stopping birth control is something that you could experience. Hormonal birth control works by administering synthetic forms of estrogen and/or progesterone in the body to make it think that you are pregnant and will therefore not ovulate. Your body learns to trust this administration of the synthetic hormones and it will close off your body’s natural brain-ovary communication to produce hormones. When you stop using birth control you’ll find hormonal imbalances to be common because your body’s hormonal communication system is ‘waking up’ again. For some, this transition to regulating hormones naturally may only take a few cycles, and for others, it’ll take a a bit longer. One of the side effects of taking longer to adapt after stopping birth control is a heavy period.
test your hormones at home
A normal menstrual cycle is dependent on hormone levels in the body, since stopping birth control use, your hormone levels can vary, and then this can cause an unusually heavy period.
Source: Birth Control Book , 19268187
How do you know if you have a heavy period?
1. A period lasting longer than 7 days
2. Losing more than 80 mL of blood per cycle (or 16 regular tampons or pads)
3. Changing tampons or pads every hour or two
4. Needing to double up on period protection products
5. Having to wake up to change your tampon or pad in the night
6. Planning activities around your heavy period
7. Blood clots the size of a quarter or bigger
PRIVATE COACHING FOR BETTER PERIODS, SYMPTOMLESS CYCLES, & OPTIMAL FERTILITY
As always, I’m giving away my best hormone tips here, answering your burning questions, and letting you in on the what the science says.
This is the kind of insider info I share with all of my 1:1 coaching clients and students in my signature course, Heal Your Period.
I’m so passionate about sharing this info with anyone on a hormone healing journey, so I’m letting you in with all the info here!
So, let’s dive in into it!
work with me 1:1
Why can you experience a heavy period after stopping birth control?
Here are 5 reasons you may have a heavy period after stopping birth control:
1. Estrogen dominance
Estrogen dominance is another one of the reasons that you can have a heavy period after stopping birth control. Estrogen dominance is when there is an imbalance between the amount of estrogen and progesterone released. When estrogen is substantially higher than progesterone it becomes dominant. Heavy bleeding is caused by polyps which are when there is enlarged tissue growth in the endometrial cavity. Estrogen functions to build up the endometrial wall for menstruation, so heavy menstrual bleeding can be caused by estrogen dominance.
Source: 26695831
2. You’re not ovulating yet
Not ovulating is another one of the reasons you are having a heavy period after stopping birth control. When your period is irregular you are not ovulating normally, but when you do ovulate you can find that your periods are unusually heavy. You may not be ovulating because you are not producing enough progesterone to balance out estrogen levels. Remember, progesterone needs to be produced for the egg to be released from the ovary in order to have ovulation. Additionally, if progesterone is not being produced as much, then estrogen will be elevated in comparison which can cause estrogen dominance.
Source: 30062044
3. Endometriosis or adenomyosis
Effecting about 11% of females, endometriosis is a disease of menstruation. It is a hormonal inflammatory condition where estrogen-dependent uterine tissue forms somewhere else in the body, usually somewhere in the pelvic region, or in any of the spaces between the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum. The extra tissue causes inflammation which leads to a lot of pain and infertility. Endometriosis is another one of the reasons you may have a heavy period after stopping birth control.
One of the main symptoms of endometriosis is heavy and painful periods from estrogen dominance. Studies have shown that high estrogen levels show a correlation to the worsening of the disease.
4. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid is under-functioning, meaning that it is not producing enough thyroid hormones noted as T3 and T4. A study has found that women who have hypothyroidism also have more menstrual issues and irregularities, specifically heavy periods. The reason that women experience a heavy period after stopping birth control with hypothyroidism is because both estrogen and the T3/T4 hormones can have an effect on each other because they are both related to fat metabolism. When estrogen is out of balance in those with hypothyroidism after stopping birth control, this can cause heavy bleeding during menstruation.
Source: 26620017
5. Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is a result that can come with a heavy period after stopping birth control use. This is because iron is in the blood and its job is to help red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. When you stop using birth control and you have a heavy period, you are losing more blood than usual along with lots of iron.
Source: 30504337
What labs should you check if you have heavy periods after stopping birth control?
1. Estrogen and progesterone 5-7 days after ovulation
2. Complete thyroid panel:
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Reverse T3
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies
Thyroglobulin antibodies
3. Complete Blood Count (CBC)
4. Ferritin - storage form of iron
What can you do about a heavy period after stopping birth control?
1. Rule out underlying medical conditions
Rule out other medical conditions you may have from before birth control use. Medical conditions that affect or imbalance your hormones will determine if you have a heavy period after stopping birth control. If you have medical conditions that affect the production or usage of hormones this is another factor that will lengthen the hormone regulating recovery. Examples of conditions to be mindful of are endometriosis, hypothyroidism, and anemia.
Source: 20573783
2. Support Estrogen Detoxification
Increasing cruciferous vegetable intake is a great way to increase your health status and lower estrogen naturally. Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) is the main compound in many cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. A study found that participants who were given the I3C, had decreased concentrations of metabolites that would activate the estrogen receptor, which shows that it can lower estrogen naturally.
Sulforaphane is another compound found in cruciferous vegetables. At high levels, estrogen has been shown to be carcinogenic by converting into estradiol and estrone, and this process can occur in two different pathways. The promotion of this process will damage the DNA which will cause the carcinogenic effects. A study found that sulforaphane has protective effects against these pathways to inhibit estrogen-induced DNA damage and will lower estrogen naturally through detoxification.
Source: 9168187
3. Balance Blood Sugar
A balanced blood sugar system would look as follows. After consuming food, carbohydrates will break down into sugar and flow into the bloodstream waiting for a messenger hormone, insulin, to be released from the pancreas. The insulin will then escort the sugar into a cell so we have energy. When we have balanced blood sugar, our levels will be stable with no extreme highs or lows.
In an unbalanced blood sugar state, our levels will have lots of sharp extreme highs and sharp low points causing the ‘lunch rush’ followed by a mid-day crash. Over time, the unbalanced sugar and insulin levels lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Insulin is a hormone and needs to be produced in a balance just like every other hormone. When insulin is produced too much then this can lead to other hormone imbalances like estrogen and testosterone which can lead to a heavy period after stopping birth control.
Ways to manage it are to eat smaller meals more frequently, normalizing sleep schedules, and include a protein, fat, and a fiber in every meal.
Source: 16353672
4. Reduce Conventional Meat
Reducing conventional meat is another way to help if you have a heavy period after stopping birth control. The livestock animals on factory farms (not grass-fed organic) are produced to grow as big as possible and as fast as possible in order to produce the most amount of meat per animal. These animals are fed large quantities of feed and additionally are supplemented with antibiotics, and growth hormones like estrogen to make them grow faster and bigger. A study found that though the estrogen level in these meat products does not match the amount of estrogen in oral contraceptives, the estrogen in the meat transfers at a significant amount to humans. Because of this, it is recommended to shop for grass-fed and organic meat when you can. These meat options are made from animals who were not mass-produced with hormones, and they were fed their preferred diet which is grass. This way, you can lower estrogen naturally by not consuming any excess estrogen from conventional meat, and will, therefore, reduce the incidence of a heavy period after stopping birth control.
Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology
5. Incorporate Turmeric
Turmeric contains the active chemical curcumin, which can help if you have a heavy period after stopping birth control. Curcumin is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiangiogenic, which all can be beneficial for the treatment of heavy periods. A study found that curcumin was able to decrease the growth of the endometrial tissue by reducing estrogen levels.
Source: 24639774
6. Include Iron-Rich Foods
As mentioned before, iron is an important mineral that can become deficient when you have a heavy period after stopping birth control. High iron foods include spinach, kale, red meat, nuts, seeds, and fish. Combine an iron-rich food with a vitamin C rich food to increase absorption.
Final thoughts
There are several reasons you could experience a heavy period after stopping birth control.
While we chatted through lots of different options, remember that every body is unique and it’s about determine what works best for your body.
Remember: simple shifts build to make a big impact over time!
Pain-free periods and symptom-free cycles are possible for you.
-Krista
ways to work with me
KRISTA KING, MS, RDN, LDN, IFNCP
If you’re looking for individualized support for period problems, PCOS, endometriosis, stopping birth control, and/or fertility I’m your person! I have select spaces each month for:
Krista is an integrative dietitian helping you have regular, pain-free periods, symptomless cycles, and optimal fertility! Together we cover: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, cycle tracking, supplements, navigating doctor appointments, and lab testing.
My signature online program, Heal Your Period is open for enrollment!
This is your personalized solution for regular, pain-free periods, symptomless cycles, & optimal fertility (now or later), without complicated, soul-sucking protocols, lists of foods you can’t eat, or spending tons of $$$ on unnecessary supplements.
Heal Your Period is an online course with access to me to answer your burning hormone questions each month! Watch this for a special savings offer!
