Post birth control syndrome is a collection of possible symptoms that can occur for about 4-6 months after cessation of birth control. The reason for the symptoms is because your body is attempting to restore its natural ability to produce hormones. The hormones affect so many different things around the body other than just your cycle. Birth control actually disengages the ovaries from doing their job in hormone production and regulation so this is why when you stop using it you can get post birth control syndrome. Many of the signs of post birth control syndrome can be due to imbalances involving androgens, estrogen/progesterone, and cortisol.

A common question is how long will it take for your hormones to balance after stopping birth control? The answer: it depends. For some, your period may return normally your next cycle. For others, it may take some time before your hormones feel balanced. When working with clients transitioning off of birth control I recommend giving your body at least three months before completing hormone testing to give your hormonal system a chance to wake back up and to get a better picture of how your body is producing hormones without birth control.

Birth control comes in many methods and hormone ratio types. Its purpose is to artificially control your hormones to release on a schedule each month. The brain ovary connection is separated, and the body learns to trust the birth control’s administration of hormones. Birth control makes the body have a false sense of pregnancy to prevent ovulation. Many women who choose to partake in stopping birth control can often go through a difficult transition phase because now your body has to relearn how to secrete the proper hormones. Resuming normal hormone balance can become a difficult task for the body at first. When stopping birth control, there is potential for symptoms to reappear that originated before birth control or new symptoms can arise too (I know, it’s not fair!). The good news is that there are many ways to support this transition from stopping birth control by utilizing nutrition and lifestyle changes to aid your hormone regulation.