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Get Your Period Back: 5 Tips for Recovering from Post Birth Control Syndrome

by Laura Beth Schoenfeld, RD

Published on

Reviewed by Phyllis J Gee, MD, FACOG

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One of the downsides of using “the Pill” is that many times it’s hard to get back to a normal menstrual cycle once you stop taking it. Some of my young female clients in their 20s and 30s who were taking birth control for a long time and then stopped haven’t had their periods for months, or sometimes even years!

It can be frustrating, especially for women who have stopped taking birth control because they want to become pregnant. And my clients realize that having amenorrhea isn’t a good sign for their overall health regardless of their childbearing plans, so they’ve come to me to help them make the diet, supplement, exercise, and lifestyle changes they need to in order to get their hormones back on track.

Has birth control use made you lose your period? Get it back naturally with these tips by @AncestralizeMe!

Since this is a common experience for women my age, I wanted to share my best suggestions for recovering from post birth control syndrome using diet and lifestyle, in order to help those who have been frustrated by the symptoms associated with the condition. The following are tips you can follow without needing a doctor’s visit or a prescription. Read on to learn how to get your period back!

1. Optimize Your Nutrition Status

As a dietitian/nutritionist, nutrition is always the number one focus in any of my health improvement plans. My clients who’ve aren’t having regular periods tend to be some of the fastest responders to a tailored nutrition and supplement program, primarily because the loss of menstruation is often be a sign of underlying nutrient deficiencies. Even if you’re eating a whole foods, Paleo diet, there are many nutrients that can be inadequate if you’re not making a concerted effort to include specific foods and/or supplements.

There has been evidence accumulating over the years that certain nutrients may become depleted while a woman is on an oral contraceptive. While there are likely dozens of nutrients that are important in regaining your fertility and monthly cycle, there are a few in particular that I find to be extremely effective in helping to recover the menstrual cycle.

Zinc

Zinc is a critical nutrient to consider, and many nutritionists recommend an increase in zinc intake for female clients struggling with loss of menstruation following the use of the Pill. There is evidence demonstrating that women who take oral contraceptives have lower plasma zinc levels, so they may have higher need for this important mineral for fertility.

Some healthcare practitioners theorize that taking oral contraception might either cause zinc deficiency or even copper overload, which could contribute to the loss of healthy menstrual function. Either way, I always include zinc as part of my recommendations for my clients with amenorrhea.

Zinc can be sometimes difficult to replenish without short term therapeutic supplementation, even in the context of a whole foods diet. If you’re willing to eat lots of shellfish (e.g. oysters and clams), red meat, pumpkin seeds, and poultry, you may be able to avoid supplementing with zinc in this case. I usually recommend 15-30 mg of zinc per day for someone with post birth control syndrome. (If you do supplement, be sure to take it with a meal, otherwise you may get sudden, intense nausea.)

Magnesium

Magnesium is another mineral that I find beneficial for my clients with post birth control syndrome. While many of us in the ancestral health community feel that everyone can benefit from daily magnesium supplementation, it’s especially important for those on birth control (or coming off birth control) to supplement with magnesium.

Magnesium is difficult to get enough of in our modern diets, and some evidence shows that serum magnesium levels are reduced by oral contraceptive use.

If you have a history of birth control use, I recommend using a chelated form of magnesium and taking 200-400 mg daily to supplement what you’re getting from food.

Vitamin B6

Finally, vitamin B6 is another nutrient that is not often discussed but can be very helpful in restoring menstrual function in those with post birth control syndrome. A 2011 study found that those who used oral contraceptives had lower plasma vitamin B6 concentrations, and one type of amenorrhea caused by high prolactin levels was able to be treated using B6 supplementation, suggesting that supplementing with B6 may be beneficial in post birth control syndrome.

Vitamin B6 is found in a variety of foods, and is generally safe to take as a supplement at doses below 100 mg per day. I like Designs for Health’s Sublingual Vitamin B6, which has the added benefit of providing a small amount of chelated zinc. At 50 mg per teaspoon, it’s a high enough dose to replenish any depleted stores, but not so much to risk toxicity with long term use.

Other Nutrients

There are other nutrients that I address with my clients, either making diet or supplement recommendations to address potential deficiencies in their diets. One nutrient that I find tends to be quite low in many of my young female clients’ diets is vitamin A. You can get plenty of vitamin A by eating 4-8 ounces of beef or lamb liver every week, and that’s almost always something I recommend to my clients who are struggling to regain their periods. Another important nutrient is vitamin D, which typically comes from adequate sun exposure but can be helpful as a supplement for those with blood levels below 30 ng/mL.

There are many nutrients that may be negatively affected by long term birth control use, and every person’s needs are unique. If you’re struggling with post birth control syndrome and aren’t sure if your nutrition has been optimized for your recovery, I recommend working with a knowledgable nutritionist who can help assess your diet for possible nutrient gaps.

2. Optimize Your Circadian Rhythms

In our modern world of late night TV, attachment to our cell phones, 24 hour artificial light, and inadequate hours of sleep, our circadian rhythms have taken a serious beating.

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. People who fly across several time zones experience circadian rhythm disruption as “jet lag”, but even less dramatic shifts in your circadian rhythms can cause significant health problems, including infertility and amenorrhea.

Your circadian rhythms affect all endocrine hormone secretions, including melatonin, cortisol, thyroid stimulating hormone, growth hormone, prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), insulin, leptin, and more. (1) While we don’t know how all of these hormones might contribute to healthy menstruation, we do know that prolactin, FSH, and LH are the key hormones regulating the menstrual cycle along with estrogen and progesterone.

So it’s not a stretch to assume that if these hormones aren’t being released at the appropriate times, the reproductive system won’t be getting the proper signals that are needed to regulate the menstrual cycle. And some research does show that circadian rhythm disruption from jet lag and shift work can wreak havoc on women’s reproductive function. (2)

There are dozens of factors that affect circadian rhythms, but I’ll just focus on the two most important: light exposure and sleep. Proper light exposure includes getting adequate daytime sunlight and appropriate elimination of bright light at night. The biggest influence is the light hitting your eyes, so I strongly suggest making an effort to get outside, or at least sit by a window, for most of the daylight hours. On the flip side, you also need to ensure you’re not getting blue light exposure once the sun has gone down.

There are ways you can address this issue even if you can’t go outside during the day or shut off all your lights when the sun goes down. The first is to get a light therapy lamp that can help provide the right spectrum of daytime light during your day, which you can set up at your work desk. The second is to block blue light at night, and the easiest way to do this is by using these super fashionable orange goggles. You can also use orange light bulbs as your evening lighting option.

And of course it should go without saying that you need to prioritize your sleep, going to bed early enough to get a full 8 hours of sleep every night.

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3. Eat Enough Carbs and Calories For Your Activity Levels

This is one of the most difficult recommendations for many of my clients, as frequently those dealing with post birth control syndrome are also trying to lose weight. And more often than not, their weight loss attempt includes reducing their food intake and cutting down on carbohydrates.

While this strategy may help with short term weight loss, it’s definitely not conducive to your hormonal health to significantly limit your food intake in this way. It’s a well known phenomenon in the medical world, called the Female Athlete Triad, where women under eat and overtrain so much that they lose their menstrual function, and even put themselves at risk for osteoporosis.

Stefanie Ruper has written a fantastic article on the problems with being overly restrictive with your food intake, and how dozens of her readers have written to her complaining that they lost their menstrual function when switching to a Paleo diet. She acknowledges that it’s not the Paleo diet that is the issue per se, but that those who switch to Paleo often get stuck in an overly restrictive, low carbohydrate approach that does not support healthy endocrine function through various effects on the HPA axis and thyroid hormone conversion.

I think it’s safe to say that those women dealing with post birth control syndrome should also be wary about how restrictive their diet is, and ensure that they’re getting enough calories and carbohydrates to support their activity levels.

I generally recommend at least 30-40% of calories from carbohydrate for my patients who aren’t getting their period, and provide them an appropriate calorie range for their body size and activity levels. Trying to quickly lose weight while dealing with amenorrhea is rarely a good combination.

And the other side of this issue is avoiding overtraining, which is another problem I see in many of my young female clients trying to “lean out”. As I mentioned, this overtraining and undereating combination is known as the Female Athlete Triad and is well known as a cause of amenorrhea. Overtraining means different things to different people; what might be a normal training schedule for an elite athlete may cause burnout and hormonal disruption in a non-athlete. If you’re dealing with amenorrhea, you need to take a serious look at your training regimen and make sure you’re not overdoing it.

4. Manage Your Stress

This is another big issue for many of my young female clients experiencing amenorrhea. Stress is generally unavoidable in our modern lives, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it disrupt your life and throw off your hormone regulation.

Chronic stress causes hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, which is also known as adrenal fatigue. (3) Unfortunately, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are also key regulators of the menstrual cycle. (4) Thus, chronic stress is easily able to cause irregular menstrual cycle activity, and can even lead to a condition known as hypothalamic amenorrhea. This is very similar to what happens in the case of the Female Athlete Triad, and is typically caused by the chronic physical and/or emotional stress that is unfortunately common among young women.

For those trying to overcome post birth control syndrome (or any type of amenorrhea for that matter), getting stress under control is very important. This includes the recommendation above regarding eating enough and avoiding overtraining, but it also deals with managing daily stress from work, relationships, financial issues, and more.

I always tell my amenorrheic clients to find a stress management protocol that works for them, which can include yoga, meditation, journaling, deep breathing, and more. Anything you enjoy doing that helps relieve stress is a great choice, and can make a big difference in your return to normal menstrual function.

5. Boost Your Detox Capacity

Having a strong ability to detoxify is crucial for recovering from post birth control syndrome, as one of the primary issues with taking oral contraceptives for a long period of time is hormonal build up. Your body stores hormones like estrogen in your fat cells, and these stored hormones can linger for months or years after you stop taking the Pill. Your liver is responsible for clearing these hormones through the bile, and if you’re not detoxifying well enough, your liver is ineffective at eliminating these excess hormones.

There are many ways to boost detox capacity – too many to get into in this article – but I’ve written another article in which I recommend increasing intake of certain foods that can help boost hormone clearance. Another option is taking a supplement which contains a variety of nutrients and botanicals that support the body’s natural detoxification process. Liver Detoxifier and Regenerator from NOW Foods is a popular choice.

And wouldn’t you know it, your gut flora can even help you detoxify excess hormones. This podcast I’ve linked to is all about the “estrobolome,” the complete set of bacterial genes that code for enzymes capable of metabolizing estrogens within the human intestine. (5) So taking a high quality probiotic and eating fermented foods, especially fermented cruciferous vegetables like sauerkraut, is an important part of recovering from post birth control syndrome.

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What to Do If You Still Haven’t Gotten Your Period Back

These are my best general recommendations for how to regain your period after stopping birth control, and I’ve used these strategies successfully with many young female clients. It’s important to address all these factors, as any one of them can be enough to disrupt menstrual function, which is a sign of suboptimal health.

Of course, sometimes this isn’t enough to get you back on track hormonally, especially if you were taking birth control for many years, or if you started birth control as a method to address hormone issues in the first place. In this case, you may need some additional testing done to identify any issues that may be causing your amenorrhea. PCOS is a very common condition that can significantly disrupt your hormonal function, so you’ll want to discuss this possibility with your endocrinologist.

And of course working with a knowledgable nutritionist can help you identify the missing pieces in your recovery plan to ensure that you’re doing everything possible to get back your hormonal health and menstrual function.

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Laura Beth Schoenfeld, RD
Laura Beth Schoenfeld, RD

Laura Schoenfeld, MPH, RD, is a licensed registered dietitian and women’s health expert trained in Functional Medical nutrition therapy. She assisted in the creation of educational materials for both the ADAPT practitioner and health coach training programs.

Her passion is empowering women to nourish their bodies, develop true strength, and ultimately use their improved health to pursue their purpose. Laura guides her clients in identifying and implementing diet and lifestyle changes that allow them to live a healthy, fit, symptom-free life without being consumed by thoughts of food and exercise. She draws from a variety of sources to form her philosophy on nutrition, including ancestral diets, principles of biochemistry, current research, and clinical experience. Her areas of expertise include women’s hormones and fertility, gut health, autoimmune disease, athletic performance, stress management, skin health, and weight loss. Recognizing that health goes far beyond just diet and exercise, Laura teaches her clients how to focus on and implement life-changing mental and spiritual health habits as well, including changing their thoughts and beliefs to ones that drive health-supporting decision-making around food, fitness, and life in general.

Her greatest mission is to help health-conscious women realize that, while their health is priceless, they are so much more than a body. When she’s not educating and serving her coaching clients and community, Laura loves traveling with her husband, Sundays with her church family, hikes with her dog, beach trips, live music, and strength training.

Professional website: lauraschoenfeldrd.com

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334 Comments

Join the conversation

  1. Very informative article – but any thoughts on if you haven’t been getting periods (just one day of some tiny spotting each month) for about three months now (took out last NuvaRing in mid September) and want to return to being on NuvaRing? Can I just go back on the ring and see if that brings things back to normal, or better to wait until my periods come back on their own/see what the issue is?

    • Hey I wanted to let you know I’m in the exact same position and trying to find the answer as well! Just nice to know I’m not alone! ?

      • Hi Lauren,
        Sorry for such a late response, but just wanted to share that I ended up going back on the ring even though my periods hadn’t returned to normal on their own. After going back on the ring, my periods went back to normal…and my skin stopped breaking out so much! Hope all is well. 🙂

  2. Having been on the pill since I was 16 years old I was apprehensive to see what my body would be like without it when I stopped it 2 months ago as a 31 year old. But I have seen many benefits – a feeling of lightness/less bloating, a noticeable increase in libido, improved overall mood. The best outcome of all is that my terrible PMDD (severe PMS) seems to have eased significantly since stopping the pill, and I am so relieved for this because it was absolutely awful (major mood swings/anger/depression over nothing at that time of the month).
    My period appears to have returned after 2 months of being off the pill. I have been taking flaxseeds in my breakfast smoothies which I believe have helped with the transition.
    I don’t know that I would ever want to go back on the pill now. I would use less invasive contraception alternatives.

    • Steph – I’m in the same boat. Went off the pill after I got married in Sept ’16 (was off and on it for approx 15 years) – and no sign of a period since. I’m curious as to whether you did the flaxseed as soon as you stopped your pill?

  3. I thought the article was very informative and helped me calm down; all hope is not lost, and I don’t have to resort to medications, there are alternatives available. Thanks

    • I was on depo for only 3 months. Meaning I was only given the first shot. But it’s been since July and my period has yet to return. This was my first time taking any birth control. And to some woman it may seem like a blessing it isn’t to me. I’m not trying to get pregnant but I am donation my eggs. But this situation has become an inconvieneive

  4. Nice commentary . I am thankful for the analysis , Does someone know if my business can acquire a blank IRS 56 version to type on ?

  5. Like others, this was super encouraging for me to read, while I’m also very sad for all of us. Wanting to be pregnant and not having your period is awful! 🙁

    I was wondering if anyone has any advice for my situation:
    I got off the pill (after 5-ish years on it) this February 1st. My husband and I started TTC then. I’ve had very irregular cycles since… 45 days, 90 days, two more 45 days, and now I’m on day 66 and counting…. There have been numerous occasions where I’ve had all the symptoms and was sure I was pregnant. And then I would get BFN and eventually AF would come.
    I just started taking Fertile Aid so hopefully that will help something! And I finally was able to get an appointment with a GN at the end of next month. Any advice on what I can do until then??

    xoxo

    • Hi, what pill were you taking? I stopped the pill in November 2015, had the breakthrough period on 13 December 2015 and then nothing since then until I took provera in Nov 2016 had a period 13/12/16 a year to the date of my previous one. I have not had anymore since either. Had all the tests done (bloods, hsg, scan), partners been checked and he is all fine. It is so frustrating isn’t it. Especially when you want something really bad. Have you tried anything to help? I am after ideas also.

    • Hi Jessica,

      I am in a very similar situation to yours. I am wondering if you would be willing to share an update? Has anything you’ve done (like dietary change) worked to bring you back to a more regular cycle? Or has the fertility aid helped?

      Thanks!

  6. Hi,

    This was so helpful to read and calm my nerves.

    I recently came off the pill after nearly 5 years. I haven’t had a period for nearly 5 months now. I went to GP who has rang test and said I have low levels of estrogen and I have now been referred for a scan at the hospital, they have mentioned possible PCOS. I am so concerned and now find myself being so stressed (the exact opposite of what I want) has anyone had a similar experience? And how concerned should I be that my estrogen levels are low? Can they rise on their own? Thanks!!

    • I’m in a similar place and don’t have a lot of advice other than trying Yoga for your stress! It has made such a difference for me during this frustrating time of TTC!

    • Hi.after our 1st baby I was on the pill for just over 36months.when I stopped the pill it took us 9 full months to get pregnant.just hang in there it will come come back.also try to focus on the positive hey.

  7. Hi there,
    I was on the pill for 11 years, I came off the pill 2 months ago. It is a scary feeling. Is there risk of pregnancy if not getting periods? Is there a possibility of getting pregnant in the future? Will I be able to have children one day? I do eat reasonably healthy as I have IBS and my tummy wont thank me if I eat badly. I exercise 2-4 times a week.
    Thanks for posting this, its been very helpful.

  8. I took birth control months ago and stopped it after 3 months have had symptoms of pregnancy but have had my period in like 6 months and I may not be or I may be but I haven’t had a period yet and I’m getting pregnancy symptoms but I have all taken tastes and they all came up.negative I don’t know what to think or wat to do

  9. I took birth control months ago and stopped it after 3 months have had symptoms of pregnancy but have had my period in like 6 months and I may not be or I may be but I haven’t had a period yet and I’m getting pregnancy symptoms but I have all taken tastes and they all came up.negative I don’t know what to think

  10. Hello,

    I was on birth control for 7 years and I am now 25. I have been married for 3 years. I stopped taking it in February and have had one 2 day period since then. I am actively Ttc. It’s frustrating because I do not know when I will get pregnant. I have started taking the magnesium, zinc, & vitamin B6. I have had slight spotting every day but never a period. It gives me a little hope that at least my ovaries are not broken. I have been tracking ovulation also, so far i am on week 3 and no ovulation. ? My MD tested my hormones and all are within normal limits, so she suggested I see an infertility specialist. I am not to that point yet.

    If you have any suggestions please let me know.

    Thank you!

    • Try acupuncture! I always get my period after I go to accupuncture and some specialize in fertility:)

  11. I have been having issues with my period since around February. Its really weird as my body seems to try to start and i spot and have to wear a panty liner for weeks at a time but never fully starts. Any suggestions as I am wanting to get pregnant. Thank you

    • Im 35 yrs old and stopped birth control early Feb. & havent had Any period since! Im worried my lining will get thick n give me cancer. Im a bit relieved to see that this is not so abnormal, but still am very worried about cancer and /or premetapause. My partner of 6 yrs & I really want to have a baby 9-10 months from now, but docter keeps referring me to gynecologists etc.

  12. Hello everyone, After 6 years trying to conceive I finally got pregnant 3 weeks after I contacted Priest Iyare from his website http://iyareyarespellstemple.webs.com/ It was simply amazing. I had history of recurrent miscarriages and was also diagnosed with genetic problems but using your system I got pregnant naturally at age 44& after 2 HSGs and 4 negative IUIs including 6 induction Clomid cycles and laparscopy. God will bless you and your good work more and more. I am recommending your program to all my friends.

    • AMEN! ? CoNGRATs Gina! You give me HOPE! All my friends have teenagers and sum r grandparents, but I am 35 and have none but want 3 children still. I will certainly get these vitamins now. Best Wishes & Prayers for you & your little miracle! ?

  13. So my situation is a little different. I’m 19. I got of my pills maybe three months ago. I was on it for over a year and gained some weight. So I got off and the last two months it was off on the day it would come but not too far from usual expected time. This month I’m a week & half late. I feel like 90%sure I’m not pregnant so I haven’t taken a test but I’m stressed and paranoid so I don’t know what I should do

    • I had the same issue. Got my period on the 7th of June, stopped the pill and got another period (I suppose withdrawal bleed) on the 18th of June and NOTHING after that. 4 Negative tests, but had about 2 weeks of tiredness, breast tenderness, abdominal pain and mood swings. It’s not uncommon, but certainly unnerving. I am 26 and have never been more than a week late.
      I waited it and sure thing, period started this morning.
      I am not one to promote home remedies but took ginger tea the past two days to clear up some constipation and only read afterwards that it could be linked to menstrual flow. I find it purely coincidential. Please do not attempt to take anything without knowing the precautions. Just relax and let your body run its course.

  14. I hv missed my periods from d last 3 months…also i m not pregnant…n after d dr. Advise still my peroids are not coming…now what should i do..???

  15. I have never felt so not alone about this situation until I saw all these comments of other women. I’m serious. I thought that I was the only one. Seeing all these beautiful couples get pregnant and have babies all over my social media’s, I get so sad because my husband and I are wanting to start actually trying to convenience but can’t with not having periods!

    I too went off the pill in November and had excessive bleeding to start off with, which they corrected with a week of progesterone, and then lost all sight of my period. They did another “challenge” with the progesterone to ensure that nothing physically was wrong, and I got my “medically induced period” but it’s been months since then.

    My OB/GYN suggested a month of birth control and then see what happens so that is what I am currently doing, I did some infertility acupuncture last night, and immediately got a bit of cramping in the right part of my uterus and continuing on in to today. So I guess we will see!!! Hopefully period comes and then the official baby making process begins!!!!!

    • Did you get your period?? Your story sounds just like mine. I would love to know how the infertility acupuncture worked for you!! Just like you said it’s nice to know that you’re not alone.

      • I did on Monday!!!

        I did start taking the Zinc, Magnesium and B6 on top of the acupuncture and I have my period. I never thought I would be so happy to get it!

        So because I did a lot to my body, I don’t know if I’d give credit to the acupuncture or the vitamins, but I have a strong feeling it’s either a combo of both or really the vitamins! I definitely suggest giving that a shot too!

          • I have been on contraceptives for over 10 years and decided to stop since I think I need to prepare my body for motherhood, I stopped the injection last year Sep2016, until now I have no periods….but on saturday March4th 2017 I bought Magnesium, vitiman B, folic acid and just after a day I started with light bleeding. I totally think the supplements works. Still I want my heavy flow to be sure my periods are back

        • Hey Brook, so I’ve been taking Zink, Magnesium and B6 since September 29th and my period started exactly 7days later. I’ve been taking the supplements everyday on time and haven’t stop taking them till now. But today is elevent day of my period and still going on like the 2nd day flow. How should I stop it?
          Did your period stopped automatically? What did you do?

    • My dr. Also suggested going back on BC for a month. I’m not sure I want to put it back in my body. What happened after that for you??

  16. I came off the pill in January after being on the pill (dianette) for 10 years. I suffered from acne as a teen and found that Dianette was the only thing that kept it under control. This is the reason I stayed on it for so long! I’m now TTC and still haven’t had a period over 6 months since finishing the pill. I’m trying to be patient but it’s so frustrating! I eat well, exercise, take all the recommended vitamins etc. Have tried to stimulate ovulation by taking herbs such as berberine, vitex agnus castus and drinking raspberry leaf tea with no success so far. Am having a session of acupuncture soon. Has anyone tried this or had any success?

    • Exact same story for me as well! I just tried acupunture yesterday (such a weird feeling, but fun!) and I actually noticed quite a bit of cramping last night, expecially on the right side of my uterus. Fingers crossed! My Dr. also recommended going on birth control for 1 month to “restart” my hormones, it’s not ideal when trying to have a baby but I might give it a shot!

      • Yes I have heard that – I think it’s to fool your body to make it ovulate but then stop taking it in the middle of the pack. I’ve had enough of the pill for now – it’s done enough harm so I’m steering well clear. I just want to get my cycle up and running so I can try and conceive naturally. At the moment it’s just annoying as I don’t have the opportunity to ‘try’ like most women do each month! If you’re desperate to conceive quickly you could try getting your Dr or specialist to prescribe you with Clomid? I’ve been offered that to stimulate ovulation but I really want to exhaust all other natural options before I start taking more pills. If I haven’t had a period in the next few months I’m going to try it though.

    • Sarah – I’m curious to know if you got your period after the acupuncture? We are also TTC and I’ve been off the pill since Sept ’16 – no sign of a period. I just made an appt for acupuncture, so I’m hopeful that will help!

      • Hi there,

        Unfortunately the acupuncture wasn’t successful for me. I did enjoy it and found the process relaxing, but it didn’t have any effect on awakening my cycle. As an update, I waited 10 long months with no period before starting on clomid as I’m ttc. I would still recommend acupuncture thought as I know people it has worked for. Good luck!

        • Hi Sarah. Did you start clomid without having a period? Have you had any success on it? Did it help you ovulate? Where you ovulating before hand? My doctor has finally given it to me which I have started today however I have not had a period. I came off the pill in November 15 had the breakthrough period, on 13/12/15 which was a normal period, then nothing until I took provera in November 2016 (this was only because they sent me for a HSG) and happened to have a 5 day period starting 13 December 2016 (exactly a year to the date of the last one strange) All my tests have come back fine and so has my husbands. Its so frustrating. 15 months after coming off microgynon pill you’d think your body would be back to normal :-(. Sorry for so many questions.

          • Hi everyone. As as update – Steph, yes I tried clomid without having a period following the advice of my obstetrician. Following 2 failed cycles of Clomid, I resorted to undergoing a cycle of IVF which was thankfully successful and I’m not 17 weeks pregnant. The wonders of fertility treatment still don’t fail to amaze me, but it’s still a shame I never had the opportunity to ‘try’ for a baby naturally. I went 10 months post pill without a period, then had 2 cycles of clomid before undergoing IVF. I’ve been told by my obstetrician there is no reason I shouldn’t be able to conceive a child naturally, but of course you need to ovulate in order for this to happen! Staying on Dianette for a decade was sadly the worst decision I could have made, and I paid the price physically, emotionally and financially!

  17. I take birth control pills my husband went I leave this pill now 5 days I left pills tell me how many times after my periods come back

  18. Thanks so much for this atricle!! I stopped taking the pill in January, after 8 years, but there were no signs of period since. Doctor sent me to various tests, after the results came back normal, doctor suggested taking the pill again for a couple of month..
    Then I found this article, and instead started taking magnesium, zink and B6, and just after 2 weeks got my period back!! Baby project can now begin..:) Thanks again!!

    • OOHH!!! This gives me so much hope!! I’m so excited for you! I’ll pray for you and your partner in the baby making process!! <3

    • I have a similar situation to many of you.. I have been on the pill for 10 years, and got off of it in January of this year. A few days later, I had my “withdraw” period, but nothing since then. My OB/GYN has done LOADS of bloodwork, and most recently an MRI of my brain to rule out an pituitary issue.

      I have so much hope reading that you all have had success through different vitamins and supplements. I have felt lost and alone, but now I feel uplifted with the thought that I, too, might be cured through a few extra vitamins each morning (And perhaps acupuncture!)

      If anyone has advice as to how to stay sane through all of this.. please let me know!

  19. Hi I am 19 years old and took birth control pills for a year to control my acne. I stopped taking it since February and still haven’t got my period yet. Don’t know what to do……

  20. Hi!
    I’ve been on birth control for 10 year and recently stopped 3 months ago so my husband and I could try to have a baby. I originally started taking birth control to regulate my periods, so I’ve never been regular and I was afraid this would be the case when we wanted to start a family. Should I start out taking over the counter medications? Or am I overreacting and need to give it more time? Is it too soon to want to go see my Dr. about this? I just don’t want to waste any time waiting around if my period isn’t going to come on its own. Thanks!

    • I have a similar story, was on pill for 11 years for bc reasons only, decided after reading a few negitave things about putting hormones in me to come off. I stopped 2 months ago no periods yet. I would like to see if anyone comes back with helpful comments as I feel same, I dont like periods (pain in the ass as they are) but I want them.