Hellobee Boards

Best: An increase in sex drive - although the romance-killer that is TTC soon put an end to that one!!

Worst: Greasy, spotty skin! ARGH! It was like going through puberty again!!

Best: no pill to remember
Worst: Irregular & long periods

Best: Not being a hormonal mess, BC messes with me

Worst: having real periods instead of mini-periods.

it's only my first month off, so i'm hoping some of the "worsts" are more like hormone withdrawal symptoms and will go away next month, but...

Best: SEX DRIVE! no more dryness, soreness, etc. don't know how i survived on it so long! and also just knowing i'm not shooting hormones into my body every day makes me feel better.

Worst: this month i had massive cramps during O, for almost a week (again, hoping this goes away!) and have been having some symptoms during my LP as well (sore boobs, a little nausea, stomach aches). and having no idea when (or if!) i'll get AF and how bad cramps will be.

all in all, major net WIN being off BCP

Best: Not paying for them, or having to remember to take them!

Worst: My period cramps are SO much worse! AF showed up today and I'm miserable right now.

Best: Not shelling out $35/month for them

Worst: Greasy hair, greasy skin. I'm just one big greaseball off BCP. Ick.

Best: Yup, sex drive. To the point that I never want to go back on them again. Also I felt less foggy overall, somehow. Not remembering to take them. Not paying for them.

Worst: Unpredictable periods-- I charted right away, so I would know within a few days when my period would begin after I O'ed, but I couldn't predict it weeks in advance, or months, like on the pill.
Cramps and periods were only a little bit worse, which was a pleasant surprise-- expected them to be as bad as before.
Skin got a lot oilier- not terrible acne, really, but I had to learn to deal with a completely different skin type than I had for 8 years.
Headaches- I had wicked hormonal headaches on an off for the first 2 cycles, then they leveled off, thankfully. Kicked way back up when I got pregnant, but I know it was hormone related.

@bree72: I gained a little going off too. I was really, really hoping it would drop off like magic, somehow, but nope.

I've definitely got more acne since I went off BCP, but it's a nice feeling knowing that I am no longer on artificial hormones.

I've been off of them for 6 years, but it was like seeing the world through new eyes when I quit taking them!!

BEST: Not being psychotic (I shouldn't joke about that). Seriously though, I was so irritable with no sex-drive.

WORST: I had a really hard time keeping track of my cycle (this was before I had an iphone app). With the pills, you could see when your period was to arrive. Oh, and now I have adult acne. Nothing too bad, but I know the BC helped manage that.