Does your BC affect your sex drive?

By Adira Oct 27, 2011

So... I'm not sure how many people have to deal with this at the moment if they're TTC/pregnant/etc, but I'm sure many of you have been on BC in the past, so I'm curious... how does it affect your sex drive?

I've been on various forms of the pill for over seven years now. I honestly can't remember how my hormones were before I went on the pill, but currently, I almost NEVER am in the mood. I mean, I can certainly get in the mood, but it takes plenty of coaxing on my husband's part to get me interested.

I've heard that the pill and other types of BC can inhibit your sex drive and dampen your libido... I'm curious if other women found that to be true. I guess what I'm really looking for is confirmation that it's true, and that hopefully when I go off BC, I'll actually start watching to have sex! Please tell me that's what will happen!

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26 comments

jennylynn
persimmon / 1134 posts

Oct 27, 2011

I was on BC for 10 years, and my sex drive took a huge hit after being on it for so long. Different pills had different effects on it, but I never really found one that made me feel "normal". I stopped taking BC after the wedding, and just when I started to feel like there was a little bit of return to my sex drive, I found out I was pregnant. And now, I'm back to never being in the mood again. Poor hubby.
hreichard
cherry / 159 posts

Oct 28, 2011

BC definitely slowed down my sex drive, i mean it could be that i'm so busy with the baby, work, the house and everything else too.
Jenna
cherry / 153 posts

Oct 28, 2011

My sex drive grinded to a halt when I was on BC. It was a problem, for sure. I've been off the pill for three months now and it seems to be coming back, slowly, but it's still not what it was.
Weagle
coconut / 8498 posts

Oct 28, 2011

My sex drive was practically non-existent on the pill. I don't even think I was off long enough to see if it would really return before I found out I was pregnant. Maybe now that I'm in the 2nd trimester it will return... hubs is sure hoping so!
eeh
persimmon / 1341 posts

Oct 28, 2011

Yes! I was just plain not interested in sex while on the pill. It was frustrating for both of us. We joked that the reason the pill works is because it makes you not interested in sex. Off the pill now and things are much, much better.
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Nov 1, 2011

These posts are definitely encouraging to me! I've been on the pill for over seven years now and I'm honestly not sure I can remember when I used to be interested in sex, although the Hubs says there was a time when I was, haha.

I really hope once I go off the pill, my drive will come back. Even just a little bit would be nice, because right now, I have NOTHING, and I know my hubs wishes I had more of a drive.
Navy_Mommy
nectarine / 2458 posts

Nov 2, 2011

Birth control KILLS my sex drive. That's why after we have 2 kids (we're only pregnant with number 1 right now) I'm going to get "fixed" lol. I just don't want to have to take BC long term again, not having a sex drive sucks!
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Nov 2, 2011

@Navy Mommy - I AGREE! I hate not having a sex drive, and my husband hates it too. Just last night he asked me if I thought things would ever get better. He's so frustrated with how I NEVER am in the mood, and I feel so bad about it, but I don't know how to fix it! I really hope going off birth control helps! Only two more months and I'm throwing them out!
Ms.Bucky
coffee bean / 30 posts

Nov 16, 2011

Me. I've been on it for over 10 years. It wasn't too much of a drive killer at first, but seems to have gotten worse over time. Maybe I should have changed pills, but mine had few other negative side effects, so I tolerated it.

Tomorrow's my last active pill, and my husband can't wait! He too can remember the days when I would attack him. We'll be doing FAM and/or condoms until its time to get knocked up.
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Nov 16, 2011

@Ms.Bucky: Please let me know how you feel after you go off the pill and if your sex drive comes back! I also feel like my drive has gotten worse over time, though I've changed pills multiple times. Back when I first went on them, I didn't really notice a difference, but the past few years, I have had limited to no drive at all. I really hope going off them will help! Good luck to you!
cyneswith
persimmon / 1202 posts

Nov 16, 2011

BC depressed my sex drive to almost normal levels (4-5 times a week or so - husband was good with 2-3 times per week). Now, every night and every morning... I wants it! I don't get it, but I want it! (My libido is unreasonable, and I know it. Would not be conducive to baby making if my husband had the same levels.) Husband is being very good-natured about my sudden upswing in sex drive - 'course, now he's also thinking baby-making, which boosts HIS sex drive.
musicbox611
pea / 20 posts

Nov 16, 2011

I had a horrible experience with the Mirena IUD. Amongst a host of other problems, I had ZERO sex drive. I would literally cringe and feel my skin crawl when DH was in the mood. I switched to FAM over a year ago and it came back in full force, thankfully. Although- it makes it a tad bit harder to practice TTA on FAM...
carrieknitscake
apricot / 307 posts

Nov 16, 2011

Birth control killed my sex drive for 10 years. I hated being on it and totally disinterested in sex. Once I went off of it, I felt a thousand times better in general. My AF is significantly longer and ickier off of birth control, but anything's better than having my emotions and sex drive flatline on birth control.
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Nov 16, 2011

@musicbox661, @carrieknitscake - That's really encouraging. I truly hope my sex drive comes back when I go off BC! It sucks having no sex drive, especially for my hubby who would love to have it every day if he could!
DillonLion
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts

Nov 16, 2011

I'm pretty sure that the brand I was last on effected my sex drive in a negative way. As soon as I got off it I felt like a rabid horny teenager and still do to this day (first month off of it). Of course that could be a mixture of things, not just the birth control (like how excited I am that we are trying for a baby)
PennyLainne
cherry / 133 posts

Nov 16, 2011

Definitely killed my sex drive. The first month off birth control was amazing for my sex life!
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Nov 16, 2011

Yay! You guys are really encouraging! I hope the same is true for me! I go off BC in January, I'm so excited!
Rescuemom10
pear / 1965 posts

Nov 16, 2011

Def agree! Was on BC for 10 years. Some were def WORSE than others. There was one I was one that was HORRIBLE. Talk to your doc about it and see about switching or trying something else.
I have so been there and I know it sucks!
SouthPaw
cherry / 204 posts

Nov 22, 2011

I was on birth control forever and it def effected my libido, and made me crazy emotional. I have been off it for over a year and have noticed an increase in my libido and decrease in crazy emotions etc.
Ms.Bucky
coffee bean / 30 posts

Jan 15, 2012

@Adira: I wanted to wait to see if it was a fluke or not. The verdict: being off the pill makes me both randier and happier.

Yay! Hope it does the same for you.
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Jan 15, 2012

@Ms.Bucky: Thank you so much for coming back to give me an update! I'm so happy to hear that your drive has come back! I took my last pill a week ago, so I'm hoping to start seeing results soon! Thanks!
QBbride
pomegranate / 3192 posts

Jan 16, 2012

The pill totally affected my sex drive, without me realizing that's what it was. I was just never in the mood and always chalked it up to being tired etc. I went off the pill because of migraines and instantly I felt a lot better and my sex drive returned! I was soo happy, as was my fiancé! I'll never go on hormonal birth control again.
melisslp
coffee bean / 39 posts

Jan 16, 2012

I was on BCP's for over 10 years. I tried three different types over the years, but felt like my libido was "on empty" for the last few. I am praying that my sex drive picks up a notch or two again since I stopped taking them and we're TTC.
Adira
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

Jan 23, 2012

I just wanted to come back and update this for anyone else who might be experience a low libido while on the pill.

I've only been off the pill for 2.5 weeks and I don't know if how I'm feeling is because of my excitement to TTC or not, but I definitely have been feeling a LOT friskier than I EVER did in the past years. In the past fews years on BC, I'd maybe get in the mood ON MY OWN once or twice a year (those couple days a year were my husband's favorite). But lately, I've been in the mood much more often, multiple times a week even!

So... I hope this is just my mental excitement for TTC making my body think it's in the mood. Hopefully this is how I feel all the time now. I guess time will tell, but so far, I'm liking myself off BC.
BSB
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts

Jan 23, 2012

When I was on BC, yes, it did. It wasn't until I got off it (for TTC) that I realized how much it was affected by it.
Rescuemom10
pear / 1965 posts

Jan 23, 2012

Update here as well. Been off BC since Oct. Def a HUGE difference. I had talked to my doc about it before and she confirmed that can be a side effect, and we tried swapping different kinds of BC, all seemed to have that effect on me, some worse than others. Now being off for awhile I cant imagine EVER going back on it. I feel so much better, happier. I know DH does too! ; ) So after we are done having kids we will just have to find other means of preventing.

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Does your BC affect your sex drive?

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