16 months off The Pill - body STILL adjusting

[Lues]

Hi. So I'm been bouncing around these forums for about a year.

(A quick shout out to everyone, because even though today is the first time I finally posted - just registered this AM - it's been a HUGE source of comfort for me)

So here's my story:

Came off BCP in May of '13 - - (not counting withdraw bleed) no period at all for almost three months.

Super light bleed sometime in early Aug.

Nothing again until Oct 22

Periods since:
Dec 3 (6 wk cycle)

Jan 12 (5 wk 5 day cycle)

Feb 17 (5 wk 1 day cycle)

March 20 (4 wk 3 day cycle with two days of dark brown spotting before af) (and I had started using OPKs - luteal phase 7 days if you spotting, 9 days if you start at actual bleed)

April 20 (no clear positive on OPK so not sure on LP)

Then I started taking vitamin b complex (low amount of vitamin 6, but I'm super sensitive to meds)

May 27 (5 wk 2 day cycle - with 3 days of spotting before AF)

June 2 (5 wk 1 day cycle - with 3 days of spotting, then nothing, then AF)

Then this month I got a VERY clear pos OPK on July 24th. So O on 25th, DPO1 being the 26th. One tiny spot when wiping yesterday (that I would NEVER have noticed if I wasn't examining my toilet paper, LOL!) and I'm almost positive I'm getting my period today.

It's not really that I'm not sad about not being pregnant yet. I just want to feel like my body is remembering what it's supposed to do.


But really... when I look at what's been happening to my body, it seems like it's progressively getting more normal, finding it's rhythm. Just really REALLY slowly.

I was SO upset when I stopped taking the pill when I learned how people can struggle afterwards (how is this not public knowledge???). So I said to myself... okay, I know my body is slow to do things, so I'm just gonna ignore the whole first year.

But now it's been about 16 months, and it seems like my body is STILL adjusting. In a positive direction I guess.... so that's good.

And yes, I've been to the doctor, back in 2013, got a bunch of bloodwork done, everything came back fine.

I'll go to a fertility specialist at some point (financially not an option until 2015), and I know there are lots of medication options, but I really wanted to give my body time to adjust on it's own. I'm very sensitive to medications, and they can effect me very negatively. (maybe part of why it's taking so long for me to adjust, who knows)

I just wanted to reach out and see if there were other women out there who took THIS LONG for their bodies to regulate themselves and they did eventually even out (to some extent).

Thanks in advance for your kind words.

 

[wannabemummyb]

It probably took my body 18-24 months to get back to normal after i came off bcp. If i would have known the effect bcp had on my body. There again, i thing my body has a hard time coping with change and hormones as its taken nearly 18 months for my body to start getting back to normal after my latest mc.

Fingers crossed your body starts getting on track and you can proper get ttc

 

[Lues]

Thank you SO much for your response. I can't tell you how nice it is to hear from someone else who was effected by it for SO long. Everyone else seems to be off and pregnant within a few months. It's encouraging to know you did eventually even out.

Keep me posted on how things go for you as you go on.

VVvvvvmmmmrmmmmvmmmmmmmmrmmrrRRRR <-- that's me sending you good vibes.

 

[wannabemummyb]

Thanks for the good vibes sweetie and the same to you. I think that everyone is different and we don't fully understand the long term effects of bcp. If my GP had told me the effect it could take I don't think I would have gone on it for so long.

Which pill where you on? It seems that some are worse than others. I was on cerezzette which was a mini pill, and i have seen a couple of groups around on here for ladies whose af went awol after taking it!

It really is horrid seeing people get pregnant faster and in my experience it doesn't get easier xxx

 

[zorak]

Please get checked out. There could be a whole host of reasons why your cycles are erratic.

 

[Lues]

Thanks for your concern zorak! I'm in contact with my (hopefully someday) midwife and have had a few tests done. As I said, anything further for financial/insurance reasons requires I wait until 2015.

I'm with you WannabeMummy. If I had known, I would never have taken it for so long. Knowing what I do now, I feel like I tricked my body for a long time. And it now may take a very long time to have it get it's bearings again.

But I have talked to a few other people at this point who it took a number of years to reestablish their normal. So that helps.

I think it's getting more normal for me each month at least a little bit. For example, I did get my period on Friday and it was the first time that I actually had cramps, and what seems to be a more normal period as far as quantity.

I found it slightly funny that I was cheering for cramps!

 

[wannabemummyb]

There are times when my period turns up as scheduled and i cheer.....dh thinks i'm nutty but its a good sign that everything is regulating! Most months i just cry when af turns up now lol

 

[StephR]

Hi Lues

Chin up. I know first hand how hard it is. It is a daily, weekly, and monthly battle of let downs and disappointment.

I am in the same boat. Stopped taking BCP January 2014 went over 100 with no period. Since then it has been on average 50 days long. This month I have had two positive LH tests at different weeks currently day 40. My body is trying, it's just not getting there.

Something else to look into is Acupuncture. Also have a look into two books. Fertility Wisdom by Angela C. Wu. I found that extremely interesting. I am just about to start The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis.

Hopefully you get your BFP really soon

 

[Lues]

Wannabemummy - I like to cheer much more than I like to cry. I try really hard to focus on the progress. I get sad when it's just more of the same. Oh, and I realized I never answered your question. I took Yasmin (but the generic one)

Thanks Steph - I have heard of the books, and I've thought about it. To be honest, I've worried that it might just make me obsess more. I really try not to think about it too much, and I usually manage to do a not TOO bad job of that. LOL.

I've heard of the acupuncture route too, and seriously thought about it. Have you done it?

Ugh, the 100 day stretch must have been rough!!! (I think that's about what mine was the first time too). At least a 50 day average is progress!! (I'm ALL about positive change, even if it's still frustrating) lol

 

[StephR]

The books have actually made me obsess and stress less! There are some great meditation techniques in there.

Yes, I have been doing acupuncture since March and have found it fantastic. It's hard to tell if it is actually helping to regulate my cycles, but I do feel great after them. It has also really helped in raising my body temp. I temp every morning. I recently went away for a week and to see how much my body temp decreased during that week! Then jumped straight back up once went back for my session.

It is expensive and I do have to drive a 3 hr round trip each week, but I do feel that it is helping.

Keeping positive is the main thing! Smile and know that it will all be ok in the end