The first step in my cycle Living Journey: transitioning off hormonal birth control
Learning about my Hormonal Imbalance
About a year ago, I reached out to a naturopathic doctor because I could feel something in my body was off. Nothing drastic, nothing I could put my finger on, but something. Honestly, my “symptoms” are likely what most women experience often- acne flareups, a general fog/fatigue, inability to lose weight, digestive issues. Basically, I thought I was just a “normal” woman but I was tired of feeling like I was pushing a boulder up a hill. Upon working with her for a couple weeks, we came discover that I had a mild hormonal imbalance.
When I first learned that, I didn’t really understand. I didn’t comprehend how important estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone were to my overall health- I thought these hormones really only influenced my fertility, maybe. My naturopath was not a women’s hormone specialist so I began my own research; I needed to understand.
The Beginning of my Cycle Living Discovery
I became mildly obsessive and honestly, a little afraid. I went too deep down rabbit holes and became overwhelmed by the amount of complex and sometimes conflicting guidance. It seemed that the deeper I went into traditional medical studies and reports, my only options were medicine. Then I stumbled across the book “In the Flo” by Alisa Vitti, Functional Nutritionist, HHC, AADP. Quick note: for anyone curious on living in sync with your cycle, this book is absolutely the place to start; it will give you such a deep foundation on the science of your phases and detail Alisa’s coined and trademarked method, “cycle syncing.”
Alisa’s book detailed out this magical way of living in tune with your hormones that was entirely natural. From eating a variety of different foods to structuring your time and workouts across each phase, she offered this key to naturally balancing your hormones and leaning into the innate power of being a woman that spoke to me. I want to be clear- nothing about living in sync with your cycle is restrictive or rigid. If anything, it encourages you to workout less and eat more- a mindset that has recently given me more mental and emotional freedom than I have ever had.
Deciding to Transition off Hormonal Birth Control
As I became captivated by this way of living, one thing stood in my way: hormonal birth control. I had been on the pill for nearly 14 years (yikes) and to truly experience the benefits of cycle living you needed to be off hormonal birth control.
Birth control was never a traumatic experience for me. Some women detail horrible symptoms but since I had been on it since I was 14, I didn’t really know life without it. I didn’t know who I was off on birth control and until this point, I didn’t even consider that there was a “different” version of me without those artificial hormones. And then here came the hard part: figuring out how to get off hormonal birth control.
I spent months paralyzed by fear and unable to make a decision. I read way too many horror stories of women transitioning off hormonal birth control, especially the pill. I would lay awake till 3am reading report after report on how to transition off, what could go wrong, potential side effects, etc. I was saddened and frustrated that I had been on this thing since I was too young to understand the commitment, and now here I was trying to find my way out. Overall, I was scared and that is why I want to share what I did to safely come off birth control. My transition has been…amazing, seriously. I experienced none of the symptoms other women documented and on the other side of it, I am thriving. My acne has almost entirely gone away, I feel emotionally lifted and clear, my libido came back full swing (yes, you should have one), my period was normalized after just a month, and I have seen progress in my wellness goals I haven’t been able to accomplish in years.
Coming off hormonal birth control takes planning. Do not quit it cold turkey- I cannot stress that enough. I am convinced that the preparation I did for the 3 months prior was the key to my experience being smooth and healthy. If you decide to come off hormonal birth control, I would also urge you to look to some hormonal health experts who have great guides/articles that will help you understand the right move for you based on your specific, nuanced needs. I would recommend reading these articles from Blood and Milk, So Fresh N So Green, and The Glowing Fridge to start.
What Worked for Me
I began preparing my body 3 months before I went off of the pill. For full transparency, I decided to switch to the non-hormonal copper IUD (ParaGard); it gave me the comfort I needed when it comes to preventing pregnancy, but has no hormones so that I can fully live in sync with my cycle. For me, preparing my body comprised of two main efforts. First, cycle living eating to the best of my ability- this chart from The Glowing Fridge is a good source of truth. Second, and arguably most importantly, a rigorous vitamin and supplement regimen.
My Vitamin Regimen
The below list of vitamins and supplements is what worked well for me. If you decide to follow this route, I would read the articles I shared above so you can decide what is best for you. For example, Vitex (Chaste Tree Berry) and I don’t go well together, it gave me horrible acne flareups, so I chose to exclude that from my regimen but it may work for you! Honestly, vitamins are a trial and error process in my opinion; you will have to give your body time to see what works well for and slowly adjust over time. I have tweaked my vitamins over the past 10 months, and finally landed on what is the best combination for my body and health goals.
My vitamin line up:
Ritual’s Multivitamin for women 18+. This one is important- it includes the majority of the vitamins you need that hormonal birth control depletes from your body such as folate, vitamin B, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega 3-DHA.
Selenium. You can get this two ways- with a supplement or eating 2 brazil nuts a day.
HUM Skin Squad PreProbiotic. Acne was my biggest concern when transitioning off the pill, so I included this. If you aren’t as concerned about acne, I recommend choosing a digestive probiotic instead.
Ortho Digestzyme. This is a full spectrum enzyme (not probiotic) that helps with each phase of the digestion process, ensuring my gut health and aiding in the elimination of excess estrogen. This is a supplement my naturopath recommended since I historically had digestive issues, but might not be right for everyone.
Biocidin. This is a broad spectrum botanical formula that further supports my gut health through digestion and elimination. I cannot stress how important your gut health and bowel movements are to your overall health.
Milk thistle. This greatly helped my acne and supports liver detox, but you need to wait until after you get off the hormonal birth control to include this- it is that strong.
Just the Beginning
Transitioning off hormonal birth control was the first big step I took towards living in sync with my cycle, and I am so grateful that I trusted the process and embraced the journey. This vitamin regimen was crucial to that process and still a vital influence in my current health- I still take all of these supplements every day. I hope that sharing this regimen gives you a jump start on your journey.
I don’t think going off hormonal birth control is for everyone, but if you do decide that this is a part of our your path I encourage you to be patient. Give your body time, look at this process as a journey. You may have some flareups, you may feel bad at times, but speak well and kind to your body. Know that your body wants to be healthy and support you, so try to keep your mind healthy and patient. Remember, the body goes where the mind goes. There is no end destination- it is all a journey, and it is up to you to decide how you want to experience that journey.
With love,
Lex
