Post Birth Control Syndrome is real, even if some doctor's try to dismiss it. Many will tell you that the symptoms you are experiencing are common (or worse, in your head) - but let's be clear about one thing. Just because something is COMMON does not make it NORMAL. If your doctor is telling you that, it's time to find a new one! At Wholistic Life, we are huge supporters of being advocate's of your own health and are here today to help you do just that.
Restore your Nutrients: Birth control not only shuts down your reproductive system but also depletes your body of so many necessary nutrients, many of which are crucial for fertility and fetal development. It specifically depletes B Vitamins, like Folate and B6 which are vital in the early stages of pregnancy and deficiencies could even lead to miscarriage. Even if babies aren't in your future, it's important to replenish these nutrients to avoid dealing with the many awful side effects of hormone imbalances (more on this in a bit!). Other nutrients that can become depleted with long term birth control use include B12, B2, Selenium, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Luckily, many of these can be replenished by eating a SOUL (seasonal, organic, unrefined, and local) food diet, consisting of dark leafy greens, nuts/seeds, grass-fed meats, pasture raised eggs, cold water fish, and fruits/veggies. Zinc, Magnesium, CoQ10 and other antioxidants are also getting depleted -- these nutrients however, are not as available through foods, so unless you are taking them in supplement form, it's likely your levels won't be adequate. So what does this all mean? Deficiencies in these nutrients can affect our mood, libido, gut health, liver function, skin, etc. Typically, we want to focus first on food as medicine, but in some cases, like this, additional supplementing is necessary right off the bat. A quality Prenatal, B Complex, Omega-3, Magnesium & Probiotic is what I would recommend for anyone getting off of birth control. Note, that not all supplements are equal, so quality is key when it comes to this - please don't purchase your supplements from your local drug store.
Detox: We know that our bodies naturally detox on their own, through our liver, bowel movements, urine, and skin through sweat. However, the body often needs extra support by way of diet, lifestyle, supplements and the removal of environmental toxins. Our liver specifically is used to detox excess estrogen in our body. If the liver processes aren't working properly, it can result in excess estrogen which can cause Estrogen Dominance, one of the most common hormone imbalances. Many birth controls are boosted with estrogen to protect you from getting pregnant (which is obviously what most of us want when taking bc) but can be harmful to our liver. Supporting the detoxification process after getting off birth control is imperative and can be done in a variety of ways. We already talked about the depletion of B Vitamins above, which are also necessary for detox -- so just another reason to be eating those greens and taking that B Complex supplement. In addition, cruciferous veggies are the most liver supporting foods you can eat. Kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc should be consumed on a daily basis. Blended in a smoothie, juiced or steamed will be the easiest for your digestive system (more on that next!). In addition, limiting alcohol or eliminating it all together, is highly recommended, even if just for a couple weeks. Check out these blogs for additional diet + lifestyle tips to support detoxing.
Repair your Gut: Birth control has been said to alter our gut flora by increasing the growth of bad bacteria and yeast. This can result in gut issues like Candida, SIBO, Leaky Gut, IBS, etc. Similar to the liver, our digestive system helps detox our excess hormones and again, if the process is disrupted it can cause Estrogen Dominance. Eating warming foods like soups and stews put ease on the digestive tract so that it can focus more on repairing. The same goes with juices and smoothies, as mentioned above. Bone broth, herbal teas, and water (at least 1/2 your weight in oz) will not only keep you hydrated but help flush out the toxins. For a full day recommendation on what to eat, check out The Diary of a Happy Gut. There you will also find recommend supplements to help restore your gut health such as a quality probiotic which we spoke about in step 1 as well as collagen peptides that are high in protein and made up of amino acids that help repair the gut. Slowing down while eating, really enjoying your food, and chewing up to 20x per bite are also some lifestyle tips that will help!
Seed Cycle: Once your period returns, I mentioned that your cycle may be irregular. If you aren't regularly ovulating, your body isn't producing enough progesterone which can leave you irritable/moody and anxious. This can result in inadequate sleep which is not good for your overall health. Seed cycling is a great way to help balance your estrogen and progesterone levels at the right time of your cycle. Having the right balance helps make cycles more regular, can lessen PMS symptoms, and combat hormonal imbalances. To learn more about the process of seed cycling check out my blog here. I have also created a great seed cycle recipe, that I recommend you take advantage of!
Get Tested: Unsure if you have a hormonal imbalance? First, take my quiz and see if any of these items resonate with you. If you said yes to one or more of the items in the quiz, it's likely you are suffering from post birth control syndrome due to your hormones being out of balance. So what now? The best thing to do is to get your hormones tested. Again, you may find that your doctor will push back on this, saying it isn't necessary, but this is the time to take control of your health. If they won't order the tests for you, tell them you'll find another doctor that will. Things to test for? Estrogen, progesterone, thyroid (ask for the full panel), testosterone, FSH, LH, AMH, & prolactin. Another option is to purchase a hormone test through a third party like Modern Fertility & Dutch which offer at home testing. Note, that these hormone tests are best to check after 3 months of being off the birth control - once you've worked on steps 1-4. If you want to get tested right away, cortisol levels are something that can be done immediately. This will help you learn if your stress hormones are functioning properly. In addition to the supplements listed in step 1, adaptogens could also be a great options for those who are suffering from a hormone imbalance.
Have further questions or want to deep dive into this more? Sign up for your free nutrition assessment and we can talk about needs specific to you. I've been successful in bringing back periods that have been gone for over a year, regulating cycles, helping women get pregnant and maintain a healthy pregnancy - whatever your hormone needs are, I'm here to support you!
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