In 2024, you’d be hard-pressed to find a woman who doesn’t have a hormonal contraception story. While some find that the pill, coil or injection is a blessing that puts an end to painful cramps and unpredictable mood swings, others find that the medication makes them feel depressed, low on energy and all-around sub-par. As we’re becoming more aware of our hormones and the impact they can have on our mood, energy levels and overall wellbeing, it’s hardly surprising that many people are questioning their relationship with interventions like the pill and the coil.

I am one of those women. On the scale of hormonal experiences, I’d count myself pretty lucky. I’ve had a relatively smooth journey compared to many of my friends; I started my (usually light) periods at about 14, and my cramps have never been that bad. The only issue I really struggled with was pre-menstrual anxiety, which ramped up massively in my late teens. In the week leading up to my period, I’d be completely on edge, dealing with an onslaught of intrusive thoughts and struggling to eat, sleep or think straight. It was exhausting, so when I went to my GP and she suggested going on the pill, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Flash forward almost 10 years and, a few short breaks aside, I’ve been on the pill for most of my adult life. While I later came to learn that my anxiety was partly being caused by undiagnosed OCD, the additional panic the hormonal fluctuations brought on was enough of a reason to continue taking the oral contraceptive. I’d never really experienced any side effects so I didn’t see the point of coming off the pill just to stop taking one small tablet every evening.

But when I realised earlier this year how long I’d been taking this medication, I started to think about taking a break. It took a while to take the leap for fear of that pre-menstrual anxiety coming back with a vengeance, but when I forgot to order my next set of pills from the pharmacy, I decided now was the perfect time to experiment. I didn’t expect to feel any different, but six weeks on from that moment, I’ve not only realised my pre-menstrual anxiety isn’t as bad as it once was (probably thanks to the fact that my OCD is now managed), but that the pill may have had more of an effect on me than I realised. That’s not to say the pill is a bad thing – I’m happy to go back on it in the future if I need to – but I was surprised by how much impact it has had. Here are just some of the key changes I’ve noticed over the course of my first cycle off the pill.  

My periods have never been heavy, but I did expect them to get a little heavier for the first couple of months after coming off the pill. But, after having my first non-pill period a couple of weeks ago, I’m happy to report that my period was actually lighter and a lot less painful than the break-through bleeds I got during pill breaks.

For the first few days of my period, I usually take a mix of ibuprofen and paracetamol, but during my last period, I only took one dose of ibuprofen. Let’s just hope it continues. 

I’ve never had the highest libido, but coming off the pill made me realise just how squashed it has been for the past decade. Over the last month, I’ve felt interested in dating for the first time in a while and been a lot more likely to find people attractive.

As someone who is also on antidepressants (a medication known for lowering your libido), this has certainly been a welcome development, and I’m excited to see how I feel going forward. 

While I’ve always been a sensitive person, coming off the pill has made me realise that my contraception was blunting my emotions. Coming off the pill hasn’t made me super emotional, but it has made me more aware and given me space to think about how things are making me feel. That’s been slightly scary (any emotion that’s not a positive one makes me scared that I’m having an OCD relapse), but I’m learning to deal with this myriad of emotions and see them as a good thing. 

After being on the pill for 10 years (and often taking it non-stop, back-to-back), I’d forgotten how much your energy levels can fluctuate throughout the month. Before, I’d be able to work out and socialise at the same consistency no matter what time of the month it was, but since coming off the pill, I’ve had to be a lot more aware of where I’m at in my cycle and how it’s affecting me.

Not having that consistent energy all month might seem like a bad thing, but I’ve enjoyed the contrast between having the urge to get out and socialise during my follicular phase and wanting to curl up with a book at home during my luteal phase.  

It’s also been a helpful way to manage my exercise intensity: while I’ve continued to run all month long, I turned my focus towards more gentle, low-impact work during my luteal phase, which gave my body time to recover. Most interestingly, I used to struggle with lower energy during my actual period; this time round, I felt great and managed to run my fastest 5k in six months.  

I can’t count the number of times I’ve said the words “I’m starving” over the last month or so, but rest assured, it’s a lot. Since coming off the pill I’ve felt my appetite increase greatly, especially between meals. If I don’t eat every few hours at the moment my stomach starts to rumble and my blood sugar levels seem to drop, so I’ve had to be quite vigilant.

The good news is that my previously chronic sugar cravings seem to have subsided a little. I’ve found myself craving a lot more savoury, high-protein foods too. 

Images: Getty