How long does it take for hormones to balance post BC?

[awkwardturtle]

It has been a year now since my last depo shot, and I still feel like my cycles have not regulated. My luteal phase is ranging 9-15 days, I have had hair falling out, cystic acne, hair growth along chin and extremely sore boobs during the luteal phase. This all seems to point to a hormone imbalance of some sort. (possibly PCOS?) I have had no testing done as we are just going into cycle 10 (yay CD 1!) and I'm not trying to jump to conclusions. I'm just wondering if this could be due to the hormones trying to balance/ regulate or something that may be more serious at this point. 

Sorry if this doesn't require its own thread, I would just like to hear if anyone has knowledge regarding hormone imbalances, regulating post birth control/ depo, etc. 

[cabgirl]

I'm not familiar with depo, but I do know that it took six months off the birth control pill for my body to reach what seems to be its new "normal." My cycles were pretty regular right away (consistently 27-29 days, with a luteal phase that gradually increased from 9 to 12 days), but for the first few cycles I didn't have much CM, and I had no EWCM at all until cycle 6. My skin also got increasingly worse, and it seems like the acne I have now is going to be standard for me.
I'm not sure about the hair growth, but those other symptoms sound like they could be normal PMS symptoms. Did you experience any of that before starting depo? I have heard of hair falling out as a result of hormone changes after discontinuing birth control. Even if it's too early for testing, I might put a call in to your doctor and explain what's going on just to see if there's a cause for concern.

[awkwardturtle]

May 30, 2015 7:19:28 GMT -5 cabgirl said:

I'm not familiar with depo, but I do know that it took six months off the birth control pill for my body to reach what seems to be its new "normal." My cycles were pretty regular right away (consistently 27-29 days, with a luteal phase that gradually increased from 9 to 12 days), but for the first few cycles I didn't have much CM, and I had no EWCM at all until cycle 6. My skin also got increasingly worse, and it seems like the acne I have now is going to be standard for me.
I'm not sure about the hair growth, but those other symptoms sound like they could be normal PMS symptoms. Did you experience any of that before starting depo? I have heard of hair falling out as a result of hormone changes after discontinuing birth control. Even if it's too early for testing, I might put a call in to your doctor and explain what's going on just to see if there's a cause for concern.

Thank you cabgirl, I did get some cystic acne before depo, but not having a period for four years or so it's hard to remember what's "normal." Like you said, my body may just be establishing a new normal. 

[butlerfan]

When I stopped birth control pills I wanted to try to regulate before we TTC. I didn't get my period for 5 months and then got another one 2 weeks later. Then they went mostly back to normal.

[squeakyduck]

Mine seemed normal right away after oral pills, but because of the way depo works, I've heard it can take a long time to regulate after stopping. Have you talked to you doctor about this?

[awkwardturtle]

May 30, 2015 8:29:50 GMT -5 squeakyduck said:

Mine seemed normal right away after oral pills, but because of the way depo works, I've heard it can take a long time to regulate after stopping. Have you talked to you doctor about this?

I mentioned it about six months ago at my annual appointment and she didn't seem concerned at that point. She said its normal to take 10-15 months to become pregnant after depo, but we didn't specifically talk about the hormone imbalances. 

[Deleted]

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked? I used to shed uncontrollably. Turns out my levels were really low.

I've also had increased facial hair. I equate to being in my 30s as I do not have PCOS.

[FDL]

Within the prescribing information for Depo-Provera there is a section titled, "Return of Fertility." This section (pg 5) talks about a delayed return of fertility after Depo-Provera.

www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/020246s036lbl.pdf


I hope this helps!

[pismoduo]

FDL's link has some great info.

I had my last Depo shot on 12/31/14, with that shot's "effectiveness" ending around the end of March 2014. It was six months before I even had a period, and I started temping immediately after that.

9 cycles in, my cycles are still irregular, though they are starting to even out a bit. For instance, the first few cycles were ranging from 47 days (O on CD35) to 19 days (anovulatory). The last few cycles I've O'ed between CD17 and CD21, but my luteal phase is still short - usually 10 but occasionally 8 or 9.

I've read a few things (no formal studies or anything) that suggest that women sometimes experience the return of either estrogen or progesterone first, with the other taking considerably longer to bounce back. With that in mind, there is also some suggestion that low progesterone levels can lead to a short luteal phase.

All this is to say - I feel your frustration. I've also had the extremely sore boobs during the luteal phase, and while I had a few dark hairs popping up in my chin area, they've gone turbo in the last few months (though, to @wallflwr926's point, I am closing in on 30, so maybe it's that). Acne was insane the first few cycles but is gradually getting to the point where I have a minor break out around my period and that's it.

[awkwardturtle]

May 30, 2015 10:02:51 GMT -5 @wallflwr926 said:

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked? I used to shed uncontrollably. Turns out my levels were really low.

I've also had increased facial hair. I equate to being in my 30s as I do not have PCOS.

I haven't had vitamin D checked, just my thyroid which was normal. Do you take a vitamin D supplement in addition to multi vitamins? I take prenatals. 

[awkwardturtle]

Thanks a lot for the information and experiences FDL and pismoduo. I really appreciate it.

[Deleted]

May 30, 2015 15:54:26 GMT -5 awkwardturtle said:

May 30, 2015 10:02:51 GMT -5 @wallflwr926 said:

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked? I used to shed uncontrollably. Turns out my levels were really low.

I've also had increased facial hair. I equate to being in my 30s as I do not have PCOS.

I haven't had vitamin D checked, just my thyroid which was normal. Do you take a vitamin D supplement in addition to multi vitamins? I take prenatals. 

Yes, I was just upped to 2000 iu, in addition to Prenatals. Sunlight is always helpful too. I just never get enough.

[cheshie6]

May 30, 2015 16:50:59 GMT -5 @wallflwr926 said:

May 30, 2015 15:54:26 GMT -5 awkwardturtle said:

I haven't had vitamin D checked, just my thyroid which was normal. Do you take a vitamin D supplement in addition to multi vitamins? I take prenatals. 

Yes, I was just upped to 2000 iu, in addition to Prenatals. Sunlight is always helpful too. I just never get enough.

+1 to this.  My vitamin D is liquid and I put it in my water bottle.

[wowcheezits]

I didn't have depo, but after I had toddler, I had an IUD. I had it taken out after 8 months because I decided it's not for me and we wanted to TFAS sooner. 11 months after having it taken out, my cycles are just now starting to stabilize. Before my toddler and mirena, I had 28 day cycles and I knew exactly what day I was going to get my period.

[jess9802]

No experience with Depo. I stopped taking the pill two months before DH and I were going to start TTC #1, and my first two post-pill cycles were both 28 days long. The next three cycles were longer (33d, 31d, and I conceived on the third cycle). I had only day of EWCM in those five cycles, but did have watery CM.

When DS was 7 months old I got Mirena, and I had it removed on 3/31 so we could begin TTC #2. I had regular periods on Mirena, so I expected to be regular right away. Biggest change I noticed in the first full cycle off Mirena was a lot of EWCM - which I hadn't really seen since before I started birth control years ago.