Anyone have problems with sex drive since stopping the pill?

[Sha]

Hi,
I''ve been off the birth control pill (yasmin) since last April, and since then it seems as though I hardly have any sex drive. I know there''s research that shows that the pill can decrease sex drive in women - but that in most women it usually returns after 6 months to a year. I feel like that hasn''t been the case for me. I was only on it for about two years this last time. And about two years a few years back.

Anybody else experience any problems like this since stopping the pill?

 

[BeachRunner]

There was a lengthy, and informative thread about this topic not too long ago.

Here is the link.

 

[Lauren8211]

Just to clarify... your sex drive was OK on Yasmin, then went down after you stopped the pill, or it went down while on the pill, and still hasn''t come back up yet?

 

[Sha]

Oh, thanks for posting that link, beachrunner! You''re right - it''s a really informative thread. It answered a lot of questions I had about libido after the pill, etc. I''m going to go back and read through it again.

elledizzy, my libido went down when I went on the pill - it was fine before. I don''t think it''s recovered -even though I''ve been off the pill for about a year now.

I''ve heard that some women never recover from the drive-diminishing effects of the pill.....

Just hoping I''m not one of them...

I think I remember you posting in the other thread beachrunner linked me to. Are you off the pill now? If so, how are things for you, if I could ask?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

My libido crashed when I was on the pill. It came back a bit after I went off 6 months ago, but it''s gone again. I think it came back more out of wishful thinking than anything else. A lot of what ends up holding us back is LOL fear of pregnancy! we''re not too afraid to mess around!

 

[Lauren8211]

I went off the pill in November, and was off until about 2 weeks ago.

My libido had a little bump up when I went off, but not where it used to be, and I was off for nearly 6 months.

I would stay off, but the pill is the only thing that keeps my skin clear, and it does a phenomenal job at it.

I will say, though, that at least now the thought of having sex doesn''t make me mad. LOL. When I was on the pill, if FF touched me I''d freak out. Now, I can tolerate touching. It just takes a little longer to get warmed up, so my FF needs to be more patient! I still enjoy sex once I get there, but it''s the feeling horny without provocation that is gone. I miss it, and I''m not certain that it will ever come back. I''m trying to embrace that as a life change... and adapt, instead of getting upset about it. Stress and anxiety only makes libido issues worse.

 

[Elmorton]

I''ve been off for about 4 mos, and it''s slowly coming back - but the last time I was pill-free was age 16, so I don''t really expect it to be the same as it was back then.

Also, I definitely notice that my drive works the way nature intended - we''re TTA, but my libido definitely spikes right when my fertility increases. I''ve noticed that in the leutal phase, I''m really not too interested, but in the few days before I ovulate, I am.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 4/15/2009 4:46:44 PM
Author: Elmorton
I''ve been off for about 4 mos, and it''s slowly coming back - but the last time I was pill-free was age 16, so I don''t really expect it to be the same as it was back then.


Also, I definitely notice that my drive works the way nature intended - we''re TTA, but my libido definitely spikes right when my fertility increases. I''ve noticed that in the leutal phase, I''m really not too interested, but in the few days before I ovulate, I am.

this is SO true! I''m always crazy around ovulation but we can''t mess around so it stinks. I also seem to get randomly randy when family is visiting or we''re visiting family. Not sure why...maybe the naughtiness of it?

 

[Elmorton]

Date: 4/15/2009 4:50:08 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Date: 4/15/2009 4:46:44 PM
I also seem to get randomly randy when family is visiting or we''re visiting family. Not sure why...maybe the naughtiness of it?

Um, yes, HH, this has nothing to do with going off BC

 

[Bia]

No sex drive whatsoever on the pill. None. I''ve been off of the pill for awhile now, but it came back not long afterward (few months?).

I hate the pill. I know I always say that, but I really do.

 

[Sha]

Thanks for your replies! I hope everybody''s drive comes back to normal. If I had known this stuff about the pill before I never would''ve taken it.

Nobody ever tells you this stuff until it''s too late.

Hudson - I thought my drive came back 4 months after stopping too, then it was back to on-the-pill levels. Maybe it was just wishful thinking too....

 

[ladyciel]

My libido started to come back after stopping the pill, though it''s hard for me to think back and say if it''s at the level it was pre-pill. I''m in the middle of my 4th cycle since stopping, and I can TOTALLY agree, without a doubt, about nature doing its thing. The only time I get horny without DH''s help are the days directly before and just after I ovulate. I''m now using the methods of TCOYF since we''re TTA, and I can almost always predict when my temp is going to spike just based on my sex drive. It sure will come in handy when we''re TTC, that''s for sure! For the time being, it''s super frustrating. We''ve adopted the practice of using condoms at the beginning of my cycle, avoiding when I''m fertile, and, when I''m completely and utterly sure that egg is long gone, going commando. Actually, I take back what I said above - I DO get horny sometimes w/o DH when we''re in the safe zone. I don''t know if it''s just that the sex is that much better commando or if there''s something in DH''s stuff (testosterone?) that helps out, but once we get busy the first time post-ov I end up craving more. That''s new for me, since with condoms and/or the pill, I''m almost always ''satisfied'' for quite a while.

Sorry if that''s TMI!

 

[ilovesparkles]

This is a fascinating thread! since I have been on the pill for 10 years, I don''t have a clue. But I can definitely relate to being horny when ovulating, and when menstruating (which totally sucks). I also have noticed that it takes a looooong time for me to be ready, and the foreplay needs to be very drawn out.


Additional question, if anyone is willing to answer/address. In addition to sex drive issues, does anyone have issues reaching climax while on the pill versus off?

 

[Sha]

Yes, increased sex drive is one of the fertile signs, that indicate that ovulation is occuring. I never knew that before I joined Fertility Friend, and learned about charting my cycles. It's really amazing all the little changes in a woman's body when a woman is fertile! Your cervical mucus changes and becomes more slippery and hospitable to sperm, your sex drive revs up, your cervix rises and opens up....everything works together to help create that miracle of life. Now that I know about my fertile signs/charting - I don't plan on going back on the pill - I think I'll stick with the Fertility Awareness Method as it's worked for me, both in avoiding pregnancy and in getting pregnant, over the past year.

Now if only my sex drive would come back!

ETA: Ilovesparkes - to answer your question, I haven't notices any specific difference in that area. But I guess if your overall libido is lower on the pill - it might take longer to reach climax than if you're not on the pill? That's just my guess.

 

[laine]

I''ve been on the pill for about 10 years now (wow--seems so long when I write it!). I thought the pill had lowered my sex drive, until I ended one long term relationship and started dating a new guy. Suddenly, sex drive was back! After being with him for several years, the sex drive has started to decline a bit. So, I think a lot of it is just the natural progression of a relationship as the "newness" wears off. Granted, I''m not having the negative effects some of you are, just a decrease in interest in initiating things as often.

 

[ilovesparkles]

Thanks sha!

 

[Sha]

Date: 4/16/2009 10:39:00 PM
Author: laine
I''ve been on the pill for about 10 years now (wow--seems so long when I write it!). I thought the pill had lowered my sex drive, until I ended one long term relationship and started dating a new guy. Suddenly, sex drive was back! After being with him for several years, the sex drive has started to decline a bit. So, I think a lot of it is just the natural progression of a relationship as the ''newness'' wears off. Granted, I''m not having the negative effects some of you are, just a decrease in interest in initiating things as often.

Mmmmm.....interesting. That could be part of it, too.....Food for thought!

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I had this problem while I was taking the pill, but everything went back to normal once I stopped.

 

[Sha]

Date: 4/17/2009 9:59:49 PM
Author: Diamond*Dana
I had this problem while I was taking the pill, but everything went back to normal once I stopped.

I''m glad you didn''t have this problem continue. If I could ask - how long were you on it for?

 

[LaraOnline]

An interesting aspect to this debate is... why does sex drive increase when you are pregnant? Apparently that is quite common.

 

[ladyciel]

Date: 4/19/2009 4:20:16 AM
Author: LaraOnline
An interesting aspect to this debate is... why does sex drive increase when you are pregnant? Apparently that is quite common.

I''ve never read into it, but my best guess is hormone fluctuations. As for the purpose of it (akin to why sex drive increases when we''re fertile), perhaps it''s meant to help keep the daddy around long enough to help care for the baby?

I know there are other things that are supposed to/can change to make the woman seem more attractive to him - thicker hair, rosy cheeks, that preggo glow. Of course, not every pregnant woman would agree that she feels prettier, but this is just what I''ve heard/read.

 

[LaraOnline]

Date: 4/19/2009 9:21:19 AM
Author: ladyciel

Date: 4/19/2009 4:20:16 AM

Author: LaraOnline

An interesting aspect to this debate is... why does sex drive increase when you are pregnant? Apparently that is quite common.

I''ve never read into it, but my best guess is hormone fluctuations. As for the purpose of it (akin to why sex drive increases when we''re fertile), perhaps it''s meant to help keep the daddy around long enough to help care for the baby?

Interesting idea! I mean, yes, it must be hormonally based (assuming all other aspects are equal, and one would imagine that the emotional / cultural (my favourite word again!) aspects would kinda be ''anti-lovin''...

My husband saw a news article that was investigating high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia) in last trimester pregnancy, and said that the report was taking another look at sex in pregnancy as a cause.

I''d like to write to that newspaper reporter and tell him what I think!!!

While I love subscribing to the idea that nature knows us intricately, my head tells me that it merely muddles through, in a wobbly evolutionary journey. As such, it is perfectly logical that sex drive in pregnancy has both the happy effect of keeping daddy around... and the unhappy effect of (possibly) triggering pre-eclampsia in those predisposed.

Doesn''t help address our thread topic of low drive on or after coming off the Pill, does it?

 

[Sha]

Date: 4/19/2009 4:20:16 AM
Author: LaraOnline
An interesting aspect to this debate is... why does sex drive increase when you are pregnant? Apparently that is quite common.

I read that it''s (partly?) due to increased blood flow to the genital area, which makes that area more sensitve to stimulation overall. Makes sense to me!

I''m 6 weeks pregnant though, and haven''t experienced that symptom as yet...

In fact, just the opposite. Maybe it''s just me...maybe I''m just a low sex-drive person overall.... Dunno. I''ve heard some women say they have more interest in sex while pregnant, but I think it usually happens in the second trimester?

 

[LaraOnline]

Wait and see in a few months... you might be surprised!!
Perhaps it''s the comedy factor.
I always did have a sense of humour!

 

[Feralpenchant]

I have been on the pill since I was 16, I''m 21 now. I have experienced no change in libido.. Should I quit now while I''m ahead?

I didn''t know that the change can be PERMANENT!

 

[LaraOnline]

perhaps changes in attitude can affect libido.
As you get older and sex becomes more complicated in your mind (kids / break-ups / work pressures / sheer level of exeperience) I think there is much more scope for libido to drop.

 

[so cal girl]

Date: 4/19/2009 12:58:06 PM
Author: Sha

Date: 4/19/2009 4:20:16 AM
Author: LaraOnline
An interesting aspect to this debate is... why does sex drive increase when you are pregnant? Apparently that is quite common.

I read that it''s (partly?) due to increased blood flow to the genital area, which makes that area more sensitve to stimulation overall. Makes sense to me!

I''m 6 weeks pregnant though, and haven''t experienced that symptom as yet...

In fact, just the opposite. Maybe it''s just me...maybe I''m just a low sex-drive person overall.... Dunno. I''ve heard some women say they have more interest in sex while pregnant, but I think it usually happens in the second trimester?

I''m going to have to agree with Sha on this one. I am currently 17 weeks pregnant, and my sex drive has pretty much vanished since I''ve been pregnant. Which is weird, because it was pretty strong before, both on and off the pill. DH is still waiting for this "symptom" of pregnancy to go away.

 

[Sha]

Lara - I think you''re right about getting older and having more life issues to deal with. It can definitely take a toll! One thing that worries me, though, is how things will be when we have children. Whether I''ll have even less libido, being tired and stressed and everything? It''s really something to think about...

Feralpenchant - it really is a personal decision- going off the pill permanently. And it depends on how comfortable you are with other birth control methods. For me - I don''t think I''ll ever go back on it, now that I know what I do now. I didn''t know about the potential effect on sex drive when I started them, either.

socalgirl - glad I''m not the only one who feels this way! Hopefully, things will pick up again for us soon.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 4/19/2009 4:20:16 AM
Author: LaraOnline
An interesting aspect to this debate is... why does sex drive increase when you are pregnant? Apparently that is quite common.

I believe it''s a 60/40 split on those whose sex drive increases/decreases.

I''m 36 weeks and other than once on our honeymoon - because a celibate honeymoon just seemed plain wrong - we haven''t DTD since CD 15 of the cycle where I got pregnant.

Mind you, we had such marathon sessions then that I was pretty relieved to give it up for a bit!

Morning sickness till 26 weeks, plus complete exhaustion plus being extremely depressed didn''t help - and now I''d need a crane to winch me into any feasible positions and frankly the swollen legs, mega-bump, back pain and all the rest are not doing it for either me or DH!

I''m far more into cuddles and bribing DH to massage my back...

 

[Sha]

Date: 4/22/2009 6:17:48 PM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 4/19/2009 4:20:16 AM
Author: LaraOnline
An interesting aspect to this debate is... why does sex drive increase when you are pregnant? Apparently that is quite common.

I believe it''s a 60/40 split on those whose sex drive increases/decreases.

I''m 36 weeks and other than once on our honeymoon - because a celibate honeymoon just seemed plain wrong - we haven''t DTD since CD 15 of the cycle where I got pregnant.

Mind you, we had such marathon sessions then that I was pretty relieved to give it up for a bit!

Morning sickness till 26 weeks, plus complete exhaustion plus being extremely depressed didn''t help - and now I''d need a crane to winch me into any feasible positions and frankly the swollen legs, mega-bump, back pain and all the rest are not doing it for either me or DH!

I''m far more into cuddles and bribing DH to massage my back...

Wow!

But I can completely understand where you''re coming from. I''m not feeling that energetic/sexy and I''m only 7 weeks, with no morning sickness yet. I can only imagine being further along, and how uncomfortable it must be sometimes.