coming off the pill for BA

hey girls,
i know a lot of people feel more confident in coming off the pill before their BA, but i just wondered how soon you have to stop taking it before?
I've been on the pill for just over a year and also just wondered how easy it is to start taking it again after stopping for a while? ie will i get all the symptoms i got when i first started taking it?
thankss! xxxx

I think it's 2 weeks before and two weeks after. I think your body will be quite used to the hormones in the pill, so you shouldn't get the symptoms you got at first again. First period after stopping taking the pill for me was horrible though, cramps from hell. But everyone is different

Ahh okay, i hope i dont get them again - i had horrible cramps taking it the first time and my mood swings were insane! which the boyfriend didnt like haha.
yeah ive heard the first period after stopping is horrific :( the new boobs will be worth it though i guess :) x

It will only probably be one with cramps, it can take a few months for all the hormones from the pill to leave your system, so I;m sure you'll be fine for just one month

aww good :) thanks! x

Hi, I stopped taking mine for a month, starting two weeks before my op. I've been on the pill for five years, so was a bit worried about what it would be like to have a break, but it was fine! I didn't have a period during the break, just some light bleeding (relatively painfree), and everything just went back to normal when I started taking it again. Xx

ur meant to stop the pill?!?! i was never told about this and it was in my notes im on it!!! x

Some surgeons don't mind mind girls staying on the pill as the risk of DVT is small. Xx

My surgeon has said that i can stay on the pill, so some are happy to keep you on it.

i was able to keep taking my pill. how annoying if you have to stop and then start again, i would be crap at that, cos im not great at taking my pill as it is! x

haha yeah same, i have to have alarms set on my phone to remind me to take it! Would be much easier if i didn't have to stop though, guess i'll have to wait and see :) x

I asked my surgeon about the pill and he's happy for me to keep taking it. He was more concerned that I gave up smoking 4 or 5 cigs a day than stop taking the pill.

I am Dianette, which is known to carry a higher risk of developing DVT after surgery or lengthy immobility.

Here is some info I have found for you (from netdoctor.co.uk, specifically about Dianette):

The risk of blood clots forming in the veins (venous
thromboembolism) while taking this medicine may be temporarily increased if you
are immobile for prolonged periods of time, for example if you have a major
accident or major surgery. For this reason, your doctor will usually recommend
that you stop taking this pill for a period of time (usually six weeks) prior
to any planned surgery, particularly abdominal surgery or orthopaedic surgery
on the lower limbs (but not before minor surgery like teeth extraction). You
will also need to stop taking this pill if you are going to be immobile for
long periods, for example because you are confined to bed or have a leg in a
plaster cast. You should not start taking the pill again until at least two
weeks after you are fully mobile. There may also be an increased risk of blood
clots in the veins if you are travelling for long periods of time where you
will be sat still (over five hours). The risk of blood clots during long
journeys may be reduced by appropriate exercise during the journey and possibly
by wearing elastic hosiery. Discuss this with your doctor.

I'm sure your GP will be happy to help advise on your pill though hun. I just posted this for any other Dianette ladies with the same question. I was told last year before major spinal surgery to come off the pill at least 2 months before the operation (as I was going to be hugely immobile for so very long). But as people are generally up and about literally hours after a BA I'm sure the risks are much much lower and therefore you aren't advised to stop taking it quite so soon xx

Ahh ok, hopefully i won't have to come off for that long! Will have to wait and see, thank you! xx

i'm on the depo injection and mines due the week before my op? shall i just not have it done till 2 weeks after? x