7 side effects of taking birth control pills

The pill is necessary because it prevents you from unwanted pregnancies. There are many forms of birth control and it’s up to you to try out different methods and figure out which one works best for you with minimal side effects. Most hormone-based birth control options often come with side effects that range from mild to extreme symptoms. Still, most women will complain of certain side effects of birth control pills and here are some of them:

1. Headache, dizziness and breast tenderness.

You may experience these symptoms when you first start taking the pill, because of the hormones in the pills but worry not because these side effects will go away after you have been taking the pill for a while. If the symptoms do not go, you may ask your doctor for advice on what option best suits you, or you could also try out other options out there till you find your holy grail birth control option.

Woman with a headache (Courtesy) bigstock

2. Nausea.

Feelings of nausea should go away after a couple of months when you first begin taking contraceptives, failure to which, if you’re using oral contraceptives, try taking them with food. If you’re using other methods, you may need to switch if the nausea doesn’t go away.

Nausea (Courtesy) ece-auto-gen

3. Light and unpredictable bleeding.

Taking the pill exactly the same time everyday may help with this. The bleeding often occurs with the mini-pill, shots and the implant – the progestin only methods as the lining of the uterus is so thin that it sometimes sloughs off a little bit. The good thing with this is that it makes your periods lighter. If you’re concerned about spotting, talk to your doctor for some medical advice.

4. Low libido.

Some forms of birth control may give you low libido. In this case try changing to a more testosterone-like pill as this may bring back your libido.

5. Missed periods.

Even with proper pill use, a period may sometimes be missed and some of the factors that can influence this include stress, illness, and hormonal or thyroid abnormalities. If a period is missed or is very light while using the pill, it’s necessary to consider taking a pregnancy test, before starting the next pack because it’s not normal for a flow to be very light or missed altogether on occasion.

6. Vaginal discharge.

Changes in vaginal discharge may occur when taking the pill. This may lead to a decrease or increase in vaginal lubrication or a change in the nature of the discharge. If you experience vaginal dryness, adding lubrication while having sex may help make the sex more comfortable.

7. Mood changes.

Studies have suggested that oral contraceptives may affect the user’s mood and increase the risk of depression or other emotional changes. Contact a doctor if these feelings do not change.