For some women, even though they enjoy the benefits of birth control, they may also experience some unexpected side effects. These side effects can range in intensity from one women to another, and they don’t always have enough of an impact to warrant changing your form of birth control.
Some common side effects of birth control women can experience include:
- Spotting between periods
- Breast tenderness
- Intermittent nausea
- Headaches
- Mood changes and/or irritability
- Skipped periods
- Weight gain
- Decreased libido
If you believe that you are experiencing birth control symptoms that are moderate to severe, please contact your PGOMG provider to discuss whether a change to your current prescription or form of birth control is appropriate.
For many women, having one or more birth control symptoms is common, but symptoms typically lessen after the first few months after starting or changing birth control. Usually, your body just needs time to adjust to the hormones that prevent pregnancy, and once this time has passed, you will likely feel as if your daily routine can continue normally without issue.
Providing birth control options is one of the core services of PGOMG, and we have many popular blog posts dedicated to the subject, which we invite you to check out:
- The Top 10 Birth Control FAQs
- Who’s Responsible for Contraception and STD Prevention?
- Should I Consider Long-term Contraception?
- Which Kind of Birth Control is Right for Me?
- The Top Five Questions Women Need to Ask Their Gynecologist, But Don’t
- Spotting Between Periods? Three Reasons Why It Could Happen
Please note that your annual well-woman exam is not intended to serve as an appointment where birth control options are discussed. We kindly ask that patients book a separate appointment to address birth control options and concerns. Annual exams are for a general health check consisting of a breast exam and Pap test. You can learn about what to expect during an annual exam at PGOMG here.
