if you take birth control for too long can it make you infertile?

Question

i have been taking bc for almost 3 years...and plan on taking it for a few more...do i have anything to worry about?

Answer 1

Anything that interferes with the body's natural chemistry has the potential to cause long-term harm.

http://www.epigee.org/guide/hormonal.html

Answer 2

I have often wondered this myself...I took the pill from 14 to 19 without a break. Then I tried to get pg and miscarried. I still wonder if there was a connection. I now have a child but I didn't take anything for 4 years before I had him. I don't think I was infertile all that time, just lucky. I would rather not inject foriegn hormones into my body but it's that or have too many squalling brats. It's a choice our grandmothers would have killed for.

Answer 3

Yes. I had a friend who took birth control pills for 20 years with no break (which I think might be extreme), and she had a pulmonary embolism. Her doctor believes the embolism was directly caused by the birth control pills. She can not ever use them again as long as she lives, and has to watch her diet very closely now (she's only 42). She was a study case for all the medical interns while she was in the hospital, so I'm sure what happened to her is rare. However, birth control pills are forcing your body to stop doing something it does naturally. All drugs are. That's not to say we shouldn't use them, but I think a little caution goes a long way. I would discuss it with my doctor.

Answer 4

No. There were some complications years ago before they realized that lower doses of the drug are just as effective. And the concerns re breast cancer and heart disease have lately been shown to have been wildly overestimated.

Of course there's risk with any drug you might take, including aspirin and tylenol. You should be under the care of a physician as long as you're using any drug, including birth control. Ask your doctor how often you should be coming in for a checkup, specifically mentioning b.c. and follow his/her suggestion. The doctor may eventually suggest a change of medication for the purpose of b.c., however, even in the long term, you should be just fine.

Answer 5

NO! It might take a little while to get pregnant again after using some types of bc, but it won't make you infertile.

Answer 6

DONT PANIC

Yes, you can have some problems- your ovaries go into deep slumber due to prolonged pill use and you may get a problem called 'post-pill amenorrhea'. it means your periods can get delayed. it varies between 1 to 2 months and in severe cases, up to 1.5 years.

If you are worried about this rather rare problem, you may use progestogen-only-pill (minus estrogens). nordette is an example. P.O.P.s are well known for quick return of fertility following discontinuation, so much so it is actually dangerous to miss pills - you can get pregnant very easily.

And since somebody else had mentioned about cancer, let me enlighten you about the benefits of oral contraceptive pills:

1. Regulates menstrual cycles
2. Reduces heavy menses + helps restore blood in your body
3. Reduces pelvic pains
4. Gets rid of small functional ovarian cysts
5. Thickens cervical mucus - reduces risk of venereal diseases
6. Reduces circulating testosterone (yes, women have em too) and as a consequence, reduces unsightly body hair and acne
7. Reduces risk of ovarian cancer
8. Reduces risk of womb cancer
9. Reduces premenstrual symptoms
10. Reduces unwanted pregnancies, terrminations, etc

And my wisdom, when it comes to choice of contraception is:
If it isn't broke, don't fix it

stick to the method you're comfortable with

Answer 7

My doctor told me that being on birth control for an extended period of time can definitely make getting pregnant much more difficult when you actually want to have a baby. In addition, there are other risks to taking birth control for a prolonged period of time, such as a significantly increased chance of developing cervical or uterine cancer.

Answer 8

If you've been taking birth control pills for many years and decide to stop, can you stop at any time or should you finish your current pill packet?

In terms of your overall health, it makes little difference when you stop taking the pill. When you finally do stop the pill, you can expect some bleeding, which may change the rhythm of your menstrual cycle. But you can stop at any time.

Answer 9

no it will not make you infertile, the pill stops your body making a certain hormone that releases the egg. when you stop taking the pill the body will start releasing that hormone again, so you have nothing to worry about

Answer 10

Research has never proven, or disproven, any adverse side affects for long term use of the pill. Only normal things can continue to happen. (Blood clots, and other "side effects")