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The pill and sex drive

Poll Results: Did you notice a change in sex drive after stopping the pill?

 
  • 7% (6)
    Yes, my sex drive *decreased* after stopping the pill.
  • 15% (12)
    No, my sex drive stayed the same.
  • 61% (47)
    Yes, my sex drive increased within 1-3 months after stopping.
  • 9% (7)
    Yes, my sex drive increased within 4-6 months after stopping.
  • 5% (4)
    Yes, my sex drive increased within 6-12 months after stopping.
  • 1% (1)
    Yes, my sex drive increased a year or more after stopping.
77 Total Votes  
post #1 of 37
11/14/06 at 9:27am
Thread Starter 
I'm curious...have any of you experienced a change in sex drive when going off (or on) the pill? I read an article that said the pill can permanently decrease your sex drive.

I went off the pill after reading that article (and because I became bothered about the artificial hormones going into my body every day). My sex drive has gone to almost non-existent over the last 2-3 years of my total 11 years on the pill, and I'm wondering if it was the pill. I've only been off 3 months, and I haven't really noticed a change though.

Has anyone experienced this? (I'll see if I can find that article and post a link...)

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post #2 of 37
11/14/06 at 9:33am
Oh crap, that would explain a lot. I suffered from depression and took Paxil for 2 yrs, that killed my sex drive. Now the pill too? I took it for about 12 yrs up until 2004.
post #3 of 37
11/14/06 at 1:28pm
I was on the pill for only a short period of time, but since going off, I have little to no sex drive most of the time. But then again, it's hard to say whether it might be from the pill or from TTC. We started TTC immediately when I went off the pill and it took us 16 months and 2 losses before we got pregnant with my DD, so I think that
had an impact, too.
post #4 of 37
11/14/06 at 1:30pm
I took the pill for ~6 years and then used the Nuva Ring for 6 months. My sex drive was higher on the Nuva Ring than the pill and after I stopped the Nuva Ring it returned to normal immediately.
post #5 of 37
11/14/06 at 1:54pm
I was on the pill over 10 years and definitely noticed that it significantly decreased my sex drive. Since going off my drive has been much better, although pregnancy has always decreased it as well.
post #6 of 37
11/14/06 at 7:25pm
I was not on the pill for long, maybe a year, but it bottomed out my sex drive, which had been pretty healthy before that. It took a very long time to get back to some kind of normalcy. I wouldn't say it's totally normal, but better now than ever since I started the pill.
post #7 of 37
11/14/06 at 8:04pm
I think to get the answer you are looking for, you may want to consider modifying your question such that only folks whose sex drive decreased when they went on the pill answer. otherwise you run the danger of folks like me voting that my sex drive did not go up when I went off though in fact it had not decreased to begin with. Just wanted to protect you from potentially alarming results.
post #8 of 37
11/15/06 at 2:00am
Permanently?????

I started the Pill right when I became sexually active and have been off of it for 6 years. I've never really had much of a drive at all. I wonder if the Pill killed it before it even got started?

Of course, for the past 6 years I've been PG, nursing and or parenting small children so that can put a damper on things as well . . .
post #9 of 37
11/15/06 at 2:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bethy View Post
Permanently?????

I started the Pill right when I became sexually active and have been off of it for 6 years. I've never really had much of a drive at all. I wonder if the Pill killed it before it even got started?
I wonder if it was the same in my situation. I started the pill a couple months before I got marrie and wasn't sexually active until my wedding night (but boy do I know the drive existed before that ), and went off a few months after the wedding.
post #10 of 37
11/15/06 at 2:50pm
I'm on the Nuvaring and I do notice a lessening of sex drive and anorgasmia. I didn't insert it this month and I am fertile right now and my sex drive is through the roof! It makes me wonder what to do. The only reason I didn't insert it this month was because I didn't make it to the drug store in time. Hmmmm....but I absolutely can't get pregnant again. Time for a tubal or a vas.
post #11 of 37
11/15/06 at 5:40pm
yeah, after I'm done having babies, I'm never going to go on the pill again for that exact reason. I had a simliar experience as some of the PP's. Super sharp loss of sex drive within months of starting the pill that has continued ever since. I think it's actually really hurt my relationship with my hubby, b/c you can track our happiness with our relationship by when I started the pill (and now it's become a major issue in our relationship unfortunately).

I did end up on the Nuvaring the past couple of years, and I did notice the very month I went off of it to TTC, my sex drive was suddenly back, but we got preggo that very month. But when I went off the pill previously for several months, my sex drive never came back. I think IME the Nuvaring might have been a much healthier option WRT my sex drive, b/c it did actually come back when I stopped it, while the pill didn't.

ETA: I also agree with the PP about your poll ending up opposite to how you wanted it. I voted that my sex drive increased 1-3 mths after, but only b/c it was nearly non-existent for the previous 6 years.
post #12 of 37
11/15/06 at 8:24pm
when I was on the pill and then nuvaring my sex drive tanked. after stopping I noticed a definate improvement the first month off the hormones (after about two weeks or so). my mood improved so much too, and all the other horrible side effects went away.
post #13 of 37
11/24/06 at 9:19pm
I am just really horny all the time...all..the...time...and I was that way before the pill and I'm that way now.

It's hard for the hubby to keep up at times!
post #14 of 37
11/24/06 at 9:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by snozzberry View Post
I'm curious...have any of you experienced a change in sex drive when going off (or on) the pill? I read an article that said the pill can permanently decrease your sex drive.
The pill just about killed my sex drive. I didn't even fully realize it until a couple of months after I went off of it, and was like "Whoa - I remember this!". I'll never take it again.
post #15 of 37
11/24/06 at 9:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lactavia View Post
I am just really horny all the time...all..the...time...and I was that way before the pill and I'm that way now.

It's hard for the hubby to keep up at times!
Wow. You are so lucky! I was on the pill for only about 10 months and my sex drive went south and didn't return until after I came off of them. I was also really dry. After I came off the pill and started charting, my sex drive has gradually increased over the last 6 months. I'm almost back to normal. *Almost* I've definitley noticed an increase in my CM over the last few months. It's been great. DH and I waited 2 months to ttc after I ended the pill. I just couldn't wait.
post #16 of 37
2/2/07 at 5:15am
I wasn't on the pill but I was on the Depo shot, which is probably worse, I noticed a huge decrease in my sex drive. The thought of dh touching me at all was enough to gross me out. So I stopped taking it about a year ago and once all or most of the hormones were out of my system I noticed I had a much better sex drive. However I still havn't had a period , and has caused some concerns. Has anyone else had this problem?
post #17 of 37
2/3/07 at 1:15am
Well I can't truthfully answer yet. I was on the pill for 9-10 years (last year was the ring). It killed my sex drive. I have almost been off for a month. I have deffinitelly been hornier and had more CM this month, but I don't know if it will continue to increase or not.
post #18 of 37
2/4/07 at 11:34am
I have just stopped the pill this month. I tried charting and keeping up with CM, but its all messed up right now. LOL. I can tell you that my sex drive was tragically murdered on the pill. I went on the pill 12 weeks after having my DS and I can tell you that I completely lost interest in sex in a matter of weeks.
Its been over two years, and we'll see how things turn out.
post #19 of 37
2/4/07 at 12:05pm
I've been on and off the pill for years. I hate the chemicals in it and have recently come off it pretty much full time now( I hope) I've noticed being on it seems to decrease my sex drive, quite considerably at times, it's hard to know sometimes really whether it's the pill or just mood.I think being on the pill adds to my depression, a general feeling of sluggishness. I usually have most sex drive round ovulation anyway, but not confined to that time! I always feel pretty much used when on pill, this may add to general overall crap feelings. It seems to dry me up as well, I'm so glad I'm off it.
post #20 of 37
2/5/07 at 4:25am
I was on the pill for almost 2 months after ds1 was born. before pill I was horny constantly about a week after starting no interest and within a month of stopping my sex drive started but not a whole lot. by 3m it was up there again. pregnancy made it worse and since then its been THROUGH the roof.


needless to say THIS mama won't ever go back to hormonal bc!
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Pregnancy and Birth › Fertility › Family Planning › The pill and sex drive