Common Birth Control Side Effects

During the first three months of starting the pill, about 50% of people who use the pill will experience breakthrough bleeding, sometimes referred to as vaginal bleeding that is separate from the expected periods. In most cases, more than 90% of women notice improvement by the time they finish the third pack of pills.

If safely taken with no missed doses, the decreased bleeding cannot affect the effectiveness of the pill. Help should be sought from a healthcare provider with heavy bleeding after three consecutive days, or five straight days while using active medications.

Reasons for intermenstrual (spotting) bleeding may include the body adopting a thinner endometrial lining in response to the pill, or the body being affected by varying levels of hormones.

When using hormonal birth control for the first time, you may experience bloating, puffiness, or a feeling of having put on a few pounds. It is a transient retention of water. It is comparable to what occurs when you are not using birth control the week before your period. Within three months, water retention should go on its own.

The first month of using birth control pills might also bring on side symptoms, including headaches, nausea, and painful breasts. After taking the tablet for two to three months, these adverse effects ought either to improve or disappear.

You can take steps to alleviate discomfort in the meantime. To help relieve nausea, take the pill with meals or just before bedtime. Wearing loose-fitting blouses and bras can help ease breast soreness. Additionally, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and other over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines can aid with breast tenderness and headaches.

The use of birth control pills has not been consistently linked to weight changes in clinical research. Nonetheless, a lot of pill users report having some fluid retention, particularly in the hip and breast regions.

The estrogen present in birth control pills can also affect fat cells, causing them to enlarge instead of increasing in number.

Although it is uncommon, a blood clot in the lungs or legs might be a dangerous adverse effect of estrogen. Before starting birth control, make sure to review your medical history with your healthcare provider. If your risk of blood clots is very high, they will probably suggest an estrogen-free contraception.

Blood clots are more likely to occur within the first few months after using hormonal birth control, just like other physical adverse effects. If you develop breathing difficulties, chest pressure, or sharp pain in a limb, contact a doctor right away. These might indicate that a blood clot is advancing into your lungs.

One of the less frequent adverse effects of birth control pills is hair loss. When it does happen, it generally manifests as hair thinning rather than balding or hair loss in clusters. About three months after using a hormonal contraceptive, hair loss may occur.

Hair loss is more likely to occur with androgenic progestins, a kind of progestin. Additionally, progestin-only birth control pills may be more likely to cause this adverse effect.

After using the tablet for around six months, some people see minimal or no hair thinning. Get in touch with your healthcare physician if you have significant hair loss or if the loss persists after six months. You should try another birth control method with your healthcare professional.

Read More: 6 Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Choosing a Birth Control Method

Contact lens issues and dry eyes are rare adverse effects of birth control pills. As a result, researchers have done little to study the connection between the pill and these adverse effects.

Eye dryness may result from the hormones in many birth control pills reducing the body’s natural production of tears. Additionally, the symptoms of dry eyes might intensify when wearing contact lenses.

Experts are uncertain about who is most susceptible to these adverse effects or when they are most likely to occur. Therefore, these adverse effects might occur at any point over the course of taking the medication.

Sometimes, even with appropriate tablet administration, a period might be missed or skipped. It can be affected by several things, including stress, sickness, travel, and thyroid or hormone disorders.

Doctors advise taking a pregnancy test before starting the next round of pills if a period is missing or extremely light while using the pill; if more periods are missed or remain extremely light, consult a doctor.

People frequently disregard changes in sex drive as an adverse effect of birth control. However, people’s everyday lives and relationships may experience significant stress and strain as a result of these changes.

While taking the medication, you may experience a change in your sex drive at any point during the duration of the medication. Since experts believe these alterations reflect the body’s distinct reaction to hormones, each person may experience this side effect differently.

It’s worth talking to your doctor if you discover that you have very little or no sex urge, which wasn’t the case before starting birth control. Not all birth control pills will have this adverse effect. You might also look into choices with the assistance of your provider.

Read More: Myths and Facts About Birth Control: Debunking Common Misconceptions

When to See a Doctor

Your body will acclimate over time, and most side effects of birth control will improve, but you should always take some seriously. If you have severe headaches, heavy bleeding, or ongoing nausea, it’s essential to see your physician; don’t just wait to see if the side effects go away.

If you have shortness of breath, chest pain, or sudden or severe pain, see a doctor right away, as you could be experiencing a blood clot or another serious issue. Changes to your vision, either blurriness or blindness, should also be checked right away.

Knowing when to seek professional medical care can help you find the proper birth control method for you and is also essential to keep you safe!

“Patient-centered contraceptive counseling is so important,” Dr. Kimberly Dawn Warner, MD, an ob-gyn and chair of government relations at Colorado Permanente Medical Group, and president-elect of the Colorado Medical Society, said.

It means uncovering what patients want from birth control, their lifestyles, if they are thinking of getting pregnant, if they wish for their periods to stop, and if they want other benefits from the contraception, such as improvement in acne, decreased length of or pain from periods.

“It’s really important that we have those conversations upfront with our patients around all of this,” she said. “Have a discussion with your doctor about what your goals are so we can get an idea of what you want from birth control.”

Read More: 6 Surprising Benefits of Birth Control Beyond Contraception

How can I avoid adverse consequences from Birth Control?

Choosing the appropriate birth control is the most effective method to avoid adverse consequences. It’s helpful to keep in mind that your body needs some time to get used to a new hormonal birth control method.

The following advice will help you deal with the most typical adverse effects:

• Nausea: Take the medication after eating or at night.
• Spotting: Make sure to take your medicine daily at a consistent time.
• Headaches: Consider taking your medicines at night instead.
• Back Discomfort, Mood Swings, Exhaustion, or Breast Tenderness: Consume anti-inflammatory foods and get enough rest.

Spices, fruits and vegetables, and meals high in omega-3 fats (found in walnuts, flaxseeds, and salmon and other fatty fish) are examples of foods that reduce inflammation.

Read More: How to Choose the Right Birth Control Method: A Comprehensive Guide

Most side effects related to birth control are manageable and usually short-lived; they will settle as your body adjusts to the method. While side effects (like spotting, mood swings, or mild nausea) may be unpleasant, they are mostly innocuous and get better over time.

Just remember that all of us experience side effects differently – it affects the next person totally differently than you.

You need to talk to your healthcare provider. You will want to keep them up to date on any concerning changes they can track for you, help you understand what is usual, and offer alternatives or adjust the method as needed. Everyone is different, and there is a trial-and-error process that is part of finding the proper birth control.

• Jan 2016
  Written by Shaveta Kandhari
• Sep 2025
  Edited by Ankita