Coming off the pill after 14 years - looking for other people’s experiences
I’m wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience coming off the pill after being on it for a long time.
I was on the combined pill for 14 years (since I was 14) and I never had any pill breaks during that time, so I never had natural periods or experienced my normal cycle during those years.
When I first came off it, I honestly felt amazing. My skin was better than ever, my libido returned, and I felt happier overall. I noticed I wasn’t as emotional, didn’t cry as easily, and I felt like I handled stress much better.
The thing that amazed me was that my periods seemed to return instantly. I genuinely thought it was incredible that my body seemed to go back to normal so quickly after 14 years on the pill.
My cycles since stopping have been:
Cycle 1: 36 days
Cycle 2: 26 days
Cycle 3: 29 days
Cycle 4: 33 days
Cycle 5: 26 days
I felt like everything was settling and I was so relieved that my cycles seemed fairly normal. However, around month 4 I suddenly started experiencing acne (mainly around my chin/mouth), which has really affected my confidence as I’ve never really struggled with my skin before.
I’m now on cycle day 50 of my 6th cycle and still have no sign of my period. I’ve taken 5 pregnancy tests, all negative. We have used condoms every time and there have been no issues with them breaking or slipping, so I don’t think pregnancy is the cause.
The only things that have changed recently are that I’ve increased my exercise (I’ve started running more regularly), and I also had a holiday abroad where I was in around 40°C heat. I’m not sure if either of these things could have affected my cycle.
I’m just feeling a bit worried because I thought my body had adjusted so well after coming off the pill, and now having such a long cycle has caught me off guard.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? Did you have regular cycles initially and then suddenly have a longer cycle months later? Did acne appear later on after stopping? How long did it take for things to properly settle after coming off long-term hormonal contraception?
Would really appreciate hearing other people’s experiences ❤️
Posted Jul 25, 2026, 7:37 PM UTC