What Are the Disadvantages of Birth Control Pills?

What Are the Disadvantages of Birth Control Pills?

Some women may have undesirable side effects while taking birth control pills. But many women adjust to the pill with few or no problems. 

Some of the most common side effects usually clear up after two or three months. They include

• bleeding between periods (most often with progestin-only pills)
• breast tenderness
• nausea and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting may be helped by taking the pill in the evening or at bedtime. But do not stop taking the pill because you feel sick to your stomach — you will be at risk of pregnancy if you do.


The hormones in the pill may change a woman’s sexual desire.

It’s important that you find a method that won’t make you feel sick or uncomfortable. If you continue to experience side effects after taking the pill for three months, talk with your health care provider about changing your prescription.

After stopping the pill, it usually takes one or two months for a woman’s periods to return to the cycle she had before taking the pill. Once in a while, a woman may have irregular periods or no periods at all. This may go on for as long as six months after stopping. This is more likely if her periods were irregular before starting the pill.

Serious Side Effects of the Pill

Many women have concerns about the possible risks of taking birth control pills. Serious problems do not occur often. And progestin-only pills have a lower risk of serious side effects than combination pills.
 

The progestin in YAZ, Gianvi, YASMIN, Ocella, Syeda, and Zarah, Beyaz, and Safyral may be linked to a higher risk for blood clots than other birth control pills. It can also raise potassium levels in your blood. This could cause heart and health problems.

Combination pill users have a slightly greater chance of certain rare, but serious, problems than nonusers. These problems, that may be fatal in very rare cases, include heart attack, stroke, having a blood clot in the legs, lungs, heart, or brain, or developing high blood pressure, liver tumors, gallstones, or yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice). 

The risk for these problems increases if you

• are age 35 or older
• are very overweight
• have certain inherited blood-clotting disorders
• have diabetes
• have high blood pressure
• have high cholesterol
• need prolonged bed rest
• smoke

Serious problems usually have warning signs. Report any of these signs to your health care provider as soon as possible:

• a new lump in your breast
• a sudden very bad headache
• achy soreness in the leg
• aura — seeing bright, flashing zigzag lines, usually before a very bad headache
• bad pain in your abdomen or chest
• headaches that are different, worse, or happen more often than usual
• no period after having a period every month
• trouble breathing 
• yellowing of the skin or eyes

The Pill and Breast Cancer You may have heard claims linking the pill to breast cancer. The most recent medical literature suggests that the pill has little, if any, effect on the risk of developing breast cancer.

See the insert from your pack of pills for more information about possible side effects.