Whether you’re using your birth control pill as a contraceptive or for regulating your period cycle, these are the things you need to know

1. It is not only used for the purpose of contraception but is also used as a medical aid. 

It is also commonly used to regulate period cycles, achieve acne-free clear skin while reducing the risk of anemia. 

2. Do not self-medicate, always consult your gynac. 

Even though birth control pills are easily available and accessible, consulting your doctor is the best thing to do. Some birth control pills require a complementary combination pill and you don’t want to end up with a hormonal imbalance by self-medicating your doses. 

3. Build a regime, fix a particular time and put reminders on your phone. 

Birth control pills have to be consumed at the same time every day for as long as your dosage cycle lasts. 

Friendly advice:  Always keep an emergency pack in your handbag, in case you have after hour plans. 

4. DO NOT SKIP A DOSE!

Just like your night-time beauty regime, you cannot afford to skip even a single dose. And in case you accidentally forget to take your pill at the right time, just take it at the earliest, don’t wait for your designated time to pop two pills.

Your body might take time to adjust to the external hormones you’re popping in the form of pills. During this phase, you might have the following side effects:

5. You might have to deal with bloating.

It is a very common side effect of birth control pills. According to Cosmopolitan, the ups and downs in the sex hormone leads to water retention. But once your body adjusts to the new regime, you will feel better. 

6. Be prepared for some light nausea. 

Though it’s said to last up till three-months, light nausea during the first few days is common. I can tell you from personal experience that having a pill along with a meal can help you with the gaggy feeling. 

7. Don’t be surprised if you’re soaked in night sweats. 

Even though it is not a very common side effect, a lot of women complain of night sweats. According to Women’s Health, this is due to your fluctuating Estrogen levels.  

8. The pills might impact your sex drive.

Hormonal birth control pills can cause changes to your desire to have sex i.e. libido. In a lot of cases, there might be a decrease in your libido. But it can also have something to do with the other symptoms, like who wants to fuck when they’re bloated anyway.  

9. Maybe you’ll be prone to gaining a few pounds.

According to Healthline, it is a temporary result of fluid retention. But it is nothing that can’t be managed easily. 

10. Equip yourself to combat against a flood of vaginal discharge. 

There might be an increase in the quantity of your vaginal discharge because of the hormones, which might cause a yeast infection if not taken care of.

11. Headaches are a common side effect. 

The rush of induced hormones might cause headaches in the first few months. But once your body adjusts to the pills, the headaches settle. 

12. Your birth control pill might keep you up at night. 

The hormones might trigger your insomnia and since your sleep is directly related to your body temperature, you might have problems falling asleep.

13. The pill may trigger your mood swings, anxiety or depression.

While some might feel that the pill soothes their mood swings, others feel like the induced hormones trigger their mood swings, anxiety, and depression. The pill works differently for different people

14. It might fiddle around with the way your body reacts to alcohol. 

Even though alcohol doesn’t have a direct impact on the functioning of birth control pills, (unless you get drunk and forget to take your pill), due to the water retention, your blood alcohol level might shoot up more easily than before. 

15. In the long run, you might be prone to gallstones because of your pills.

Women consuming birth control pills, in the long run, might be at a higher risk of developing gallstones due to a rise in their cholesterol levels, according to Live Science.

15. Be prepared to shed a lot of money on buying new bras because of breast tenderness. 

According to various studies, pills can increase a person’s current breast size. The effect might be permanent or temporary. 

Only if birth controls came with a list of how to combat these side-effects, our life would have been different.

Just so you know, mail birth control pills are also being tested and a few of them have shown similar side-effects.