What happens if you take too many contraceptive pills
Release time : 06/09/2025 09:30:01
Whether it's before or after pregnancy, contraception is an important task in family life.
Particularly for new mothers who have just given birth, contraception has officially been incorporated into their life plan.
For contraception, the simplest and most direct method is oral contraceptives. However, like any medication, there is a potential for side effects. What happens when you take too many oral contraceptives? What consequences can arise? Oral contraceptives are the most common form of contraception, but as with all medications, there is a risk of side effects. So, what happens when you take too many oral contraceptives? Let's explore this further.
Experts believe that if only the side effects of the long-acting contraceptive are mentioned, it could cause severe gastrointestinal reactions in women.
But in the long run, the ingredients of long-term contraceptives can stay in the body for a long time.
Therefore, if a woman who has taken long-term contraceptives wants to get pregnant, she will have to stop taking contraceptives for at least a year before she can get pregnant.
No, it is likely to have an extremely negative impact on future fertility.
Related recommendations: You can't afford to use contraceptives for a long time. Long-term use of oral contraceptives can easily cause irregular menstruation. Will you be infertile if you take too much contraceptives? Some friends take contraceptives for a long time in order to achieve contraceptive effects.
But we often hear that taking too much birth control pill can lead to infertility.
Is this really the case? Many couples are eager to know the answer to the question "Can taking too many birth control pills lead to infertility?"
Taking medication to prevent pregnancy is a common practice, and many couples opt for this method. However, medications do have certain side effects. To help everyone understand contraception, let's explore it together.
Experts have proven that taking emergency contraceptives multiple times can lead to severe menstrual irregularities and affect future fertility, but if your period is normal, there's no need for excessive concern.
The effectiveness and potential harms of different contraceptive methods vary. Typically, taking the regular form of birth control does not affect fertility.
The primary function of contraceptive pills is to suppress ovulation, and the medication used within a single menstrual cycle can only provide contraception for one month. Therefore, upon discontinuation of the contraceptive pills, the ovaries quickly resume ovulatory function.
According to a large amount of statistical data, the women who took medication for 6 months would recover their menstrual cycle and ovulation after stopping the medication. The women who took medication more than 1 year would recover their menstrual cycle and ovulation after 1-2 months after stopping the medication. The majority of the women who took medication longer than that would recover their menstrual cycle and ovulation after 1 month after stopping the medication, and 98% of the women would recover their menstrual cycle and ovulation within 3 months after stopping the medication.
With fertilization, there is a possibility of pregnancy. Therefore, it can be said that taking the ordinary contraceptive pill will not affect fertility.
However, emergency contraceptives can have a certain impact on fertility because they typically contain only progesterone, which can disrupt the body's endocrine system. The human body is a tightly integrated whole; frequent exposure to external hormones can affect the reproductive organs such as the ovaries. Emergency contraception should be taken once in a single menstrual cycle; after taking the medication, sexual activity still requires other reliable contraceptive measures.
Pregnancy following failure of emergency contraception is associated with a high rate of congenital malformations and must be terminated.
This medication should be taken no more than three times a year due to its significant risks for women, including menstrual irregularities, cancer, and other side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and irregular vaginal bleeding. These symptoms generally subside within one to two days. Additionally, the medication is best avoided due to its potential to disrupt menstruation.
The emergency contraceptive pill can cause significant damage to fertility. The side effects of birth control pills are numerous, and couples choose them for temporary pleasure at the expense of their reproductive health.
However, you may not be aware of the side effects associated with contraceptives. 1. Pregnancy-like symptoms: This is a relatively common side effect, accounting for about 50% of those who take contraceptives.
The symptoms are predominantly severe at first, gradually subsiding over time, possibly due to the body's adaptation.
In the early stages of medication administration, a minority may experience mild symptoms of early pregnancy such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weakness.
Occurs during the first two weeks of medication.
The reason is related to temporary excessive estrogen levels, causing retention of water and sodium in the body and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Generally, after taking the medicine for 2 to 3 months, the reaction can naturally disappear or be alleviated. Arrange the medication time before going to sleep in the evening to make the daytime reaction lighter.
Those with severe reactions can take vitamin B6, 20 mg each time, three times a day.
For those who still have no remission, consider changing the contraceptive pill and choosing a drug with less estrogen content.
2. Increased leucorrhea is mostly caused by long-acting oral contraceptives.
Due to this kind of drug, the estrogen content is high. Too much estrogen affects the secreting cells of the endocervical lining, making them secrete vigorously and causing increased leucorrhea.
3. The cause of breast distension is the stimulation of estrogen on the breasts.
4. Menstrual disorders include: ① Amenorrhea or amenorrhea with menstruation.
Following the administration of short-acting contraceptives, a common occurrence is due to the medication inhibiting ovulation, leading to reduced estrogen secretion by the ovaries. The medication also contains less estrogen, which results in an underdeveloped endometrium. Consequently, there is decreased menstrual flow or even amenorrhea.
Amenorrhea, which is a reduction in menstruation quantity, does not affect the health of the body.
Should menstruation cease for two consecutive months during medication, the medication should be discontinued, and contraception measures other than medication should be adopted to restore regular menstruation.
After taking long-acting contraceptives, the menstrual period may cease. In such cases, progestogens such as medroxyprogesterone acetate or norethindrone can be used, or intramuscular progesterone can be administered. Alternatively, short-acting contraceptive pill No. 2 can be taken, with 2 tablets per night for a continuous 5 to 6 days.
Generally, menstruation occurs within one week after discontinuing the medication.
② Breakthrough bleeding.
For example, bleeding during medication usually occurs after the medication is missed.
A small number of people can develop vaginal bleeding even if they do not miss taking medicine.
If it occurs in the first half of the menstrual cycle, it may be caused by insufficient estrogen. You can add 0.005 - 0.015mg ethinyl estradiol once a day until 22 tablets are taken.
If it occurs in the second half of the menstrual cycle and is caused by progesterone deficiency, you can add 1 short-acting contraceptive tablet No. 1 or No. 2 tablet until 22 tablets are taken.
If the amount of bleeding is as large as menstruation, treat it as menstruation, stop the medication immediately, and start taking the next month's medication on the fifth day after stopping the medication.
The amount of menstruation increases and the period is prolonged.
It often occurs in people taking long-acting oral contraceptives. Hemostatic drugs can be used when there is a lot of bleeding, and testosterone propionate is injected when necessary.
If menstrual volume continues to increase and bleeding continues for more than 3 months, you should stop taking long-acting oral contraceptives and switch to short-acting drugs.
When long-acting injectable contraceptives are used, irregular menstruation, such as prolonged menstruation, excessive menstruation, shortened cycles, irregular bleeding or amenorrhea, often occurring three months before the use.
If you persist in using it, it will gradually return to normal.
If bleeding occurs, you can take ethinylestradiol for 3 consecutive days.
5. Weight gain may be caused by estrogen causing water and sodium retention, and progesterone affects anabolic metabolism (increased progesterone promotes protein assimilation), so some women gain weight.
Generally, no treatment is needed. You can take diuretics orally or give a low-salt diet, and stop the drug if necessary.
6. Pigmentation After taking medicine, a small number of people develop pigmentation on the forehead and face skin, which is the result of the action of estrogen and progesterone. Generally, it recovers naturally after stopping taking medicine.
Some women are advised to avoid taking contraceptives because of potential side effects. Some friends joke, "I already have a child, so the side effects of contraceptives don't need to be as careful as before."
Is this claim reasonable? Generally speaking, contraceptive pills can be used by all women of childbearing age who are in good health. However, they should not be taken by women who have acute or chronic hepatitis and nephritis.
Because the contraceptive drugs enter the body through the liver and are metabolized in the liver, they are excreted by the kidneys. Women with acute and chronic hepatitis or nephritis should avoid using such drugs as it will increase the burden on their liver and kidneys.
2. Individuals with heart disease or poor cardiac function should not use this product.
The estrogen in contraceptive pills can cause retention of water and sodium, which may increase the cardiac burden.
3. It should not be used for women with high blood pressure.
A small number of women will increase their blood pressure after taking medication.
4. People with diabetes and a family history of diabetes should not use it.
Because taking birth control pills may slightly increase blood sugar and make hidden diabetes manifest, it will have adverse effects on women with diabetes.
5. For women with hyperthyroidism, it is best not to use contraceptives until they are cured.
6. Patients with benign breast tumors, uterine fibroids and various malignant tumors should not use it to avoid adverse effects on the tumor.
7. Individuals currently suffering from vascular thromboembolism diseases (such as cerebral thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and arteritis) are not eligible for this medication.
Estrogen in contraceptives may increase blood coagulability and worsen the condition of cardiovascular diseases.
8. Women with chronic headaches, especially migraine and vascular headaches, should not use this product as it may exacerbate symptoms.
9. For women who have had a history of scanty menstruation, it is best to avoid using this method.
Long-term use of contraceptive pills can cause the endometrium to become atrophic and reduce menstrual flow.
10. Women in lactation should not use it.
Contraceptive pills can cause less milk secretion, decrease the quality of breast milk, and enter into the breast milk which will produce adverse effects on the nursing infant. Therefore, it is not advisable to use contraceptive pills for postpartum women.
Postpartum contraception should be approached with caution. There are ten major reasons why women should not take birth control pills. It is important to carefully read the precautions associated with taking birth control pills before taking any medication, in order to ensure safety.
The precautions for taking contraceptive pills are as follows: 1. It is essential to maintain a good habit of accurately, timely, and correctly taking contraceptive pills; one should not change or extend the dosage or duration of medication without authorization.
Don't miss or delay taking it. If you find a missed dose, take it the next day, otherwise it may cause irregular bleeding or contraceptive failure.
2. Contraceptives should be properly stored and kept out of the reach of children.
If the tablets become damp, melt or if the coating is chipped or crushed, do not take them as they may affect contraception or cause vaginal bleeding.
3. Long-term contraceptive users should take medication under the guidance of a doctor.
The duration of medication is usually 6-7 years for short-acting drugs and 3-4 years for long-acting drugs.
Visiting relatives with contraceptives, no more than twice a year.
Can be used alternatively with other contraceptive methods.
4. Individuals suffering from acute and chronic hepatitis, nephritis, tumors, diabetes, thrombotic diseases, heart disease, or severe hypertension are not eligible for this medication.
5. Within six months after childbirth, women who are breastfeeding or those over 45 years old should not take this medicine.
6. If a woman becomes pregnant during the medication period, she should terminate the pregnancy.
When planning to conceive, it is recommended to take medication for six months before pregnancy to prevent birth defects.
*The medical content involved in this text is for reference only.
In the event of discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on an in-person consultation with a medical professional.