Hormonal birth control can cause fatigue or make you feel tired. However, this is typically temporary.
Hormonal birth control can come with several benefits. As well as preventing pregnancy, it can regulate periods and
But, some users report a range of unwanted side effects, and fatigue is one of them.
So, can the pill, patch, IUD, implant, or shot cause excessive feelings of tiredness?
Well, the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
“Some hormonal birth control options have stated that fatigue is a possible side effect,” said Dr. Heather Irobunda, an OB-GYN based in New York.
It’s unclear how many users face this side effect or the level of fatigue they experience.
Some people can even have the opposite: better sleep and, therefore, better energy levels.
Fatigue is a potential side effect listed on birth control pills, vaginal rings, and the subdermal implant, said Irobunda.
“Side effects, including fatigue, are in part due to the hormones in contraception,” explained Dr. Idries Abdur-Rahman, a board certified OB-GYN in Chicago, Illinois.
So, birth control “that is either nonhormonal or low in hormones” can be associated with less fatigue.
That means contraception with higher hormone doses is “more likely to cause side effects,” he said.
According to Dr. Jamil Abdur-Rahman, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Vista Health System in Waukegan, Illinois, “Fatigue resulting from the use of birth control is typically temporary.”
Fatigue that lasts longer than 3 months is likely due to something else.
Birth control-induced fatigue, he said, can also often be more pronounced in the mornings and come hand-in-hand with salt and sugar cravings.
This is sometimes known as adrenal fatigue — a form of fatigue some medical doctors don’t recognize.
As Irobunda stated, “It is important to make sure that all causes of fatigue are looked into before attributing (yours) to hormonal birth control.”
There are several theories to explain how hormonal birth control causes fatigue.
Firstly, tiredness could be a symptom of another condition caused by birth control: depression.
The relationship between hormonal contraception and depression isn’t fully understood. However,
Another theory, explained Irobunda, is that birth control pills “can decrease the amount of testosterone circulating in the blood,” which can then lead to fatigue.
But Irobunda pointed out, right now, “There is not enough data to reliably know the exact reason some (hormonal birth control users) experience fatigue.”
Many conditions can cause fatigue, such as:
- nutrient deficiencies, like iron deficiency anemia
- an underactive thyroid
- mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression
- high levels of stress
In many cases, birth control side effects will go away by themselves.
It may take a few weeks or even a few months “and then improve as your body gets used” to your method, Irobunda noted.
“While your body is adjusting, make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and staying hydrated,” she added.
Any time you start feeling different, try to track your symptoms and how they affect your day-to-day life. It can then be helpful to show a doctor your symptom diary and be honest about your lifestyle and previous health history.
If you think your fatigue is related to birth control, share this with the doctor, too. They’ll take this into account and test for any other issues that could be causing you to feel tired.
This may involve discussions about your dietary and exercise habits, as well as blood tests to check for things like deficiencies.
A doctor may prescribe medication for thyroid or mental health conditions and recommend nutritional supplements if you’re deficient in a particular area.
If you and your doctor are finding it difficult to determine the cause of your tiredness, “Consider switching to a different form of birth control to see if your fatigue improves,” Irobunda said.
If you want to swap to a nonhormonal method or come off birth control entirely but are worried about potential effects, then consider speaking with a doctor.
The final decision is yours, but they can advise alternative methods that will work for your specific needs.
They will also tell you exactly how to stop your birth control.
You’ll want to be careful about stopping the pill and the like abruptly, as this can cause a disruption in your menstrual cycle and create bleeding issues. If you have an implant or IUD, a professional will need to remove it.
Consider taking a list of questions to your doctor’s appointment. The following may help:
- Am I likely to experience any side effects?
- How quickly can I get pregnant?
- What other forms of contraception are available to me?
Halting birth control can relieve some side effects, but it can also cause others, such as changes to your mood, libido, and menstrual cycle.
Hormonal birth control can cause fatigue or make you feel tired. However, this is typically temporary.
If you find that your fatigue isn’t going away, it’s important to speak with a doctor. They can examine potential causes and rule out any underlying health conditions.
A doctor can also discuss alternative birth control options.
There are plenty to choose from. So, if you notice something isn’t quite right, don’t be afraid to ask about alternative birth control options.