birth control pill causing anxiety/ depression??

[torque]

I was just wondering if anyone has been on birth control pills and have suffered from anxiety or depression issues? I have been on the pill for 11yrs now and cant take how I am feeling anymore. I went on the pill for irregular periods, but since then I have been feeling blah, libido has decreased severely, I have sinus problems- I found out I have no allergies- so I think it is related to axiety, I worry constantly about everything; I get so nervous I get light headed sometimes. I thinkk I am going to try and stop the pills. I was just wondering if anyone had similar side effects from birth control pills. Thank you!

[Calma]

This discussion is so interesting.  Probably the thing that we can take away from it is that hormones do play an important role in anxiety.  

I have had the complete opposite reaction from the rest of the community.  I had been on the pill for years (for irregular menstruation) and then went off of it - thought it had been long enough.  About a month after quitting the pill, I started having panic attacks (but didn't yet correlate it with the pill).  I started taking the pill again a couple of months later, then went off of it again - the panic attacks came on full force about a month later.  It was horrible!  I got to a point where I could not function.  Searching for an answer, I put the pieces together regarding the timing of the onset and going off of the pill.  I decided to start taking the pill again to see what happened...  I think that I now may always have to struggle with panic attacks to some extent.  Once you've had such a horrible experience, can you ever go back to being normal?  But, since I've been back on the pill, I don't have any problem with going about day-to-day life (the attacks are much less debilitating and come with much less frequency - and this dramatic change occurred within the first month of taking the pill again).

I think that the issue of hormones is probably not talked about as much as it should be with relation to panic attacks and how to go about treating this disorder.

Best wishes to you all!

[Gracieface]

I was on the pill for four months and I became more anxious as well.  By the fourth month I had one evening where my thoughts began to race really fast and I felt out of control.  I had never had anxiety like that before.  I also became nervous about my boyfriend all the time and worried he may be unfaithful, which before I started the pill and after I stopped it, was not an issue.  I also got depressed in a more intense way on the placebo pills.  I really think its a shame that more is not done to study the effects of the pill on mood.  my roommate is also admittedly more edgy since she has been on the pill but is afraid to stop for fear of not having a better option.  she has also gained a lot of weight.  the pill is no miracle, and i think our society is naive to think processed hormones do not affect how we feel.  

[lila8022]

hi my name is lila and for the past three months i have been trying to pray this anxiety away. I am 27 and a mother to a one and a half year old. after her birth i was put on the nuva ring and had to get off due to really bad migrains. After i got off i started to experiance panick attacks and anxiety and even got depressed. I have never felt this way before in my life until after i got off the ring. I've talked to my doctor they want to put me on lexapro, but i know what i have is hormonal. around my period is when i have the worst anxiety. I've started to speak with a counselor and she agrees it is hormonal and has advised me not to take the lexapro yet. We are going to use it as a last resort. Until i can't take it anymore. in the mean time i am trying to take walks to get moving, eating right, and taking vitamins. i also drink an ensure to help me gain some weight back. i lost 15 lbs! This is what i am doing to try and get better. I would love to hear what other people out there are doing to get over the anxiety and what they have been taking. Has anyone gotten over this with time?? How long does it take to feel normal again?? I would appreciate any feed back and support. Here is my email address for anyone wanting to become support buddies ***@****
Thank you
~~lila~~

[lila8022]

i guess it won't let me post my email address. You can click on my user name and send you to an area to send me a private message.
~lila~

[hethrnoel]

I was on the Pill for half of my 20s and into my 30s and, during those years, had terrible anxiety.  I recently had a child, had to go back on the Pill, not realizing the Pill was causing bad anxiety (practically anxiety attacks)--and was back in full force (pretty much at its all-time worst).  

I wish I had known all those years I was on the Pill that it was causing the anxiety b/c I could have saved myself a lot of grief and discomfort.  

I still have to find a form of birth control and was recently told that the copper IUD doesn't have the same effect as the Pill, so I'm gonna give that a shot.  

[lila8022]

Hi all, I  just email dr. oz from the oprah show. Will you send him an email telling your story about anxiety after birth control too? I think it's time we get some answers instead of just taking anti-depressants. If you want to send him an email go to OPRAH.com scroll down the page and on the left had side is a ask dr. oz box. Click it then go to the blue topic about anxiety and panick attacks. Click that and fill out your info. and tell him your story.
thanks.
Tell all you hormonally unbalanced friends to do the same.