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!

[nursegirl6572]

Hey everyone,

This thread is very old, and very long.  I want everyone to get the benefit of replies and support from the forum, which often doesn't happen when you post on an older thread like this.  They get passed by for the newly started threads.

To get some input and support, please copy/paste your posts into a new thread.  You can do this by clicking on the orange "post a question" button on the top right of the page.

Generally speaking on the topic, hormonal contraceptives most DEFINITELY can cause anxiety.  Just think about it, hormones affect us in many different ways.  Just think of how your emotions can be all over the place at that time of the month.  That's a result of normal physiological fluctuations in our hormones, so imagine how a birth control product could potentially affect us?  The good news is, with time,. you will get back to normal, it just sometimes takes a while.  If you're fairly new to the BC med, it's a good idea to give it some time, as there can be an adjustment period, and those symptoms can resolve.  If after a couple of week the symptoms are bad, then call your doctor to discuss your options.

Good luck to you all!

[helpme1294]

I'm so glad I have seen your post. I too am 30, i was on Cilest for 10 years and then switched to Micrgynon. I literally feel like I have gone crazy and beyond the point of return. I have NO reason to be depressed or anxious, i have a wonderful husband and have just bought an amazing house. But I worry constantly to the point of feeling exhausted alot of the time and hazy. My worry all stems around my husband, i am obsessed with his past and constantly worry he will leave me/cheat/fancy other women. I have felt like this for over 2 years now but I am really embarrassed about how I think so can't tell anyone (except you guys)! My husband has been great and so patient but has come to his wits end which is making me even more anxious. I dont know what to do. I think about just disappearing all the time. I hope its my pill, but i'm almost scared to stop taking it incase I found out it's just me. I feel insane. I feel i have no happiness left within my soul. I ALWAYS feel like I am the only person in the world who thinks this way. Do you really think it could be the pill?? I hope you are all ok. x

[bex259]

Thank you so much to everyone who has posted on here, it means so much to me to know I'm not alone and I'm not loosing my mind! I'm 30 and have been on the pill since the age of 16. I was first prescribed microgynon for about a year but had terrible headaches and break through bleeding so my Dr switched me to Loestrin 30; which I've taken for the last 13 years. Over the years I've become depressed and an obsessive, anxious worrier. I have no energy and my brain feels like it's hazy and I can't concentrate. Granted, I experienced some quite traumatic life events in my early-mid 20s, so I had always put how I was feeling down to this. However, over last few years things have been going really well in my life and I have everything to live for and be happy about, but I just haven't been able to shake the depression and constant feeling of dread and fear that something terrible will happen. I had never connected how I felt with the pill until my sister told me told a few weeks ago that she'd gone onto a new pill but had to change it as it turned her into an emotional wreck. Suddenly it dawned on me that the pill might effect mood, so I checked the side effects listed in my packet and sure enough depression was listed, so I googled anxiety and the pill and was amazed to find all your comments. I've discussed them with my incredibly supportive boyfriend of 10 years and we've agreed I'm not going to start my next course of pills at the end of this week. I'm really excited to see how I feel sans pill. I've been on it so long I can't really remember life before it! Maybe it's the cause of my problems, maybe it exaggerates them, or maybe it's not related at all, but whatever the case my boyfriend and I think it's worth a try, I'll keep you posted about how I get on! Thank you again for opening my eyes to the possibility!

[Maggie360]

I hear that certain tea like passionflower or chamomile can give an instant, drowsy relive to anxiety. I haven't tried that but intend to. I've been on birth control for about 4 months now and after the first couple months I experienced my first feelings of severe panic. Thinking I just didn't want to be with my bf anymore for no apparent reason, I rashly broke up with him, regretted It, got back together and so on so forth. Still to this day are both suffering from my uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. I'm 20 and didn't till recently think it was related to BC but reading how common, I really think it is. I have a friend that just has it and isn't on BC and she copes with it and says it gets better with time:) but I for one think I'm kissing bc goodbye cause after missing one night, the next day I was literally confused why I felt ok and then I realized. I forgot it! So yay hopefully it'll help to stop

[Dgunn209]

So I'm pretty happy I have found this maybe as I read through I'll find someone who relates. I was a really outgoing girl, somewhat shy but I was very optimistic, athletic, and happy, when I was 14 I started the pill. Over time I grew increasingly less optimistic, my anxiety grew, along with the loss of drive in school and working out. I never put the two together until now, 5 years later, I got off the pill in February and received one DEPO treatment, in which my depression grew entirely worse. Now, finally my body is cleared of all unnatural hormones, I have gained my athletic drive and body back and am much happier in all aspects of life. Direct correlation or just coincidence?  

[Lozza77]

I ruined a very good relationship going on th pill lost my sex drive n couldn't stand being touched. My bf would compliment me & I would go nuts cause in my head he wanted sex. Wouldn't recommend the pill I now have a copper coil (no hormones) & feel myself again :)