... to think the Pill is making me depressed?

[BettyCrockaShit]

Exactly that, really.

I started taking Marvellon about 9 months ago. All fine to begin with, but the last few months I've been very depressed on average two weeks of the month.

Everything else in life - job, partner etc. - all great. I've had depression before, so I know what it feels like, and when these two weeks strike it's devastating.

It's getting to the point where I'm miserable and tearful 14 days out of 28 for no real reason. I'm trying to keep a handle on my emotions, but it's incredibly hard!

Does anyone out there have a similar story/advice for an alternate Pill?

My 17 year old was on Microgynon for a few months and it really affected her moods. She has now switched to Cerazette and she is like a different person.

I also had the same problem. Depressed, sad, low libido and very anxious.

@Bettycrockashit be warned they seem to hate women coming off the pill so stick to your guns if it's what you want. I got sick of mine trying to keep me on it and wanting me to keep switching the brand that I just came off it by myself.

@coral13 funny you mention that, I've just got off the phone to a friend who said the same thing. I'm pretty resolute on this one, so taking myself off the Pill as of now. If we end up using condoms for the rest of our sex-having days, so be it!

I felt horrific on the mini pill. Depressed and furious at the same time. About a week or so after I stopped taking it I literally felt this awful cloud lift. It was weird in that it was an almost physical sensation. Never again.

@BettyCrockaShit it's definitely a pattern. I'm now pregnant (planned!) and am already dreading the contraceptive convo after birth as apparently it's the same and they try and persuade you to go on it.

Coming off the pill was one of the best decisions I've made. I actually came off it initially as I was getting horrendous headaches during the week break (worse than the terrible period pain I was trying to avoid in the first place). It was only after that I realised that my anxiety had completely gone and when I looked it up, realised it was actually a thing.

The pill put me in a dark place aged 18. It was horrendous.

I tried it again in October 2018 (I am now 34) and it made me feel so low - I couldn't stop crying.

Male GP said it's a coincidence
Female GP said it certainly does happen.

The same thing happened to my best friend who was on the pill and anti depressants for 15 years before she considered that the two were linked. She's on neither now.

Hope you start feeling better soon OP

That's really good to hear @BellMcEnd - I'm really hoping I have a similar result.

And congrats on the pregnancy @coral13! Fingers crossed whatever contraception you opt for post-baby plays fairer than the bloody Pill!

Microgynon was a great contraceptive for me as it killed my sex drive. It also made me insane.

I hated the pill and how it made me feel, I got the coil and I ended up getting thrush every 6 weeks and was truly horrendous. I had a very regular cycle so just made sure I didn't have sex in my high risk peroids although it all went to pot with my surprise no 4 DC when I got ill during one month and ended up pregnant...resolved any future issues with C section and sterilization. I take a vitamin tablet every day and dont feel dreadful!

I'm in a very similar situation to you @Moralsandcorals. Tried it in my teens, then came off it until my early 30s (now). I'd obviously remembered my time using it as a teen through rose tinted specs - spoke to my mum earlier who reminded me I was a wreck for a good year until I stopped taking it (Microgynon).

Just hearing all these stories is a great relief. I now have some confidence in the fact I'll be feeling more myself again soon

There was a program on BBC last year about the pill and side effects. They spoke about the link to depression and mentioned research in Scandinavia that showed women taking the pill are more likely to be taking antidepressants than women not on the pill.

I really struggled going back onto hormonal contraception after having my kids. I had really low mood and anxiety. I ended up going back onto the injection last year because of heavy periods causing me to be anemic. But I felt so bad, I had to come off. I felt so irritable, depressed and anxious. Since stopping it, I feel much better.

Looking back now, I probably had similar issues after changing my pill to Yasmin when I was 26. Within a few months, I was always angry, had low mood and put on lots of weight. Everyone told me I was just looking for an excuse cos I'd put on weight, but looking back now I feel like that pill didn't agree with me either. There was other stuff going on then like moving house and getting married and I just put it down to that.

This is why I wouldn’t touch any hormonal contraception with a barge pole. Had two attempts at it and both experiences seriously put me off. On Microgynon within 3 months I have descended into the darkest blackest depression, was crying all the time, everything just seemed hopeless, no motivation, zero sex drive, no enjoyment from sex, had awful cramps in my calves. Yeah, and I put on a stone thanks to the privilege.

Tried cerazette, was somewhat better, but it was as if the world lost colour. I just felt dull. And I couldn’t stop eating. By the end of 9 months on it, I was 2.5 stone heavier.

Evil, awful things. They are work of the devil. It is only because nobody cares how it affects women’s quality of life these are prescribed so much. And even if women voice their concerns, they are dismissed as ‘not enough evidence’.

Funnily, male pill development was aborted due to exactly the same side effects that men trialling it started to experience. Apparently, the male pill affected men’s well-being to unacceptable degree to them. Same as it has been affecting women’s for decades, but does anybody care?

I use Natural Cycles now (has been for nearly two years). It is nice to feel normal and enjoy life and sex.

@Fatted that documentary sounds like it might be a timely watch! I'll get on iPlayer now to see if I can find it. Hope you're feeling much better now you're Pill-free.

Funnily, male pill development was aborted due to exactly the same side effects that men trialling it started to experience. Apparently, the male pill affected men’s well-being to unacceptable degree to them.

^ urgh. (Why am I not even the slightest bit surprised?) @AvocadoDream

Yanbu OP. My life changed for the better after I stopped taking it.

All hormonal contraception makes me depressed. Like pp, everything is just dull.

Some have made me angry too.

I've tried various pills, depo injections and the implant. Every time I stopped it was like a fog was lifted.

@BettyCrockaShit it was interesting watching. Basically, they admitted that there's bugger all proper research been done on the side effects of the pill. Which is ridiculous really.

I've tried:

Dianette
Cerazette
Microgynon
Marvellon
Mirena Coil
Deprovera injection

All made me depressed as fuck. From the age of 15 to the age of 27 I was on and off anti-depressants.

I have now been clear of ADs for 3 years... funnily enough since I stopped taking hormonal contraception.

I had a little blip with the injection which was kind of forced on me by my nurse after having DS. I thought I'd give it a go. "You might have the same reactions" she said. I was bloody miserable for the whole time it took to get out of my system. Never again.

This is so interesting. I am a bit down and full of mood swings and rages. No sex drive. Been on the mini-pill for about a year and will look at whether the dates tie up. Don't want any more children. Other than condoms what other non-hormonal contraception options are there?

@eurochick It's like all they care about is breast cancer and DVT. I had checkups for it every 6 months- 1 year for 14 years and it was never mentioned once. I'm so angry about it.

I wanted to kill myself when I was on dianette. No depressive symptoms before or since.

Tryingtogetitright there is the copper coil although it can make periods heavier.

I was terrible on the pill, actually crazy - I was so angry for no reason, would cry over anything, I was actually violent towards my partner. It was the worst part of my life. Luckily I came off it and we used condoms (and my partner stayed with me)

My advice is don't go on the pill if you can avoid it.

I went to the doctors as I genuinely thought I was ill- like badly ill, I went with a list of 10 ish symptoms on my phone, the doc scanned through them, then tapped in the screen and there was the list of known side effects for cerelle. She said they look familiar- I glanced through- literally my list! I was
She ran bloods and did proper tests too (one was irregular bleeding, clots, severe depression, mood swings, rash on back, acne under arms, tiredness, skin tags etc etc
Switched me to norgestron and I’m like a different person 6 months on. I am incredulous no one told me they could be the side effects? I was so depressed, bleeding 14 days out of 21 etc. She said it was reasonably common - and that even though I’d been ok on it for 18 months sometimes body changes and it stops working well for you. Why aren’t more people talking about this? How many women are there out there on anti D’s because of the pill???