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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is the mini pill making me feel like this?

55 replies

Prettybubblesintheair · 17/08/2020 09:28

I’ve been on the mini pill (Destogestrel) for 4 weeks now. In the last week I’ve been waking up with awful anxiety. I’m not sleeping well and waking up with this pit of anxiety in my stomach. I feel so low and angry all the time, the smallest things are making me boil over with anger, so much so I’m having to take myself off to my bedroom so I don’t snap at my dh or kids. I feel completely overwhelmed and often suicidal. I have a long history of depression, I’m on mirtazipine 15mg a day (taken at bedtime) and have been on that for 4 years. It was working brilliantly for me, I was sleeping and my anxiety was kept in check. I wasn’t thrilled with the weight gain but it was more important to me that my mental health got better. I also have epilepsy and take 200mg lamatrogine a day. But since starting the pill I just feel dreadful. I feel this impending sense of doom all the time, I cry at everything and my anxiety is just horrific. I’m having physical symptoms like shaking, sweating, nausea, upset stomach. I don’t know what else is going on, nothing in my life has changed except starting the pill. Has anyone else had these symptoms? Could it be the pill?

OP posts:

Redannie118 · 17/08/2020 20:24

Mini pill made me a monster. I was constantly snapping, hated everyone and crying. My sex drive vanished completely. I couldnt sleep and would shake with rage at the smallest thing. My GP told me it couldnt possibly be my pill. Hell of a coincidence that symptoms started within days of taking it and completely vanished within days of stopping! I remember waking up one morning and smiling for the first time in as long as i can remember. My DH said it was like the sun coming out after a thunderstorm ! The mini pill is the work of the Devil, please stop ASAP !

mistermagpie · 17/08/2020 20:26

Oh yes. I stopped all hormonal contraception about 7 years ago due to this kind of reaction. It is not an exaggeration to say that I honestly felt I could have actually killed someone on a certain pill, I had this blind fury that would come upon me in response to things which were really quite small and felt out of control. I also felt anxious, low and couldn't sleep. It was horrible.

You have my complete sympathy, it's a horrible feeling. It took only a couple of weeks to get back to normal after so stopped it though, but never again.

MrMeeseekscando · 17/08/2020 20:28

I've given up hormonal contraception too.
I came off it because we weren't having sex, my libido was stone dead.
I realised I'd been living under a hormonal fog for years.
I'm happy, I feel feminine, I'm no longer angry and anxious and I'm constantly horny
I've actually had a guy suggest I go on it again because "My ex was on it and didn't have periods at all"
I love the way I feel when I'm ovulating, sexy, confident, powerful...
I'd never go back to being that grumpy, angry cow again

sociallydistained · 17/08/2020 20:29

I think this is happening to me. I feel awful all the time my sex drive has dried up. I had a long break from the pill when a relationship ended and I felt the best I'd ever felt. I'm worried about other contraceptives as I've never used anything else. What about the implant? Anyone? Help

Frazzled13 · 17/08/2020 20:30

I've just today stopped taking the mini pill after several weeks because I felt so awful. I was seriously depressed, unbelievably exhausted, couldn't sleep, snaking at the smallest things. I know they say the symptoms ease after a couple of months but it wasn't worth it to me. I'm hoping to feel better now I've stopped taking but obviously don't know for sure yet. Although I had a full blood test a couple of weeks ago and it came back totally fine, so I do really think it's the pill.

Spinakker · 17/08/2020 20:31

Yes I had the same reaction with combined pill Yasmin. Felt so on edge and everything felt very intense. I couldn't reason properly. Only took it a week that last time. Previously I'd been on it for a year and hadn't linked those feelings to the pill. Quite frightening to think how my mind had been effected by it without my knowledge. What I do now is use the caya diaphram, with the pulling out method as well (to make it more effective) and i use the clue app on my phone which helps me see when my fertile window is. During this time I either use a condom with the diaphram or just don't have sex. The diaphram is only about 92 percent effective hence I can't rely on it
But otherwise it's the best non hormonal method I've found.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 17/08/2020 20:35

I found all forms of hormonal contraceptives made me feel like this. The last time I took the pill it cost me my relationship as my mental health was so bad and I blamed him for my anxiety.

I've tried various pills and once had the injection all made me feel awful. I would never take anything hormonal again which isn't a problem atm as I'm still single 😐

CrayonedWalls · 17/08/2020 20:36

So glad you wrote this thread OP.

I’m on the mini pill and feel exactly the same. I told my husband today this pill is genuinely making me feel suicidal. I have been on it for just under 12 months now - for the first six I bled almost every day but the doctors encouraged me to stick with it.

I’m coming off tomorrow!!

CrayonedWalls · 17/08/2020 20:39

Also @Prettybubblesintheair I don’t know if you got a recent prescription and they gave you the one that’s in a white and purple box, pills taste a bit gross? I was previously on Cerazette and was recently switched to this one and genuinely my mental health has got worse. I know the active ingredient is the same but there’s something about this new type...

welldonesquirrels · 17/08/2020 20:40

That sounds horrible and I think you're right. I've had a similar experience on hormonal contraceptives. I've tried a few different brands and they all trigger horrific anxiety for me. I think this is actually a lot more common than many doctors seem to realise.

FlyingPandas · 17/08/2020 20:43

I was on the mini pill whilst BF each of my 3 DC and felt tired, irritable and snappy whilst on it. It also trashed my sex drive completely. But at the time I put this down to being post natal and knackered.

I then had the implant, once I'd finished having DC - it is the same hormone and I continued to feel the same. Never as bad as some have described here, I certainly wasn't suicidal (but have never had issues with depression tbf) but yes yes yes to feeling tearful and snappy all the time.

I never had any of these issues on the combined pill.

Vix20678 · 17/08/2020 20:44

The mini pill made me aggressive, anxious and frankly a monster. I only stuck with it for 10 days and after a week off it I felt so much better. It really disagrees with a lot of women I have spoken to as well.

Igglepigglesgrubbyblanket · 17/08/2020 20:48

I had a very similar response to the mini pill, worst anxiety I've ever had, I was waking up in the middle of the night having panic attacks and very down. It took me a few months to think it might be connected to the pill and when I did I decided to stop taking it and see what happened. After three days being off it the anxiety, panic attacks and low level depression had gone. I've never had such a quick recovery from any of these things before. It was extraordinary.

Galaxxy · 17/08/2020 20:49

Ask to try another. My usual pill was discontinued and the one I tried next made me exactly the same. I switched again and I feel fine and normal again.

MrsCrosbyNRTB · 17/08/2020 20:54

I don’t have a history of depression but my God, the mini pill made me feel horrific. I can clearly remember about 2 weeks after I stopped taking it feeling this tangible cloud lifting from me. I was at work at the time and it was almost a physical sensation. The relief was amazing. Never. Ever. Again.

Metallicalover · 17/08/2020 21:00

I had this with cerazette. I had no history of depression or suicidal tendencies and I was a mess. What tipped me over the edge was when my husband was going in for day surgery and my mother was more worried about me than him as I was in a right state! I thought that if he dies I'll just kill myself!! I had it all planned out, how I would do it etc and felt very calm about it!
Alarm bells!!
I came off the pill! Never looking at hormonal contraceptives again!

CornedBeef451 · 17/08/2020 21:05

Usually my mind is a calm and pleasant place but I went in the mini pill for a couple of months and felt really low and like something had switched off.

I also had problems with the mirena coil which I think has similar hormones, that just switched off my libido completely and made me feel a bit dead inside.

thetangleteaser · 17/08/2020 21:06

@bizzy1234

I have had to mental health issues since being on the mini pill but the most horrendous nausea, did her sickness subside after changing pill? I hear it’s a less common side effect but some days it’s horrendous, like morning sickness!

thetangleteaser · 17/08/2020 21:06

I have had no**

Original poster

Prettybubblesintheair · 17/08/2020 21:18

@CrayonedWalls

Also *@Prettybubblesintheair* I don’t know if you got a recent prescription and they gave you the one that’s in a white and purple box, pills taste a bit gross? I was previously on Cerazette and was recently switched to this one and genuinely my mental health has got worse. I know the active ingredient is the same but there’s something about this new type...

Yes it is! It’s in a lilac and white box and tastes grim. I’m going to call the clinic tomorrow and get booked in for a chat but make it clear I’m not taking anything hormonal. I think the copper coil is the way to go. Thank you so much everyone, you’ve really validated my feelings! I didn’t see how one pill could make me feel so so bad but also didn’t see how it could be anything else as that’s the only thing that’s changed. I was going to try and persevere for a 3 months but I’m not going to put myself or my relationship through that. I’ve been so awful to my dh the last few days, I just want to stop feeling like this. Thank you again for your replies, unsurprisingly I’m crying again

OP posts:

bizzy1234 · 17/08/2020 21:32

Yes once she came off it... she felt no nausea with in 24 hours and 2 .5 months later is now on mercilon and been in it for a fortnight and feels fine... honestly try a different one xx

Galaxxy · 18/08/2020 06:36

metallicalover it was cerazette that fucked me up too! It made me mad, bad, crazy, depressed, crying, suicidal, furious, exhausted. Stopped taking it and 2 days later I literally FELT a shift inside me and I was back to regular me.

Metallicalover · 18/08/2020 07:33

@Galaxxy I would never go on hormonal contraceptives again! It was awful!

menofharlech · 18/08/2020 08:10

Isn't it weird how people differ. I am at the start of peri menopause. I have no need for contraception as am tubeless but I was suffering from awful anxiety.

My gp suggested the mini pill to essentially put me on an even keel and stop the highs and lows of my cycle. I was v sceptical but it's worked like a charm. No periods, anxiety levels dropped. Possibly a reduction in sex drive but it's still very much there.

I would say yes to the dryness though as the only downside but I can deal with that.

sociallydistained · 18/08/2020 08:36

@Prettybubblesintheair I am going to try and do the same. I don't have children and I've heard they try and put you off the copper coil but I don't want them either so I really think this is the best option for me.

Reading this thread felt like a revelation to me and a wake up call. So thank you.
I'm not sure why I haven't noticed it before but I had the best year of my life off the pill. I was so happy! I thought it was because I was single 🙈 but I've realised it's not that my partner is great but my mood and symptoms are causing a strain on the relationship.

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