How contraception affects hormones and moods

[user1468882946]

17 year old daughter needs contraception and we are in a quandary.
Last year she was in a relationship and trying to be the sensible parent I suggested she had the implant. My reasoning was that there was no worry of a pill being forgotten or not working when unwell.
Lots of bleeding and a few months later she turned into the beast from hell.
She was absolutely vile. A temper like nothing we have ever seen before. Upset all the tine. Biting our heads off and unbearable to live with. She knew how she was and she didn’t like it but was beyond control. We went to doctor, explained all this and asked for it to be removed. The nurse at the surgery refused point blank. She said make her speak to a councillor first and then we will consider it. But in the meantime take a contraceptive pill alongside it and that will help the bleeding.
Well, she got worse.
Eventually we paid privately to have it removed. This was months later. The private doctor was disgusted she had been refused and also couldn’t believe the pill she had put on. Apparently she was getting double progesterone which affected her hormones terribly.
Eventually when it was all out of her system she became more like herself.
Then because of being a bit too spotty a doctor gave her a different pill. She took it for 3 months and the spots eased but she felt a bit odd again. So was pleased to finish it.
Recently she decided to take the pill again. A different one again . Within about 5 days she could feel the monster inside her starting up again. She was angry again. Irritable and tearful. She stopped taking it and without days felt better again.
So where do we go from here?
She’s talking to the doctor this week to discuss the non hormonal coil.

Has anyone else had hormonal issues with contraception?
Makes me realise how lucky I was to take Mycrogynon for years with no side effects whatsoever.

Any kind of hormonal contraception makes me horrendously moody, irritable and generally unpleasant. I’ve been using condoms for the past decade and a half.

Your poor DD. I have the arm implant, the first few months were fine then I started getting constant bleeding, horrendous moods swings, anxiety, bad temper, the works. I'm trying to get it taken out as well 😬 I heard the copper coil is meant to be good for avoiding hormonal side effects but I think heavy bleeding is a common reason for women wanting it removed (if I remember correctly). Could she possibly try different pills to see which one is a good fit? My GP said the mirena coil is very popular, I had issues getting it fitted so it didn't work out for me but apparently that's not common so might be worth considering.

I’m also unbearably anxious, paranoid and not myself on both the pill and what used to be called the mini pull. Too scared to try a copper coil as I’ve heard tales previously of bad bleeding and doctors refusing to take them out and wouldn’t want to risk it. for your daughter.

Microgynon I was ok with, but a lot of GPs apparently don't start younger women on it, preferring to go for more modern pills instead. When breastfeeding my first I was on a modern progesterone only pill. Horrendous. Honestly I've never experienced anything like it. Researched a lot and asked for an old style one with my second baby - much better, but still not great.
Now on copper coil. Very heavy periods for first 4 months, then settled down nicely. Delighted with it.

I feel for you and your DS. I too have had similar issues with hormonal contraceptives and the experience of having to threaten to rip my own Mirena out when they repeatedly refused to take it out. I’m sick to death of hearing stories of women not being believed how it’s affecting them. This would absolutely not happen if it were men, I firmly believe that.

If I were able, financially, emotionally and practically, I would educate my life to the unfair treatment of women by the medical profession. It’s unacceptable everywhere, but absolutely there is no excuse for it in the U.K.

Microgynon turned me into a psycho.Cerezette was fine as is yasmin which I'm in now.

She has tried both cerazette and Yasmin. Both of which had the same unpleasant side effects. It’s amazing how everyone’s bodies react differently isn’t it?
I have never experienced anything like how much that awful implant changed her. You had to be here to see what she turned into, so anyone suffering with it now has my full sympathy. It is hell. We actually got her suitcases out of the loft ready to send her somewhere - anywhere! She was unbearable. And I even got a whack a few times where she was so angry. And then to go to the doctor and be refused point blank to have it removed is disgusting. I could understand if it had been in a month but we gave it a good 7/8 months. Ended up costing about £400 to get it out but it was worth every penny. 😬

Isn’t the mirena coil the hormonal one? Think that may be the same all over again. Good to hear CastleCrasher doing well with copper coil. Xx

I don’t know much about medical issues but this is a disgrace. Surely a nurse cannot refuse to remove any form of contraception for any reason? Is there anyone that this could be reported to?

I had the non hotmonal coil, personally for me it was the worst contraceptive I've had as it made my period pains and periods horrendous.

Yes, since having my first child anything hormonal was terrible for me. I was like Jekyll and Hyde swinging wildly between 'me' and an unstable wreck. Horrible time of my life. The doctor was sceptical at first.

The first non hormonal coil hurt more but I'm convinced it wasn't put in the correct spot as the second one seems easy to completely forget about.

Absolute disgrace. And I’ve spoken to others who have been told exactly the same. Including a young lady I work with who was beside herself.
Everyone knows their own body and surely has the right to make decisions about their bodies. She’s far from alone in this.
I would love to make a complaint to the surgery but we are all registered there and may well come across the nurse practitioner who made this decision. My daughter refuses to see her now and I don’t blame her.
I’m really hoping the copper coil is the answer as we can’t go through that again.

I can't take any form of hormonal contraceptive - I've tried about 7 and they all turn me into a completely different person. Potentially outing, but for about a decade I thought I had a mood disorder, I had such terrible mood swings, violent rages, suicidal thoughts, impulsive risky behaviour, as well as dizzying highs... I was assessed by the psychiatrist who agreed with the GP that I had a mood disorder and prescribed olanzapine. At no point did anybody ask about contraception. I declined the olanzapine and started CBT privately, which was somewhat helpful. Eventually I came off all contraception to TTC and it was like a switch was turned on giving me control over my emotions again.
When I describe to people who know me now what I was like on contraception they don't believe me, as I'm generally quite placid and predictable.
I spent a long time feeling quite angry that nobody thought to look into contraception as a contributing factor to my mood swings - they cost me friendships, my job at the time, almost destroyed my marriage, and caused so much needless heartache within my family.

To clarify - I switched so many times due to other side effects. Bloating, cramping, pain etc. Whenever I broached the idea that it might be contributing to my mood swings this was completely dismissed as I was on "the type that doesn't cause mood swings"

I had an implant and became horribly depressed and hopeless within a hours. It was really weird.

I had it removed the same day it was put in because I went from being doting super mum to my new born to not giving an absolute fuck about her.

The doctors were really good about it and sensitive and explained that this was a side affect. They removed it without hesitation. Once It was removed I was back to me after a few days.

Never again. Condoms all the way.

Just come off hormones after taking them for 15 years - Pill for 8 and the last 7 on the Implant. Never again am I touching that shit. I had my implant removed 2 weeks ago, and even in that short space of time, my mental clarity, depression, anxiety - all these things I thought I had wrong with me - have shrunk down to such tiny issues, it is unbelievable. I no longer have this burning rage inside of me, or this hopeless, slovenly attitude to life. I get up of a morning and I feel energised and ready to take on the day instead of wanting to sleep all the time and feeling like shit. It blows my mind that this is considered acceptable. Sure, they stop you getting pregnant (something I definitely do NOT want), but I am no longer putting my body through the hell that is hormonal contraception. We are relying only on condoms and have emergency pills just in case, but I just can't believe we are told to put ourselves through that and those side effects are considered acceptable on any level.

I know it's an age old opinion, but I honestly do believe that this wouldn't be the case if it was left to men to sort out contraception. I am not surprised they have put a stop to any sort of pill or injection for men, because who the hell wants to feel like an absolute hell beast for the sake of your fertility? It's so sad and depressing.

I didn't realize how much the pill was affecting my moods until I ended up off it 2 weeks by accident. I took my week break and then realised I needed to renew my prescription, due to work demands I didn't get the pill for another week.
I started taking it again and I remember packing for our summer holiday, I should have been really excited but I had to go to my room and cry, I felt so miserable.
DH commented that he was sure it was the pill doing it to me. He said the second week off the pill I was like a different person. When I thought back on that week I realized I had no problem getting out of bed in the mornings, I had loads of energy and enthusiasm, I was in great form.
I made the decision to come off it permanently and have never looked back. We use condoms, its not ideal but much better than the bad moods.

It’s amazing to read how many women go through the same problems. And absolutely right, no men would put up with this. Life is easier being a bloke!
I’ve got that terrible worry that I’m going to end up with a pregnant teenager so relying on condoms isn’t ideal. I’ve had a couple of nieces get pregnant young and we don’t want that.

How any surgery can refuse to remove something form your body that you know is ruining you is unbelievable. It’s all about the purse strings I think.
Doctor ringing us tomorrow. Let’s see what she says. I reckon she will try to convince dd to try another pill........

I stopped any hormonal contraception. I was on the mini pill for many years and found it was making me horrendously anxious and angry. My friends always ask how I can put up with using condoms with DH, but it’s 100% worth it to not feel like that anymore. The more women you speak to about it, the more you realise it’s a huge issue for many!