Combined pill and depression - anyone have any experience??

[abitchilly]

I went back on the combined pill about 6 weeks ago after having 2nd DC. Had been on mini pill while breastfeeding but started to bleed nearly continuously so changed to combined pill.

Now, despite being a previous depressive (a lot! but been better for 4 or 5 years) I'm crap at recognising symptoms creeping up. So I think I've been starting to feel anxious/depressed for about the last 6 weeks.

In reality I can only say for certain that I've felt horrendous today. Horrible feelings that I'd conveniently forgotten but that remind me what being depressed is like.

Please tell me it could just be the pill!!

It was Microgynon and I've already put the rest of the packets in the bin! But I can't get to see the doctor until next week now.

I'm just looking for a bit of reassurance that it's not all going to kick in again in full force.

The combined pill made me feel like shit and brought on what can only be described as a major personality change. So much so that dh made me chuck them in the bin. This was years ago, and I'd never had any problems with depression or anything before.

I remember I told the GP and they said there must be something going on in my life making me feel like that. But there really, honestly wasn't and as soon as I stopped taking the pill I felt better. A couple of years later I tried it again and the same thing happened.

Hope it does turn out to be this.

Thanks that's good to hear (if you see what I mean).

GPs obviously don't think there's a link since they were perfectly happy to dole out the ADs to me when in my late teens and twenties, even when I was on the pill for some of that time.

Making me feel sad though that it could have been a factor. All those years...

Oh god, that's pretty awful. Well, I hope you do start to feel better. Look after yourself, though. Is there anything else you can do to ease your symptoms?

Thanks. Feeling ok since binning the pills and posting on here. In recent years I've relied more on trying to be positive and proactive as I began to lose faith in ADs.

In retrospect, the first time 'thinking positively' actually helped with a bout of depression I had also decided to come off the pill for the first time in probably about 5 years.

Thanks for your response by the way - didn't get anyone else!!

Glad you're feeling better.

i wouldn't touch hormonal contraception again with a bargepole. i had a very strong depressive reaction when i first started on the pill, i think they changed me to a different one, but with hindsight i can see that it still exacerbated my monthly mood swings. i've learned more about my depression since i stopped the pill before dd1 and i'm certain it has a pretty strong hormonal component.

obv you need to find another reliable form of contraception - unwanted pregnancy doesn't exactly help fragile mental health either