mini-pill (cerazette specifically) and depression/anxiety side-effects - a warning! Please read..

[RedFraggle]

After my horrendous experience with a mini-pill I felt I had to post this here as well as on the feeling depressed board.

I had my DS three months ago and after initial baby blues was starting to feel better. Went for my 8 week postnatal check and was prescribed Cerazette (the mini-pill) as I am breastfeeding. After about a week I started to feel really miserable and paranoid, gradually got worse until I could no longer face taking my kids out for the day as I just didn't feel I could cope.
Carried on getting worse to the point I was suicidal and kept thinking about harming myself or my baby. Spent a lot of time sitting with him and my DD throwing tearful wobblers and me sitting on the floor crying too!
Asked my HV for help and she got me a Doctors appointment - my HADS score was extremely high and I was put on anti-depressants, they started to kick in (although the side-effects were horrid) and I felt a bit more normal and so popped on to here for a look about. i hadn't felt up to even doing that for weeks! I saw a post about cerazette and mood swings and alarm bells rang. Googled Cerazette and anxiety/depression and found lots of stuff. I spoke to my doctor and came off all medication and lo and behold - I am totally fine again! Cerazette made me so mentally unstable, it was terrifying. I have had it yellow carded and suggest anyone else with similar issues speaks to their GP and does the same.
The fact that this pill is being heavily marketed to doctors at the moment (according to my HV) means more people are likely to be prescribed it, and at a time when they have just had a baby and therefore their side-effect symptoms could easily be confused with PND.
If you have recently had a baby and were feeling ok but suddenly start to feel bad or not yourself shortly after starting a mini-pill it might be worth considering changing or stopping medication to just rule out a link. Check with your doctor first of course!!!

So many of the problems you are all listing from cerazette are dead on what I had with microgynon.
Grey foggy deep depressions on and off. Incuding pondering suicide (not in a 'planning 'way, just in a 'passing thought' way)
Not feeling in love any more.
Sex drive..what sex drive?
Absent mindedness/forgetting things

Please see GP and ask to change pill and tell them why.

I have to say that I used Cerazette for a while and it was great - no issues with weight gain or depression and my gp prescribed it to me based on the fact that I have had terrible problems with other min pills in the past (noriday especially) which gave me murderous bad tempers, mood swings and total loss of libodo with weight gain and spots...but she assured me Cerazette was different - and certainly IME it was.

How pleased am I to read all of these posts!!!! Thank-god for Google.

I was recommended to use Cerazette as I had PCOS, I thought I'd give it a try as the estrogen based pill I had taken gave me severe headaches. I started using it October last year. In December my friend took her own life and in March my sister gave birth to beautiful twin boys that also died. I got angry at everything but thought it was because of my recent losses that I had a right to feel so low about everything and lash out at everyone. I've never felt so down and depressed in my life. I hated everyone, and even the people I did like I thought they hated me. I don't know how my bf coped with my constant jealousy and mood swings. One minute I was totally in love with him and the next finishing with him for the smallest reasons. I stopped taking Cerazette last Tuesday, by total accident (just forgot to take it) and I have noticed the change already.
I've stopped have anxiety breathing problems too (which other people on it have suffered from) I feel so much calmer and happier - I had the best weekend with my bf, found that I knew how to laugh again and I can easily say its down to Cerazette. It gave me a personality defect, I wont be going back on it!
Can anyone help to recommend what I should go on? My doctors are of little or no help at all, I normally go there with the facts myself and they put me on what I ask for.
I'm thinking Microgyon? Or does this generally come with the same problems??

Help
Sarah x

massive thanks to all who took time to write about their experiences. I have been taking cerazette for a month and have gradually been feeling worse each day. mood swings, emotional outbursts, head aches,dead labido, dryness, spots etc etc. have been prone to depression in the past and had pnd, so just thought i was having another bout. last night i ended a relationship which was fabulous just 2 months ago and this morning felt hopeless. Now, however i feel a huge sense of relief. Am not going to take this pill again and hopefully will return to myself and (fingers crossed) my fab relationship asap!!! will let you know

Once again a massive thanks to all

OMG!!! I'm utterly shocked by what i read on this thread.
Here's my story... I was on the Marvelon(combined pill) for 5 years and had no problems. Skin flawless, happy, slim etc.
Due to a head injury, losing conciousness and having spent several days in hospital almost motionless I have developped DVT in my left calf. I was told on that day to stop with marvelon and never again take another combined pill. So for a year, i was off of all kind of contraceptive. Then at my local Family Planning Clinic i was offered all the possible options,implant,coil etc. I however opted for the Cerazette.
In the first year the weight gain wasn't too much, but by the end of the second year i was struggling to fit into my normal size clothes.That time i still haven't though much about this being the side effect of Cerazette. Went back to see Family Planning nurse and mentioned about my weight gain and achy breasts etc. She has absolutely dismissed me and simply stated that you get this with all contraceptive medication.
Came spring this year, people started to stop me on the street to congratulate on my baby bump. I quickly told them that it's only weight gain(by this time over 2 stones,fingers so chubby had to remove engagement ring!!!) and no baby in sight. Just to reasure myself, i have done a couple of Clear-Blue tests but negative.
A friend suggested to have a bloodtest to see if it's not a thyroid problem that's creeping up on me. test=negative. went to see GP 3 weeks ago. She listened to my list of symptoms( weight gain,constant craving for sweet items,spotty skin, no libido,painful breasts,terrible mood swings during which i broke a wooden spoon, OH who thinks I'm turning into a psycho)and decided to take me off Cerazette. Now 3 weeks on, i'm loosing weight, much happier within myself, cravings stopped and hopefully soon back in those old jeans!

Hi, thanks to everyone for their comments on this site - now I don't feel like i'm going bonkers!

I've been taking the combined pill quite happily for many years purely for contraceptive purposes (I did try the injection once in my early 20s but didn't like the weight gain). The last combined pill from Family Planning Clinic (FPC) I was given was Yasmin - no problems. Went back to get a repeat perscription, had my blood pressure checked and they were a little concerned as it was a bit high (they did nearly squeeze my arm off though)- they instantly put me on a POP - Norgeston. I wasn't really convinced that this is what I wanted (as having a period every month means you know where you are), but they kept banging on about my bp and I could no longer take the combined. I tried this for about 4-5 months with my bp being checked by the FPC (1 slightly high bp reading, 1 low bp reading & the last was slightly high again). At my last visit I explained to the nurse that I wasn't happy with the weight gain - about a stone. They switched me to Cerazette - my weight continues to increase.

I feel (and am) fat & bloated. I have made an appointment to see my GP tomorrow morning. I now feel better prepared to fight my corner if I have to.

I will let you know how I get on.....

I have been taking Cerazette for a year, as I wanted a no-estrogen birth control pill, and I have had vaginal soreness 99% of the time. I changed to Yasminelle, but that just gave me a horrible yeast infection, as did the Yasmin pill when I tried it in the past. Yeast infection did not go away, even after 2 treatments with Monistat. Switched back to Cerazette, yeast infection went away, but soreness was still there. No doctor takes me seriously, or they dont know what to say. They just keep testing me for STDs, but I dont have any, never had. I dont use any other medication except for the birth control. I am so tired of it, because I cannot have a sexlife with my boyfriend. 9 of 10 times my vagina is too sore, even before we get starting. So the pain is not just after intercourse. I use tonns of lube, tried different kinds. No effect, still sore. Anybody who can help? Is it the Cerazette causing this? What birth control can I try if Cerazette is "poison" to me?

How glad am I that I found this site!

Started on Micragynon 4 years ago and after 4 months was suffering migraines so I went back to doctors and they put me on Cereazette. Had no problems on it or so I thought.

7 months ago a month before my wedding, I noticed that I wasn't feeling right - just didn't seem to be myself, snappy and loss of sex drive. Put this down to the stress of getting married and moving house and struggling for money.

I was snappy, moody, moaning at my husband all the time, rowing and arguing about the smallest thing, tired, demotivated and no interest in anything or anyone

Well to cut a long story short, I decided to do some research 3 weeks ago to see what the side affects of Cerazette were and came across this site and was amazed that my attitude and behaviour was down to my pill. My husband and I had been married 6 months and when I thought our marraige was on the rocks, it turned out that it was all down to the pill.

There was such a relief that we both had finally got to the root of the problem. I've been off it for 3 weeks now and went to the doctors yesterday who said it could take another 3-4 months for the chemical to fully get out of my body and to return to my old self. Also we want to start trying for a baby but first I need to get my sex drive back - something which is rather frustrating at the moment!!

Unbeknowing to me, I thought things hadn't been right for the last 7 months but my husband has said he has gradually see me get worse over the last 2.5 years which I found shocking and he thought it was depression but then found this site and my god was I glad.

I'm looking forward to getting back to normal both in myself and my relationship.

hi there, i have been taking cerazzete for about 6 weeks and after about 1 week of taking it i have become extremely depressed, anxious and obbsessed! it started off where i thought i had blood in my pooh (turned out 2 be what i had been eating but i became obsessed, frantically checking my stools each day and getting into a right old state, ive never been away fro the doctors surgery (seen about 6 different doctors who all told me not to worry) i have been convinced that im ill and have been suffering from extreme anxiety. doctors are now thinking i could have post natel depression as i have a 6 month old, but after googling cerazzete side effects i am now wondering if it could be this? i dont normally suffer from depression or axiety....does anyone have any thoughts on this???

hi im new here. started taking cerazette only last week. the doctor put me on these ones as i am prone to migranes she said they were the safest. only i hadnt had any migranes in months, and since being on cerazette i have had 3migranes and 3 severe headaches in a week! i also find my mood goes up and down, i am actually to the point where i am disgusted with myself and feeling very ugly. the fact i keep getting headaches isnt helping. i only initially went on the pill as after miscarriage a year and a half ago, i have had a very irregular, sometimes heavy and painful periods so thought this may sort my cycle out. i cant carry on taking this pill if the headaches dont stop so anyone got any advice on another pill i could try? i dont want to get implant or injection as they are more long term and me and my partner want to start a family within a year or so. any help would be great!

I've been on cerazette for 4 weeks now and think from reading everyones posts that this tablet may be responsible for my recent change in behaviour. The changes are so subtle that i wasn't sure to begin with however my husband has just said that he's noticed a complete change i.e i cry at the smallest of things, i've become obsessional in my thoughts to the extent that i've considered that i've got OCD. My patience with my 17mth old is so low but she's not doing anything more than any other 17mth old. Had a massive panic attack out of the blue. Constant feelings of guilt over my behaviour.
I did have pnd for which i was on AD's for 6mths but came off them 6 weeks ago because i was feeling so much better and had only been on a low dose for weeks prior. Not sure if i came off them a bit early or if this change in mood coincides with starting cerazette. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks

This message board has helped so much, it means I am not going insane - I was taking the combined pill and had no problems for 8 years until I had a migrane and they switched me to Cerazette about 9 months ago.

I went to my doctors the other day and explained that I have boils on my chin, upper arms and back and have done for the past 7 months, they are very painful and are leaving scars now - I am getting married next year and im worried that the scars will be so bad then I will have to change the dress. I said to my Male GP that I have also put on a stone in weight and I have been the same weight for the past 7 years. I explained that I couldnt stop craving foods and I was constantly eating - he said 'well that is just you - it's not the pill!' I was gobsmacked because my friend and sister are also on the same pill and all 3 of us have had the same side effects. The GP said that he could send me for blood tests for thyroid problems. he had the cheek to say 'are you sad' I said 'I am now because you have told me that its just me and that its not the pill'. I am a happy person (I was before taking this pill)and my weight gain and boils are getting me down now - so yes I am sad. Maybe I shoud go and see a female gp and they may be more understanding.

It does affect your relationship and you start to resent the fact that you have take the health risks and side affects to prevent pregnancy. I got so fed up that I came off it for 3 days but then felt really guilty that we could have an accident and a baby could be the result - we want children but not just yet. I went back on Cerazette but now after reading these posts i'm not too sure. My gp said the only other method he would recommend is for my fiance to use protection which is less effective so I/we are stuck really..

I haven't had period in 9 months which is great but it doesnt feel right and I am dizzy and feel sick quite frequently and no I am not pregnant - I have never had this before so putting it down to this pill.

not sure what to do really but would love to feel and look normal again.

I started taking Cerazette on 20/06/09.

By 21/06/09 my LO started to become fussy and screaming for no apparent reason while nursing and incessant crying for no reason when all needs had been met.

By 22/06/09 I started to have extreme axiety and feelings of panic (I suffer with anxiety and panic attacks anyway, but these were intensified after a long stretch of relative calmness)

25/06/09 I refused to take my pill.

I feel almost like I wish I could just go sleep adn never wake up. I feel the most immense sadness and like everything is just hopeless.

I feel like my children were a mistake because I'd bore them into a world full of global warming, swine flu and recession and like they have a really bleak future.

I even feel unable to cope with June's unusually hot weather - it's absolutely rediculous..

I have physically lashed out at my partner twice within those 5 days and became unreasonably angry around 6 or so times - at one point I told my partner to 'take the screaming little c*nt away' - I just feel like an absolute SHAMBLES of a mother and a person.

I feel like it has destroyed me in a matter of days..

Since DS2 was born I have been on cloud 9 and with the patience of a saint and it was all snatched away in the blink of an eye.. It has just been so SEVERE..

Has anybody else noticed behavioural changes in their LO's that they are breastfeeding whilst on Cerazette?

My LO is only 11.5 weeks old and has been a contented, happy baby and fabulous feeder - untilt he day after I started taking this oral contraceptive - now he is awkward and fussy and screams for no reason in the middle of a feed - and thats when I'm lucky enough to get him to latch on without a fuss.

Hoping to get back to normal relatively quickly due to the short amount of time I have been taking this contraceptive.

An absolute NIGHTMARE..

I didn't fare much better on Implanon prior to DS2 - I guess hormonal contraceptives are NOT for me at all - I think I'll be trying the hormone free coil or perhaps planning baby number 3 and then getting sterilised..

I feel if I continue taking it, it will be of HUGE detriment to my relationship and I just don't trust myself to be able to cope with my 6 1/2 year old and my baby..

Shocking stuff, absolutely shocking.

wow! i can't believe how similar my experiences are to a lot of posts on here!
I was on the combined pill for around 2 years, which was fine for me. Then when i kept getting headaches i asked the doctor and they told me to change to cerazette.
At first i found that i felt more depressed then usual and had bad PMT symptons, but i just put it down to changing the pill and was determined to stick with it!
I have been taking cerazette for about 9 months now...and i thought it was just me!
I suffered with really bad OCD around 3 years ago, and one day it just went and i havent thought about it since. But since i started this pill, weird things have happened!
Within the space of 9 months my OCD has come back and i have had two panic attacks! These attacks were totally out of the blue and really really worried me. Also i have being feeling depressed for no reason and put on loads of weight. I have really been struggling, as i had no idea why my OCD came back or the panic attacks! I thought it was just me and didnt know what to do.
Now looking at all the posts it seems really common to get these symptoms with this pill and im starting to think coming off it might be the best thing i ever did!
Thank you!

Another BAD review for cerazette! NO SEX DRIVE. 4 WEEK PERIODS! Oh dear, this is going to sound pathetic... I am totally in love with my bf of 10 months. I decided to try cerazette after a couple of months. This didn't suit me as I was bleeding for up to 4 weeks at a time with none of the expected improvement and less and less sex-drive inbetween! Hell! So I gave up after 4 awful months.Yes I gave it a good trial, the thought of NO periods was a nice dream! Since then I have found that he now has no sex-drive and although we are very affectionate and cuddle and kiss, he doesn't seem to want to be sexual any more beyond the odd snog. I keep feeling devastatingly rejected (he always says he is too tired or else has some minor discomfort, backache etc...)and upset and I know I'm wrong to but I keep having strops about it and asking him whats wrong. He said today that the more I react badly the less sexy he feels!
I've done the sexless marriage and I don't want to go there again!! I am soo frustrated! I totally blame that pill for this problem. It also altered my mood. I might have cottoned on to his lack of sex drive sooner but I was so miserable when taking it and just relived he was supportive and patient.

PLEASE HELP.... AM VERY WORRIED!!!!

i have been on the pill for past 5 months and in this time only got my period once which has lasted 3 weeks!! Is this completely normal?

Also I have also read that being on the cerazette and if one is more than 12 hrs taking the pill and have sex and do not take extra precaution, they are not protected against pregnancy..

Your advice and help would be very appreciated.

Kind regards.

Really interested reading this. I've been on Cerazette for 5 weeks and started bleeding. DD2 is only 11 weeks old, and my periods didn't come back with DD1 until I stopped BF at 14 months. I find this bleeding disconcerting, as I won't know for sure when 'real' periods come back.

(saw this message from Tallbirduk above: "I have just started on Cerazette - my baby is 8 weeks old and I am breastfeeding. I started taking the pills 10 days ago and have been having a bit of spotting since yesterday - did anyone else have similar when starting on this pill? I was suprised to see the blood as I am breastfeeding and it seemed a bit early - so wonder whether it could be the pills? Any thoughts gratefully received!"

What happened with you?)

So far spared the depression / mood swings, but was much happier with Femulen which I was given when BF DD1.

Hi to everyone..

I'm amazed but also reassured by the contributors to this particular thread...I'm on month two of taking this pill..

First of all, my period was over two weeks late..(first period since starting the pill)..I woke up during the night and was destroyed! I'd no inkling that a period was comming..no cravings..or cramps or spotting..just out of the blue, it appeared...but the thing is..that was it..the next day, nothing! It was like it never happened at all..I'd been spotting with a brownish discharge for a couple of weeks days into taking the pill initally but no blood as such..A week later, and I started heavy spotting again..and I've that now for over a week..Is is a period or not, that I do not know!!!

Next up, my mood swings..OMG..I think I'm turning into a horrible monster..I'm cranky..(and popping evening primrose and startflower oil to try combat this!!) and moody, and getting terribly paranoid over things..sooo not like me..and I'm seeing bad in everyone right now..and while I kinda know it's this damn pill, it still doesn't make me feel any better..!

I've another month's supply here now..and then I'm going off it..I was on another mini pill a couple of years ago..and had heavy bleeds three weeks out of four, which is why I went off that one..but I was on the combined pill for years..Cilest, and had no trouble what so ever..I doubt I'l be prescribed that again though now, as I'm 43...I'm thinking of going down a more permanent route now..of sterilization..and I've an appointment in October for that..

'I doubt I'l be prescribed that again though now, as I'm 43...I'm thinking of going down a more permanent route now..of sterilization..and I've an appointment in October for that.. '

So long as you are not a smoker or have medical issues which contraindict (history of DVT, hypertension, stroke, etc.) then you can take the combined pill right up until menopause.

You can also use teh NuvaRing, which is combined but bypasses the liver as it's inserted into the vagina.

Warning: they will hardsell the Mirena coil to you, but if you have problems with POP (progesten-only pill/mini pill) it may not agree with you (although they'll tell you it will because they'll claim the progesten is localised entirely to the womb, which is a bit because the womb, after all, has a blood supply).

just saw this was an old thread, with me on it!!
I had posted I was fine, but for some reason i have decided to come off it. No dp so no point. I was using it really to help control my cycle, as I have spd, and found it helped alot in balancing me out, and less pain as I got no periods on it. I was one of the lucky ones in the respect I think.

So now waiting for for my period. I stopped taking it 3-4 weeks ago. DFunny tho, cos if i ever misse done I would start to get spotting within about 24 hrs!!

Since coming off it I have had non stop headaches, a feeling akin to nearly comng on, and horrible spots on my jawline/

I am hoping this is just my natrual hormones coming back.

Hello everyone that has posted your comments on this site,
May I thank you all, my greatest friend has just had her coil removed 4 weeks ago and has started taking cerazette, over the last week she has not been herself her mood swings and tears has not been my friend she has always been my tower of strenght and she put it down to falling in love with a partner of 5 months ( the coil was hurting him thats why she changed to cerazette )( luckly her I thought lol )She was crying to me on the phone today saying that she thought she was going insane and thought her love for her new man was causing her to feel like this. I knew that this was not like her and knew she had so much strenght not to let a man make her feel like this she even said she was not like herself with her children whom I know they are her life the beging and end all. She said about this pill thats she is on and I began looking into it and thank god I did everything that has been said on this site is everything my friend has been feeling, we have had at least 4 calls in the last 2hours about what I have researched she is now feeling " Oh my god " and is of to she GP in the morning to discuss changing the pill to a different one, thank you all for your input my friends mind just might become her own again. Many thanks again for everyone,s input you probably just saved my friends sanity and her relationship xx

Hi everyone, haven't read all posts but the ones I have have made me want to cry!

I took Cerazette with DS1 - no probs - 1st period at 11mths when I came off it to ttc ds2. DS2 is now 5 months and I have been taking it for 2 months and I want to kill DH!!! (1st period immediately at 3 mths)I felt fine prior to taking it this time but in the past 2 mths feel so unhappy and unable to cope with my 2 beautiful kids who I know are not exhibiting anything other than age appropriate behaviour but I feel like I'm stuck in permanent PMS! I scream at them like a banshee! The thought of sex repulses me and I'm starting to feel slightly out of control! I have been told that there is no other pill available whist bf'ing. injection is not advised for 'older women' as it affects fertility (i'm 29) and know of bad experience of the implant and coil

I'm so happy I've found this site! I've been taking Cerazette for about 12 months. Yesterday I'd scared myself silly thinking I had cervical cancer because of the irregular bleeding I've been having. I went to the GP and he said it was possibly side effects to the pill. Now I think about it, there are so many side effects I'm putting up with so not to get pregnant - it's ridiculous! There's the nausea, the hideous spots along my jaw, the panic attacks, the weight gain (I run 30 miles a week and still I'm gaining). No more Cerazette after today!

So glad I have just read your message to realise I'm not the only one feeling the same. I have been on cerazette for about three years now. I was fine being on it at first but after having my second child I have been suffering from very irregular periods and terrible mood swings, feeling low and major panic attacks just going out to the shops. I don't know to do for the best, whether to go to the doctors or just wait and see if things improve. I think I will come off cerazette just to see if I feel better in myself.

Hi everyone, OMG what a load of horror stories & thank goodness for Google! I have been on the combined pill for years with no probs til I got blinding headaches, I was put on a lower Oestrogen pill which was OK but I got greasy hair which came out in handfuls, massive spots & extended bleeds but only 3 times in a year. I still got the headaches which were diagnosed as Migraine yesterday. I've now been taken off the combined pill & given Cerozette which I should start on Monday. I'm guessing my hair & skin will only get worse now - I'm 36 & can do without that - think I'd rather struggle on with the headaches. I'm back to the GP on Tues but don't think I'll get very far. Any advice please?