Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Original poster

Pill and depression

26 replies

thecatsarecrazy · 31/07/2024 11:09

Hi there, does anyone else find that the pill causes awful depression? From what I understand the Dr's will never agree with you but I've seen many women say the same.
I went back on the pill, mainly because I was seeing someone who wouldn't use a condom 🙄 so I started the pill again, for the 1st month a bled every day but thought I'll keep going until I get used to it, then by the time I was on the 2nd pack the guy I was seeing was gone, turned out to be yet another let down. Then the depression kicked in. I've never felt anything like it. My heart felt heavy, I felt so sad, numb, close to tears. It wasn't so much him letting me down I'm used to it. I was getting up for work but while at home I couldn't bring myself to get up and do much of anything.
I stopped taking it last Thursday and now I feel so much much better. The sadness has gone, I've started laughing again. I've got another 3 months supply upstairs but don't think I could take them again!

OP posts:
RagzRebooted · 31/07/2024 23:44

WrylyAmused · 31/07/2024 12:55

There are lots of different progesterones used in different brands of pills.

Some of them cause issues to some women. Stats for PMDD (Google it if you don't know) suggest it affects only ~5% of younger women, but up to ~30% of peri-menopausal women, and PMDD is thought to be caused by sensitivity to progesterone (which can include that which your body makes naturally).

And that's only counting the ones who both report symptoms to their doctors and are taken seriously by them, so it's probably higher, plus many people will likely have symptoms which are similar but aren't serious enough to be considered PMDD.

Mirena also uses progesterone, but I can't recall which type.

So, if you want to be on a hormonal contraceptive, maybe consider one which uses a different progesterone (and/or, a different amount of estrogen if using a combined one, as this may also have an impact).

Drospirenone apparently has a reputation for being a "friendly" progesterone a/c my doctor, but please do your own research and speak to your own doctors to get advice and information for your particular circumstances.

Excellent post.

Regarding progesterone pills, I couldn't tolerate desogestrel, it made me anxious and sad. I'm on drosperinone now and seem to be tolerating that much better.
I get PMDD and take the pill to try and control that, which it does really well. Some of us are very sensitive to hormones.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread