Birth control causing depression?

[Unravellingfronds]

Looking for advice/other ladies experiences of coming off the pill/how it relates to mental health.

I have been on the Progesterone only pill since I was 16, so for 7 years. During this time I've had 1 in person GP check up. I have always struggled with my mental health as a teen and now, but I just feel so numb and exhausted all the time. I do have happy days, but its like a cloud is constantly somewhat over me and I don't even know who I am or what I like. I can never just be content or peaceful. I strongly suspect the pill is having an effect, especially the more womens stories i hear around this. I am fearful of coming off the pill though too, for the side effects and risk of unwanted pregnancy. My body took a really long time to adjust to the pill (super heavy bleeding for months which made me anaemic) and it's scary thinking of going through that again. I don't know if im just a depressed person due to genetics/unresolved trauma or if this could be the pill...probably both.

I guess i just want to hear other peoples stories/if they think its worth coming off/if the risks outweigh the chance that this is whats making me so miserable. Sexual health clinic doctor and mother think I'd be silly to stop taking it just because of those reasons when I am not in a position to have a child. So I dont feel very supported in this potential decision.

Thankyou

I think you need to speak to a GP about your MH, and possibly swapping your pill

Two things you might find interesting:

Mary Harrington on contraception

Georgia Ede on how food affects the brain.

All you can do is inform yourself and make a decision for yourself. Best of luck!

I definitely think the pill affects your mental health, for me it caused severe anxiety and stomach issues. I tried various ones and the side effects were the same unfortunately.

I'd speak to your Dr about it.

The coil might be a better choice as less hormones I think.

I have had minor MH issues (depression panic attacks, pnd, intrusive thoughts) on and off (mainly off I'm happy to say) all of my adult life.
When I went on the progesterone only pill I fell into a mild depression (no suicidal thoughts, but just like I was in a fog) and began having regular escalating panic attacks, which would sometimes wake me up in the night. I also had a libido of zero.
I suspected it might be the pill and googled it. There were hundreds of similar stories about this. I decided to stop taking it and I've honestly never had such a quick reaction, I felt better in about 3 days and totally back to my normal self.
I'd suggest just stopping taking it, use condoms for a while and see how you feel. You can always start taking it again if it wasn't the problem.

I've tried the POP twice 15 years apart and both times I got serious anxiety and low mood very quickly. I won't try again. However I had a coil for 5 years and never had any impact from it other than positive. Is that worth trying?

Yes feeling like you're in a fog is a good way of describing it. I often can't sleep due to anxiety/wake up feeling riddled with dread every morning. And oh god yes the non existent libido is very true for me too, it's really starting to cause some issues in my relationship as I just never have any desire to anymore.

Glad to hear you bounced back to your normal self quickly, perhaps I do just need to bite the bullet and try this. Thanks x

Interesting- I was origionally put on the POP as it was supposed to have less effect on my mental health than a combined pill. The more I read now though, it does seem like the POP can be just as detrimental to MH. Which coil did you have? I have debated a coil but feel I have heard too many horror stories about them, from friends and from things online. When you say your experience was mainly positive, what sort of things improved with it?

I have never felt that birth control affects me in any way. I've had no weight gain, no mood swings, no headaches, nothing. Same ol' me minus the heavy periods and stabby ovulation pain. But then I stopped. And 3 months later, I am a completely different person. Energy is through the roof, laughing and cracking everyone up. I have so much more lust for life, trying new recipes every week, applying fake tan (never been bothered), and my relationship with DH is like a honeymoon all over again. So, probably the pill DID play with my head, I just never realised it.

I have a mirena that the NHS won't change until it's been in for 6 years but it's running out (hence the POP again) and it dealt with too frequent/heavy periods and PMT.
Honestly the positive stories of having a mirena hugely outweigh the horror stories. I just have to be patient for a few more months and I can get another one.

I experienced depression while on combined pill, when I first started taking it my GP completely dismissed the link and so I kept taking the pills for months, when I did stop taking it it was like a cloud had lifted, felt much better. Tried a different pill a few years later and exactly the same reaction, within a couple of months I was in a constant fog, no libido, no joy in life, stopped taking the pill and felt much better very quickly, haven't touched hormones since. I don't think I am alone in having this reaction at all, I'm really angry that it is routinely dismissed as a fairly common symptom of hormonal contraceptive.

Glad to hear im not the only one angry at the dismissive attitude towards this- and how easily young teens are chucked on mind altering medications like the pill and sort of just told to crack on and ignore the countless side effects. Your experience really does echo mine, I feel ive sort of just trooped through the complete loss of libido and joy in life combined with brain fog for years and thought thats just how i am. But hearing more stories like yours really makes me think. I am happy to hear you are in a better place with it now. Did it take your body long to adjust to coming off the pill?

This is super interesting to hear- happy to hear its all settled out for you again.

But yes very intriguing...I think i've kind of just pushed things under the carpet because i have struggled with my mental health for years before going on the pill, so have kind of been used to feeling just generally a bit...meh...and shitty over the years. But hearing these specifics about no energy or love for life and complete loss of libido, brain fog all being increasingly common experiences of women on the pill etc etc is really making me put 2 and 2 together

I honestly don’t remember exactly, it was over 20 years ago now, but quickly enough that I had no doubt it was a reaction to the hormones.

I went back on the pill because I was seeing someone, it didn't work out but I carried on as it took a month to stop bleeding but after 2 months ive stopped. I felt so low and really depressed. I have honestly never felt so shit in my life. To the point where the other night I felt suicidal, my libido is absolutely non existent. I have 3 months worth in the drawer but I can't go though this again