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Could the Pill be making you depressed and anxious?

I just read this article on the Huffington Post this morning about how there needs to be more research into the contraceptive Pill and the impact it may be having on our mental health. It's based on a report by YoungMinds and you can read it here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/katie-silver/further-research-into-the_b_14188998.html

In a recent study, the use of the pill - especially amongst adolescents - has been associated not only with a subsequent use of antidepressants, but a number of first diagnoses of depression amongst young women with no previous experience of mental health problems.


The progesterone-only pill has been called out as potentially having the biggest impact as the hormone is known to naturally depress the mood and we can notice this natural at different points of our cycle.

The 2016 study led by Professor Øjvind Lidegaard looked into the links between hormonal contraception and depression, and is the biggest to date. It used the medical records of more than one million Danish women, and found that those on the combined pill were 23% more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant than those not on hormonal contraception. The difference was even more significant for women using the progestrogen-only pill, who were 34% more likely. For girls between 15 and 19 taking the combined pill, the likelihood ramped up to 80%.



Are you on the Pill? How do you find it? Or perhaps you didn't like it and changed or stopped taking it?

When I went on the Pill at 15 I took Microgynon and it made me crazy... seriously, I was not happy, I felt so irritated all of the time and very unsettled. Thankfully it didn't cause any anxiety or depression but I still felt it impacted me emotionally, which given the changes in hormones makes sense.

I then went on to Cilest, no real changes emotionally (phew!) but I went up from a C cup to an E cup so quickly.... if the Pill can change our physical body so dramatically and so quickly, then surely it has the power to impact our emotional health.... right?

Edit: actually I was pretty down.... my relationship with food became very negative, but perhaps that was more of the social pressure I was feeling at 17 and 18.

I'm now on the copper coil - hormone free for over three years. I wished I'd done it sooner.

Girls, what are your thoughts......

Boys, did you have a partner that tried to Pill and did they seem "different" for it?
(edited 7 years ago)

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Microgynon sent me crazy. I had really bad mood swings, was irritable and upon reflection I think it made me a bit depressed. I also gained weight, my skins broke out and my boobs grew from a D to an E, all of which only contributed to my low mood. So yeah, wasn't the best experience.
After that I tried the implant and and the injection which were both okay but I always felt more myself when I took a break from contraception (and used condoms instead - safety first!).
I've given myself a 6 month break and I feel so much better. Planning to going on the coil as per @She-Ra's recommendation.
I'm a sensitive soul, so pumping myself full of hormones, doesn't bode well for me.
Reply 2
Funnily enough, Microgynon made my existing MH conditions a lot worse and I never put it down to that until after I came off it and noticed a change in myself. The pill failed too so I think that was another omen that it was time to switch from that dreaded pill :laugh:

I've been on Cerazette for the past five years and that has been a wonder pill for me. It helps me both mentally and physically. I suffered from PMDD as a teen and that's a big reason why I started the pill in the first place and microgynon only made it worse but with Cerazette I'm lucky if I get a period once every few months now and when I do get it, the PMS leading up to it is very minimal unlike what I suffered with microgynon and with natural periods and that's helped me overall with my health and more importantly my wellbeing :yep:

I also tried the implant before Cerazette for a couple of months but that was worse than microgynon! I've never been so moody, snappy and damn right horrible to be around when I was on that and it was every day, not just for a week or two at a time like with microgynon :eek:

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Original post by She-Ra
I just read this article on the Huffington Post this morning about how there needs to be more research into the contraceptive Pill and the impact it may be having on our mental health. It's based on a report by YoungMinds and you can read it here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/katie-silver/further-research-into-the_b_14188998.html



The progesterone-only pill has been called out as potentially having the biggest impact as the hormone is known to naturally depress the mood and we can notice this natural at different points of our cycle.




Are you on the Pill? How do you find it? Or perhaps you didn't like it and changed or stopped taking it?

When I went on the Pill at 15 I took Microgynon and it made me crazy... seriously, I was not happy, I felt so irritated all of the time and very unsettled. Thankfully it didn't cause any anxiety or depression but I still felt it impacted me emotionally, which given the changes in hormones makes sense.

I then went on to Cilest, no real changes emotionally (phew!) but I went up from a C cup to an E cup so quickly.... if the Pill can change our physical body so dramatically and so quickly, then surely it has the power to impact our emotional health.... right?

Edit: actually I was pretty down.... my relationship with food became very negative, but perhaps that was more of the social pressure I was feeling at 17 and 18.

I'm now on the copper coil - hormone free for over three years. I wished I'd done it sooner.

Girls, what are your thoughts......

Boys, did you have a partner that tried to Pill and did they seem "different" for it?


Microgynon affected me really badly too. Was super moody and depressed all the time, like a different person. Am on dianette now for a few years and its much better :smile:

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YES. It took me three doctors to find one who would listen. They blamed my depression and anxiety diagnosis on other factors rather than listening to the connection I'd made to these problems only occurring after starting on the pill.

When I told the third doctor that the first two I had seen had denied any connection he said it was a known side effect and even pointed it out on the little sheet that came with. :banghead:
Original post by sinfonietta
YES. It took me three doctors to find one who would listen. They blamed my depression and anxiety diagnosis on other factors rather than listening to the connection I'd made to these problems only occurring after starting on the pill.

When I told the third doctor that the first two I had seen had denied any connection he said it was a known side effect and even pointed it out on the little sheet that came with. :banghead:


Sounds like you had a really rough time of it :frown: But well done for persevering and pushing your point. You know your body and your mind and you should have been listened too. When you came off the pill did the depression and anxiety lift?

Original post by michrab123
Microgynon affected me really badly too. Was super moody and depressed all the time, like a different person. Am on dianette now for a few years and its much better :smile:

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Everyone seems to have had a horrible experience with Microgynon - but that is the one they seem to put all young girls on to first. All my friends were the same. So glad you're feeling better now. At the time did you think your mood and depression was linked to the Pill?

Original post by Spock's Socks
Funnily enough, Microgynon made my existing MH conditions a lot worse and I never put it down to that until after I came off it and noticed a change in myself. The pill failed too so I think that was another omen that it was time to switch from that dreaded pill :laugh:

I've been on Cerazette for the past five years and that has been a wonder pill for me. It helps me both mentally and physically. I suffered from PMDD as a teen and that's a big reason why I started the pill in the first place and microgynon only made it worse but with Cerazette I'm lucky if I get a period once every few months now and when I do get it, the PMS leading up to it is very minimal unlike what I suffered with microgynon and with natural periods and that's helped me overall with my health and more importantly my wellbeing :yep:

I also tried the implant before Cerazette for a couple of months but that was worse than microgynon! I've never been so moody, snappy and damn right horrible to be around when I was on that and it was every day, not just for a week or two at a time like with microgynon :eek:

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Interesting that the implant is progesterone - which is linked with what the article was saying around that hormone being a mood depresser - especially for women. Poor you :frown: I'm so glad you're through the other side and feeling balanced.

In the end that's why I came off hormones entirely. I'd been on and off the Pill for what felt like a long time and I just thought "who actually am I without all of these extra hormones that don't actually belong to me?" I feel a lot better for it, a lot more balanced and can just forget about it. I also really like having a period because it's a constant reminder that my body is happy and everything is working as it should. I think it's a bit of a blessing really :h:

Original post by Danny Dorito
Microgynon sent me crazy. I had really bad mood swings, was irritable and upon reflection I think it made me a bit depressed. I also gained weight, my skins broke out and my boobs grew from a D to an E, all of which only contributed to my low mood. So yeah, wasn't the best experience.
After that I tried the implant and and the injection which were both okay but I always felt more myself when I took a break from contraception (and used condoms instead - safety first!).
I've given myself a 6 month break and I feel so much better. Planning to going on the coil as per @She-Ra's recommendation.
I'm a sensitive soul, so pumping myself full of hormones, doesn't bode well for me.


It really does suck - Microgynon is just nasty, I don't know of anyone who seems to have had a nice time on it.... remembering what all my friends went through too :frown:

I think going on the Pill is the norm... so we just do it don't we.... but as you say, how healthy is pumping your body full of fake hormones to stop your monthly cycle? I know it's meant to help us (i.e. have an empowering sex life without the worry of pregnancy) but it also detaches us from our feminine..... a core function of our body.....
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by She-Ra
Sounds like you had a really rough time of it :frown: But well done for persevering and pushing your point. You know your body and your mind and you should have been listened too. When you came off the pill did the depression and anxiety lift?


Not entirely. I came off both the pill and the antidepressants (because my first two doctors felt medication and referring me to a psych hospital was better than listening to me...) and felt a lot better for it, but ultimately ended up making the decision to go back on the pill to regulate periods because getting it every two weeks is not fun. :frown: I try to manage the side effects in other ways. Being aware of the cause makes it a lot easier to deal with.
I just can't believe that these people are medical professionals and yet have only just started to consider this. This is a medication that alters your primary hormonal pattern, and doing so always poses the risk of psychological side effects. Makes me laugh how men with poor testosterone have to jump through hoops to get hormone replacement, yet to women they hand out these pills like sweets. Just goes to prove what I was saying in another thread the other day - intelligence does not always come with common sense.
Original post by sinfonietta
Not entirely. I came off both the pill and the antidepressants (because my first two doctors felt medication and referring me to a psych hospital was better than listening to me...) and felt a lot better for it, but ultimately ended up making the decision to go back on the pill to regulate periods because getting it every two weeks is not fun. :frown: I try to manage the side effects in other ways. Being aware of the cause makes it a lot easier to deal with.


:headfire:

Wow, you really have been through it. It's definately not easy. :frown:

I read Woman Code before Christmas and I thought it was brilliant - all about the cycle and holistically managing your hormones to restore your cycle. It may not float your boat.... but perhaps worth a glance if you're up for it. It blew my mind and Alissa Vitti runs a hugely successful women's clinic in NYC. I've applied some of her advice and found it has really benefited me physically and emotionally.
I actually do well on Microgynon.. stopped most of my endometriosis symptoms for a bit. I had a nasty time when I went off it for a while though
Hey, I'm not sure if this is relevant but I'm looking for a wee bit of advice:

I've been on the pill for 5 years now (since I was 16). I was on Rigevidon for 3 months, went nuts and then changed to Cilest, which I've been on ever since.

I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I've had to quit jobs because of it, but I've very fortunately had my boyfriend sticking by me since I was 15, despite all that. My boobs went from a B to a DD in under a year when I was 16 but I just assumed that was puberty. I always assumed the depression and anxiety was just a part of my personality, especially since I suffered from an eating disorder from 13-15.

But now that I'm 21, I'm really starting to wonder if this is my personality, or if I've been on the pill for so long that I can't tell.

Does anyone know what my options are here? When my sister came off the pill for a break, her HAIR started falling out and the lack of hormone really messed her up. I don't want to get pregnant right now but I also want to know if the pill has made me the way I am (and I would like to change if I can).

Sorry for the long post!
Original post by She-Ra
Sounds like you had a really rough time of it :frown: But well done for persevering and pushing your point. You know your body and your mind and you should have been listened too. When you came off the pill did the depression and anxiety lift?



Everyone seems to have had a horrible experience with Microgynon - but that is the one they seem to put all young girls on to first. All my friends were the same. So glad you're feeling better now. At the time did you think your mood and depression was linked to the Pill?


It's funny because at the time I had no idea it was linked to the Pill, I just thought it was me and due to other things in life, and the first few doctors i mentioned it to dismissed my concerns as if it was just me being moody or one even said that's just my personality LOL

My mum works in a pharmacy and she said the reason they give Microgynon first is as it's the cheapest. It's one of the older pills and its cheapest for them to give out so they try it first, dianette is one of the newest and is more expensive so you need to get that prescribed (rather than free at a sexual health clinic like others).

Having said that, some are perfectly fine I Microgynon for years! The truth is everyone's body is different so it's important to listen to your body and try different ones until you find the best one. Hormones are so complicated and have a much bigger effect than I imagined!!!

God it's so hard being a woman sometimes haha

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Sorry I accidently wrote my repose in the quote but can't change it from my phone oops

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I take Cerelle, and it's actually made my quality of life better. I've stopped getting aura migraines, but it unfortunately made me bleed every day for the first 2 months.
Original post by nodiggity
Hey, I'm not sure if this is relevant but I'm looking for a wee bit of advice:

I've been on the pill for 5 years now (since I was 16). I was on Rigevidon for 3 months, went nuts and then changed to Cilest, which I've been on ever since.

I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I've had to quit jobs because of it, but I've very fortunately had my boyfriend sticking by me since I was 15, despite all that. My boobs went from a B to a DD in under a year when I was 16 but I just assumed that was puberty. I always assumed the depression and anxiety was just a part of my personality, especially since I suffered from an eating disorder from 13-15.



Yup Cilest did that to my boobs too. And literally over night it was like they'd been pumped up. Not good. Did you have the anxiety and depression before the Pill? Or was that related to the eating disorder at all? Your boyfriend sounds like an angel, he obviously loves you very much and sees you for who you really are :heart: You've got a good one there.

But now that I'm 21, I'm really starting to wonder if this is my personality, or if I've been on the pill for so long that I can't tell.

Does anyone know what my options are here? When my sister came off the pill for a break, her HAIR started falling out and the lack of hormone really messed her up. I don't want to get pregnant right now but I also want to know if the pill has made me the way I am (and I would like to change if I can).


So I was on the pill from 15-27 and then I went on the coil. I did have a few months break at points over those 12 years but only of a few months a not for significant amounts of time that my body ever re-balanced.

Everyone is different, so it's hard to say, but everyone I have ever known to have come off the pill - generally to have children in their mid-twenties they have not had any issues in terms of hair falling out or anything else. I think all of us were on different types of the Pill too.

Given what happened to your sister, it's probably worth seeking medical advice too.


My motivation was the same as yours - "who am I, do I actually want to eat this food, what do I like, how do I feel about x,y and z - is this really me". But again, like you, I wasn't ready for family so I still needed a contraceptive.
I'd had a spate of depression and anxiety due to my job and been seeing a therapist for about 6 months so it felt like the right time to also came off the Pill. I felt well coming off the pill, I noticed in myself that I was a lot calmer generally, more mindful of what I was eating, and my cycle became regular far quicker than I'd anticipated.

Your body was built to re-balance itself when it comes to hormones and also to have a cycle - so although things might be a little up and down initially it will sort itself out. Our body's are far cleverer than we give them credit for. I'd play extra-special attention to food and exercise if you do make the change - food can really help us to restore our hormonal health and moving - whether it's yoga or having a good sweat up is said to be the most underutilised antidepressant. I'd have a plan in place to help you make the transition, that will boost your confidence and keep you feeling calm about the whole process.

If you don't do it now - before you come off the Pill - perhaps track / journal every day of your cycle for the next two months - focus on your emotions, feelings, food cravings, sex drive - build up a picture of who you are and how you feel across the 60 days - see if they match up and then when you come off the Pill do exactly the same thing for two - three months and see what differences you notice.

Hope this helps :h:
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 15
I'm not allowed on the pill due to migraines. I was on Yasmin from the ages of 14-18, but it was taken off me because my migraines got worse and it wasn't helping my periods really. I was then put on Cerazette when I came to uni but it made me bleed straight for a month. Following that, I had the implant for 6 months. Of those 6 months, I put on a slight bit of weight, my boobs went from 36A to 34B, and I was having periods constantly; I would bleed for 5 weeks and then go to the doctors for norethisterone, not bleed for a good 10 days, and then go back to 5 weeks of bleeding.

They had to remove it, and I was put on a solid two month course of norethisterone over summer 2016, as I had been referred to gynecology. Got in with them in September past, and they recommended the depo injection. Christ, that has been horrible. I'm still suffering now, even though I had one dose of it. I'm on week 8 of a period, with norethisterone now being rejected by my body, it barely does a thing to do.

The next suggestion from gynecology is the coil, but I'm not wanting to have it. The adverse reactions I have to medication, even if it is copper plated and no hormones, knowing my body, it would not work. And I don't want to go through the hassle of a lot of pain (and it would be a lot, I can't even have internal scans done, I had to have an external scan for my womb and ovaries) for it to probably not work. It's not worth it.

I have mental health difficulties, and tbh, I didn't see an affect from the hormones. Mainly because I have erratic mood swings and a chronic low mood anyway. I'm medication resistance (i.e my body can't handle therapeutic doses of mental health medication) so it is not a surprise that hormonal treatment is not for me.
Original post by WoodyMKC
I just can't believe that these people are medical professionals and yet have only just started to consider this. This is a medication that alters your primary hormonal pattern, and doing so always poses the risk of psychological side effects. Makes me laugh how men with poor testosterone have to jump through hoops to get hormone replacement, yet to women they hand out these pills like sweets. Just goes to prove what I was saying in another thread the other day - intelligence does not always come with common sense.


I know - it's like a coming of age thing now - enter you're mid-late teens and before you know it you're on the Pill with little thought as to what it is actually doing. Education for young women around their cycles and fertility is non-existent which I think is a huge issue. A lot of the time I think young women also go to the doctors without chatting to their mother or another older woman - so they're making this decision independently with very little emotional support.

Original post by CarysJSLewis
I actually do well on Microgynon.. stopped most of my endometriosis symptoms for a bit. I had a nasty time when I went off it for a while though


I'm glad it worked for you and helped you to manage your endometriosis - I have a couple of friends who have suffered with it and I know how painful it's been for them :frown:

Original post by michrab123


My mum works in a pharmacy and she said the reason they give Microgynon first is as it's the cheapest. It's one of the older pills and its cheapest for them to give out so they try it first, dianette is one of the newest and is more expensive so you need to get that prescribed (rather than free at a sexual health clinic like others).

Having said that, some are perfectly fine I Microgynon for years! The truth is everyone's body is different so it's important to listen to your body and try different ones until you find the best one. Hormones are so complicated and have a much bigger effect than I imagined!!!

God it's so hard being a woman sometimes haha

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I was just saying to @Danny Dorito that I'm sure I found out that microgynon was the cheapest which is why we all get put on it. However.... I couldn't find anything backing that up online. She'd said she'd heard that too. Thank you for confirming it :tongue:

Good advice :bl:

It is so hard! I feel you! :h:

Original post by Nirvana1989-1994
I take Cerelle, and it's actually made my quality of life better. I've stopped getting aura migraines, but it unfortunately made me bleed every day for the first 2 months.


Every day! :colonhash: That must have been so tough. Glad your migraines have stopped, they can be so debilitating :frown:
Original post by She-Ra

Every day! :colonhash: That must have been so tough. Glad your migraines have stopped, they can be so debilitating :frown:


It sucked. :frown:
But it started to settle down, and now I don't get any bleeding at all, which works great for me.
I hooping that they don't come back. :redface:
I was put on cerezatte because my periods were giving me migraine. That was fun - 5 day period and 5 day migraine. Yuck.

I've had one wobble since then. But depression is also listed as a side effect of the medication I'm on; so I'm not reading too much into it.
Original post by She-Ra

I'm glad it worked for you and helped you to manage your endometriosis - I have a couple of friends who have suffered with it and I know how painful it's been for them :frown:


Yeah it's not fun. I knew I had to do something about it when I was getting cramps from just walking around throughout the whole month. Even on the pill I can't go running anymore because of this. I do count myself fairly lucky though, because my mum knows people with endometriosis on the lungs, which must be horrific.

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