The Student Room Group

Could birth control help?

I’m 15 years old and I struggle a lot emotionally with my periods, so I’m wondering if some form of birth control might help me.

Just before my periods, I get very bad mood swings and depression. I have depression day-to-day anyway, but it becomes unbearable around my period. I become very angry to the point of punching things. As far as I’m aware, it’s not just the normal low mood that comes with a period, because I spend much of my day crying with little to no motivation.

I’ve had ME for several years, so I also have chronic fatigue that has left me in a wheelchair. The emotional strain from a period triggers my fatigue, and I suspect the loss of blood isn’t helping me either. The condition combined with my period also weakens my immune system, so I frequently get colds during or just before I start bleeding. Colds knock me out for about a week, and I can’t go out or do anything really during that time, because I get them worse than average.

I’m not sure if this is something I’ll just have to live with, or if hormonal contraceptives like the pill might help to regulate my mood and fatigue a little. I’m also trans so I get dysphoria alongside my period. Is birth control worth considering?

Reply 1

Best thing to do is to actually go and make a appointment with your GP and discuss the matter with them as they will know your medical history and can prescribe birth control if necessary to you as nobody here can actually tell you what to do as it's best dealt with your GP okay.

The pill may help you with your moods especially around the time of your periods but go and see your GP first.


I'm a registered midwife..

Original post by Anonymous
I’m 15 years old and I struggle a lot emotionally with my periods, so I’m wondering if some form of birth control might help me.

Just before my periods, I get very bad mood swings and depression. I have depression day-to-day anyway, but it becomes unbearable around my period. I become very angry to the point of punching things. As far as I’m aware, it’s not just the normal low mood that comes with a period, because I spend much of my day crying with little to no motivation.

I’ve had ME for several years, so I also have chronic fatigue that has left me in a wheelchair. The emotional strain from a period triggers my fatigue, and I suspect the loss of blood isn’t helping me either. The condition combined with my period also weakens my immune system, so I frequently get colds during or just before I start bleeding. Colds knock me out for about a week, and I can’t go out or do anything really during that time, because I get them worse than average.

I’m not sure if this is something I’ll just have to live with, or if hormonal contraceptives like the pill might help to regulate my mood and fatigue a little. I’m also trans so I get dysphoria alongside my period. Is birth control worth considering?

Reply 2

Hey! I’m in a *very* similar situation and just started taking the mini pill a couple days ago - did you find a hormonal contraceptive helped - any update would be very much appreciated 🙏

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