Home BC and moods

[Blair138]

I recall seeing a thread about questioning your medications and what they actually do to you. I have been on BC for 6 years and am starting to wonder if it is making me a bitch. (can I say that?) The OP poster of the medication thread mentioned that her moods got better when she went off it. Has anyone else experienced this? I really want to think about going off of it if that is the case. I think I am driving my FI nuts lately and my mom and I got into a fight and basically told me to calm the F*** down about stuff. HELP!

ETA: I am already on a super low dose, so changing that really isn't an option...

 

[ellaila]

I know firsthand that messing with your hormones can make you a raving lunatic (coming off a very bad experience with the NuvaRing!) so my inclination is to say yes, get off the BC if you think that''s the culprit. Because I''ve been pregnant, I knew for a fact that the way I was feeling on the NR was definitely a hormone issue because I felt post-partum again (not PPD, just that feeling of your hormones being all out of whack) - I wasn''t just moody, I felt like off-the-wall insane at times. And super-hot all the time too. Are you having any other symptoms or just moody?

I say talk to your doctor about other options - what do you have to lose? If you''re afraid to go on any hormones, there''s the ParaGard IUD, which is hormone-free, and I''m sure there must be other options out there as well. Good luck!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

is there a certain time in your cycle you are the worst? I know I break out in the week before my period. If so, talk to your doctor about one of the pills that does not go in monthly cycles so you don''t run into that problem. If it is more generalized and just happens randomly, talk to your doctor about progesterone only pills. You have to be more dilligent in taking them (exactly the same time every day), but you will have far fewer side effects than regular birth control which has estrogen in it.

 

[galeteia]

I was a nutcase on BC pills, and now have a non-hormonal IUD because I couldn''t take the side effects. The most emotionally turbulent/painful period of my life was due to being on BC pills - "mountains out of molehills" in spades. Since then, I have realized that the misery I was in was not prompted by my circumstances but instead my BC.

I''ve tried many forms of BCP, and every one of them did something horrid; hilariously the last form I took (Yasmin) made me depressed for a few hours at the same time every day!

 

[Miranda]

Count me in the lunatic camp while taking BCP. I''ve only been able to handle them for a few months out of my entire life. I couldn''t even stand myself! I have a friend that went through the same thing. She was totally out of control, saw a psychiatrist, got on loads of anti-depressants...Come to find out, the problem was the BCP. She stopped the pill, stopped the anti-depressants and is now feeling much better. I think some people just don''t do well with this kind of treatment regardless of the dosage. For others it''s a godsend.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 9/7/2008 3:17:08 PM
Author: Miranda
Count me in the lunatic camp while taking BCP. I've only been able to handle them for a few months out of my entire life. I couldn't even stand myself! I have a friend that went through the same thing. She was totally out of control, saw a psychiatrist, got on loads of anti-depressants...Come to find out, the problem was the BCP. She stopped the pill, stopped the anti-depressants and is now feeling much better. I think some people just don't do well with this kind of treatment regardless of the dosage. For others it's a godsend.

Miranda, isn't it your DH that has a funny name for your pills the week before you take the placebos?

My BCP definitely affecting my moods. DH often refers to the strongest pills as the scary pills or the mean pills. I switched from the regular version of orthotricyclin (sp?) to orthotricyclin-lo (sp?) and it helped. Talk to your docter about changing to a different pill.

 

[Pandora II]

Wonderful time on Yasmin - hell of a time on Cerazette.

All BCPs are not the same and what suits one person won''t always suit another.

But yes, it can make you moody.

 

[chizzy1982]

Hi Blair

I had HORRENDOUS mood swings when I switched from microgynon 30 to Dianette. I had been on Micro 30 for about 9 years and had started to develop bizarre spots which my GP thought waas hormone related so he switched me ( alarm bells should have rung as Dianette is intended to treated acne which I did not have so I knew it would be a super strong dose of hormones) I turned into a bitch from hell for about 10 days prior to my period, my poor BF couldn''t do a thing right. I also suffered from migranes on a monthly basis, ended up with huge breasts and regularly got thrush. It also made my anxiety and depressive episodes a lot more intense which was very hard to cope with. In the end i switched back and normal service has resumed - BF is very thankful, also my skin as cleared up on its own - go figure!!

I would chat to your doctor about other birth control methods or changing the type of pill you are on - there are loads on the market its a matter of finding which one suits you and your body at this time.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 9/7/2008 3:46:29 PM
Author: Pandora II
Wonderful time on Yasmin - hell of a time on Cerazette.

All BCPs are not the same and what suits one person won''t always suit another.

But yes, it can make you moody.

Ditto this. Yasmin made me CRAZY, yes I deserve all capital letters, DH asked me to have it switched my hormones were so out of wack.

 

[joflier]

I forgot which ones I tried, but they were all very low dose, because I was already dealing with some mood issues relating to PMS. Well this just compounded (even the low hormone dose) and I too became a raving lunatic.

So no more hormones for me!

 

[Miranda]

Date: 9/7/2008 3:41:01 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 9/7/2008 3:17:08 PM
Author: Miranda
Count me in the lunatic camp while taking BCP. I''ve only been able to handle them for a few months out of my entire life. I couldn''t even stand myself! I have a friend that went through the same thing. She was totally out of control, saw a psychiatrist, got on loads of anti-depressants...Come to find out, the problem was the BCP. She stopped the pill, stopped the anti-depressants and is now feeling much better. I think some people just don''t do well with this kind of treatment regardless of the dosage. For others it''s a godsend.

Miranda, isn''t it your DH that has a funny name for your pills the week before you take the placebos?

My BCP definitely affecting my moods. DH often refers to the strongest pills as the scary pills or the mean pills. I switched from the regular version of orthotricyclin (sp?) to orthotricyclin-lo (sp?) and it helped. Talk to your docter about changing to a different pill.

I don''t take the pill because I can''t be a fully functioning human if I do, but, he does refer to that week as the ''honest'' week.

 

[iluvcarats]

I have tried 8 different BC pills, and never could last more than a week on any of them. I tried so many b/c I get ovarian cysts that grow really large (like the size of an orange) and then rupture. My OB put me on BC Pills to stop me from ovulating, but I just couldn''t tolerate them. They made me crazy. I think some people are really sensitive to hormonal fluctuations.

 

[Blair138]

Thanks for all your replies ladies!! I spoke with FI today and he agrees that I''ve become a biotch...It''s not at a certain time it''s all the time. I am on a 24 days cycle called LoEstrin. I used to be on Ovcon and I remember being OK on that...I''m actually going to the doc in a few weeks for my annual check up so I''m going to ask him. I need to calm down and I can see myself being a nut, but cannot do anything about it...Right now BC pills are the only option we like. I believe that you need to have had a child to use an IUD (right?). Once again, thanks for all your help!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

I love my Lybrel. LOVE. IT.

I''ve been on Lybrel for quite a while now. (I''m not sure how long, but ever since it first came out . . . I couldn''t wait!) Before Lybrel, I was on Seasonale, which I also liked. Needless to say, I''m a big fan of very few periods (hence the Seasonale), or better yet, NO periods (hence the Lybrel)!

Since Lybrel puts you on the same pill every day, with no fluctuations in the hormone levels, your mood stays pretty even all the time. No period = no PMS! It did take a while for my body to get used to it. I had some spotting for the first few months (sorry if this is TMI!), but that stopped about two or three months after I started taking it, and I haven''t had a problem since!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 9/7/2008 8:19:59 PM
Author: Miranda

Date: 9/7/2008 3:41:01 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 9/7/2008 3:17:08 PM
Author: Miranda
Count me in the lunatic camp while taking BCP. I''ve only been able to handle them for a few months out of my entire life. I couldn''t even stand myself! I have a friend that went through the same thing. She was totally out of control, saw a psychiatrist, got on loads of anti-depressants...Come to find out, the problem was the BCP. She stopped the pill, stopped the anti-depressants and is now feeling much better. I think some people just don''t do well with this kind of treatment regardless of the dosage. For others it''s a godsend.

Miranda, isn''t it your DH that has a funny name for your pills the week before you take the placebos?

My BCP definitely affecting my moods. DH often refers to the strongest pills as the scary pills or the mean pills. I switched from the regular version of orthotricyclin (sp?) to orthotricyclin-lo (sp?) and it helped. Talk to your docter about changing to a different pill.

I don''t take the pill because I can''t be a fully functioning human if I do, but, he does refer to that week as the ''honest'' week.

I knew you told me a funny story about this. It will be interesting what my moods are like in accordance with my cycle when I no longer take pills...I''m a wee bit scared because at least now my hormones are regulated.