Birth control pill & Depression

A little over a year ago, I started ortho tri cyclen lo. I was told it was a very low dose and mild pill. I didn't do any prior research on this pill, but I really wish I had. I only stayed on it for 2 months and suffered horrible, horrible side effects. I had mood swings and this caused problems with my boyfriend. I had migraine headaches and lost my desire to have sex. I spiraled into major depression and attempted to take my life more than three times. I spent that summer in the hospital and secluded in my house. I hardly talked or went outside. I got to the point where I never wanted to get out of bed. I was not myself. I'm much better now but still suffer from depression. I'm taking celexa for my depression. Has anyone had a similar experience while taking bc?

 

I know of a lot of people who suffered from depression on the pill. I had mood swings and NO sex drive, but I never had depression.

How long have you been off the pill? It can take 6 months sometimes for those side effects to go away

 

hello friends
nice forum....
well i am agree with lovelyxmalia,i also think it can take 6 to 8 months usually,but if you are taking regularly celexa then it will take like 5 months hardly,and my girl friend also had mood swing and realy no sex at all..

 

The pill actually helped balance my hormones, but I have heard of it causing depression in some women. I was on birth control once for maybe like 7 or 8 months but I was a smoker at the time and the long term side effects from smoking and taking BC at the same time scared me so bad that I gave up the pill and kept smoking lol.

Despite all the studies that have proven birth control to be relatively safe, I don't really trust anything that messes with your hormones like that.

I hope you start feeling normal again soon!

 

I've been off it for over a year.
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With birth controls they are primarily a hormone, and those of us that remember High School can tell you how much hormones can mess with your way of thinking. Some birth control pills are more prone to causing depressions ( even a mild pill) while others tend to just have a risk of it occurring. My suggestion would be to go see a doctor/Gynecologist and discuss the issue you are having. They might change your dosage, birth control, or put you on antidepressants.

 

wow, it's like i wrote the original post, except i never had the balls to actually attempt suicide or go to the hospital.

after 2 months, i decided to switch to loestrin 24 fe (this was back in february). the mood swings got waaaaay worse, and the depression stayed the same.

i switched over to seasonique a few weeks ago, and i'm still feeling the depression and mood swings and random bouts of unwarranted crying, but it's all finally starting to subside.

if i were you, i'd either completely stop taking bc for now, or talk to your gyno about types that have a smaller chance of causing depression. i hear mirena (the implant) has very few side effects, and the side effects it does have are very uncommon. it's pretty expensive, but it lasts up to 5 years, and i think it would be worth it if it can help you prevent pregnancy while also not making you feel like killing yourself.

i hope everything works out for you.. i wouldn't wish these feelings on even my worst enemy.

 

My advice to anyone would be steer clear of the doc.

 

I was on that same pill just for 3 months. I just got off it days ago because it gave me the WORST periods! the first month was alright. the second month i thought i had to go to the hospital cause my back and abdominal was so much in pain. then the third month I was bleeding heavily for a week straight.

I would not recommend this pill to anyone. Just yesterday though, I decided to get the depo shot. Hopefully my body likes this one.

I was on the ortho NOVUM 7/7/7 for 4 years. that was the best pill for me.

 

Tri cycline was the first pill I was ever put on (at age 13 -- I had a really messed up cycle that needed to be fixed). It was terrible. It made me horribly depressed, moody, and actually caused my right ovary to developed 'pre-cysts' making it 2.5 times larger in diameter than the left one! I would have excruciating pain every month between periods, which means I was probably ovulating (which shouldn't happen on the pill). The ovary returned to normal after switching brands. If it had gone a couple more months, I'd likely have to have had it removed.
My sister took tri cycline as well when we were younger, and she had a different experience. She would go totally insane on the 5th day of every new pill pack!
It's not good stuff!