Birth Control Pills and Depression

It is possible that pills might decrease depression in women.

I suffered from depression for over 6 years before a hospital intern suggested that i try getting off the pill to see what happens. my symptoms disappeared within a week.

I had tried many different types of pills, but none of them seam to have made a difference! Because the depression was mild over the years, it was not taken seriously by my doctors, friends or family. After crying at my doctor’s office (a woman by the way), she told me that i was lucky ‘nothing is wrong with me’ and i should be thankful because i’m not as sick as some of her patients.

Everyone (including me eventually) thought it was circumstantial. I was feeling ‘blah’ most of the time and no highs or lows. just a general feeling of ‘emptiness’ in everything in my life.The depression was getting worse over time since the pill also affected my libido. I had very little sex drive and didn’t enjoy sex as i used to. It affected my friendships, it affected my work, it affected my health, my relationships…

I had tried everything from meditation, yoga, exercise and healthy eating… but now that i am off the pill (it has been 6 months) i have regained my life back…. i have the energy and the drive that i remember having before i started! I hope this story helps someone. of course you should listen to your body and only YOU know exactly what to do to make your life better.

i too am going through very similiar situation. for the past 5 weeks i have had depression and anxiety-panick attacks. never in my life have i experianced such things and felt like i have been going crazy. finally went to see a therapist (something i have never done before) and on 2nd session she asked if i was on a bc pill. i said yes. she asked if it was an extended bc pill. i said yes. very puzzled i asked why. she said she has seen this before with ladies on extended bc pill. i was shocked. i had never heard of this before. once i got home i began researching on-line and the results floored me ! so many stories like mine ! why was i never told about this ? i can say for sure if i was i would have never ever taken bc pill. EVER !! i am on way this fri to dr appt to have it checked out. very anxious to get off this pill but must remian on it till dr appt. please anyone else out there like me , feel free to email !!

update–bloodwork came back normal , so it is looking like bc is the problem. threw away pill right there in dr office. today is day 4 off pill and can tell no diff yet, but didnt expect to so soon. dr said could take 3-4 weeks to see full effects. dr has seen several cases where people have come into her office from going to see other dr who automatically put them on a anti-depressent when all along it was the bc pill.

My doctor had switched me to various pills over the past 9 years. I had been stacking my Lo Ovral and then on Seasonique, Seasonale, etc. I had anxiety, mood swings, and low libido. I felt like I was going to pass out. I asked to go back to Lo Ovral, but my pills didn’t get here in time so I went off the pill two months ago. Wow! My libido came back. No more anxiety or feeling like I’m going to pass out. Just discovered that it was those pills affecting me all this time. The sad thing is I’ve lost my marriage. Just found out two weeks ago my husband has been cheating on me for the past 3 months with a girl from highschool (he’s 35). She’s married too. Two families messed up. My husband has blamed me for my bad attitude, etc. But now he’s supposedly in love w/ her etc. and I’m heartbroken. No more pills. I hope no one has to go through what I have.

I have been reading these experiences with interest. My daughter (20) recently told me that she had been suffering severe depression and massive panic attacks. She’s always been introverted and sensitive, but it’s got really bad over the last few months. She started taking the pill about a year ago and I was wondering if there may be a link. Will definitely try to further examine that avenue now.

I have had some bad side effects as well. I had increased anxiety on one medication but the worst came when I started taking seasonique. A few weeks after I started taking it I was beginning to have really bad mood swings and was feeling a little bit more depressed than normal but I didn’t realize that these were caused by the new meds and didn’t realize it for awhile. My depression got worse and worse and then after a break up got even worse which I believe is because of the meds. Almost 4 months later and a suicide attempt I realized what these meds may be doing to me so I stopped taking them and the same things were going on but yet I was a lot less depressed and those suicidal thoughts weren’t as bad and eventually went away. People choose wisely when you decide about these things because if I didn’t stop taking those meds I may not be here to tell my story.