Side effects of stopping the birth control pill...depression?

Kakalina · Guest

Hi I have recently stopped taking the pill. I was on the pill for about 10 years, I am 27 years old. I struggled with depression as a teenager and now I feel as if Iam struggling with it now again? I read that the estrogen that the pill releases actually helps depression, is this true. Am I experiencing a normal side effect of stopping the pill or am I just to my old self again. Please if anyone has answers, let me know, thanks.
Kathleen

Manny · Guest

Hello Kakalina, I just wanted to say...I struggled with the same problem you did for a week or two after stopping the BCP (I had been on it 3 years straight) Having never had any depression problem before hand, I can only lay the blame on stopping the pill. I hope you and me both get better Smile

Guest · Guest

Hi, I was on the pill for 13 years until this past summer. After stopping it I began to have severe panic attacks and a touch of depression as well. Thinking back, I realized that the one other time that I tried to come off of the pill (six years ago) I had almost the same thing happen. Anyhow, in an effort to get this wicked stuff out of my system and not have to rely on it anymore, I toughed it out (and I won't lie to you, it was AWFUL) and after about five months I began to feel more normal and like myself. As a bonus, since coming off of the pill I have a much higher sex drive and I've gone from having a headache six days a week to maybe one a month (and I was on the lowest dose pill!). Please try to surround yourself with supportive people and/or a short term therapist who won't push you to take anti-depressants. Maybe a naturopathic doctor as well. Good luck and know you are not alone. Don't let anybody discourage you- you can do it! I didn't think I could, and now I'm so glad I did.

Carifairy · Veteran Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 2727

Some women notice such wonderful results mood-wise with the pill, and that is why many women will stay on it even after a tubal ligation.

I have the OPPOSITE reaction, the pills actually cause my depression to worsen.

I take zoloft, I have for 12 years, and absolutely love my life. When I use BC pills I have to increase the dosage of zoloft so much, that I have side effects.

It would be wise to seek the advice of a doc if you continue having depression problems.

wkurenee · Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

I've been off of the pill now for a little over 2 months after taking it for 19 years. I had no idea what to expect and was a little nervous. Good things that happened were no more vaginal dryness, increased sex drive, and slight weight loss. The WORST for me is depression. I've never had this before and don't know what to do. I'm trying to exercise, sleep and eat right but I can't seem to shake this feeling. I want to cry a lot and am in general not happy. This is not the normal me at all. I guess the only thing to do is tough it out? Hopefully it will go away???

mgauvin · Newbie Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

hi all, it totally agree with all of you - i had really bad anixety on the pill and started to get a mild depression so i stopped it after 3 years - i was freaked out to do it but ive read such bad things about it that i just did it - i am up and down but generally feel more depressed - how long does it take to feel better it has been about 2.5 months?

Guest · Guest

So glad that others have experienced the same thing, even though it's horrible! I got off the pill about three weeks ago....and i have been depressed ever since. Now that it's been longer than a normal "slump" would be, I'm thinking that it's from going of the pill. I was on for ten years.

I want to try and get pregnant, so I suppose this rollercoaster could get even worse! Ugh!

sakcat · Newbie Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

I got off the pill 10 months ago after taking it for 6 years. I didn't realize it until just now, but I too was (and still am to some extent) really depressed and lethargic. It's slowly decreased over the months, but for a wile I was having severe panic attacks. Now I just have to stay aware of my stress level. The weirdest part of this whole thing is I feel like I'm going through puberty all over again. I was only 14 when I started taking it and stoped at the age of twenty. Usually girls experience breast growth when they start the pill, not me, I got it when I got off the pill... Not that I mind. Smile

Guest · Guest

Has anyone been on bcp and when they stopped were very dizzy. The dizzy spells come and go but my anxiety got better. The depression, cramps, bleeding, mood is way worse off the pill, but the anxiety on the pill stinks. I can't stand being dizzy though it makes me feel like I'm having a panic attack.

Guest · Guest

I'm a moody and often depressed person naturally. With the pill, I had the complete opposite effect. When i was on Ortho Tri Cyclen, I had relatively stable moods, good amount of energy and sex drive, increased breast size and better skin. Then...they made me switch to this awful trisprintec (generic) version and it made me so anxious and depressed that I wasn't functioning. So much so that i just stopped taking it mid-cycle and now have the worst cramps and a very heavy and early period. The pill was making me feel so sad and anxious and miserable that I'm thinking it might be best to stay off it permanantly.

Side effects of stopping the birth control pill...depression?

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