I take 250 mg of magnesium at night as well. I sometimes don’t need anything else beside my nightly supplements (magnesium/2nd dose of fish oil) to sleep, but as of lately I need something extra because I feel like I’m faint and get tingly all over when I’m laying down and that just just adds to the anxiety. If I could get rid of the anxiousness I think everything else would be easier to manage.
I’ve tried listening to meditation stuff on YouTube and I just can’t really tell it does anything for me.
I really feel for people who have been on for longer than me. I’m glad you’re feeling some better, too!! I know it sounds crazy, but those 3 months on did something serious on me. I can only imagine how some people feel. I’ve read some post of people that were on for 20+ years. That’s crazy to me. I’ve never had a regular period off bc, so I’m assuming that attributed to the effects it had on me as well.
- Kayla
I think once your anxiety subsides a bit you will be able to manage everything so much better. Just try not to over think at night when you start to experience those faint and tingly feelings. I've been on the verge of feeling like I was about to pass out more times than I can even count but it has never happened. Just reassure yourself that its hormonal fluctuations. I've been reframing every new symptom I have as one step closer to my body getting back on track. That mindset has helped tremendously. I can't imagine being on it for longer than 10 years. I'm mad at myself for staying on it as long as I did since I only went on it for bad cramps in high school and have been in the same relationship with my husband for the last 8 years since I began college. But hindsight is 20/20 and clearly we have both learned our lessons!
Keep me posted if these recent feelings end up being attributed to PMS and keep me posted with how your next Dr. appointment goes! -Lilly
I am still not 100% myself, but this Olly Miss Mellow is really helping me feel more relaxed and present. He said that he has never heard of that supplement and when he tried to add it in my file, it didn’t come up on any available list for him to be able to add. I think I’m going to take it for at least 3 months and see if it makes a difference with my irregularity as well. Hopefully within that time, with the extra help from the Miss Mellow, my hormones will have evened out and all the anxiety, depersonalization, spacey feelings and not wanting to be alone will be diminished. I haven’t felt any of that besides small feelings of anxiety over the last 3 days of taking it. The anxiety is nothing compared to how it was at the beginning.
I’m claiming being and feeling better sooner than later for me and everyone who has gone through this and who is going through it now. We are a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for. We are strong!
- Kayla
Just curious to how long this lasted I had a baby 8 months ago and taught I was going through PTSD and PPD from the birth but maybe im just dealing with a hormonal imbalance as I felt fine a few weeks ago!
- Kayla
I stopped the pill on Friday 15th (July 2022), got the « fake period » a few days later and was supposed to take the pill back on Friday 22th (July 2022). I got my first panic attack that day : I was ready to sleep it was late, turned off the light, went to bed and boom.
The next 10 days were HELL. I had anxiety with panic attacks when I was 18-19yo (I’m 26 now) so I knew what it was but those 10 days were waaaay worse. And I was lost because I couldn’t understand why, I have a wonderful husband, very good relationship with my family, living my dream in Australia, enough money to buy whatever I want, a few holidays planned.. I had to tell myself almost every second « it is the pill it’s gonna be okay you’re alright », took Xanax to sleep, sometimes during the day too, couldn’t eat or be by myself, I even took my showers with husband..I’m going to stop here for this part because I could write for hours.
Then one day I woke up from a nap (that husband forced me to have) and I was weirdly fine.. well fine might not be the right word but the anxiety was 50% less than what it was. The next 2 weeks were easier to live, very bad anxiety in the morning, no appetite but could eat without being nauseous but still very dizzy and depersonalized/foggy brain.
Today it’s Sunday 21th of August, still no period, depersonalization and anxiety got better but still feeling it especially the days I didn’t sleep well. It is hard going to sleep without being exhausted as my mind wonders if I don’t fall asleep in 2 minutes. I still cannot drink coffee and cannot show any love to my husband..I know that I love him but idk it’s just very hard to be affectionate.
I’m sure I forgot a lot of things, but I know it’s gonna be better, we are strong. These days I fear my future as it feels that nothing is gonna make me happy, I am currently in Bali on holidays and it is a bit hard to enjoy because I just wait for the days to pass in hope that tomorrow I will be myself again. I still continue to live my life like that anxiety doesn’t exist. It feels like I am « aware » of my thoughts so I don’t know what to think about, when i try to relax my brain is just like « now what ? » But i feel a loooot better than the first days !! So when I feel bad I think of those bad days and say to myself that compared to that time what I’m feeling right now is nothing !
I am afraid to feel that bad again but if it comes back it’s okay, I know it’s gonna go away as it did before, I’m not alone, it’s not my mind, it’s my body, my body is sick and needs time to heal. When I feel that something bad is coming I try to distract myself : I do some yoga even if it’s 10 minutes, I call a friend, it’s hard to be in the conversation but I just force myself because I know that it’s still better than doing nothing, I learn another language, that one is going to take a long time as I have absolutely no memory now and even some memory loss.
I wanted to be organized in what I’m saying but I think a failed haha.
Rose
If the girls that posted these past months/years are still reading this : are you feeling better ? Did all the symptoms go away by themselves ?
I was feeling better but got my period a week ago and anxiety+obsessive thoughts got worse :( I’m trying to wait and be positive because I don’t want to ruin my husband’s holidays but it’s so tiring.
I’ve been off of bc since June 5th, 2022 and yesterday (Aug 28th) made 13 weeks off for me. I’ve had 2 periods since coming off. This last one (started Aug 20th-24th) I felt really good the 4 days before the period and the first day of it, then the remaining time on my period. I could feel the anxiety building again and I was emotional. Today, I’m feeling nauseas. I can say that I’m feeling better than I was in the beginning, but still not 100% me. I still have anxiety and depression on and off. Heart palpitations, still can’t eat like I used to. Sometimes I’m fine and other times I’m not. In the beginning I couldn’t be by myself because I was scared I was going to die or something… that has gotten better. I still don’t want to be alone a lot, but I can be when I have to be. When I do have bad days, I try to think about how bad I was in the beginning and how I am better, so something is helping me weather it’s time, supplements, journaling, talking to people online that are going through the same thing…. I really think time is key. I was only on bc for 3 1/2 months and am almost at the same amount of time off. I really thought this would be over by now, but sadly it’s not.
I really hope my depersonalization and dissociation don’t come back this month because I’m over it. It’s really hard when that hits. I don’t think I’m completely out of the woods yet, but I can tell there are better moments. Keep on fighting. We’ll get there soon
Hi Rose, this is Lilly from a few posts above. I am over 4 months into this ordeal after being on the pill for 10 years and can tell you it definitely does get better but it takes a while. I am still experiencing the anxiety and everything that comes along with it, but it’s mostly around my period and the first week after my period ends- intrusive thoughts, moodiness, heart palps, muscle twitches, hair loss, digestive issues, ringing in my ears, internal tremors, shortness of breath, joint pain, and other physical symptoms of anxiety. I no longer really feel “foggy” or out of it luckily unless I’ve slept poorly the night before. I didn’t sleep well at all last night and have felt really anxious today for the first time in a while. Sleep definitely plays into it. I also still can’t eat as much as I used to and my doctor confirmed that the pill contains appetite stimulants that no one is told about so it makes sense that appetite takes a hit. The intrusive thoughts I would say is my worst symptom right now but I know it’s all related to anxiety and irrational-it’s still scary though when I never used to think this way! I’m getting better about being left alone when necessary but I still do better when my husband is home with me all day but that isn’t always realistic.
I take b12, d3, omega 3s, iron, magnesium, and gaba currently and can tell they work. I am mentally preparing myself that this is going to take probably another 4-6 months to feel “normal” again but I have definitely made it through the worst and know we will all get through this and be stronger for it. The bad days become more and more manageable over time and you kind of just learn to deal with it as awful as that sounds. But I will say even on my worst day it does not last the whole day, it’s pretty much just in the mornings and by the afternoon/ evening I am fine. On my best days, I don’t even think about the anxiety and I try to make the most of those moments and be grateful for the break.
I would also love to hear from any of the other ladies who have been off for 8-12 months+ to see what life looks like after this whole thing. Hang in there! You are stronger than you think and you will get better. I will continue posting monthly updates as that is pretty much the one thing that gave me hope while going through this horrible experience. Praying for all of you and manifesting quick recoveries for us all. -Lilly
Thank you so much for your answers Kayla and Lilly ! Today is a good day so knowing that it got a lot better for you makes me relieved, sometimes I just want to cry knowing that I have to be like this for at least a few more months. When it’s like that I tell myself that I don’t know what will happen tomorrow so there is no point thinking about it.
My anxiety gets worse when I think about the past or the fact that I’m aging, like seeing an old pictures or an old tv shows that I used to watch. I try to understand why but can’t think of a reason : am I the only one that feels that way ? The passing of time makes me very anxious.
Tired of being aware of my thoughts but I don’t feel that when I talk with someone, just a normal conversation.
I also take Berocca in the morning and ashwagandha twice a day, thinking of taking 5HTP when I get home but also heard that gaba helps a lot ; Lilly do you feel the difference when you take it ?
Kayla the brand that you take « Olly » has a product with gaba called « goodbye stress » I wanted to try that but can’t find any in Australia. Also thinking about my worst days really helps me, i have a diary where I put a little (and sometimes big !) heart next to good days.
Last question : I saw some posts talking about aphrodites women forum but I can’t find it when I google it, does anyone know if it still exists ?
Rose
Hey girl, Kayla here again.
I tried the Goodbye Stress gummies and I couldn’t tell they did anything for me? But I only did take them one day when I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack and I didn’t have one, but I still was very on edge and crying…. so maybe it did work and I was just having a bad day OR I learned how to control the panic.
I often too get frustrated thinking about how long it will take to feel 100% normal. Like I’ll be fine and the then all of a sudden the thoughts of symptoms pop in my head and I can’t get them out until I’m around other people, talking or working, ect. I often feel better when I am around people, especially people I care about. I feel the most me then. It’s hard to not know when things will be all better, but I’m learning that it will come in time. I also look at old pictures of myself and try to think back to that time and it’s hard for me sometimes to picture it…like the mental clarity that I had in the photo? I don’t know, it’s weird and I know I probably sound crazy.
And I totally know what you mean about feeling so aware of your thoughts and feelings. I hated that. I still get it from time to time, but nothing like it was in the beginning.
I also just started taking vitamin c. Now I’m on Vit C, Probiotic, Super B Complex, multivitamin, fish oil and magnesium (at night).
I also tried to find that forum and couldn’t. I wish there was a way for us to share emails, ect because I’m in a messenger group on Facebook with people that are going through the same things as us and I really think it’s helping me talking to them. If y’all know how to share emails on here while signed in, let me know!
-Kayla