anxiety attacks after stopping birth control

To the guest who posted before me: stop taking the Pill immediately!! You don't need to discuss anything with any doctor. They just DON'T KNOW one thing about coming off the pill. They'd probably put you on some anti anxiety med: it's the only thing they can do, covering symptomps without going to the root of the problem. Your body will just heal naturally, but you NEED to be kind to it: DO NOT TAKE ANY MORE DRUGS!! 99% of doctors cannot be trust on this.

Hi ladies

I last wrote a post just over 6 months ago about how after enduring 4 weeks of hell I had recovered but I was wrong! About a week after writing that post I "relapsed" and the horror started all over again. It's been almost 7 months and only now am I starting to really feel myself again. Not 100% but about 95% of the way which is a complete 360 of where I was at during the beginning. I feel it is my womanly duty to share my story and at least help someone who is going through what I and many others can only describe as HELL!

I just want to start out by saying I love my life. My family and friends mean everything and I have done things only people dream of. I had a thirst for life. Up until all this the only thing I wasn't really happy with was my job and lack of love life but nothing to get overly upset about. I had never been depressed, down in the dumps yes but never depressed. Then one Friday night after the movies it started.

This weird feeling of doom just swept over my while simply watching tv. I sent myself to bed thinking I would wake up fine but this didn't happen. Instead I woke trying to analyse what had happened and spent the whole day doing this. On Sunday when I woke up I felt fine, started getting ready for work, went on Facebook and saw an old friends mum had past and then the doom came down on my really hard, to the point where I wanted to be sick. For the next 2 weeks my stomach was in a constant knot, my heart had a weird flutter feeling to it, I couldn't eat, sleep or even go to the toilet, my head was crowded with the most scariest thoughts - what if something happens to a family member, what if I was capable of what you hear on the news ( I stopped watching the news because of this), am i suicidal and a lot more what ifs and could I thoughts filled my mind and have been for all this time. For the first few weeks I even convinced myself I had a mental illness. Then I saw an article about Yasmin. I read about how one woman when she came off was so depressed she could only find comfort in her bed and how if not for her boys she would have committed suicide and then it hit me.

I had been on Yasmin for almost 4 years for hormonal acne and had gone off it for about 2 months cause I was too lazy to get a prescription. When I finally went to the chemist to get it they offered me the generic version Isabelle, so thinking it would be dramatically cheaper I took it. After 3 weeks my acne started to come back so when I got my period I stopped taking it and decided I would go back on Yasmin. A week to the day of discontinuing the pill was when all this began. I started to do research and found a lot of helpful information as well as this site which was a god send. Even though linking all the information relieved some of the symptoms it did not help all of them so I decided to go to the doctor with all this information hoping she would recommend anything to speed the recovery process but she dismissed all of it! Decided to run tests and if nothing showed look at anxiety pills!!! Tests came clear, saw a cardiologist for the fluttering heart and that was all good too, even the cardiologist linked it to hormones but not the doctor. I decided to see another doctor who was sympathetic to my own diagnosis but still believed it was a generalised anxiety disorder and recommended a therapist.

After reading a lot of posts on here I told myself that I am a strong person and will get through this on my own and made the decision to avoid all medication and a therapist as I felt very impressionable about certain things and believed a therapist would only make me worry even more. I started to track on my period Callander when my symptoms were at there worst as there would be a whole week where I would start to fell better and then the wall would come crashing down again and noticed that the week of my ovulation was when my symptoms peaked but as every month passed they would get weaker and weaker. I knew from this alone that it was defiantly hormonally related. But my mind would just not get on board. I decided to see a hypnotherapist who helped my subconscious make sense of some of the thoughts bombarding my head and gave me some really good affirmations to say to myself which have really help but I couldn't stop over analysing everything that had happened. After 6 months of this I started to think maybe I had thought OCD and finally booked myself with a therapist.

But then 5 days before my appointment I found this really good hypnotherapy and anxiety video on YouTube and OMG it's like I have my mind back!!! I haven't had silly thoughts and that icky feeling in my stomach when they occur for 2 weeks! I still went to the therapist who also delivered good news. She explained to me that i was going through what a woman suffering from postnatal depression would go through. This was a relief. Finally some validation.

So my advice ladies - f@#k the doctors (unless you have a really good one of course), do NOT go back on the pill, they are full of synthetic hormones! Stuff the body isn't built for. We should never have messed with them in the first place. Doctors don't realise the effects of coming off the pill yet because the first generation of women having ever used the pill are baby boomers and they are currently experiencing menopause, its generations X, Y and Z that are currently going through this and unfortunately there isn't enough testing on the effects of stopping the pill because most doctors and women make the assumption that it is depression or anxiety and just go on anti-depressants and anxiety pills which are not the answer. I know it's so much easier said then done but try to ride out the storm naturally without anymore pills. Each month does get easier but everyone varies and you have to accept this. See a hypnotherapist if you wish, for me the physical symptoms were brought on by my thoughts which made me dwell on things continuously. Try falling asleep to Jodi Whitley's videos on YouTube and there are some really good anxiety videos on there too. Be sociable! Leave the house, do anything else but sit around and sulk. This has happened to us, it sucks but unfortunately we can be our own worst enemy. Do affirmations, at first you feel silly but they do work wonders. And most importantly, be patient and remember to love yourself. We'll all get there in the end xo

Also for those who feel they need it just to avoid pregnancy at least consider other options. Just ask yourself is it worth your physical and mental health.

Hi i have been on microygynon for 10 years went off for a break also been with my bf for 10 years the month after stopping mind you i stopped the pill when i had an operation to check down there ! All fine but the month after i went nuts not knowing whether i loved him or what the hell was going on a month later i was fine and then anxiety attacks!!!!!! Hit so back on pill in late august now its november when will i feel better because its killing me with these mixed felling i love my boyfriend so much but i feel some what guilty for the thoughts please help

I have not been on birth control for close to 9 years and still I struggle 24/7 with anxiety, severe PMS, worsened eczema, next to no libido, difficulty sleeping, never getting a restful sleep and on and off depression. Still searching for answers. I give myself B12 shots weekly which definitely helps somewhat with the depression. I haven't found anything to help with the rest of my issues but I'm not giving up.

hi, im glad i found this site, i have been through this before, 9 year ago after i gave birth(whatever happened to my hormones after birth is the same as coming off the pill) i had it severe, would not go out, i thought i was loopy, i was convinced i was having/had a nervous breakdown, anxiety to the point of shear "freaking at being alive" the most depressing thoughts and "black" feeling overwhelming me to the point id sit and think i wanted to shave off my eyebrows and scrape off my tattoo with a knife! all hormones!! or lack of! it took me 6 month to go out and shop again without freaking, and by the end of the 2 year i was fine and took my kids to blackpool for 5 days on my own! was completely normal for the last 6 year. i am now going through this again , started taking loestrin in march for acne, then yaz in may, then had horrendous leg pain with the high eostrogen so after 2 month the hospital put me on mini pill(progesterone)...i blamed the progesterone as i felt panic slowly ebbing its way back in and my mood was changing...saw the signs so stopped the mini pill after 2 month but got worse, i now know after reading these posts it was stopping the yaz thats done it, i went to my DR this morn again and she tried to give me beta blockers and antidepressants! i told her its coming off the pill and she said its not! i almost had a breakdown there and then cos it dashed all my hope that it was only hormonal and for around 10 seconds i thought i was going to flip and go insane because she was basically telling me i was nuts if it wasnt hormones , i felt hopeless and like i was gonna be institutionalised or something cos i cannt bare the thought of going through this daily, needless to say ive had a VERY bad day due to this, hopeless, untill i just stumbled across this site an hour ago. what a relief....not for you guys who are going through it, but just that im not alone in this dark place. im coping with 2 children on my own while going through this and ive just had a house move, my cortisol levels are through the roof and it takes me all my will power to calm myself. ive been doing a lot of research on vitamins, id like to say ive researched magnesium...in a good form, preferably chelated timed release (they have the correct ratio of calcium and vit d for the magnesium to do its job, its essential in over 300 ways to our body and most of the population are dificient and unaware, can cause depression, anxiety etc..its suppose to help level hormone balance, along with high strength b complex, high strength vit c and zinc. and also i take omega 3,6,9 essential fatty acids . ive been on this only 2 week, ive seen some slight improvement in this month compared to last month. its worth a shot, not a diagnosis , but worth trying and deffo better than taking drugs that cause more problems, and a lot you can do yourself is to remember that you are not alone, you arnt mad, its hormones. think thats what makes anxiety worse, is cos you think your going mad and scares you . but you arnt. x

omg..ive just replied to a post to a guest from 4 days ago...read what i put! I have said what is happening to me now with coming off yaz was exactly the same as what happened when i gave birth ! my Dr today also dismissed any hormones playing a part. they are useless! i knew i wasnt crazy. thankyou.!

hi, i think mine was a mixture of pills too now reading your post, i was on loestrin in april, for acne, changed to yaz in may, then changed again in july to progesterone only, which is when i started having my attacks. i can honestly say that its the most terrifying experience having a full blown anxiety attack. its like your going mentally insane and having a nervous breakdown (usually through the day for me) i havnt eaten in the day time for over 4 weeks, its physically impossible. i wretch over the toilet or sink most days and shake, then i seem to pick up when its getting dark and relax, then can eat small amounts. ive lost lots of weight. so glad i came across this site. im alone with kids, dont have a partner and only a small cirlcle of friends who i dont see really. its tough, so finding this site is a comfort, x

Hey, I'm 16 and have just had my withdrawal bleed after coming off of microgynon 30 about a month ago. I have been experiencing horrible withdrawal symptoms and your stories have really helped me stop worrying as well as a few others I have found online. I have been experiencing awful anxiety issues about my health but most of all my relationship. I've been with my boyfriend for almost 2 years and have never had any troubles or worries about being with him but the other night (the first night of my withdrawal bleed) a thought suddenly popped into my head questioning whether or not I feel we should be together and whether or not I love him when inside I know I do! It was totally out of the blue and we were so loved up just a few days before so I don't understand why I suddenly felt like that :( also, it being just 4 days until Christmas, I don't feel excited at all. I just feel detatched from everything and not myself at all. I can't stop worrying about my relationship and why I don't seem excited to see friends or family and what on earth is wrong with me!!! :( and all this worrying is meaning I can't sleep or eat which is making me feel even worse :( I would be hugely greatful if any of you could reply, I'm dreading Christmas if I'm still feeling like this and would feel much better if I knew why I am. How long did you all feel anxious and not yourself? - Emily

Please someone respond, I can't stop worrying and crying I just want to be better for Christmas and my exams in January :(

Emily, unfortunately EVERYTHING you are now expreriencing is absolutely normal after stopping birth control. Know that. Know that you cannot trust your feelings for the time being. Believe me, one month is nothing when it comes to this matter. It'll take at least three-four months to see improvements, but they will come! Be patient, your body is healing and your mind as well. DO NOT trust yourself! You're still in love with your boyfriend. It's just your mind that is temporarily sick. It'll fade away with time!

hi emily, sorry to here you are going through this, please dont beat yourself up about this, what you are feeling about your boyfriend is all part of the hormone changes. the amount of stories i have scoured on various sites about all this and theres loads saying they feel detatched from their partners.. just 5 mins ago i was reading a post about a woman who went to bed in love and woke up questioning the relationship and feeling detatched! all due to coming off the pill. you are certainly not alone, you have to hang in there, i know what you are saying about xmas, i feel so flat! ive just moved home 2 week ago in the middle of all this anxiety hell caused by coming off the pill a couple of month ago and i feel so alone, ive not even asked my best friend up for a coffee at my new home because i feel she may depress me by talking about religious things that i dont understand. im totally unexcited, i feel like i want to break down and weep at how sad i feel. its overwhelming. yet i was fine 3 month ago! try really hard if you can to ignore how you feel about your boyfriend, talk to him and tell him what is happening so he understands and explain you are not alone, show him these posts and ask him to stand by you, no matter what you say to him, he will know its not the real you, and it will pass. could take months but it will pass. its similar to post natal depression , ive been through it and im exactly the same now. its a plummet in hormones and you just have to ride it out. im not feeling too clever right now, been fine all day, but as im not eating all day long untill i get some appetite at nights my blood sugar is dropping also, then when i do eat my body feels all these wiered sensations due to blood sugar rising and then i start to panic again. i stupidly ate a pile of chocolate after not eating hardly anythinh let alone sugar for weeks, ive caused a spike and a drop effect and now i feel irritable, crappy and very down. please try magnesium (decent ones with calcium and vit d) from the health shop and a high strength vit b complex. its helping my anxiety and panic quite a lot, its just this dark depressive feeling i get in waves and the physical symptoms im having..like muscles feel jelly like and like a wiered sensation in my pelvis/cervix area, like im withdrawing from something. its yuk. hang in there kid, if u need a chat im here.

Girls, I stopped birth control 7 months ago and I'm feeling somewhat 70% better. Much better compared to the first months. So, kwow that it takes a veeeeeery long time to heal from the poisonous birth control.

also can i please add, if you can try ever so hard to ignore the thoughts,dont entertain them, just get up and do something physical, like tidy up, clean, have a bath, put happy music on, talk to friends(really important to stay around people as it keeps you in the here and now and stops your brain from wandering to the dark thoughts, it stops you panicking and becoming detatched from reality. the more you keep focused on something else and ignore the horrible thoughts the quicker the anxiety will pass. accept it, say " hello dark thoughts, there's no point in invading my brain cos its all just hormonal and i was fine before that silly bc pill so im not giving u time of day" blank it, and ignore the dark feelings you have, force yourself to keep active, get up in a morning and get ready for the day, drink plenty of water as dehydration can cause anxiety too, TRY to eat liquidy things, soup,orange juice, squash (contains magnesium) i have a glass of this at my bedside to drink as soon as i wake, as it helps lower cortisol(stress hormone produced by adrenal gland) which is highest on wakening and most of the morning, which is why a lot of people suffer worst in the morning/day time. although it happens sometimes at nights for me too, but not as intense. its catch 22, cortisol produces anxiety,flight or fight response, causing intense fear/panic/anxiety. the anxiety depletes the cortisol, making your adrenal gland pump out more, causing more anxiety at a more intense rate. ! the trick is to IGNORE the thoughts that stress you, distract yourself, your cortisol will even itself out and return you to a calmer state. im no expert, but ive been in the most horrendous of anxiety attack, losing my mind and fearing im going into psychosis, and something as simple as my friend knocking on the door had my brain switch to the here and now and i was distracted and the panic fizzled out within a few minutes. hope it works for you, let me know how you get on.

i replied again but i replied to my own reply to you..oops..my post is above this one

can i just ask if anyone is the same as me... my periods were back to normal straight away after stopping birth control except they are heavier and clottier on the first 2 days than before.  a lot of posts im reading about anxiety and panic are with women whos periods are all over the place or not started yet, which is making me think thats the reason for the anxiety in others but not me...if my periods are normal and regular why am i experiencing bad panic/depression..or is it still normal.?