anxiety attacks after stopping birth control

Hi Everyone

Almost 2 1/2 months on from my first post I am feeling alot better. I was prescribed fluoexitine for my anxiety and this seemed to help me get over the worst of the 3 weeks of feeling so so down... I only took the course of tablets for 1 month and for the past 4/5 weeks I have been med free... Its early days but Im feeling that I'm getting there. I've been back at work for over 7 weeks now and eating alot better. Have days where I feel great and a few 'off' days.

I've realised that my anxiety spikes dramatically around the week before my period is due and the first few days of my period starting. Perhaps this is due to having a 'real' period rather than the 'fake monthlies' that the pill gives you.

I feel there is definately a strong connection between anxiety and coming off the pill regardless of the what the doctors tell us.

Hang in there ladies, its easier aid but you can and you will feel better in time... :-)

xx

I've been experiencing similar problems after coming back from hormones.I took them in 6 weeks cycles and than stopped for couple of days.First pill was Yasminelle.It made me more emotional,and gave me headeaches,and made me very moody after 3rd week of taking.

I decided to switch for mini pill,Cerazette,and that's when problems started.It made me really anxious,and I felt really hungry to the point of shaking(hands)like on low blood sugar.I couldn't cope,as I felt anxious to go out,and do basic things,so I switched to Microlite.On this one I felt anxious most of the time.Not as bad like with Cerazette,but it was still there.

Few month ago I decided to stop hormones completely.I felt better but sometimes I'm still anxious,and week before period is worse.I've just started to see a psychologist,and see how it goes.Sometimes I take pils called Quiet life,usually for my pms,but I didn't try any medications yet.

what happened to you in the end can I ask? I have recently come off of Trigedol I think it was called, however I was swapped around with my birth control about 5 times in the year I was on it for. I went into hospital with stroke symptoms and was kept over a week with a TIA (mini stroke) they told me in the end it was just a migraine. Regardless I was told to come off of the pill but ever since, although my migraines have stopped, I have been getting heart palpitations, dizzy spells, mood swings, and pains that seem like they are actually coming from my heart. Im only 18 and I am only slightly active, as I am a sculpture student and a waitress, and I cycle for 25 minutes 3 times a week, and have had all sorts of tests done, so its not anything to do with my heart or brain I hope. I wish they told you this can happen before you start taking it. I now have started taking aspirin just incase. Please get back to me if possible

I am 23 and active as well. I have been off bc since September and immediately had heart palpitations. Was a nervous wreck for a week until i took an ativan after that it calmed down. Then a few months ago began having irregular heartbeats. I came across magnesium deficiency which causes anxiety, irregular heartbeat, headahces, etc. I started putting more magnesium in my diet in foods, epsom foot soaks, and supplements and pretty much feel like I did before I stopped the bc. It does get better just take care of yourself! I think maybe hormones and magnesium are related?

Always check for the side effects of every single drug you are considering. EVERY SINGLE ONE. I'M NOT KIDDING.

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(even if it's children's cold medicine, I'm talking every single thing you might not consider), check the psychiatric side effects. If the drug effects your emotions (causes anxiety, nervousness, etc.) I would recommend staying away. Just detox yourself. Do not take anything that even makes you nervous to think about taking. The idea is to completely get all traces of the drugs out of your system. Until then, keep up with your daily routines as best you can. Eat as much as you can (protein, and not too many starchy foods like bread and potatoes) Cheese is high in protein, so that's good, also bananas. If you're having trouble eating, just drink as much water as you can, and keep trying to find something you can stomach. Do not go a whole day without eating anything. Rest. If you're more anxious toward the night time try getting into bed as the sun is going down. There's still light out, so it feels safer. You could keep a light on for a little bit, but try not to keep the room too bright. Also, if you have any television shows you enjoy watching and have seen over and over again, watch them in bed. Allow your mind to focus on the show only, lose yourself in it and just let your mind relax. If you get up early that day and have anxiety about getting out of bed you can try putting on a happy TV show and again relax yourself before getting up. Or, you can try to go back to sleep and get a few more hours of rest. Sleep is very important. But don't over sleep. You do need to be active. Get sunshine. If you can't get as much sunshine in the house and you have anxiety toward leaving, consider taking vitamin D every morning. Try to get some exorcise. If you have a treadmill you could use that, (again, in case you're anxious about leaving the house, which you should still try to do a little bit every day) and watch some TV or listen to some uplifting music as you walk. Control your thoughts. This isn't as easy as it sounds, but you can do it. With some practice you can get the hang of it. It will be like a reflex. Now, I'm not saying this will work instantly. You have to struggle with it before you'll feel better. But with time, it WILL get better. Try not to get in your own way. I know that the doubts and fears floating around in your mind are vivid. They're very real, and you might start to doubt the person you were before the anxiety. But remind yourself–a thousand times if that's what it takes for it to sink in–"I am not like this. I do not want to feel like this. These feelings are drug induced. It's not my fault. I can get through this. I'm stronger than this." This takes me several times. Don't freak out at the absence of anxiety. Sounds crazy. Why would you panic about being calm? Answer: I don't know. Some people (me) get so wrapped up in the fear that when a sudden break from it scares them even more. "Why is it gone? Is it just waiting to come back ten times worse? Or did I break through the other side of my anxiety and am now incapable of fearing anything?" (Dumb, I know, but it happens). Do–not–question it. It might come back, yes. But be grateful instead for the break. Because the happier you are when you get a break, the easier it will be to remember, "I am still in here, and I am not like this, and I will get through this". Also, it's alright to voice what's going on in your head. Talking to people about my fears and concerns might make me cry, but crying is good too. Cry. Let it out. Share your fears with someone you trust, and they'll let you lean on them for support whenever the need arises. If you become afraid of the night time like I did, cut yourself some slack. Of course you're scared! This isn't a great situation. but you can get through it. If nothing else, learn to calm down during the night time. You need sleep. No matter what. Try to find a way to calm yourself enough that you can fall asleep. The doubts might feel just as real as the few moments of clarity you receive. Choose the side that makes you happier. Choose to believe that the person you were before the birth control still exists, and wasn't merely a figment of your imagination. It. Was. Not. You are still alive and kicking. Acknowledge that. Now if you have dark thoughts that you know are not of your own making (which, even if you don't, they're not.) you might not want to be too hard on yourself. Be gentle with yourself. "I don't want that in my mind. I'm not like that. It's gonna be okay." Are some things I've used to help myself calm down. You are not in denial if you manage to calm yourself down. If you have managed to toss aside those thoughts and ignored the anxiety give yourself a pat on the back. Good job. You're getting stronger. Do not give in to the doubts trying to convince you that the peace you felt was merely denial. The fear might feel real, but know this: Your happiness is infinitely more real than anything else (even if it doesn't always feel that way). Try to gather information on your situation. Look up any medications you might have taken for completely different reasons since you've stopped the birth control. Check them on  dig up the side effects. Do not brush this off. I took triaminic, and ibuprofen (not at the same time) for different reasons since stopping the pill and I can say with absolute certainty that it made it worse. I felt like I was going to die. I thought there was no way I was going to make it out alive of this. I thought ahead to halloween, and I didn't think I'd live that long. I felt trapped and exhausted (hence the importance of sleep!) and I just didn't know what to do. Then my dad checked the cold medicine I'd been taking the last couple of days and came up with the side effects. Anxiety, nervousness, dizziness, hallucination, etc. Knowing brings relief. Knowing what is causing your troubles is one of the greatest encouragements. It doesn't make the problem go away, but with knowledge comes wisdom. You know how to proceed after finding out what's going on. You feel a little stronger. My dad then informed me that he's highly sensitive toward drugs that have psychological side effects and that I probably inherited it from him. This information reminded me of a time a couple years ago where I took Zyrtec for head congestion. The same thing happened. It wore off. It took some time, but it wore off. If you are suffering side effects like me, then it's probably safe to assume that antidepressants will make thing's a hundred times worse. Best give yourself time and rest first. Antidepressants should be the very very last resort. And again, if you are feeling anxiety at the thought of having to take it, then don't. You most likely don't need it. Listen to those instincts. I should have when the doctor suggested birth control to help with my painful periods. I felt nervous about it, and I didn't want to do it. I brushed it off as me just being afraid of having to have surgery, which I was. I shouldn't have taken it. The main thing right now is to let yourself rest, keep yourself as relaxed as possible, eat healthy foods, get sunshine or take vitamin D, and talk. These thoughts and feelings are not of your making. You can get passed them with time. Just be patient and stay strong.

Reed--
Thank you for your post, its so nice to hear all those things, as well as everyone else who has posted on the site. I went on birth control in early December and went off of it in late February because of a migraine, headaches, and slight anxiety. I figured going off the pill would just make all these symptoms disappear. A couple days later, my anxiety spiked during a class and I had to leave to calm myself down. I was sobbing, and my mom came to pick me up (luckily my family lives close by to my University). I was feeling so upset and I couldn't stop crying, but it was all just physical symptoms, mentally I didn't even feel sad. Over the next week, I was suffering from severe anxiety and depression symptoms and the negative cycling spiraling thoughts started to take over. I couldn't stop feeling this horrible impending doom, and I couldn't handle watching the news or anything serious. I was constantly thinking about death and losing my family and boyfriend and I would just terrify myself but I couldn't stop it, life just seemed so impermanent and scary and dangerous. I went to the doctor midweek who prescribed me some low dosage valiums which I used a few times but it didn't really help and I didn't want any more medication in my system anyways. Then things gradually started to improve after that week, although I never got to the point that i felt "myself." I figured it was getting better though, and I was able to start going to some classes again and staying at the dorm that I live in (I had spent the previous week at home just trying not to sob, barely eating and trying to sleep). Then, a few weeks later I felt the panic and anxiety coming back. My period was late, and it ended up coming 6 weeks after the one before, but the timing of the returning anxiety made sense, it must have been going along with my natural hormonal changes during the month. It was during this week that I had my first full blown panic attack. I was at the dining common eating dinner with my boyfriend and some friends and I had to leave with my boyfriend in tears and when I got outside I started hyperventilating and sobbing, I felt like I was literally going crazy and I thought I was literally dying. I went into my dorm and just sobbed on my bed uncontrollably while my boyfriend called my mom who came and picked me up. She had a depression in college and was able to relate to my feelings and help me through it. My panic attack lasted about half an hour, and I felt so alone and like I was losing grip with reality, it felt like I was so ungrounded and I worried I was getting schizophrenia or had a brain tumor or was just going crazy. The rest of the week was very rough, but was slowly getting better again. I started going to an acupuncturist which seems to be helping, as well as taking b6 vitamin supplements and just recently got Dr. Bach's rescue remedy. Not sure if the last one is just the placebo affect or not but either way it seems to be helping. I definitely still don't feel myself, and it has been just over 7 weeks since I went off the pill so I know I still have some time ahead of me before my hormones get back to normal, but this has been the worst thing thats ever happened to me, seriously a living hell. Again, after I got my period I felt much better but its still so hard to keep my thoughts from escalating. I'm so tired of working so hard just to not feel awful, it gets so exhausting. Luckily I have an amazing boyfriend and family who have been extremely supportive and helpful, but it still doesn't make the problem go away. Sorry for the long post but it definitely feels therapeutic to get it all out. Thank all of you for your stories and support, it has helped tremendously to know that I'm not alone going through all this and hearing people come out of it is great inspiration. I wish you all the best of luck, no one should have to go through this! <3

Hi there. Well it's lovely to read all of these stories to know that your not going through this alone, although going through this you wouldn't wish this upon anyone in the world. About a year ago I began taking bc cilest after meeting my boyfriend and deciding it be best to find a contraceptive to avoid pregnancy. Cilest was excellent for about 6 months my skin cleared up amazingly and I had no other side effects until I started getting angry at the drop of a hat. I've never been an angry person. Intact I've always been quite the opposite but I found myself turning into a complete monster!! after stopping the cilest my skin flared up but apart from that I seemed to be okay. I went back to the doctors and he gave me microgynon after a month of taking it I quit because again my skin got worse and my moods got worse and then the anxiety kicked in. It started off feeling faint and dizzy the first time it happened it was in college sitting with a fur coat on. I then started sweating and ran out the room. I then went through 3 weeks of avoiding that college class thinking that's what had caused it, but the faint feeling never went away. Back to the doctors I went and then accused of being pregnant I insisted I wasn't but she insisted I took a test to make sure, get back on bc and have a blood test for anaemia. turned out I wasn't pregnant, the dizziness went away and I began taking my now third bc pill in just 12 months. When i first started tacking marvelon I felt okay, however I felt a strange calmness as if I didn't have a care in the world. My boyfriend said I seemed 'vacant' asif I wasn't quite all there. The things I enjoyed didn't make me feel any joy anymore I felt like I was just plodding along because that was normal but saddened by a deep emotional disconnection. I lost my temper with my boyfriend on a Sunday afternoon having forgotten to take the pill the Saturday night and so decided this pill was yet another one not for me. the feeling of being completely spaced out was scaring me as I felt like a completely different person. I've always been a really laid back fairly happy girl, outgoing and very talkative but now I feel like that part of me has died and I don't know if it will ever come back. so after coming off marvelon after missing a pill I began shaking, worrying about everything - completely irrational things, I couldn't eat and I couldn't sleep, I didn't even want to get up in the morning but I couldn't sleep either. The doctor suggested I go and see a counsellor and give myself two weeks for my body's hormones to balance themselves out. unfortunately the counsellor was sick and had to cancel my appointment. 11 days on after quitting the pill and my skin is the worst it's ever been, I still can't eat, I still feel like I've lost myself due to these stupid hormones, I've got the worst upset stomach, the tingling shaky sensation all over my body, shoulder pain and I just feel like I'm in the worst deepest darkest place ever and I can't get out of it. my sex drive has completely gone and I find myself questioning my relationship which is absolutely amazing, and perfect and he is the best partner I could ever ask for, but the doubt and the racing thoughts just won't stop. It's like there's a voice in the back of my head playing devils advocate- everything I say or think or try to feel its questioning it. I feel so hollow and empty. The feeling that you don't even know if you would be upset if something terrible happened, I can't find enjoyment in anything anymore. It really feels like my personality has disappeared and I'm left as a robot in human form desperate to feel some kind of emotion that a month ago was there even if it was struggling with anxiety. I will never go back on bc. Never ever. I hate it for what it's done to me. Surely three different types of combined bc pills in 12 months can't be good for anyone's mental state and I can't believe doctors are happy to prescribe them here there and everywhere. I'm only 18 but I mean it when i say I would rather have a child by now if it would mean I had never taken all of these disgusting synthetic hormones. If anyone has anything about how long it will take for my body to get back on track it would be appreciated so muchly! Thanks for reading this. Just remember your not alone in this, the only comfort ive found is telling myself its my body it's not me and it's my hormones just sorting themselves out, but I don't feel like I can wait much longer so they'd better hurry up! I'm hanging in with all my might here. Keep the faith ladies!

Hi madeofstone,
I'm so sorry youre going through this. This has definitely been the worst experience of my life. But I am getting better. Its been about two months now since I stopped the pill. I know that sounds bad because in the state your in two months sounds like an eternity. When I had just started this process I heard other women saying it could take 2, 3, or even more months which honestly terrified me because I just didn't think I could make it through that long. However, I'm beginning to learn how to just power through it because I have found certain things that inspire/help/sooth/relax me and give me hope that I will be back to myself. Just in the past few days I have began to have long periods of time during the day where I entirely forget about my anxiety and horrible thoughts and negativity and sadness and all the things that come along with stopping birth control. I am entirely grateful just to have a break because this has been so exhausting. You should try to tune into your natural monthly cycle because I really noticed a change during each month of when it would be almost unbearable and when I could handle it even though it still felt pretty bad. Also I have started acupuncture which I really really enjoy. The doctor is completely understanding and helpful and doesn't make me feel crazy about thinking birth control can cause this like my other doctor did. Ive had four sessions so far and I think its really helping. Ive also started taking vitamin b6, not every day, but usually during the week before my period when it gets the worst and it seems to help (birth control pills can cause a deficiency in b vitamins which regulate your mood). Also Bach's rescue remedy definitely helped me, placebo effect or not every time i took it I felt much calmer and gave me some peace of mind and you can take it as often as you want and its all natural with no side effects. Also just drinking and eating warm food and not anything iced or cold is good because it helps your blood stay flowing and keeps your moods more manageable. And making sure that you keep moving. I couldn't handle going to the gym during all of this I didn't want to be around that many people, but just going outside on nice long walks with my boyfriend felt great because afterwards I felt tired and like I had gotten some of the negative feelings out. I'm not sure if you are a religious or spiritual person at all, and I would never push this on anyone but I had never much gotten into any religion until this happened, and I have been reading tons and tons of christian science stuff and it has given me so many positive things to fill my head with and replace the negative ones, its really helped me a lot. If you ever want I can send you some very interesting and inspiring articles that may or may not help you like they helped me. Anyways, 2 months later, I didn't think I could do it but I'm feeling much better (although it still comes and goes). I wish you the best of luck!! You'll make it through this and be back to your old self soon enough :)

PLEASE READ THIS:

I suffered from the exact same thing recently and kept coming to this post for some help and reassurance but all I kept reading was people's stories and no time span as to when it cleared away. I guess when it goes people just dont wanna ever think about it again. I am writing this to let you know, i stopped the pill 3 weeks ago because it was making me depressed, and got the worst anxiety I ever imagined. Im 20 years old and had never suffered from anxiety or depression before. Saw my GP and she said its exam stress which scared me even more. It was horrible, I had a constant butterfly feeling, couldnt sleep, just pure awful indescribable anxiety. I am now here to say ITS GONE! 3 weeks later and my hormones have regulated themselves and its gone! .. so for everyone reading this going through the same thing, you're not crazy, its not gonna stay with you, it WILL go! I was so panicky and scared incase it would stay but it only took a few weeks. Meanwhile, exercise, multivitamins, and a low dose propranolol might help along the way :) 

PLEASE READ THIS: I suffered from the exact same thing recently and kept coming to this post for some help and reassurance but all I kept reading was people's stories and no time span as to when it cleared away. I guess when it goes people just dont wanna ever think about it again. I am writing this to let you know, i stopped the pill 3 weeks ago because it was making me depressed, and got the worst anxiety I ever imagined. Im 20 years old and had never suffered from anxiety or depression before. Saw my GP and she said its exam stress which scared me even more. It was horrible, I had a constant butterfly feeling, couldnt sleep, just pure awful indescribable anxiety. I am now here to say ITS GONE! 3 weeks later and my hormones have regulated themselves and its gone! .. so for everyone reading this going through the same thing, you're not crazy, its not gonna stay with you, it WILL go! I was so panicky and scared incase it would stay but it only took a few weeks. Meanwhile, exercise, multivitamins, and a low dose propranolol might help along the way :)

I too have just come off the pill. I had been on yazmine for almost 4 years and just over a month ago was given the generic brand Isabella. At first while on isabella, the only thing that had changed was that my acne had came back and so decided that once the pack was finished I would go back on the real yasmine but in the day of my last period I had a terrible sense of doom come over me. I dismissed it and just went to bed. What followed was 4 weeks of hell. The first week I had terrible cramps, nausea, no appetite, no bowl movements and depression. I have a great life and have never felt depressed. I couldn't watch the news, I had very irrational thoughts and believed I was sending myself crazy, I even made myself believe that I may be suicidal! I couldn't clear my head of these thoughts and the constant pains in my stomach only reminded me of why I was thinking crazy and this was just in the first week of stopping the pill. Then like a message sent from heaven I was reading Marie Clair and there it was, an article about the dangers a the pill especially yazmine. By the second week my stomack cramps had eased and slowly I got my appetite back. But then the anxiety began. I had butterflies in my upper stomach and my heart had a light flutter to to and I had trouble sleeping. For two weeks I kept ready this site and tax survivors and I thank everyone. It's been just over 4 weeks and just had my first period and I can say apart from losing my hair I am slowly becoming myself again. That first week really did a number on me as never in my whole life have never ever felt like that and it will take time to heal emotionally but just know that it always helps to talk to those close to you. Don't keep it to yourself because we are so vulnerable hormanally that we are our worst enemies. I will never ever take the pill again.

I went on Nuvaring in November and had to stop by February. I was having anexity and small panic attacks every month just before my period started. I'm not sure what is worse, that expierence or the crazy way I feel all the time now. I over think everything, get upset easily and freak out over trivial things. My boyfriend has about had it, he thinks I could be bipolar with my craziness and mood swings but I know it has to do with the Nuvaring. Has anyone else had any expierences with this? I'm hoping it doesn't last much longer. I want to get back to my happy self.

Hey there.

Name is Ellie from NW London, wow reading these posts is like reading about what my life has been like these past 6 weeks or so. For the past 10 years I have been on microgynon, In March I decided that I should come off them, mainly to potentially prepare my body for trying to have children but also felt I had been on the pill so long I no longer wanted it in my system and thought time for a cleanse was way over due, what has ensued since then can only be described as hellish, I first when I had the odd anxious thought I put it down to starting a new job and having gotten married a few months before thought it must be the new situation i was in but these were good things that were happening to me and it didnt make sense that I would be feeling out of sorts, then after 2 months I didn't come on my period and things progressed, i started having panic attacks,am anxious about everything. work, money, health, i'm anxious about being anxious, worrying about every little thing, i took pregnancy tests and was negative and its now been nearly 4 months and i still have not had a period, ive lost my appetite and am constantly having racing thougts and have had terrible OCD, and i have been at my wits end, i've spoken to my family members who are concerned and try to give me advice, but just dont know how to help, ive been to the docs and had a blood test, it says my hormone levels are normal, so i just don't know what is causing this or how to go about feeling better, its disrupting my daily life when i should be enjoying being a newly wed with an exciting new job, so i started doing some research but there is so much out there i'm not sure where to start, ive read up about GAD - General anxiety disorder, CBT training to help, ST JOHNS WORT, VITAMIN b6, its all a bit overwhelming its comforting to know im not the only one out there who has gone through this, but i need to see a light at the end of the tunnel and just want to go back to my normal happy self rather than having this foggy cloud over my head and  feeling like im wasting my days feeling so miserable when there is so much to be happy and thankful for. Any advice would be much appreciated or any suggestions for ways to induce my periods again, which I feel would help settle things down

 

Many thanks

Ellie

Hi Sienna, Seeing your posts have helped me so much, i've literally being going through the exact same situation these past 3 months after having come off microgynon and up until today felt so alone out there even with family and friends around to help, love and support me, but knowing im not crazy and there is an explanation for why im feeling this way has provided a great sense of relief, ive had blood tests which haven't shown a hormone imbalance but I knew something was wrong with me and believe its down to come off the pill after so long, but to actually see so many other womens who are going through the same thing and to see so many success stories has really inspired me and I now see a light at the end of the tunnel, im going to look up that other forum as well, thank you so very much, you do not realise how much you have helped me , many thanks ellie

Ellie, so sorry you're going through this. Since February it's been such a huge struggle but I can now say most of my days are good and back to normal although I do sometimes get those feelings still. But I can relate to you so much, this has been the scariest and hardest thing and it seemed like I would never come out the other end, but gradually you do and the negative thoughts and feelings just disappear. Trust me you WILL be back to normal and it will get better no matter what you may be going through now. If you ever want to talk id be happy to share tips and what has helped me the most to recover.