Feeling depressed after stopping the birth control pills?

I've started taking magenisum and vitamin B and am about to start vitamin D. Off to try some acupuncture next week as well! I've been around ovulation time and my mood absolutely plumetted this last couple of days. I feel so hopeless at the moment, I just need this all to be over and to go back to my normal self.

I had a decent couple of hours last night after feeling horribly depressed which helped get me through, literally living for those few hours I get now and again at the moment.

I think I'm gonna go to the doctors after my next period, and demand they thoroughly explore all the options. Because I know my body and my relationship and something isn't right and the only thing that has changed is that I stopped taking the damn pill.

How's everyone doing?

I know exactly how you feel about living for the small moments when we feel better! My mood is so low once my period finishes, I think it's the hormonal changes of ovulation that makes it a difficult time.

I've seen about 6 doctors now and not had much luck so would be interested to hear your experience. I'm 6 months off and can barely move today from nausea and stomach troubles. Can't wait for this to be over :(

I hear you on the living for those moments of relief where you feel normal again. I was the same when all this started. THe good days have become more than the bad days , so now I just dread the bad days but thankfully they haven't been as severe this month.

My cycle is a little unpredictable at the moment and am also in my ovulation week and started feeling negative and hopeless but instead of trying to fight it, I allow myself to feel the emotion which oddly enough seems to help. I think when you realized that no matter how negative you feel, it cant actually hurt you if the makes sense.

In the begning I used to tell my hubby, "something is wrong, this is not who I am" I had NEVER in my life felt so abnormal as I did then... and like you say, it was from stopping the pill. I told my hubby the other day that the only way I can word it is that my antivirus failed and I got hacked with a virus ..LOL

Like you say, you know yourself and your body and whats normal for you and what's not normal and THIS... this is NOT NORMAL.

You have some good supplements. Try add some vit c as well , this will help your adrenals which is the one of the organs responsible for hormone production. I've also heard that vitex is a good supplement to relebalance hormones. If I may suggest something with your supplements, take a high enough does of magnesium till your tummy begins to run, and then lower the does to maintenance. So if you taking according to prescribed does on the package, take double (so if its 500mg take 1000mg) they say then you know your body has replenished its reserves when your tummy starts running. Vit D, can also be taken in high doses , I started on 1000iu per day, i'm now on 3000iu per day and take that aftera meal that has fat in it so any eggs or meat as its better absorbed (or even omega 3) with fat.

Hang in there Seablonde, time does make it better.....

how you feeling today? Hang in there sweety, it gets better. How long have you been off the pill? did your symptoms start immediately or a little later? are you taking anything to help you?

Hi I am new to the group, this forum has been so helpful I have currently been off nexaplon for 7 weeks, 3 weeks after the removal I started to notice horrible side effects, constant vommiting, couldn’t eat, severe anxiety and panic attacks horrible intrusive thoughts about my boyfriend.
I am still very anxious and still having these thoughts which cause great distress. Has anybody else expirenced this or is anyone feeling better ?
How long did it take.
Wishing you all a fast recovery! I also found think blog about a girls experience very similar to mine if anyone wants to have a look _[removed]_

HI There, welcome to the forum!!! Firstly , we all know EXACTLY what you are going through and our hearts go to you.

What we can say is that it gets better with time.

My personal journey involved the pill, Zoely, I was on it for about 17 months and started experiencing some strange symptoms like, fatigue, heart racing while sitting at my desk , low blood pressure, nausea a mild anxiety. Went to the gynea he told me stop the pill given my age (35 at the time) turned 36 in Jan .

I finished my last pack and had a withdrawal bleed in August last year. 2 months later I crashed. It started with very mile "depression" like feelings but I jus pushed them aside not thinking much of them. I got my period the first month off (every month since) shortly after my second period in October, I started experieicing intrusive thoughts ... that I was either going to hurt myself or someone I love which scared me so much. I thought it was just me being silly but about 3 days later I woke up and I felt like I was in a nightmare. Panic attacks started every morning that would last for a good part of the day, depression , hopelessness thougths of suicide, brain fog, felt like I was in a dream that nothing around me was real, and that's when I realized something was terribly wrong. I didn't want to eat but found that when I did it helped a little.

Long story short, it been my 4 month since and i'm feeling about 95% better. my mom and close friend explained they went thoug they same thing, my mom was due to menopause , my friend a result of adrenal fatigue. Anyways they advised me on vitamins and a few diet changes and lifestyle changes and its has helped but the most of it is TIME. I think we could all wright a book and the research we have done and what we have learnt but basically synthetic homrones dirupt the body's normal function and production of hormones cause inflammation in your body especially your brain. The one lady that explains its well is Dr Jolene Brighten, google her when you have time she is a Functional medicine Dr.

I can reccoment magnesium, Bcomplex or specifically b5, b6, b12, zinc, Vit C, Vit D3 and omega 3 supplements. this will help the body speed up recovery fue to nutrient depletion. Mild exercise like walking , cycling, lots of sleep and water and a diet of whole foods, Fresh fruit and veggies, no coffee or sugar for a few weeks (like at least 8 weeks) and talk to your bf so you can have his support. Its rough but YOU WILL MAKE it justbe patient with yourself and remember its just your body freaking out but will heal, it knows how to heal itself.

Not sure if you have had a period since but start journaling or making notes of each day , it will give a good idea as you progress where you are in your cycle based on symptoms. Some of us feel rough during ovulation week and righ after our periods....

Oh honey I wish I could just be there for you in person,

Hi, I was also on nexplanon for 3 years! Its interesting because the lady who put mine in said it was a very low dose of hormones and wouldn't have side effects!! I think because it's progesterone only and doesn't have a break like the pill, the withdrawal is just as bad.

I removed my nexplanon in August 18
Symptoms started in September
Panic attacks were at their worst September-December
I've had a lot of physical symptoms which i still get. I've also needed glasses because it's somehow damaged my eyesight. But thankfully my anxiety has gone back to normal levels! It is a slow recovery but you will get back to normal I promise! It takes about 6months - a year, maybe even 2 years for some :(

Thank you so much for your reply!
It all sounds like our symptoms are so similar.
It’s honestly one of the hardest things to go through and every day is a struggle.
This group and taking to other women is so good to know we aren’t alone and aren’t going crazy even though doctors say it’s not linked to going off contraception.
Glad your feeling better :)!

Doctors either genuinely don't know, or cant understand how it's possibly related because they don't know the effect on the body. I mean put it this way, when body builders start taking steroids, it also has an effect on their physiology, their bodies stop producing testosterone because its being provided by an external source. Men have reported suffering from depression and mood swings after stopping steroid. anyways, the point is that the pill was supposedly revolutionary when it came out because preganancy was now controllable so were painful heavy periods or acne. I would rather deal with all of that than have to go through what we going through now.

Anyways, we all here to help you through and to remind you that you going to make it....

Hey everyone,

Just feel like I would give you an update. I am currently on my third period since ending BCP in April of 2018. If it weren’t for the progesterone cream my naturopath gave me I probably wouldn’t be cycling.

I noticed that my ruminating thoughts are getting better. My ROCD is still there some days but not nearly as strong as it used to be regarding my fiancé. I can now feel excitement towards planning our wedding! Finally!!

Question for you ladies. How do you feel during your period? Normally a couple days before I get emotional (however that was when I was on the pill). I’m noticing now that I am not on the pill that get very irritable and snippy. Just curious as to what you experience!

Take care!

-Brea

Hi Brea, that’s so awesome that you’ve been improving!! I think most of us have our ups and downs during our cycle but in different ways. I usually feel horrible during ovulation and then feel better once I get my period. When I was only a few months off and my symptoms began, I used to have 3 weeks of horrible anxiety, relief during my period, and back to terrible 2-3 days after. But now that I’m about 12 months off I have way more good days than bad. Wishing you the best for your wedding planning!!!

HI Brea I AM SO HAPPY to hear you are feeling better!!! I used to get emotional a few days before my period before the pill and on the pill now that I've stopped I get more emotional and anxious during ovulation and then it eases about 5 days or so before my period. I get irritable towards the end of my period though. LOL its upside down. this cycle has been way more manageable, yesterday I felt overwhelmed though but nothing as bad in the beginning so good days are more than the bad days now and when the bad days come I can recognize them for what they are and move on....

I was the same..... 3 weeks of horrible and a few days of good till my period stopped and then it would start all over again. Also way more good than bad days...i'm off 6 months but symptoms only started 2 months after stopping so i'm 4 months down the line from the initial crash. on the bead days I remind myself that i'm not where I started....

So girls, we now know we can face ANYTHING and not only survive it but we can walk through it and come out in victory on the other side. My hubby doesn't know half the mental struggles but has said that he doesn't know if he would have been able to go through it.... I told that one day soon I will share the exact experience with him.

Ugh ladies, it’s currently 2 am where I live and I’m feeling so down and can’t sleep. I had coffee in the afternoon so maybe that combined with my recent lack of sleep is making me have a minor setback.. I just keep overthinking about irrational things and stuff from my past that aren’t even of much significance. I feel like this whole bcp situation this past year has sort of created false memories that make me think I’ve been like this all along. i’m definitely going to try my best to sleep better and cut out coffee (I only drank it because I knew I would feel exhausted in class). Hopefully I’ll feel better soon and I hope you’re all feeling okay.

HI there, i'm not sure it causes false memories, but more causes you to perceive things differently.... I do agree that coffee will aggravate things at this stage because it triggers cortisol production. Cortisol is your stress response hormone which is already taking strain from coming off bcp .
magnesium will help with you sleep at night and assisting your nervous system, vit c will assist your adrenal glands which are responsible for cortisol production and sex hormones, vit b complex as will help with stress.... it will take some time but they do help if you remain consistant and patient.

what else are you struggling with? is this the only symptom ? how long have you been off?