depression & BC

Avatar for kimberlyndarrell
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
depression & BC
6
Fri, 03-05-2004 - 7:27pm
have any of you been diagnosed with depression & use a pill? What pill do you use & how did it effect you?

I was on lo-ovral but it threw me over the edge of a depression (dr thinks I was on the edge & the pills just put me over) so he says no pills till we get this straight. Well my DH will be home in about 3 weeks (he is deployed) and Im really ready to try another pill. I know it says if you have depression from the pill I was on you should switch to orto cyclen. So I was thinking about ortho triclclen lo. I have a dr apt on Mon but just wanted some BTDT answers. thanks

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 12:50pm

If you're already having issues with mental stability, I wouldn't recommend a triphasic pill like Ortho TriCyclen--the fluctuating hormone levels can really give some women (like me) problems.

Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 3:03pm
Hi. I have had problems with crying jags on various birth controls (depo provera especially and ortho tricyclen especially). I will say please don't go on any type of triphasic pill......the hormones change 3 times in the month and can result in even more mood swings/crying. Also, its usually the progesterone componenet of the pill that causes depression. Its better to try to find a pill with a low progesterone effects. Right now I am on the patch but i"ve only been on it for not even a week yet. AFter being on it for 4 days I have been having probs with irritability and crying jags. I am hoping this is just temporary u ntil my body gets used to the extra hormones. What pills have you tried so far? I am going to try Mircette if this doesn't work out. Brevicon/Modicon might be something to try for you as well.
Avatar for kimberlyndarrell
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 7:04pm
well I was on the patch with no side effects except rashes where I put it. And I was on Lo-ovral (thats the one that started this crap) & Ortho tricyclen a while ago. But see the thing is I wasnt under the extreme pressures then as I am now (and when I started the Lo-ovral). Thanks for the info.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 8:44pm




Hi Kimberlyndarrell,


In addition to the good information already given on this thread, you might want to check out our birth control links.


Birth Control topic:


http://www.ivillage.com/topics/health/0,10707,166931,00.html


Which method won't cause mood swings:


http://www.ivillagehealth.com/experts/womens/qas/0,,166931_128803,00.html


Birth Control A-Z:


http://www.ivillagehealth.com/features/birthcontrolaz/pages/0,,436256_438023,00.html


Contraception:


http://www.ivillagehealth.com/library/nwh/content/0,,215912_227045,00.html








IVHealth Ruth Ann<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />


Assistant Community Moderator/Health Librarian

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IVHealth Ruth Ann
Community Leader/Ask the Health Librarian

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 1:44pm
Hi let us know how things go. There are other pills that don't have as strong as a progesterone effect as the one you are on. I just read that the patch has a slightly higher estrogenic effect than average....perhaps this explains why some women experience a change in the breast size. I have felt fine today so maybe I was just down the other day...no crying jags/depression. Since I have gotten on the patch I actually have had more energy/motivation but been having tons more dreams. Its weird.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-24-2003
Wed, 03-10-2004 - 2:53am
Hope you're having luck with whatever new pill you've tried. I had a lot of problems with depression and mood swings on the pill. I was mostly on triphasic pills, so after being off the pill for a year, I decided to try a monophasic pill. I actually decided to try Seasonale because you go 84 days with exactly the same dose of hormones (I also used to get migraines every fourth week because of withdrawal from hormones on my "sugar pill" week).

I'm finishing up my third month of Seasonale with very good luck, so maybe something to consider if you need another pill to try. I still have crappy days, but not nearly as many and now I can generally tell myself it's hormones and not that my boyfriend sucks, friends suck, etc. :-)

Also, no matter what pill you go on, I suggest:

1) keep a chart of your moods on a scale of 1-5 every day. I know it sounds like a pain, but if you can keep it up for the first few months, you'll be able to really see how the pill & your cycle effects your mood. The last time I tried a new pill (ortho tricyclen), I stayed on it a year having mood swings and thinking I should break up with my boyfriend (and changing my mind a day later), should quit my job (change my mind), tell my best friend to bug off (change my mind). I think if I had kept track, I would have realized sooner that the new pill was no better than the old one i was on!

2) be really careful to take it within 2 hours of the same time every day...I know you're supposed to anyway for it to be the most effective at preventing pregnancy, but I used to go more like a 6 hour window. Maybe it's just the new pill, but I think taking it the same time helps the mood swings too since you maintain a nice even level of hormones

Good luck! I know how frustrating this can be and in my experience your doctor probably doesn't have a clue what to tell you. Just keep trying...hopefully you'll find something (or they'll make somethng new) that will be right for you!