Hey all,

I've recently come off of Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo due to my insane mood swings that have ensued since I began. I was on it for four months, and with each month, I've been having what feel like psychotic episodes on the first and third days of my menstruation.

I stopped taking the birth control a month ago, but this month I had to take the morning-after pill as a back-up method at the request of my boyfriend (though condoms were used).

This month, I've been absolutely insane. I've been crying uncontrollably for full days at a time, I've been more than irritable (slamming doors, throwing things, punching my pillow constantly)... all of my frustrations have been taken out on my boyfriend, and at one point I reached what seems like a catatonic state (I couldn't move, respond, think, react, or anything). It's the scariest feeling, almost as if I have lost complete and total control of my body, and I'm wondering if it's due to the fact that I took the morning-after pill while the hormones from the birth control pill are still in my system?

How long would it take for my system to return to normal? I've been on birth control three times now (Alesse, the patch, and OTC) and each time my mood swings and my reactions have been nothing short of insane. When I'm not on birth control, I get impatient or a bit angry, but nothing close to how I've been lately. I don't feel like myself at all.

Is there cause for concern? Or should I just ride out the storm for the next month or so to see what happens?

No one can say how long it will take I'm afraid. Each woman reacts differently. For example there are women who are fine within a month of it and others 2 years. My advice is to take vitamins (the pill depletes them) -vitamin b6, vit b complex, zinc and magnesium.

Anything that debilitates you that much is cause for concern (I've been through it too, and it only stopped when I quit the pill). Your best bet would be to stop hormones altogether. Your sanity and happiness are at stake here, and there are other birth control methods that won't harm your body and mind like this. However, if you do decide to just ride it out, the effects of taking Plan B will lessen with time as your body tries to return to equilibrium. How much time, no one can say, unfortunately. Good luck either way.

Hi Chrixxy,

I had issues as you did while I was on the pill. I didn't believe my dh when he kept saying that the pills were doing this to me. Only after I quit the pill in November did I realize that he was right. I began to feel better right away. Less impatience and I didnt erupt over little things like I did before. I've been off the pill for 8 months now and I feel soo much better. I think this past month has been the best. I havent had my depressions where I stay in bed most of the day or any fits of rage with DH. I really think it took about 7 months for me to truly feel like myself again. I really hope things get better for you soon.

While I was on the pill I used to cry all the time for no reason too. Every day. It was so strange. But I felt better almost immediately after stopping. I think it took about one week for me to notice a difference. But, for many women it takes longer. Just hang in there, is what I'd do.

Right now I had to chug a bottle of pepto and almost ended up in the hospital because of severe chest pain and sweats... back pain... and almost vomited. Lutera did this but I have tried several pills and they all have HORRIBLE mental and physical side effects. A diaphragm and pull-out is the only way to go for me. BC pills are sick.

As other people have said it takes different women different amounts of time for their bodies to get back to normal. I had increasingly horrible moodswings on the last 2 types of pills I took (Cyclen and Alesse) so I finally decided to get off them hoping that things would get better. Things seemed to improve rather quickly for the first month or so and I felt like a new person but then my mood swings returned as bad as ever (even though I remained off the pill). I tried to give my body more time to adjust, but things didn't improve. I think the short improvement for me was more of a placebo effect.

For me, in the end my moods were not because of the pill (although the hormones probably didn't help) and there were issues I had to learn to deal with - mostly to do with controlling my emotions. I'm not trying to deny all the emotional problems that the pill has caused many women, but its important to not automatically put sole blame it on the pill. I had a friend tell me this at the time and of course I thought he was crazy and that it was beyond doubt the pill.

So, I wanted to add another possible option -learning some breathing techniques and ways of relaxing when you do feel this surge of emotion might be very helpful. If your like me, its not necessarily the pill but the fluctuation in hormones around menstruation - on the pill or not. And definitely try the vitamins as Toffee mentioned.

I had to go back on the pill (a different brand) a few months ago for other medical reasons and I am happy to say that I have had no negative emotional side effects - but this also coincides with the counselling I decided to attend which I feel has helped immensely, so its hard to tell.

Anyways, I hope you figure it out! I know the insane mood swings are not fun (an understatement I know) but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you will figure it out so hold in there!

Hi Chrixxy, I have had that total phasing out into la-la land too; actually it happens pretty often lately. I am on hormonal birth control and haven't used Plan B but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the hormones having an effect on us. ???

As a follow up and related question, my girlfriend began using birth control pills just this month. This is about the end of the third week that she has taken them. I have noticed (I think) a marked change in her mood in that she seems to be less patient, easily irritated and more emotional. We think it could be the pill. Her Dr. says no. Any comments or input?

Hello ladies:

Chrixxy: The pill did the same thing to me. In my case, it was Yasmin and Microgestin. I had been on the pill 10 years before I came off about two weeks ago. I'm pretty confident that it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Regardless of how much or how little it has effected me (and I think it has a lot), I'm realizing now that these synthetic hormones really screw with you and therefore really screw with your moods. I became the same way- extremely impatient and irritable, weepy, anxious- the whole bit. I'm guessing that the Plan B intensified the process of coming off the pill, in which your hormones are already trying to regulate. It probably just sent them on a temporary tailspin. I notice that your post was from awhile ago, so I'd be interested to see how things turned out for you. Good, I hope!

Nolte:
My bet would be that it absolutely has something to do with the pill, if not everything to do with it. The pill reacts differently with all women, but to see a marked change like that tells me that it is the pill, assuming she's not taking anything else that would cause the same symptoms.

I especially think that it's the pill given the impatience and irritability- those are the same emotions that I (and many women) experienced because of the pill. I was never an impatient person before, and I'm guessing your friend wasn't either.

As far as her doctor saying that it isn't the pill...don't listen to him. Doctors have no clue regarding stuff like this, as far as I'm concerned, and the fact that he said that without doing a blood test to test hormone levels reinforces his ignorance on the matter. If you look at the documentation that comes with the pill pack, it clearly states that mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, etc. are all side effects of the pill. But apparently, doctors don't look at that. Ugh.

I came off of birth control pills after what Yasmin and Microgestin did to me, and I choose to use natural methods of birth control after doing a lot of research, but everyone's decision is a personal one. Tell your friend that she can either switch brands or look into other methods.

I hope this helps. Best of luck.

Meagan

Hey, look what I found:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007124358.htm

This tells us that women who are in birth control, tend to not like or hate their partners, which results in cheating, divorce, and/or break up.

This thread is just what I was looking for!

I have exactly all these symptoms. I have been on the pill for 7 years now, since I was 17 years old, and for a long time just accepted that I was a moody, irrational, sensitive, overly worrying, anxious person. Exactly as the OP and other posters have described, and it all has been taken out on my boyfriend! (or ex's at the time).

But I've had enough, and I do believe if I was pill-free my mental state would be a lot healthier, I would be HAPPY and not only have 3 day stretches of happiness that were interrupted by some mood swing or another, and most importantly have a happy relationship with my boyfriend.

For all the girls who had been on the pill, found it made them emotional, and have since come off it...what form of contraception do you now use? I can't use condoms as I am allergic, even the non-latex ones (it's not so much an allergy as overly sensitive skin down there. It tears easily. Ouch).

The only other option that is non-hormonal, and non-barrier, seems to be the coil. Does anyone else have this, and how do they find it? Or what other methods are you using?

I am starting to get desperate and worrying that my mood swings are becoming too much for both me and my partner. Any advice greatly appreciated!

I noticed that there was a reply to this topic posted, and sent to my email, by someone called Bridget about the "pill pill" but it's not here now.

Has it been deleted, or was it inappropriate content? I am interested in the 'pill pill'.

Yes, there was inappropriate content: a commercial link. We do not allow people to post links they have, or could reasonably be believed to have, a commercial interest in. Since Bridget did not establish herself as a member before making those posts, and did not post about something already under discussion, that fell under suspicion.

If she pm-ed you with it, too, unfortunately, that means she was spamming. And I did follow the link for the Pill Pill before I deleted it. It's really just a hyped up multivitamin, with a couple of herbs added that might be dangerous.

You could get the same benefits, with less risk, if you took ordinary vitamin supplements, as discussed in the stickied "Supplements for coming off the pill" thread.

I didn't have mood issues while i was on orthrocyclen lo, but i had a lot of other issues. Lower sex drive, headaches (daily), and things like that. I decided to stop taking them after my fiance and I decided to try to have a baby. He may not be fertile due to an illness he has and we figured it would be better to try sooner than later in case this is true so we can seek alternate methods if need be.

I stopped taking the pills in the first week of november. For the first 4 weeks or so things were fine (mostly) but the past couple of weeks the headaches have come back and my mood swings have been much worse. I am not sure if this is due to stopping the pill, or something else all together.

I'm SO glad I found this forum! I actually cried when I found it (to give an idea of the ridiculous 'irrational crying' symptom I've been having too!), I was so relieved.

I started using oral contraception about 4 months ago for the first time. I was put on Microgynon 30, which I had been warned about by a friend for the insane mood swings it had brought upon her and two friends, but it was the one the doctor first suggested to try and, not having much knowledge about the Pill, I went along with it. 2 months in I had to change to a different brand, due to my moods going absolutely out of control. I had even heard that the Pill can occasionally calm mood swings experienced around your period; it was definitely not an improvement for me! My friend then suggested Femodette, which is the one she now uses, as apparently it has a lower amount of oestrogen in it, so I'm now on that one and have been for about 2 months. The mood swings are insane. I have just finished my first round of final exams for university, and I never usually stress about exams at all, but I just went into complete breakdown this time around. I know the situation is different, but I myself was shocked seeing myself snap at my friends and especially my wonderful boyfriend, who has also been stunned at the marked change in me. We first put it down to potentially being the stress of exams, or the fact that I studied abroad last year which was a frustrating experience, so perhaps I was finding it hard to fit back into normal life in the UK. These mood swings, however, are far beyond what could be expected for these things.

I did have depression when I was around 14, but thought I had overcome it and lived a much happier life for the first few years of university. I'm now 21, and feel like I'm right back where I was before. I make snappy comments I would never have dreamed of making, I cry at the drop of the hat with often no reason whatsoever (in the past 24 hours I've probably cried about 8 times) and find myself feeling insecure about myself when I never have before.

I enjoy the freedom the Pill gives me, but it's definitely not worth this. I discussed it with my boyfriend last night and he admitted that for the past few weeks I had really got on his nerves, and that for a few months now I just haven't seemed like my usual, carefree, bubbly happy self. It breaks my heart to think that this could be undermining my relationship. Is there any alternative Pill that is better for mood swing and depression symptoms, or am I fighting a losing battle and should I just come off it now?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated