Oakley

My Doctor put me back on BC (Mircette) when I found out I have PCOS (a few weeks ago) because I wasn't getting my period and he said it would prevent more cysts (?). I started it on Sunday...and I feel awful.

Does BC make anyone else very emotional? I cry at the drop of a hat and get overwhelmed at the smallest things, I take everything personally and I can't stand up for myself or else I get upset. I hate it - and it started 2 days after I started BC again. I starting taking BC when I was 18 because I wasn't getting my periods (should have put the clues together about PCOS). I stayed on it until I was 24 (last summer). All of those years, I had trouble with depression, anxiety - tried all sorts of medicines, took time off of work, therapy/counseling etc. I finally stopped taking it - and I felt so much better off of it -

Has anyone else had these problems? If so, did they go away or did you get off of BC/switch to another one? Also, is it true about cysts not forming when you are on BC?

Thank you so much for reading this long explanation! I do not personally know anyone with PCOS - and it is nice to find other people who have it!

lexicographer

I have had this problem with Yasmin. Now that I actually need birth control for its intended purpose, I'm going to have to find a new pill with my doctor. You should talk to your doctor about it...not every pill is right for every woman.

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Age: 23
New York, NY

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." --Oscar Wilde

holacandita

Absolutely! I was first prescribed BCP about 10 years ago for PCOS... I struggled with depression during that time but never put two and two together. More recently, I started noticing a trend. After having been off the pill for a few years, I decided to go back on to treat my missing AF and for actual contraceptive reasons. In May 06 I started Lo-Ovral and I became a basket case. By September of that year, my boyfriend and I broke up (which I believe was due in part to my irrational behavior and constant emotional breakdowns... he told me several times he thought I was depressed and I thought briefly that it was an effect of the BCP, but I never did any research). I remained on the pill. In January 06, my bf and I reconciled (YAY!!) and are still together but have had a very rocky time of it. I continued to experience EXTREME depression, mood swings, incontrollable crying, bouts of anger, taking everything personally, being irrational over everything....

Long story short, in October while on vacation in FL, I had emergency gall bladder surgery and because my prescription was up and I wasn't home to go see my doctor for a refill, I went off the pill. My relationship was hanging by a thread, I was starting a new job, and my life was a mess... but honestly I never felt better as I did in the months following being off the pill. By January, I felt a legitimate difference in my mood, the crying had stopped, little things weren't triggering an emotional breakdown anymore... my relationship was getting stronger. My bf said that he noticed a dramatic difference in me since being off BCP.

So it's not just you! I recently saw my gyn because it had been six months since AF ... she prescribed me Provera. Interestingly enough, as soon as I started taking it, I noticed a marked difference in my mood and the crazy-feeling was returning (which leads me to believe that increased amounts of progestin/progesterone do not fare well with me.) I am about to start Femcon on Sunday (I told my gyn about my mood issues with my previous BCP and she switched me to this). However, I have an appt in a couple weeks to discuss alternative treatments, because I really do not want to be on the pill just to be regular. The emotional side effects from my experience were not only annoying, but I think detrimental to my mental health, and strong enough to impact my relationships.

jeifer

Very interesting question. I was just discussing this with my DH 15 minutes ago. I came here to look for other suggestions. I'm glad to see I'm not alone in this.

I started Lo - Ovral a month and a half a go and from day 1 I have had crazy mood swings and depression and anger. I normally am the most easy going, positive person ever and when bad things happen I always find humor in it to help deal with it. But I am total opposite now and I find NOTHING positive in anything. Ack! I haven't taken bc in 9 years except for here and there to start a af, so I know thats what the emotional roller coaster is from. I'm stopping my bc and going to go back to condoms. They don't make me crazy lol.

I don't know about it stopping cysts from forming. Sorry .

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LividAngel29

I just stopped taking Loestrin24 FE, because it made me feel like crap! It made me feel pregnant, sore BB's, some cramping, back pain, and VERY emotional. I don't know what I am going to do now because my dr will not let me have an IUD or the depot shot and I just can not take bcp's, no brand has ever worked for me. I would rather have the PCOS symptoms than the one's from the pill. I also can not take the Metformin, and I am debating on whether or not to go back to the dr to even bother with this. I think I will just try to lose a bunch of weight and try some natural things to help it.

Oakley

Thank you so much for posting! After a few days on the pill, I called my doctor and he said that I should stop taking it. I can now connect this to any other time I have been depressed or had problems emotionally - it was probably from the pill (I tried so many!). My doctor said that it happens sometimes, from the hormones. I am feeling much better. I am going back in a few days and I think I might start Metformin to help regulate periods. We will see how it works!