Mood Issues and Levora
I just started birth control pills and have not only been an emotional wreck, but I have lost all motivation and ability to do my school work. I am an honor student with a high GPA and suddenly I'm behind in my homework and during lectures I kind of stare at the board and the teacher, not really comprehending anything. Today I just cried the whole time in my physics class.
Today is the 8th day I've taken Levora. Will this stop? This is setting me way behind and it's looking like I'm going to have to drop my two most difficult (and important) classes.
Answers:
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. The side effects MAY go away after a 3 month period, or they may continue and even get worse.
I was always moody on birth control, but it got particularly bad when I got on Ovcon 35. Nothing helped. And actually, once my mood was so bad on Ovcon, even changing to pills I had previously done better on did not help it. I was extremely moody and anxious and waking up on the verge of tears each morning. I became very depressed with urges to self harm. It did not get better for me, it got worse. It was ruining my marriage, and I was so miserable.
You know your body best. If you feel like sticking it out and waiting, you can do that, but I have to tell you I felt so much better just a few weeks after quitting the pill, it was like flipping a switch. You might do better on another pill, but the odds are if you had this problem on 1 form of hormonal birth control, you're likely to see it again. Sometimes, the side effects come on quickly like you're experiencing now, other times, it will creep up over time so that you might not even realize the pill is causing your depression. Often, docs will deny that the pill can make you depressed and then put you on SSRIs that you do not need when just stopping the pill may help your depression tremendously (not to mention that SSRIs have a lot of side effects too and some of them, like Effexor, are a nightmare to withdraw from).
It is possible to stop the pill mid-pack if it is making you miserable and affecting your schoolwork. You will get a withdrawal bleed 3-6 days after your last active pill. It is not a real period, it is caused by withdrawing the hormones from your body. Your next period may come right at 28 days from the first day of the withdrawal bleed or it could come sooner or be delayed. Mine was 35 days from the withdrawal bleed. You may experience cramps, headaches, fatigue, sore breasts, backaches until you get your first real period off the pill, but let me tell you, for me, these physical withdrawal side effects were a relief compared to the emotional wreck I was on the pill. I was a moody psycho on it, I swear. I think as early as a week off the pill, I had improvement in my mood, though it took about a month or so before my mood went completely back to normal.
Good luck! I hope you make the right decision for yourself!
Answers:
Erin,
I, personally, don't believe it will stop. The reason is this: Birth control pills deplete the B vitamins. These are very important for the mood. Many doctors will not tell you this about the pill, though, and will instead try to prescribe you antidepressants. This is not necessary and often does more harm than good. If you're going to continue to stay on the pill, I recommend taking a good B complex vitamin and see if that helps. It helped me alot when I became depressed on the pill.
Today is the 8th day I've taken Levora. Will this stop? This is setting me way behind and it's looking like I'm going to have to drop my two most difficult (and important) classes.
Answers:
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. The side effects MAY go away after a 3 month period, or they may continue and even get worse.
I was always moody on birth control, but it got particularly bad when I got on Ovcon 35. Nothing helped. And actually, once my mood was so bad on Ovcon, even changing to pills I had previously done better on did not help it. I was extremely moody and anxious and waking up on the verge of tears each morning. I became very depressed with urges to self harm. It did not get better for me, it got worse. It was ruining my marriage, and I was so miserable.
You know your body best. If you feel like sticking it out and waiting, you can do that, but I have to tell you I felt so much better just a few weeks after quitting the pill, it was like flipping a switch. You might do better on another pill, but the odds are if you had this problem on 1 form of hormonal birth control, you're likely to see it again. Sometimes, the side effects come on quickly like you're experiencing now, other times, it will creep up over time so that you might not even realize the pill is causing your depression. Often, docs will deny that the pill can make you depressed and then put you on SSRIs that you do not need when just stopping the pill may help your depression tremendously (not to mention that SSRIs have a lot of side effects too and some of them, like Effexor, are a nightmare to withdraw from).
It is possible to stop the pill mid-pack if it is making you miserable and affecting your schoolwork. You will get a withdrawal bleed 3-6 days after your last active pill. It is not a real period, it is caused by withdrawing the hormones from your body. Your next period may come right at 28 days from the first day of the withdrawal bleed or it could come sooner or be delayed. Mine was 35 days from the withdrawal bleed. You may experience cramps, headaches, fatigue, sore breasts, backaches until you get your first real period off the pill, but let me tell you, for me, these physical withdrawal side effects were a relief compared to the emotional wreck I was on the pill. I was a moody psycho on it, I swear. I think as early as a week off the pill, I had improvement in my mood, though it took about a month or so before my mood went completely back to normal.
Good luck! I hope you make the right decision for yourself!
Answers:
Erin,
I, personally, don't believe it will stop. The reason is this: Birth control pills deplete the B vitamins. These are very important for the mood. Many doctors will not tell you this about the pill, though, and will instead try to prescribe you antidepressants. This is not necessary and often does more harm than good. If you're going to continue to stay on the pill, I recommend taking a good B complex vitamin and see if that helps. It helped me alot when I became depressed on the pill.