One for the girls! Going on the Pill

[tygwyn]

Hi Guys

Well I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago after deciding I wanted to go back on the Pill to try and sort my cycles out (one month 26 - next month 31 etc!). I also thought that this might level out my moods a bit and help with PMT. I haven't been on the pill for 4 years now though and was wondering if you thought this may help or hinder my progress? Has anyone here gone on the pill during recovery - if so how did you feel on it? I'm concerned (as any GAD sufferer would be!!!) that it may increase my anxiety because of the oestrogen boost?

Any advice is appreciated!!

Thanks

[chucklehound]

Hi tygwyn,
I was on the pill for 4 years and when I came off the it, I found that I wasn't as low and anxious as before. I am not saying that it was the pill that mde my anxiety worse in any way, but I did feel better after coming off it. It could have just been the psychological side of it because I read that one of the side effects could be depression.
I hope that you make the right decision and just remember that it doesn't necessarily mean that this will happen to you.

[mum2four]

I refuse to use the pil for many reasons but the biggest one is that I send my anxiety SKY HIGH I start pacing at the stressing my thoughts race and get more negative thought that positive. I did use the pill while i was being treated for depession as the I felt it couldn't make me worse than I was already feeling. About year of being on the zoloft and the pill I decide it was time to make my body do what the zoloft was controlling so i slowly took my self off the pill against the Dr wish's and it took me awhile to wean my self of the zoloft but once off for a fue month I still felt something was not right with I was still having mood swing's and my anxiety was hard to control. Then it hit me i was still taking the pill so I decided to take my self off the pill after talking to my partner. As the month went by I felt more in control of my mood's and my anxiety ect it didn't go away I just felt i had more control over my thought process which help to me convince my self i was over reacting ect. It's been 3 year's now and while i still suffer from anxiety at time's where my life is going to fast for me to deal with(I hate being busy) i still feel like I have control and control is big issues for me.

I do think that the pill can play a part in anxiety issue's and mood change's to a point and it really cant hurt to try life with out the pill if you feel no change in the way you act or feel is very easy to go back on the pill. You'll never know how it effect you if it donse unless you take your self off of them. For some people the pill help's to control moods and for other it cause's negative change's in mood's. Every one is so different I would seriously concider stopping for a while and see how you feel.

[Piglet]

Hi Tam,

I went back on the pill about 3/4 years ago to try and get my periods sorted out. I was coming on every 21 days and really terribly heavy and for about 8/9 days.

I chatted it over with my Gp and had some routine investigations etc etc and we decided upon the pill in the end. The first one I tried I felt lousy on and it did seem to make my anxiety worse but then the next one I tried seems to be fine.

It has regulated my periods and to gain an extra week is brilliant for me and they are slightly less heavy too. I don't have high blood pressure and I don't smoke but I am 43 so may not be able to stay on it much longer, I'm about to have that discussion with my GP actually.

Obviously I would prefer not to have to take it but on balance the periods were dragging me down and making me anaemic (had to take prescribed iron for a while) and disrupting my life, so I guess its a weighing it up exercise.

Good luck.

Love Piglet xx

[desperate]

My anxiety was triggered off by taking the pill amongst other things.

I tried two types and the second made me feel a bit better.

I guess it is your own personal choice though. But there are other none chemical options too!

First Anxiety...then panic attacks...now GAD and depression

[seh1980]

I think it really depends on the individual. Just because it has caused others to panic more, doesn't mean that it will do the same for you. All you can do is give it a go

"If life were simple, word would have got around"

[henri]

hi there,
i agree with sarah, it totally depends on the individual. i used to suffer from terrible, really blinding period pain - when i started having panic attacks, the pain was even worse and i became afraid of the pain which made me panic more... it was a nightmare.
my gp put me on microgynon, which i think is a pretty bog standard pill, and it has totally sorted out the pain - i just have normal periods and don't think about them at all anymore. luckily i haven't had any side effects.
how did you feel when you were on the pill first time round?
henri