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The pill and mental health
Former Member
MiniposterPosts: 129 The Mix Convert
Hi all, hope you’re all getting on fine, if things aren’t going too well I’m here to listen.
So some of you will know that my main health concerns currently are poor mental health (suspected depression/depressive traits) and irregular periods.
My GP suggested I think about going on the pill to regulate my periods but I was worried about the link between the pill and depression after seeing the study which confirmed women on the pill were more likely to suffer from depression and/or take antidepressants as opposed to those who weren’t on it, but that (or any) study doesn’t mention what effect it could have on those who already have challenges with their mental health, so does anyone have any advice? I’ve got an appointment at the doctors in a few weeks so I’m going to ask my GP anyway.
I’ve not had a period for nearly 3 months, which I want to put down to stress but I was with this guy (I’m not anymore) and we dry humped but both of us were fully clothed and he fingered me for a few seconds (this was about a month ago), which made me worry about being pregnant but I think that’s just caused me more stress and affected my periods (and made me even more paranoid about being pregnant.) Is there any chance I could be pregnant though?
Sorry for the stressy thought dump!
Pumpkin
So some of you will know that my main health concerns currently are poor mental health (suspected depression/depressive traits) and irregular periods.
My GP suggested I think about going on the pill to regulate my periods but I was worried about the link between the pill and depression after seeing the study which confirmed women on the pill were more likely to suffer from depression and/or take antidepressants as opposed to those who weren’t on it, but that (or any) study doesn’t mention what effect it could have on those who already have challenges with their mental health, so does anyone have any advice? I’ve got an appointment at the doctors in a few weeks so I’m going to ask my GP anyway.
I’ve not had a period for nearly 3 months, which I want to put down to stress but I was with this guy (I’m not anymore) and we dry humped but both of us were fully clothed and he fingered me for a few seconds (this was about a month ago), which made me worry about being pregnant but I think that’s just caused me more stress and affected my periods (and made me even more paranoid about being pregnant.) Is there any chance I could be pregnant though?
Sorry for the stressy thought dump!
Pumpkin
0
Comments
Sorry to hear you are struggling right now, we're here for you if/when you want to talk
I'm on the pill myself and have been for probably over 5 years and haven't seen anything change when I go on/off it in terms of mental health, but obviously it's different for different people. Definitely worth sounding it over with your GP anyway. I actually find it has taken away some of my stress because I too used to worry a lot about getting pregnant and got horrible irregular periods.
I really would not be concerned about being pregnant if you haven't had sex. There is pretty much no way that fingering can get you pregnant... Hope that puts your mind at ease but your GP can also do a really quick and easy pregnancy test on you to clear your mind if you think it will help? It will be worth having a chat with your GP about not having a period for 3 months either way I think?
- Lucy
Thanks for putting me at ease a bit, I’ve just been really stressed lately and the “am I pregnant” worry just added to it to be honest. When my periods stopped for 6 months a while back, my GP put it down to stress and/or low body weight after I had blood tests done that came back completely normal, so they’re definitely aware that it’s happened before.
Pumpkin
I remember being concerned about similar things when i was like 17. About being pregnant and stuff - it was actually really stressful so i can understand that. But now i realise at that age periods are irregular and im 20 now and still get irregular periods cause of low body weight too and stressing about it- makes it worse. Tho i understand is harder done than said. And hope your gp can help. Is up to you on if you wanna go on the pill & maybe the your gp could explain the possible affects
I was wondering why my GP suggested the pill when periods do tend to be irregular at this age and I’ve not actually been having periods for very long, maybe just because I’ve had problems with them more than once? Also I’m worried about explaining my pregnancy concerns to them, I’m afraid they might think I’m stupid or irresponsible (and also it’s difficult to describe it without being crude).
Pumpkin
i do actually find that quite weird that they mentioned the pill for irregular periods cause is so common.
I wouldnt think its because its more than once. When i speak to my doctor about anything and the random question of like “are you periods regular” i always say they arent and havent been for years and they carry on normal and never question it because it is normal for age. But hopefully your gp will be able to help you. Guess is different for everyone. I dont think you should be concerned about being pregnant at all. But you can always ask your gp. They wont find anything stupid and are open to all sorts of questions
Let us know how things go
I was put on the pill firstly because of irregular periods so nothing out of the ordinary there. It also helps with period pain which I suffered quite badly from before.
In my experience of talking to GPs/health professionals about sex/worries... yes it can be a bit awkward for you, but they don't bat an eyelid! Genuinely they are just doing their jobs and will be happy you are looking to be responsible and understand your worries (we all have them!!) - and I've spoken about much worse when going to get STI checks etc! You can talk to them about anything in confidence and you can also request an appointment with a different GP or go to a sexual health clinic instead if you don't want to see your usual one.
Let us know how you get on, here if you want to talk about anything
- Lucy
My GP suggested the pill for irregular and painful periods but since becoming active I've switched to the implant.
They won't think you're stupid they're not there to judge and honestly talking about it is what got me thinking about my worry and putting my counselljgmming referral in.
If it's hard you can always write it down and make sure you get a female doctor if that's more comfortable for you
I’m not with that guy anymore but it was practically as soon as I ended it with him this other guy I haven’t seen for over a year messaged me and he’s definitely *ahem* interested (don’t know why though). I’m going to think about whether or not a relationship is going to negatively affect my stress levels.
If I decided to take a pregnancy test I’d literally travel somewhere else to buy it because knowing my luck I’d probably bump into someone I know in the shop.
I know GPs aren’t there to judge, mine just wouldn’t expect me to be silly like that because the only “me” they’ve really known is the sensible, focused, studious, stressed one. I’m not going to see them for another couple of weeks but I’ll let you know how my appointment went when it comes.
Pumpkin
I'm aware how your GP sees you but they really won't judge, I've always been the sensible mature one but even I had a scare when I hadn't taken my pill properly. Things can catch anyone out so don't feel embarrassed
Hope it goes well x
Update: the guy that messaged me out of the blue the other day saying he liked me has just suddenly said (after several lovey-kissy messages and saying he loved me) it would be too awkward to have a relationship because I have the same name as his little sister. He wants to stay friends though, and it’s not affected me in the slightest.
In better news, I’ve just sent my UCAS application into my college so I’m hoping something good comes out of that. Many nights of stressing over my personal statement are over!
Isla
How do you feel about staying friends with this guy?
Also good news about UCAS, I don't know much about UCAS and all that stuff, but... I've heard people say about in the past.
Hope your okay
I don’t know if staying friends with that guy will be awkward or not, he’s convinced we’re going to be really good friends but I’m not sure. We’re supposed to be meeting for coffee next week, no idea if I’ll go or not.
Pumpkin
Is there any particular reason why you don't want to? Any thoughts going through your head? Xo
I asked him why it would be too awkward to have a relationship when his sister and I share a name and he didn’t reply so I just told him straight up I didn’t believe him. He didn’t bother replying to that either but I don’t care, I’m actually laughing! He had his chance.
It’s not that I didn’t want to be friends with him, I just thought it would be really awkward seeing as he rejected me in a way. No thoughts going through my head, everything’s actually been great mental health-wise lately and I’m going to try and reduce the frequency of my counselling sessions and see how that goes, especially seeing as I’ve just started learning to drive and doing both every week isn’t cheap.
Hope everyone else is doing well, I know I always sound like I only care about myself on here but I am genuinely here to listen to and support anyone on here. Stay strong.
Pumpkin
I had my doctors appointment this morning, where I was prescribed the pill but stupidly forgot to ask my GP about possible effects on my mental health. I’ve been prescribed Rigevidon, and I’m now in a state because it lists mood swings and depression as a common side effect. My mum told me to look up the link between that pill and mental health problems and I stupidly did, finding horror story after horror story. I know I shouldn’t believe everything online but still, if I reversed all the progress I’ve made in improving my mental health over the last year I’d never forgive myself.
I know my GP would never have prescribed it if they thought it would have a negative effect on me but I’m petrified, even though I might not have any problems at all. Thing is, I can’t find any stories about people who had no problems with it! Is it worth risking it just to regulate my periods?
Pumpkin
The pill effects everyone differently and you will always find things online where people say they've reacted really badly to the pill you're on. The best advice I would give is to monitor how it effects you and and try to keep track. If you think it's effecting you badly, then speak to your GP and try a different one. I tried three different brands before the one I'm on now and I'm happy with this one. It's definitely the right one for me because I feel stable, not too up and down and not too many headaches. I can't stress enough how important it is to listen to your own body though. The pill really does effect everyone so differently!
I wasn’t really thinking straight when I posted that, I just panicked when I read the leaflet and internet, but there’s still that thought that everything I’ve done in the past year to improve my mental health and all the work I’ve done in counselling could be in vain.
I think I might go back and see my GP in the new year to voice my concerns.
Pumpkin
Hey @Pumpkinpie
That's the exact pill I've been on for years and never had any problems with it, so I hope that might put your mind at ease a little. I've panicked in the past too after looking health concerns up online so totally get it, but remember more people will be writing about having problems than if everythings going smoothly!!
I would definitely still talk to your GP to voice your concerns tho as it'll make you feel better and also they can help with regular check ins to make sure you can switch pills if it does start to have any effect.
Hope you had a lovely xmas.
- Lucy
Also I ended up taking a pregnancy test after my constant worry and it was negative so I think I can put that one to bed seeing as there wasn’t a very high chance I was pregnant in the first place. Although my mind is telling me to test again because I probably messed it up in some way and didn’t do it first thing in the morning even though the box literally says you can do it any time of day.
I did have a good Xmas, hope everyone else did too
Pumpkin
You're absolutely right about the fact that people only post when they've had a bad experience but you don't see the good ones. There are plenty but that would never make the news xo
You are right in saying you can do it any time it doesn't have to be morning and the results will be still accurate
If you are really concerned you can take another as its good to repeat but it will very likely be negative once more xo
It's great that you had a good Christmas! I had a fabulous one myself couldn't
So I ended up going back to the doctors today since I couldn’t shake the “the pill is going to completely screw up my mental health and ruin the work I’ve put in to improve it BUT I might be absolutely fine” thought pattern and my GP was super understanding about my concerns and gave me a lower dosage pill (Loestrin 20) to try it if I feel comfortable to start.
They did also suggest leaving it for a year or so to see if my periods get any more regular and watch my stress levels, which they think is the main thing affecting my periods as well as my weight being on the lower side, but I think I might give the lower dose a try if my periods continue to be really irregular.
If my mental health does dip a bit while I’m on it I won’t immediately think it’s the pill and come off it right away since I do get “blips” anyway, I’d leave it and keep an eye on it for a bit.
Pumpkin
That's really positive to hear you went back to your GP and they listened to your concerns and changed your dosage due to them. It's brilliant to have a GP who's understanding
Yeh all makes sense, and great to hear you are going to give it a go. It sounds like your GP would be happy to see you again if you have any concerns going forward anyway, so do keep that in mind if you are ever worried.
Glad it's all worked out
- Lucy
It annoys me that barely anyone posts about their positive experiences on the pill, it would be great for people like me (who are frantically searching for good points) as a reassurance!
I see my GP every 3 months or so anyway just so I can check in and update them and they can see how I’m doing in terms of my mental health. I’m always worried I’m wasting their time though.
Also, majorly good thing happened last night, I got an unconditional offer for one of my uni choices (woop!) Hope anyone else going through the same thing gets into where they want to or anyone sitting exams gets great results!
Pumpkin
You're definitely not wasting your doctors time, they're there to make sure you're feeling okay. I'm another positive pill story, it's really helped my mental and physical health. How are you finding the pill they suggested?
Caroline
I’ve applied to study journalism and since I posted last I got another unconditional (for my first choice uni too!) and an invitation to interview for another which is going to be somewhat interesting haha!
I’ve not started taking the pill yet, I’m going to see if my next period is on time (or as on time as an irregular one can be) or not, and maybe keep an eye on them for a while as my doctor suggested. I’m willing to give it a try though.
Pumpkin
Yeh makes sense, keep us posted on how it goes!